If you’re serious about growth, invest in TV.

TV isn’t just another channel—it’s the stage where brands earn cultural relevance. When done right, it becomes more than advertising. It becomes a signal of trust, a story customers carry with them, and a catalyst for loyalty.

TV Still Matters

1. It elevates your brand.
TV builds perceived quality and pricing power. Customers assume what they see on TV is worth more.

2. It drives both now and later.
From immediate sales spikes to long-term brand equity, TV works across timelines.

3. It imprints your brand into culture.
Shared viewing creates shared meaning. TV transforms brands into part of the cultural conversation.

4. It grows market share with unmatched reach.
Nothing scales your story faster or further.

5. It proves its worth.
TV is measurable. From leads to conversions, its impact shows up in the numbers.

The Multiplier Effect

Here’s the part most brands underestimate: 

TV amplifies everything else.

When you add TV to the mix, all your other channels work harder.

• For one client, leads from other channels grew 12% after TV was added.
  
• Kantar found removing TV can reduce a campaign’s impact by 39%.
  

TV isn’t just about reach—it’s about synergy. It supercharges your entire marketing ecosystem.

The Cult Brand Perspective

Cult Brands understand a timeless truth: the goal isn’t just awareness, it’s belonging.

TV accelerates that belonging by turning your message into a cultural event customers want to talk about, share, and join.

So, when in doubt, add TV.

Because TV doesn’t just advertise. It cements identity, builds trust, and powers devotion.

And in a marketplace where customers are skeptical and distracted, that’s the ultimate growth advantage.

✨ Pro Tip: Pair your TV strategy with community-building initiatives. When you combine cultural reach with customer belonging, you’re no longer just running ads—you’re building a movement.

If someone asked me to define a cult brand, I wouldn’t start with logos or marketing campaigns. I’d start with people.

At its core, a cult brand isn’t just a company with loyal customers. It’s a brand that people join.

In our research (Why We Join), we found that people align with brands the same way they join families, tribes, and communities. It’s not about the product alone; it’s about identity. When you wear Vans, drive a MINI, or crack open a can of Liquid Death, you’re signaling something about who you are and who you belong with.

The Fork in the Road

Regular brands succeed by being convenient, safe, and broadly acceptable. Think Camry, Marriott, or even Budweiser. If you swapped them out for an alternative, most customers wouldn’t notice. These brands thrive in the middle, sanding off edges to appeal to the largest number of people possible.

Cult brands take the opposite path. They lean into the edges, not away from them. They speak to something deeper: a customer’s need for self-expression, meaning, and belonging. That’s why a MINI owner waves at another MINI on the road. That’s why Harley riders form lifelong bonds. That’s why Supreme drops sell out in minutes.

Why We Join

Psychologist Erik Erikson described fidelity, the capacity to commit to a cause, as a key marker of identity. Cult brands tap directly into this human drive. They create a shared consciousness, rituals, and even a sense of moral responsibility among their fans. In other words, they create belonging.

When customers say, “This brand gets me,” they’re not just describing a product. They’re describing a relationship that validates who they are. That’s the secret behind cult brands: they don’t chase mass acceptance. They cultivate Brand Lovers.

Characteristics of Cult Brands

From our Cult Branding Workbook, here are the consistent traits you’ll find in every true cult brand:

• Differentiation: They stand apart, sometimes defiantly.
  
• Cultural Shift: They tap into or create movements larger than themselves.
  
• Compelling Story: They have origin stories that invite customers into the myth.
  
• Community: They foster rituals, inside language, and shared experiences.
  
• Longevity: Unlike fads, they deepen over time because they meet real human needs.
  

The Truth for Brand Builders

If you want to build for the masses, chase convenience, price, and normalcy. That’s fine, but don’t expect passion.

If you want to build a cult brand, build for the people who care. Invest in meaning, difference, and community. Be willing to say, “This might not be for you.”

Because the truth is simple: people don’t just buy cult brands. They join them.

For years, marketers chased leads as if more always meant better. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: more leads often equals less profit.

Why? Because chasing volume usually drives costs up faster than revenues. At some point, you cross the break-even line. After that, every new lead costs more than it delivers.

This is the trap of over-relying on performance marketing. The initial returns look fantastic, but over time, efficiency decays. You end up squeezing harder for diminishing gains.

What breaks the cycle? Brand.

When you invest in a brand, you change the slope of the curve. Instead of fighting diminishing returns, you lift the entire system. Costs stabilize. Revenues compound. Profitability sustains.

The shift is subtle, and it’s not as “sexy” as a shiny dashboard of lead counts. But it’s smarter. Cult brands like Liquid Death, Patagonia, and Supreme know this and they don’t chase every click. They invest in identity, creativity, and community. That’s what makes every future sale cheaper, every campaign more effective, and every customer more loyal.

The message is clear: the performance gold rush is over. The winners ahead will be the brands that find balance by blending data with creativity, performance with patience, and short-term wins with long-term equity.

Because in the end, it’s not about more leads. It’s about building a brand customers would never leave.