We have tracked businesses with unprecedented brand loyalty since 2001. A Certified Cult Brand is a designation we hold for brands that fulfill specific market criteria, including upholding the Seven Rules of Cult Brands.
Oprah Gail Winfrey Quick Stats
Date of Birth: Born on January 29, 1954 Place of Birth: Kosciusko, Mississippi, USA Parents: Father: Vernon Winfrey, a coal miner.
Mother: Vernita Lee, a housemaid
Early Life:
Ms. Oprah Gail Winfrey was born in the poor rural town of Kosciusko, Mississippi on January 29, 1954. Oprah spent her first years on her grandmother’s farm, while her mother looked for work in the North. Her grandmother taught her to read at an early age. Despite the hardships, she enjoyed the loving support of her grandmother and the church community, who cherished her as a gifted child.
Career Highlights:
In 1976, Winfrey moved to Baltimore, where she hosted a hit TV chat show, People Are Talking, after which she was recruited by a Chicago TV station to host her own morning show.
Later she went on to pursue her two-and-a-half decade stint as host of the wildly popular Oprah Winfrey show.
The name of Oprah’s production company, Harpo Productions, is “Oprah” spelled backward.
Oprah received an Academy Award nomination for her role in Steven Spielberg’s The Color Purple. She would later produce a version of the film on Broadway.
Oprah publishes two magazines, O, The Oprah Magazine and O at Home. Fortune magazine named O, The Oprah Magazine the most successful publishing start-up in history.
Oprah will even launch a signature radio channel on the XM satellite network.
On her 2004 season premiere, Oprah gave new cars to everyone in her audience.
Oprah is the voice of Gussy the Goose in the 2006 adaptation of Charlotte’s Web.
Oprah once dated critic Roger Ebert.
Winfrey is listed by Forbes International as the world’s only African-American billionaire.
Oprah donates more to charity than any other show business celebrity. Listed as the 235th richest American (in 2005), she was the 32nd most philanthropic.
Since beginning “Oprah’s Book Club,” the television-based literary society is so powerful that any book placed on the must-read list becomes an instant best seller. (After it was discovered that author James Frey’s memoir A Million Little Pieces was full of untruths, Oprah chastised the writer on her program, essentially revoking its “Book Club” status. Stung by the experience, she promoted classics for some time afterward.)
Oprah Cult Brand Summary
It’s hardly an accident that Oprah Winfrey has maintained such a fervently steadfast and devoted fan base during her career. She has used her talk show as a daily platform for holding heart-to-heart discussions with her audience. Some TV personalities seem distant and removed from the general public, but Oprah has never shied away from sharing intimate, personal details about her life with her audience. She has openly discussed such incredibly difficult and personal topics as being raped when she was nine and using cocaine in her twenties, as well as her ongoing battle with obesity. By sharing these intimate personal details, Oprah shows her viewers that when the lights and cameras are all put away, she faces many of the same problems as they do. She is indeed an ordinary person with ordinary problems to overcome. It’s her seeming vulnerability and fragility that make her that much more inclusive of a brand.
When she launched her book club in 1996 to, “help get America reading again,” most media pundits initially viewed it as a crazy idea and delusional. They thought talk show viewers didn’t seem a likely mix with books. Oprah went ahead anyway. Her monthly selections ignored light and fluffy romance novels and concentrated on literary works dealing with strong emotional conflicts. The formula worked. Oprah’s viewers took to the book club idea immediately, so much so that only a year after its launch, U.S. News & World Report wrote that Oprah had, “set millions to reading who hadn’t read a book since high school and has made obscure books bestsellers.” By participating in this club, every Oprah viewer becomes part of the Oprah family for a few hours each week, while still remaining unique from the world’s non-Oprah viewers.
Now, the placement of the Oprah Book Club logo on a book is the most surefire way for it to rocket onto the bestseller list. Book stores have so much faith in the “Oprah effect” that, sight unseen, they happily order thousands of copies of her upcoming club selection.
