‘Cult Brand’ Defined
1: A product or service that is in a class of their own as they have mastered the art of building lasting and meaningful relationships with their customers. In the world of Cult Brands, the customer is not only king, but is part of the family. When you buy a Harley Davidson motorcycle, you are not just getting a bike—you’re getting a membership into The Club.
These brands have no competition. They rule their customer-defined category. There are no substitutes for Oprah, Vans, Linux, Southwest Airlines, IKEA, Harley-Davidson, Apple, Star Trek, Jimmy Buffett, and Volkswagen Beetle. (Read profiles of these Cult Brands here.) These brands are profitable even in the most adverse market conditions because of the powerful relationships they’ve forged with their customers.
2: Cult Brands understand that their brands belong to the customers. Only the customer’s voice counts. A successful Cult Brand embraces its customers by anticipating their basic human and spiritual needs. As a consequence, Cult Brands achieve a level of customer loyalty unprecedented in traditional business.
3: A cult following is a term used to refer to a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a specific area of pop culture. A film, book, band, or video game, among other things, will be said to have a cult following when it has a small but very passionate fan base.
4: A product or service that has an energetic and loyal customer base. A cult brand, unlike others, has customers who can be described as near-fanatical, true believers in the brand and may feel a sense of ownership or vested interest in the brand’s popularity and success. Cult brands have achieved a unique connection with customers, and are able to create a consumer culture that people want to be a part of.
Cult Brand Meaning
Cult Brands always give back. They are adamant about continually finding new ways to show love and appreciation for the passion and devotion of their customers. Unlike faceless corporations, Cult Brands are humble and personable. They never take their customers for granted.
Cult Brands build strong, ongoing relationships with their customers by developing and supporting customer communities.Cult Brands aren’t afraid to use today’s profits to create customer communities for generating powerful long-term goodwill for their business and their brands.
Cult Branding Company explains ‘Cult Brand’
Cult Branding is the art and science of creating human experiences that lead to feelings of belonging, a sense of shared consciousness with others and engagement in ritualistic behavior.
Cult Branding is so effective that many loyal customers convince their friends and family to choose one company over another based on their deep love and connection to the these brands. Companies with cult branding strategies enjoy additional purchases from friends and family that are excited and ready to get into the group and share the ritual of the brand.
There are many ways to create a Cult Brand. From giving consumers a sense of belonging to simple acts of kindness that create long term bonds with the consumer. Cult Branding is the the result of a superior understanding of the customer where consumer insights (Big Data) and humanities (Human Needs) come together.
Cult Brand Examples
There are many weak brands and Average Joe brands out there. There are even numerous iconic brands in the world, which most other companies aspire to be. But few brands ever develop a deep, penetrating relationship with their customers. Few brands truly win the heart’s of their customers, which breeds authentic customer loyalty. Few brands ever adhere to the rules – knowingly or not — that define a Cult Brand.
Here are 20 of the most powerful Cult Brands and how Cult Branding has shaped their relationship with their customers and Brand Lovers.