“Primal Storytelling: Marketing for Humans” by Anthony L. Butler

Primal Storytelling: Marketing for Humans

Anthony L. Butler
Lioncrest Publishing (2022)
ISBN 9781544534251
Reviewed by Jill Rey for Reader Views (11/2022)

“Primal storytelling is where social psychology, human emotion, and story telling come together to create a story that connects with target audiences.” – p. 30.

Marketing departments and firms have the difficult job of influencing their target audience’s behavior in a way that convinces them to buy a specific product or service. There are many, many books out there targeting marketing professionals and businesses. Whether it be marketing one’s personal brand, how to position a product, or how to create a marketing plan and strategy, the field of marketing manuals is full of competition. Anthony Butler, however, sets himself apart in his book, “Primal Storytelling: Marketing for Humans” as he uses his own marketing expertise to craft a formula for success in engaging one’s primal urges and emotions to promote a story and attract an audience.

Butler does an excellent job in explaining to readers the four main story types, the five brand archetypes, and the five basic plots used as he walks readers through the key ingredients to storytelling. As he details each piece of the storytelling puzzle, he draws readers in using his own personal experiences and that of well-known brands in today’s world (think SpaceX, Apple, etc.).

“Primal Storytelling” is a quick and informative read. I found Butler using his own formula in the stories told within this book to draw me in to his message. His words easily connected readers to the page and gave us points of understanding as he used well-known brands to hammer home his storied formula. “Primal Storytelling” breaks down marketing in a fascinating way. Despite having no experience or background in marketing myself, the way he lays it all out, breaking down each element of a story, had me analyzing ads and commercials in new ways. Full of examples and analysis, Butler brought his expertise to life in a way that was not only insightful, but understandable both at the fundamental level and within a more complex and nuanced way. 

No industry is left out. From insurance to space travel, car rentals, banking, and more, the Primal Storytelling Formula is shown to work across them all, helping readers use the power of marketing, through storytelling, to niche and position their own brands for success.