In 1997, a year after starting the book club, Oprah launched the Angel Network with the goal of inspiring people to really “use their lives” and reap the rewards that come from giving to others. It’s hard to argue with the results. Through donations of viewers, Oprah’s Angel Network has now given homes to thousands of needy people and college scholarships to hundreds of deserving students.
The foremost reason for the success of the Network is Oprah’s ability to intimately involve her viewers in the gift-giving process. She makes it a two-way street. She not only writes checks to charities herself, she gets her fan base involved with her. When the beneficiaries of the Angel Network’s donations appear as guests, viewers can almost feel the good that they are doing through this program.
Whether you like or dislike Oprah, you can’t argue with the fact that she really does care for people that are, “improving the lives of others.” The halo effect the Oprah brand receives from these community activities is very real. We all feel a certain warmth and quiet joy from helping others. Brands that bring about these feelings in us will almost always hold a special place in our hearts.
Oprah Timeline
1954 – Oprah was born on January 29,1954 in Mississippi to unmarried parents. Her father Vernon Winfrey was a coal miner. Her mother Vernita Lee was a housemaid.
1954-1960 – Oprah lived with her grandmother, Hattie Mae Lee on a farm.
1960 – At age six, Oprah moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin with her mother. Oprah has claimed that she was molested by her cousin, uncle, and a family friend, starting when she was nine years old.
1967 – Oprah received a scholarship to attend Nicolet High School in Glendale, Wisconsin.
1968 – Oprah rebelled, ran away from home and ran to the street. When she was 14, she gave birth to a male baby which died shortly afterwards. Her mother sent her to live with her father in Nashville, Tennessee. Her father was strict and made her education a priority. She became an honors student and graduated from East Nashville High School.
1972 – Oprah Winfrey won the Miss Black Tennessee beauty pageant. The local black radio station WVOL hired her to do the news part-time.
1973 – Oprah graduated from Tennessee State University with a degree in Speech and Performing Arts. She became the first black TV news anchor reporter with WTVF-TV.
1976 – Oprah moved to Baltimore’s WJZ-TV to co-anchor the six o’clock news.
1978 – Oprah was recruited to join Richard Sher as co-host of WJZ’s local talk show People Are Talking , which premiered on August 14, 1978. She also hosted the local version of Dialing for Dollars there.
1983 – Oprah moved to Chicago to host WLS-TV’s low-rated half-hour morning talk-show, AM Chicago.
1984 – Within months after Oprah took over, the show went from last place in the ratings to overtaking Donahue as the highest rated talk show in Chicago. It was renamed as “The Oprah Winfrey Show”.
1985 – Oprah co-starred in Steven Spielberg’s epic film adaptation of Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Color Purple. She earned immediate accolades as Sofia, the distraught housewife.
1986 – The Oprah Winfrey Show was expanded to a full hour, and broadcast nationally beginning September 8, 1986. She starred in the movie ‘Native Son’ as Janet Thomason.
1987 – On February 9 her much acclaimed episode from her show was aired from Forsyth County, Georgia, where no blacks had been allowed to live since 1912. Oprah won her first Emmy award for best talk/service show host and best show. She played a cameo role in the Danny DeVito movie “Throw Momma from the Train”.
1988 – The International Television and Radio Society named Oprah Broadcaster of the Year. She bought an apartment in Chicago and a farm in Indiana. She appeared in the TV program Pee-wee’s Playhouse Christmas Special as herself .
1989 – Oprah’s half brother, Jeffrey Lee died of AIDS. She played the role of Mattie Michael in the movie “The Women of Brewster Place”. She received the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People’s Entertainer of the year award.
1990 – Oprah starred in the documentary “Listen Up – The Lives of Quincy Jones”. She appeared as Mattie Michael in the TV program “Brewster Place”.
1991 – Oprah testified before the US congress and initiated the National Child Protection Act.
1992 – Oprah was engaged to Stedman Graham, a public relations executive. She appeared in the TV program “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” episode “A Night at the Oprah”. She won the Best talk show Host Emmy award.
In the mid-1990s, Oprah anchored shows about heart disease in women, geopolitics with Lisa Ling, spirituality and meditation, and gift-giving and home decorating shows. She would often interview celebrities on issues that directly involve them in some way, such as cancer, charity work, or substance abuse. She also interviewed ordinary people who have done extraordinary things or been involved in important current issues.
