Creating loyalty shouldn’t feel like a constant struggle. We coach your organization to make transforming customers and employees into passionate fans feel like second nature.

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  • Los Angeles Lakers
  • Hagerty
  • Coca-Cola
  • Turner Classic Movies
  • Zappos
  • Apple
  • Scheels
  • Jimmy Buffett
  • IBM
  • Harvard Business School
  • Life is Good
  • Kohl's

What makes us different

Nearly twenty years ago, our founder BJ Bueno published the first book to explore Cult Brands—those brands that have gained diehard loyalty by building meaningful relationships with their customers.

But, we didn’t stop there, since 2002 we’ve researched what it takes to build a loyal following and implemented it across a wide range of organizations: from farmers to multi-billion dollar retailers, from day-trading companies to sports teams, from non-profits to television stations.

We couple a deep understanding of human nature with what we’ve learned from studying Cult Brands and building loyalty in the real-world to create best practices that work for brands looking to improve customer loyalty and employee passion in any industry.

The most obvious thing we’ve learned is that building brands is no longer just about what you say, it’s about how you do it.

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Loyalty starts with building a values-driven organization with a passionate culture that shares the same ideals as your customers: you both see a chance for the world to be slightly better.

Without embracing the customers’ values, it becomes impossible to create authenticity and ultimately trust: there won’t be any truth behind your words. And without trust, you can’t get to loyalty.

We believe businesses can be a force of good in the world: they can create places where people find a calling instead of a job and, instead of just selling the latest product or service, they can solve real tensions in customers’ lives and uplift their spirits.

We’re in the business of building loyalty and relationships between you and your customers, which is just what we like to do with our clients. That’s why we keep our team small—there’s just three of us—so that there’s no account executive sitting between you and expert advice.

If you’re looking to inspire your organization, develop a passionate culture, or create diehard customer loyalty, we’d love to help you get there.


Who We Are

BJ Bueno

BJ Bueno

Founder, Author, Head of Strategy
[email protected]
Aaron Shields

Aaron Shields

Partner, Head of Research
[email protected]
Salim Bueno

Salim Bueno

Partner, Head of Operations
[email protected]

Learn from the people who wrote the book on Cult Branding … literally

The first book to explore Cult Branding. Learn the seven golden rules all Cult Brands follow. Harness the power of Cult Branding to avoid blowing a fortune on advertising.
What does it take to develop a customer-centered marketing program? Discover all the tools you need to manage a customer-obsessed brand.
Word of Mouth isn’t new: it’s just an amplified version of what we’ve always done. Learn how to go beyond attention grabbing tactics and encourage authentic raves and word of mouth.

Gain Wisdom. Create Action.

The Seven Golden Rules of Cult Branding

The 7 Golden Rules of Cult Branding

Cult Brands create emotional experiences that lead to feelings of belonging. We’ve identified seven core rules that guide all Cult Brands. These rules are the fundamental tenets that all Cult Brands consciously or instinctively follow as they do business. Keeping these rules in mind makes it easier to decide how to grow your business and foster loyalty.

How to Build Customer Loyalty in The Age of Skeptics

How to Build Customer Loyalty in The Age of Skeptics

Even companies that claim to be customer-obsessed usually think of customer-obsession only in terms of how it can maximize ROI and increase the bottom line. It’s more of an obsession with the customers’ wallets than the customers themselves. They rarely care about making the customer experience the best it can be. Instead, they only concern themselves with being a bit better than the competition, so that the customer is more likely to spend money at the “better” experience.

A Crash Course in Brand Loyalty

A Crash Course in Brand Loyalty

The truth is that most businesses struggle to build brand loyalty. In fact, many executives at large corporations don’t even believe that building brand loyalty is possible, opting instead to exclusively focus on driving the next transaction. In our experience working with major national brands as well as independent retailers, building brand loyalty is most certainly possible.

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