Dr. Andrej Drapal

Born on September 1st, 1958. 100 Years after “The Book”. Six thousand years after the emergence of the craft. Four billion years after the emergence of life on earth.

Posing a simple question: how could he perform poetry in primary school, focus on mathematics and music in high school, been expelled from mathematics, stop piano after 17 years of study, jump on comparative literature and philosophy, jump into Marxism and psychoanalysis, practices print and electronic media, (DJ as Marxist, editor as philosopher, CEO as Darwinist); thus started with Darwinism even when he hated the idea…

From 1986 to 1991, he led the theater and film program at Cankarjev Dom, producing over 30 theater and film performances. He continued producing as an independent entrepreneur with InArt Center, which he established for this purpose. Between 1991 and 2011, he served as a consultant and partner at Pristop, Slovenia’s first and, for a long time, largest agency for public relations, advertising, and marketing. In 1996, he founded Slovenia’s first lobbying association. In 2004, he established the Chamber of Business Services at Slovenia’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He also served on various boards of nonprofit organizations, including two terms as president of the National Gallery and multiple terms on the program council of the Ljubljana Festival. Since 1998, he has been developing his own branding and marketing model, the Standard Branding Model©. Using this methodology, he has developed over 50 brands and business models. The brand I Feel Slovenia, launched in 2008, is arguably the most recognized product of this model. His book Brandlife (2016) outlines and explains the methodology. In November 2024, he completed his PhD in strategic communication at the Faculty of Applied Social Studies in Nova Gorica, focusing on memetics. Dr. Andrej Drapal’s primary research focus is the convergence of communication sciences, evolutionary biology, complexity studies, quantum mechanics, and neuroscience. He has conducted this research since 2000. The research can be described as a philosophy of communication, based on memetics. Andrej’s PhD thesis presents a novel perspective on human culture, distinguishing it from all other cultures and defining it as memetics. It relies on accepting natural selection laws, taking culture as a product of natural selection. Andrej’s primary aim is to develop insights into practical philosophy. He considers philosophy as it once was: the foundation of all sciences and a tool for understanding human reality at the most practical level. This theoretical foundation provides a new perspective on contemporary issues such as myths, religion, fashion, fake news, ideologies, artificial intelligence, common law, innovation, education, brands, and other social and psychological phenomena.

Photo: Borut Krajnc

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