1993 – Oprah hosted a rare prime-time interview with Michael Jackson which became the fourth most watched event in American television history as well as the most watched interview ever, with an audience of one hundred million. She appeared in the TV program “There Are No Children Here” as LaJoe Rivers.
1994 – Oprah won Best Talk Show and Best Talk Show Host at the 21st Annual Daytime Emmy Awards .She became co-author of the book In The Kitchen With Rosie – Oprah’s Favorite Recipes by Oprah Winfrey and Rosie Daley.
1995 – Oprah won an Emmy for Best Talk Show and Best Host for the second year in a row. “Oprah Online” started on AOL (American Online) in partnership with ABC. She became the first woman and the only black on Forbes list of 400 richest Americans.
1996 – Oprah received the prestigious George Foster Peabody’s Individual Achievement Award. She became co-author of the book “A Journal of Daily Renewal – The Companion to Make the Connection”, by Oprah Winfrey and Bob Greene.
1997 – Oprah delivered the commencements address to the Wellesley College Class of 1997. She appeared in the TV program “Ellen – The Puppy Episode” and “Before Women Had Wings.” Oprah’s Angel Network is formed encouraging people to make charitable contributions and volunteer work. She became author of the book The “Uncommon Wisdom of Oprah Winfrey – A Portrait in Her Own Words” by Oprah Winfrey and Bill Adler (editor).
1998 – Oprah became co-author of the book “Journey to Beloved”, by Oprah Winfrey and Ken Regan. She received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Daytime Emmy Awards and an award for top talk show host. She starred in the movie of the Toni Morrison novel, “Beloved”.
1999 – Oprah was co-author of the book “Make the Connection – Ten Steps to a Better Body and a Better Life”, by Oprah Winfrey and Bob Greene.
2002 – Oprah became the recipient of the first Bob Hope Humanitarian Award at the 2002 Emmy Awards for services to television and film.
2004 – Oprah and Tom Cruise hosted the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize Concert. She was listed as the world’s only black billionaire in Forbes’s international rich list.
2005 – Oprah was named by Time as one of the 100 most influential people of the year. She ranked in 9th place in public poll of the greatest Americans.She was named as the greatest woman in American history. She became the first black person listed by Business Week as one of America’s top 50 most generous philanthropists. “The Color Purple” was made into a Broadway musical and she was one of the producers.
2006 – Oprah signed a 3-year contract with XM Satellite Radio to establish a new radio channel based in Chicago. She starred in the movie “Charlotte’s Web” playing Gussy.
2007 – Oprah invested $40 million creating the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls near Johannesburg in South Africa. She received praise from Nelson Mandela for overcoming her own disadvantaged youth to become a benefactor for others and for investing in the future of South Africa. Also towards the end of the same year, Oprah endorsed President Barack Obama (then Senator) and joined him for campaign trails.
2009 – Oprah announced that she would be concluding The Oprah Winfrey Show in 2011. On the show she said, “This show has been my life. And I love it enough to know when it’s time to say good-bye. Twenty-five years feels right in my bones, and it feels right in my spirit. It’s the perfect number — the exact right time.”
2011 – Oprah launched her own cable network, the Oprah Winfrey Network, or OWN.
2012 – Oprah’s Next Chapter premiered on 1st January. Oprah chose Steven Tyler (of Aerosmith) as her first guest on the show. Unlike The Oprah Winfrey Show, Oprah has now decided to step out of the studio and into people’s abodes to interview them. Oprah also visited Mumbai, India recently regarding the show.
We have tracked businesses with unprecedented brand loyalty since 2001. A Certified Cult Brand is a designation we hold for brands that fulfill specific market criteria, including upholding the Seven Rules of Cult Brands.
