Branding can be seen all over history. I have been researching pirates recently, particularly Edward Thatch, also known as Blackbeard. Interestingly he was only a pirate for two years, from 1716-1718, yet he is one of the world’s most famous pirates.
I asked myself, what makes Blackbeard so memorable and how can that be applied to today? It boils down to, Blackbeard was amazing at branding.
We can use Blackbeard’s lesson when starting a side hustle, or even working on our professional brand.
Side Note: The Best Pirate Book I read was Black Flags, Blue Waters: The Epic History of America’s Most Notorious Pirates.
Early Blackbeard
Starting from the beginning, Edward Thatch was probably a privateer (pirate for hire) or sailor during Queen Anne’s War. When the war was finished and legitimate work as a soldier for hire dried-up, he joined the Pirate Captain Benjamin Hornigold’s crew. He quickly ascended the ranks and became Hornigold’s, right-hand man. Together they conducted numerous acts of piracy, mainly robbing merchant ships that were making their way through the Caribbean to North America. This continued until the end of 1717 when Hornigold retired from piracy. Leaving Edward Thatch on his own. Not to be left out-done, Thatch aptured a French slave ship and renamed it Queen Anne’s Revenge, and equipped her with 40 guns and a crew of 300 men.
Blackbeard’s Branding
This is where Edward Thatch’s story turns into one of branding. He has a long beard and lets it continue to grow; this gives him a fierce appearance. He also ties and then lit fuses under his hat to frighten his enemies as this would cast a menacing shadow on his face that could be seen by nearby ships. Blackbeard made one of the first pirate flags, a skeleton piercing a heart while toasting the devil. He wore all black and strapped pistols to himself. Thus, rumors of him started to spread through the Caribbean. That Blackbeard killed the devil himself and became the devil on Earth. Blackbeard let these rumors spread and was finding that ships were surrendering when he unfurled his flag without any violence.
In fact, there is no documentation of Blackbeard being a savage pirate. He rarely resorted to violence and never hurt civilians. Sure, he stole their wares, but he never went about hurting anyone. Yet he was quickly known as being a ruthless pirate because of the image he portrayed and the rumors he let circulate.
Blackbeard’s Demise
Eventually, it all caught up with him. Edward Thatch was killed during an ambush, with the military shooting him five times and stabbing him twenty times. To make it even worse, they cut off his head and hung it from the bowsprit. However, even in death, he caused legends. It is said that when his body was thrown overboard, Blackbeard’s body swam seven times around the vessel before falling to the bottom of the sea. Even in death, and even famously after death, Blackbeard continues his legacy.
Why We Remember Blackbeard Today
Part of this spurred on by the 1724 book by Captain Charles Johnson, A General History of the Robberies and Murders of the Most Notorious Pyrates. Where he describes, with artistic license, the fierceness of Blackbeard. It was only six years after his death, and the rumors Blackbeard let run seemed to spur Charles Johnson’s writing. In a way, this was the first advocate securing the branding Blackbeard had created.
Main Take-Aways
- Have an image. Use a consistent look for your audience.
- Know what is being said and stoke the fires that encourage the message you want to send.
- Stay away from illegitimate work as people tend to have a history of losing their heads in that line of business.
Action Items
How can you add a little Blackbeard to your personal image or branding? What other historical figures do you think we can learn business principles from?
