ANALYSIS: The Influence of Vladimir Putin | The Hi-Tech Discussion

I know, this newsletter is about tech news.

However, we can't live in a bubble. World events affect the tech world and, especially, I am a brand & communications specialist. It is my duty to bring you, from time to time, information that could help you understand how influence works.

So, welcome to an extraordinary edition of the Hi-Tech Discussion. One that deals with key takeaways from the Tucker Carlson x Vladimir Putin interview.

Disclaimer: This Post Will Trigger You

The interview is endearing Putin to some. To others, those 2hrs confirm how manipulative Russia's President is. But I'm here to tackle another topic:

What's the root of Putin's Charisma?

Before we begin:

• I don't do politics.
• I'm certified in Hostage Negotiation.
• I'm a bachelor in International Relations.

Communication, propaganda and intelligence are part of my reality.

So I don't care about feelings. I only care about what's being communicated.

• Where people get passionate, I sniff manipulation.
• Where people see politics, I see marketing.
• Where people feel hate, I sense narratives.

This is not Putin apology. But this is a post for those who want to see beyond the veil.

ORIGIN STORY | Family

Putin's parents survived 900 days in Leningrad, a city under German siege where 1.000.000 people died of thirst & hunger.

They would eat rats and mix sand & soil to bake bread. Cannib*lism became common.

Their firstborn passed, and Putin's uncle tried to use the bones to make gelatin – leading to a ruthless fight with Putin's father.

Unable to feed their second child, they handed him over to an orphanage, where he passed a few weeks later. Putin's father, in a psychotic episode, destroyed his own hand with a hammer.

His mother tried to take her own life.

ORIGIN STORY | Vladimir Putin

Putin was the third born of two parents who swore they would never love a kid again. He grew up in a 16sqm shared apartment with two other families. His favorite pastime as a kid was killing rats on the street.

Young Putin ended up investigated for extortion and murder, drawing the attention of the police: They reached his house and, enraged, Putin Sr. threw his son out of the window – an almost lethal fall that resulted in just a hip fracture.

Vladimir Putin ended up in a detention center. At 16 he decided to dedicate his life to the KGB. The rest is history.

Now, what about his brand? What makes Putin a unique world leader? How did he become our most feared enemy?

1st ARCHETYPE

Jungian Archetypes are Marketing Psychology applied to the real world. Archetypes are storytelling for mass appeal. They are mental models that your brain uses to put people and characters in specific categories.

In marketing, branding and politics we use them to make you relate. To make sure you identify with the person, or that at least you feel something about it.

Because humans only take action when they feel, not when they think.

Archetypically, Vladimir Putin is the RULER. This means that he craves & needs power. A perfect example in marketing is Rolex.

A Ruler personality hates:

• Destitution
• Weakness
• Failure

This personality wants:

• Prosperity
• Success
• Status

You can see this Archetype in Putin's use of power. He's ruthless, unforgiving and relentless. He started ruling Russia in 1999 and hasn't virtually stopped ever since.

Russians love him because of how he uses power to push an extremely nationalistic policy... and because of his second Archetype:

2nd ARCHETYPE

Putin is a master at strategically portraying his own image.

Notice these things:

• He always appears powerful, rock-solid
• He has a black belt in Sambo
• Is in peak physical shape
• He's masculine & stoic
• He's a national hero

You know these things because he lets you know them. He never lets any image of himself out without a purpose: The interview with Tucker is the perfect example of Putin controlling the narrative.

When Tucker asks, Putin doesn't say "Yes" or "No." He redirects, deflects and re-frames. It's not by chance. Putin cannot let a foreigner dictate the narrative.

He knows the world and, more importantly, Russians are watching – and Russians expect strength.

Which brings us into Putin's second Archetype.

Archetypically, Vladimir Putin is the HERO. In pop culture, this is Nike. Hero brands are all about accomplishing. About turning obstacles into opportunities.

And isn't that what Putin did his whole life? Unlike Nike, Putin doesn't try to inspire people to achieve – he wants his people to admire and fear him, always under his grip.

But they do aspire to be like him. You see it even in the aftermath of this interview. Americans wish their leader was strong, fearsome. Russians see him as the epitome of a leader.

Regardless of whether they are enemies or allies, people respect Putin, and that's what a Hero Archetype needs.

As long as they cheer for him & are terrified of his power, Putin will always rule Russia: That's the true reason why he invaded Ukraine. To solidify his internal image. To put the entire world on notice.

Which plays into why he doesn't want to lose this war – his entire image is at play during the Ukraine invasion.

However, the political game of smoke & mirrors doesn't end here.

Vladimir Putin has also a THIRD archetype.

He is the OUTLAW.

3rd ARCHETYPE

If you're reading this and don't follow me (by the way, fix it and follow me now Sebastian D. P. Hidalgo ), you probably don't know what a BRAND is.

A BRAND is the meaning people attach to you. It is your reputation. This means that you don't own it. The audience always owns your brand.

Putin can't be a HERO for his people and also a HERO for his enemies.

For the world, Vladimir Putin is a war criminal. He is an OUTLAW & has been his entire life: From fights and murder charges to suspected assassinations and WWIII, Vladimir Putin has always been the perfect fit for the OUTLAW Archetype.

You see, Outlaw personalities hate:

• Servitude
• Conformity
• Dependance

Outlaw brands also want:

• Change (Putin is re-drawing borders)
• Revenge (Putin feels NATO wronged Russia)
• Liberation (the de-nazification argument)

Outlaws fight the status quo and need a war to fight. Without a war, they're lost.

And you know what's crazier? Putin uses his notoriousness to his advantage. Here's how:

NARRATIVE CONTROL

Putin uses the weaknesses of our Western society to his advantage. The extreme socia wars in America allow him to say that our society is sick and collapsing.

Ukraine's corruption and tolerance for the far-right fuels his entire propaganda machine, enabling him to tell people that Nazis are coming back.

Putin also leverages the lack of narrative control by Western leaders.

He portrays them as:

• Feminine (Trudeau)
• Uncapable (Biden)
• Hesitant (Obama)

By doing so, Putin keeps a solid grip on the most important side of his brand: His Russian Brand. Why does it matter?

Because the support of his people depends on that. If Putin appears weak, they will lose trust in him. If he hesitates, they'll find him weak.

And that's why Putin is trapped in a cage of his own making. And he took the world with him.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Vladimir Putin has the strongest brand in global politics and he openly draws power and authority from it. But his brand has a weakness: It trapped him AND the world.

What does that mean, you ask?

It means that Putin gave himself no peaceful way out: If he backs out from Ukraine and we go back to 2020, his people will lose respect from him.

Which is why, in the Tucker interview, you saw Putin flipping the narrative once again:

• Peace was almost a done deal, but Boris Johnson got in the way.
• De-nazification is apparently one agreement away.
• War will stop, but only if America stops funding it.

Perception is reality. And Putin took two hours of time to make sure that YOU buy into his reality – and lose trust in NATO and in the West as a whole.

Will it pay off? I don't know.

But what I do know is this war must end. Too many lives lost. An entire generation of men is gone. Regardless of whether you love or hate Putin, let me warn you:

There is a subtle war in the world. It's the war for control over your mind. The war for control over your opinions. The players are many and defiantly powerful.

So, every time you feel tempted to take a political side, take the human side instead: That one will never fail you.

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⚜️ If you enjoyed this post, give me a follow Sebastian D. P. Hidalgo . I'm behind the veil to tell you how brands of all kinds direct the play.