Zappos Cult Brand Summary
Disenfranchised with the culture of the company he started, Tony Hsieh sold LinkExchange to Microsoft for $265 million. Using the clout acquired through skyrocketing LinkExchange to a profitable investment for its backers in two and a half years, Hsieh and his friend Alfred Lin started the venture capital fund Venture Frogs. Amidst the smaller successes and the forgettable businesses launched by Venture frogs was Zappos, the company that would eventually make Hsieh the quirky envy of the business world. By the time Zappos captured the attention of the public, guaranteed success seemed built into the DNA of the brand. After all, how else could a company soar to $1 billion in sales in just under 10 years, and captivate legions of diehard loyal fans? But, Zappos’s rise to profitability and admiration was far from an easy journey.
In 1999, Nick Swinmurn contacted Hsieh and Lin with a simple idea: become the Amazon of shoes. After Swimurn convinced them of the size of the potential market, Venture Frogs invested in the company, planning to turn it over to other companies for additional funding. But that funding never came.
Hiseh believed that the people at Zappos wanted to create something big, and invested a second round of funding. Hsieh joined the company full time, wanting to prove to the world that LinkExchange wasn’t his one-trick pony. Hsieh began dumping his own money into the company, housing employees, and eventually selling his large loft for 40% below what he paid for it just to add funding to a company that would have been defunct two weeks later.
Lacking money to invest into traditional advertising media to gain new clients, they focused on retaining their old ones and increasing the number of purchases their customers were making.
In 2003 seeing that the only reason the company made it this far was the direct result of customer satisfaction, through repeat business and word-of-mouth, Hsieh focused every aspect of the company on delivering great service and WOWing the current customers.
The same year, drop shipment direct from manufacturers accounted for an easy-to-make 25% of the business. But 5% of orders were wrong. The result: Zappos moved all of their shipping to their own warehouse. Although this move was more costly and less efficient, Hsieh wasn’t concerned with traditional business metrics. He wanted to maximize the customer experience rather than maximizing short-term profits.
This extreme attention to customer satisfaction has even led Zappos employees to help customers order shoes from competitors when they were out of stock.
Hsiesh’s long-term, customer-based strategy paid out, bringing Zappos to $1 billion in sales in 2008, two years ahead of schedule.
When the board of directors wanted an exit strategy, rather than risk destroying the culture and turning Zappos into LinkExchange 2.0, Hsieh looked for like-minded investors to buy out the current board. This eventually resulted in the heavily-publicized purchase by Amazon.com.
Zappos now operates as an independent entity and maintains its unique culture. Rather than focus on buzz and major marketing schemes, Zappos continues to focus their efforts on what made them successful and made their customers love them: building long term customer relationships by continuing to WOW them with every interaction.
Zappos Timeline
1999 — Funded by Venture Frogs venture capital firm.
2000 — Tony Hsieh joins as CEO.
2002 — Zappos takes control of its shipping, opening a fulfillment center in Kentucky.
2003 — Makes customer service key focus of the company.
2004 — First publication of the Zappos Culture Book.
2005 — Alfred Lin joins as CFO. 2007 – Adds new categories.
We have tracked businesses with unprecedented brand loyalty since 2001. A Certified Cult Brand is a designation we hold for brands that fulfill specific market criteria, including upholding the Seven Rules of Cult Brands.
Quick Stats
In 1901 William S. Harley, age 21, completes a blueprint drawing of an engine designed to fit into a bicycle.
In 1983, Harley formed a club for owners of its product using the acronym HOG., for Harley Owners Group.
On August 15, 2006, Harley-Davidson Inc. had its NYSE ticker symbol changed from HDI to HOG.
In 1991, HOG went international, with the first official European HOG Rally in Cheltenham, England. Today, more than one million members and more than 1400 chapters worldwide make HOG the largest factory-sponsored motorcycle organization in the world.
In 2008, HOG celebrated its 25th anniversary in conjunction with the Harley 105th in Milwaukee Wisconsin.
Henry Meyer of Milwaukee, a schoolyard pal of William S. Harley and Arthur Davidson, buys one of the 1903 models directly from the founders.
Licensing of the Harley-Davidson brand and logo accounted for $40 million of the company’s net revenue in 2010.
Harley-Davidson Cult Brand Summary
To say that Harley had fallen on hard times by 1981 would be a drastic understatement. Japanese companies were destroying the company on pricing and Harley-Davidson’s bikes had lost the quality that made them famous.
