After decades of crafting campaigns for Adobe, Netflix, and Google, and earning international awards across advertising, television, and film, Greg Logan has distilled Hollywood's most powerful storytelling secrets into his new book, 'Creating a Blockbuster Brand: Hollywood's Storytelling Secrets For Your Business.'
The 228-page workbook represents years of refining what Logan calls his "failsafe system"—a methodology that transforms rational corporate messaging into emotionally engaging narratives using proven cinematic formulas. From his Los Angeles base, Logan has guided hundreds of clients worldwide through his Brand Story Lab process, helping businesses evolve from forgettable to unforgettable.
In this exclusive interview, Logan reveals the untold stories behind the development of his book, shares surprising applications of his Hollywood formulas, and offers insights that extend far beyond what readers will find on the printed page.
Q: You mention it took years to make your system "failsafe." What were some of the biggest failures or mistakes that shaped how you refined these Hollywood formulas for business use?
A movie must work within a two to three-hour linear story and have a captive audience. Brands just don't work that way. Their story needs to last for years, over many mediums. That's a helluva lot of sequels!
So, I had to break down individual elements of what the movies use, such as the Quest, which I've translated for a brand's customer mission, rather than forcing a brand into the complete Hero's Journey.
Some things I thought were cute movie links, but they just weren't useful to clients. And I had to create some things, as clients requested items like 'Can you do a Customer Value Proposition?' I've always looked to the movies for the answer, and there's always one. In this instance, it was the Controlling Idea, the main takeaway from the film. It just allows businesses to see themselves through a whole new lens, and a far more emotional story.
Q: The Quest chapter is your favorite section. Can you give a specific example of how a struggling brand used your Quest formula to completely transform its messaging and results?
In every movie, a hero has a Quest that we agree with. The Quest works because the audience is not satisfied until it is achieved. Imagine the power that it has for your business.
It's a simple formula... What do you do? + Who do you do it for? + What value do you add to their lives? In Star Wars, it's to save the galaxy by defeating the Dark Side. But it works in business too.
I worked with a UK funder of small businesses. At #3, they said their mission was to be the #1 independent funder for SME's. I told them that was terrible. Their target audience is a small business owner who needs funding, is in financial distress, and claims they want to be #1. Their audience couldn't care one bit.
So, we used the Quest formula to create 'Relieving business owners from the pressures they're under.' Within 6 months, they became #1, because we created a Quest that their audience wanted to see achieved. If you can help your audience achieve their Quest, they'll help you achieve yours.
Q: What's the most surprising industry or business type that has successfully applied your Hollywood formulas? One that readers wouldn't expect?
I work with all industries, businesses, and entrepreneurs. It's one of the things I love about my job, entering all those different worlds. From Google and Adobe, to pet food, bras, non-profits, finance, booze, cities, palliative care, celebrants, and even an OnlyFans page!
Sometimes I use the formulas to help my friends have better luck on Grindr. I redid one girl's profile, and the next day say called me and said, "You're a f***ing genius. I've had more response in 4 hours than I've had in 3 years. And they are guys that I actually want to meet!"
The formulas work because I stop you from telling the story you want to tell, and start telling the story your audience wants to hear. It works for anything and anyone.
Q: You've worked with both Fortune 500 companies and startups. How does your approach differ when teaching these formulas to a solo entrepreneur versus a large corporate team?
There's no real difference at all. As long as you have an audience, it works the same. We use the same process and formulas, and we get the same outputs. But the characters, environment, and story differ. Just like the movies.
What differs is that with Fortune 500 companies, I make rich companies even richer. With startups and entrepreneurs, I literally change their lives. 80% cry when I present back their new stories. They've always known their business was powerful; they've just never been able to express it in such an impactful way. I had one client say to me, "I showed my wife the work you did, and she said, 'Now I believe it will be a billion-dollar company.'"
Q: What's the biggest misconception business leaders have about storytelling that your book directly challenges or corrects?
Where do I start! That your business is the hero. Wrong. Your customer is. That rational proof points work. Wrong. Emotion influences buying decisions, and we often use rational thinking to justify our choices.
But probably the biggest misconception is that you can never say anything negative in your marketing. Wrong again. You need tension. Can you imagine if the movies didn't have tension, drama, or enemies? They'd be boring.
If you can start your brand story with the thing that your customer hates the most, you hook them in far more effectively than with a happy story about your product. Your audience goes, 'Oh yeah, I hate that, you get me.' Once you've hooked them in, then you tell them how you solve that thing they hate. All of a sudden, you're relevant.
Q: Beyond the exercises in the book, what's the most common mistake you see when companies try to implement your Enemy & Superpower or Controlling Idea concepts?
I like to think that once clients work with me, they no longer make any mistakes. Ha! However, I suppose it's an overall issue; they can lapse back into their comfort zone. They revert to being overly rational, sounding like their competition, and focusing on themselves rather than their customers. They revert to satisfying what they want, rather than what the customer wants.
Q: Many brands are jumping on every new marketing trend and platform. How do your Hollywood formulas help companies stay consistent with their core story while adapting to new channels and changing consumer behaviors?
I provide my clients with 12 distinct core messages and stories, all delivered in a new, unique tone of voice. All the key things they need across their business. They then utilize these in various media, including their website, videos, brochures, pitches, and social media.
They have also learnt my formulas, so if they need new messages for new audiences, I've taught them to fish. Now I also help them integrate their unique voice into AI, so they sound like them, not a chatbot.
Q: What feedback from early readers has surprised you most? Has anyone applied your methods in a way you didn't anticipate?
Apart from Grindr! I've had clients turn the messages we created into t-shirts and other merchandise, as well as use them in charity programs. One client even creates staff awards around key statements.
But one of my favorite translations was a client driving home, knowing his wife was furious with him. And in the car, he created a story based on my Quest and Love Story formulas. It put what his audience—his mad wife—at the heart of it, and then explained the role he had to play. He said it saved his marriage. Love that.
Q: If someone could only implement one chapter or formula from your entire book due to time constraints, which would you recommend and why?
The Quest. It's probably the simplest thing to do, but it makes the biggest difference in how you and your customers perceive your business. Have a go, and let me know what Quest you created.
Greg Logan's "Creating a Blockbuster Brand" is available through major retailers, including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Booktopia. For business leaders seeking to transform their brand communication from transactional to transformational, Logan's systematic approach offers a research-backed roadmap grounded in the entertainment industry's most successful narrative techniques.
As companies worldwide grapple with cutting through increasingly crowded markets, Logan's fusion of Hollywood storytelling and business strategy provides a competitive advantage that transcends traditional marketing approaches—turning brands into the heroes of their own blockbuster stories.
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