The executives risked their corporate lives with an $80 million buyout on a turnaround situation that looked almost impossible. But, they couldn’t afford to fail; the whole company’s back was against the wall. They had to make it. The choice was simple: drastically improve the quality of the motorcycles and develop strong customer ties or go out of business.
Harley started copying Japanese production techniques and quality control, and released the new “Evolution” engine in 1983 that put an end to oil leaks and other quality issues.
Given financial constraints, Harley couldn’t engage in a traditional advertising campaign to win over customers. In 1983 CEO Vaughn Beals announced the launch of the Harley Owners Group (H.O.G.), which he saw as a grassroots way to reconnect Harley’s brand and lifestyle with its most faithful customers.
Despite an initial lack of acceptance, within a few years H.O.G. chapters started appearing around the country. The spread of these groups was gorilla marketing at its best: membership was generated primarily from inexpensive promotions at dealerships and word-of-mouth. H.O.G. groups gave enthusiasts a structured way to meet, swap stories, and schedule rides with other evangelists.
Harley made a wise move in requiring every H.O.G. chapter to have a dealership sponsor. The result of this stipulation was a tighter relationship between Harley dealers and the customers, as well as an increase in parts and merchandise sales.
They didn’t stop with creating members groups. They started sponsoring rallies around the country. In doing so, not only did they solidify their communities, but they also used the rallies as a killer sales tool. They bring motorcycles to the rallies for people to tryout. This concept reaches its apex each year at Bike Week in Daytona Beach and the Sturgis Rally and Races in South Dakota. Collectively, the events attract over half a million Harley enthusiasts. Harley takes feedback its employees receive at these events very seriously. Opinions they receive from customers affect what is produced in product lines and the way they run their rallies. This desire to appeal to the customer has been extended to the point that Harley offers the option of customizing their motorcycles. This allows Harley to rack up higher-margin sales, while allowing consumers who buy a custom Harley feel like they are not only joining the “Harley nation,” but that they are also exercising their own individuality.
In creating these events, and paying attention to its customers, what Harley is ultimately selling through its motorcycles is the opportunity to experience the feelings of raw freedom and empowerment that one receives from strapping on some leather and riding a bike down the open road. These are feelings common to Americans of all ages, races, and backgrounds.
1901- William S. Harley, age 21, completes a blueprint drawing of an engine designed to fit into a bicycle.
1903- William S. Harley and Arthur Davidson make available to the public the first production Harley-Davidson® motorcycle. The bike was built to be a racer, with a 3-1/8 inch bore and 3-1/2 inch stroke. The factory in which they worked was a 10 x 15-foot wooden shed with the words “Harley-Davidson Motor Company” crudely scrawled on the door. Arthur’s brother Walter later joins their efforts.
Henry Meyer of Milwaukee, a schoolyard pal of William S. Harley and Arthur Davidson, buys one of the 1903 models directly from the founders.
1904- The first Harley-Davidson Dealer, C.H. Lang of Chicago, IL, opens for business and sells one of the first three production Harley-Davidson motorcycles ever made.
1905- On July 4th, a H-D motorcycle wins a 15 mile race in Chicago with a time of 19:02. In Milwaukee, the first full-time employee is hired.
1906 – A new factory, measuring 28 x 80 feet, is built on the Chestnut St. site, later renamed Juneau Avenue. Staff size is increased to six full-time employees. Also, the first motorcycle catalog is produced by the Company and the nickname “Silent Gray Fellow” is used for the first time.
1907 – William A. Davidson, brother to Arthur and Walter Davidson, quits his job as tool foreman for the Milwaukee Road railroad and joins the Motor Company.
Harley-Davidson Motor Company is incorporated on September 17th. The stock is split four ways between the four founders, and staff size has more than doubled from the previous year to eighteen employees. Factory size is doubled as well. Dealer recruitment begins, targeting the New England region.
1908 – Walter Davidson scores a perfect 1,000 points at the 7th Annual Federation of American Motorcyclists Endurance and Reliability Contest. Three days after the contest, Walter sets the FAM economy record at 188.234 miles per gallon. Word of Harley-Davidson’s extremely tough motorcycle spreads rapidly.
The first motorcycle sold for police duty is delivered to the Detroit, MI, Police Department.
1909 – The six-year-old Harley-Davidson Motor Company introduces its first V-twin powered motorcycle. With a displacement of 49.5 cubic inches, the bike produces seven horsepower. The image of two cylinders in a 45-degree configuration would fast become one of the most enduring icons of Harley-Davidson history. Also available for the first time from the Motor Company are spare parts for motorcycles.
1910 – The famed “Bar & Shield” logo is used for the first time. It is trademarked at the U.S. Patent office one year later.
At least seven different first place finishes are captured at races, endurance contests and hillclimbs across America. All seven winners are riding Harley-Davidson® motorcycles.
1911 – The “F-head” engine becomes a workhorse of the Harley-Davidson motorcycle until 1929.
1912 – Construction begins on what will become the six story headquarters and main factory building at Juneau Ave. in Milwaukee. A separate Parts and Accessories Department is formed.
H-D exports motorcycles to Japan, marking the first ever sales outside of the U.S. Dealer network grows to over 200 nationwide.
1913 – The Racing Department is formed, with William Ottaway as its first Assistant Engineer to racing engineer William S. Harley. Also, the Forecar delivery van is offered for the first time.
1914 – Sidecars are made available to Harley-Davidson buyers. Clutch and brake pedals now available on F-head singles and twins.
The Motor Company formally enters motorcycle racing this year. The first Racing Engineer is William S. Harley. Within a few short years, team Harley-Davidson is referred to informally as the “Wrecking Crew” because of their incredible dominance of the sport.
The Two-Speed rear hub transmission is introduced for two years only in the Model 10F. Patented by William S. Harley, it was effective but discontinued in order to further improve drivetrain function in 1915 with a three-speed design.
1915 – Harley-Davidson motorcycles are now available with three speed sliding-gear transmissions with final and primary drive on the same side.
1916 – The Enthusiast begins its reign as the longest continuously published motorcycle magazine in the world.
1917 – During this year, roughly one-third of all Harley-Davidson motorcycles produced are sold to the U.S. military. The Quartermasters School, a department of Harley-Davidson devoted to training military mechanics on Harley-Davidson motorcycles, opens for business in July. It will later become the Service School.
The sale of Harley-Davidson bicycles begins. Individual components are made by the Davis Sewing Machine Co. of Dayton, Ohio. The bicycles are sold through the H-D dealer network.
1918 – Almost half of all Harley-Davidson motorcycles produced are sold for use by the U.S. military in World War I. At War’s end, it is estimated that the Army used some 20,000 motorcycles in their efforts, most of which were Harley-Davidsons. One day after the signing of the Armistice, Corporal Roy Holtz of Chippewa Falls, Wis., is the first American to enter Germany. He is riding a Harley-Davidson.
1919 – The 37 cubic inch opposed twin cylinder Sport model is introduced and gains great popularity overseas. Unique not only for the cylinder configuration, which was directly opposed and flat, the Sport quickly earns a reputation for being uncommonly quiet.
1920 – By 1920, Harley-Davidson is the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world. New Harley-Davidson® motorcycles can be purchased from over 2,000 dealers in 67 countries worldwide.
Leslie “Red” Parkhurst breaks 23 speed records on a Harley-Davidson 61 cubic inch racing motorcycle. Also, the “hog” association starts when the racing team’s mascot, a pig, is carried on a victory lap after each race won by the team.
1922 – The first 74 cubic inch V-twin engine is introduced on the JD and FD models. Harley-Davidson dealerships are now found in sixty-seven countries.
Harley-Davidson riders sweep all eight National Championship races.
1925 – Gas tanks on all models now have a distinct teardrop shape. This basic appearance is set for all subsequent Harley-Davidson motorcycles.
Joe Petrali begins racing for Harley-Davidson. He would become one of the most successful dirt-track racers for Harley-Davidson, and one of the most successful racers of all time.
1926 – Single-cylinder motorcycles are again sold by Harley-Davidson for the first time since 1918. Models A, AA, B, and BA are available in side-valve and overhead-valve engine configurations.
1928 – The first Harley-Davidson two cam engine is made available to the public on the JD series motorcycles. The bike is capable of top speeds between 85 – 100 mph.
Front wheel brakes are now available on all Harley-Davidson motorcycles.
1929 – The 45 cubic inch V-twin engine (later to be known as the “flathead”) is introduced on the D model. The engine proves to be so reliable that variations of it are available on Harley-Davidson motorcycles as late as 1973.
1930 – Bill Davidson, Jr. wins the Jack Pine endurance contest with 997 points of 1,000. All individual class winners are riding Harley-Davidson® motorcycles.
1931 – All of Harley-Davidson’s remaining American competition is now gone except Indian (Hendee Manufacturing). Indian and Harley-Davidson are the only two American motorcycle manufacturers until 1953.
1932 – The 45 cubic inch-driven, three-wheeled Servi-car begins its 41 year run as a popular commercial and police vehicle.
In dirt track racing, Harley-Davidson racer Joe Petrali begins a five-year consecutive streak of winning the AMA Grand National Championship. Petrali also wins the National Hill-Climb Championships for 1932 to 1935.
1933 – An art-deco “eagle” design is painted on all gas tanks. This marks the beginning of graphic designs on Harley-Davidson motorcycles (with the exception of previously special order-only paint schemes). This styling decision was made in part to stimulate the low sales numbers caused by the Great Depression.
1935 – The Japanese motorcycle industry is founded as a result of Harley-Davidson licensing blueprints, tools, dies and machinery to the Sankyo Company of Japan. The result is the Rikuo motorcycle.
Joe Petrali and his Harley-Davidson peashooter win all thirteen of the American Motorcycle Association National Championship dirt track races. Petrali breaks four records in the process.
1936 – Harley-Davidson introduces the EL, an overhead valve, 61 cubic inch powered bike. With increased horsepower and bold styling changes, the motorcycle quickly earns the nickname of “Knucklehead,” due to the shape of its rocker boxes. The same year, the Motor Company introduces a 80 cubic inch side valve engine.
1937 – The first WL models are produced. Joe Petrali sets a new land speed record of 136.183 mph on a modified Harley-Davidson 61 cubic inch overhead valve-driven motorcycle. . The same day, he also breaks the record for 45 cubic inch engine motorcycles.
1938 – The Jack Pine Gypsies Motorcycle Club holds the first Black Hills Rally in Sturgis, SD.
On the 3.2 mile beach course at Daytona, FL, Ben Campanale wins the first of two consecutive victories at the Daytona 200 on a Harley-Davidson WLDR.
1940 – Babe Tancrede is the winner at the Daytona 200, riding a WLDR model.
1941 – America is plunged into World War II. Production of civilian motorcycles is almost entirely suspended in favor of military production. The Service School is converted back to the Quartermasters School for the training of military mechanics.
The FL series premieres.
1942 – Among other motorcycles made for the Army, H-D produces the unique XA 750, a motorcycle with horizontally opposed cylinders and shaft drive, designed for desert use. The contract is cancelled early due to war combat moving out of North Africa. Only 1,011 XA’s are built.
1943 – Harley-Davidson receives the first of its four Army-Navy “E” Awards for excellence in wartime production. Overseas, many American servicemen get their first exposure to Harley-Davidson motorcycles, something they would not forget when they would return stateside.
1945 – Harley-Davidson produces almost 60,000 WLA models during the war for military use. World War II ends. Wasting no time, production of civilian motorcycles resumes in November.
1946 – Harley-Davidson introduces the 45 cubic inch flathead WR racing motorcycle. It proves to be one of the best racing motorcycles ever built.
1947 – Attendees at the year’s Dealers Convention in Milwaukee are given a train ride to a “secret destination,” which turns out to be the newly purchased plant on Capitol Drive. The plant was formerly the A.O. Smith Propeller Plant, created during the war. Harley-Davidson uses the plant as a large machine shop, shipping the new parts to Juneau Ave. for final assembly.
Harley-Davidson begins selling what will become the classic black leather motorcycle jacket.
Harley-Davidson dirt track racer Jimmy Chann wins the first of three consecutive AMA Grand National Championships.
1948 – New features are added to the 61 and 74 overhead valve engines, including aluminum heads and hydraulic valve lifters. Also new are the one piece, chrome plated rocker covers shaped like cake pans. The nickname “Panhead” only seemed logical.
Production of American-made lightweight motorcycles begins with the model S. Various versions will be sold until 1966.
1949 – Hydraulic front forks first appear on the new Hydra-Glide models.
1950 – Larry Headrick wins the AMA Grand National Championship for Harley-Davidson in dirt track racing.
Harley-Davidson riders win 18 of 24 National Championships and set six new racing records.
1952 – The side-valve K model is introduced with an integrated engine & transmission to compete with smaller, sportier motorcycles coming mainly from Great Britain. The K will eventually evolve into the Sportster.
1953 – Harley-Davidson celebrates its 50th Anniversary in style. An attractive logo is created, depicting a “V” in honor of the engine which had brought the Company so far, with a bar overlaid reading “Harley-Davidson” and the words, above and below, “50 years–American made.” A medallion version of this logo is placed on the front fenders of the 1954 models.
Hendee Manufacturing, the creator of the Indian motorcycle, goes out of business. Harley-Davidson would be the sole U.S. motorcycle manufacturer for the next 46 years.
1954 – Dirt track racer Joe Leonard wins the AMA Grand National Championship. Over the next eight years, the Grand National Championship will be won by Harley-Davidson racers.
1955 – This year begins a seven-year consecutive run of victories at the Daytona 200. The victories will be shared by racers Brad Andres, Johnny Gibson, Joe Leonard and Roger Reiman. All ride Harley-Davidson KR models. Reiman’s victory in 1961 is on the new speedway course.
1956 – The new young star Elvis Presley poses for the cover of the MayEnthusiast sitting on a 1956 model KH.
1957 – The motorcycling public met a new motorcycle called the Sportster®. It premiers as a 55 cubic inch overhead valve engine, and within one year of its debut, becomes known as the first of the “Superbikes.” Another Harley-Davidson tradition and legend is born.
1958 – The first rear brakes and hydraulic rear suspensions appear on the Duo-Glide.
Racer Carroll Resweber wins the first of four AMA Grand National Championships.
1960 – The Harley-Davidson Topper motor scooter is introduced and is the only scooter platform the Motor Company ever produced.
Harley-Davidson purchases a half interest in Aeronatica-Macchi, forming Aermacchi Harley-Davidson, a European division that will produce small, single cylinder motorcycles.
In this year of Brad Andres’ 1st place finish at the Daytona 200, the top 14 finishers are also riding Harley-Davidson 750 KR models.
1961 – Introduction of the Sprint model.
1962 – Harley-Davidson purchases 60 percent of the stock in the Tomahawk Boat Manufacturing Company. H-D recognizes the rising relevance of fiberglass in motorcycle production, and begins manufacturing its own components. As a result, the Tomahawk Division is established and is operational as a Harley-Davidson facility by 1963.
1963 – Ralph White resumes the winning of the Daytona 200 for Harley-Davidson, again on a 750 KR motorcycle.
1964 – Roger Reiman wins the AMA Grand National Championship for Harley-Davidson. Reiman also scores the first of back-to-back Daytona 200 victories on a 750 KR.
The three-wheeled Servi-Car becomes the very first Harley-Davidson motorcycle to receive an electric starter.
1965 –The Electra-Glide® replaces the Duo-Glide and is updated with electric starter. The Electra-Glide is the first FL available with electric start, and the Sportster® line would receive electric starters soon after.
In a Streamliner powered by a 250cc Sprint CR racing engine, George Roeder shatters the speed records for Class A and Class C runs, averaging 177 miles per hour.
Harley-Davidson dirt track racer Bart Markel wins the AMA Grand National Championship in 1965 and 1966.
1966 – The first of the “Shovelhead” engines is introduced on the Electra-Glide models, replacing the Panhead.
1968 – Cal Rayborn wins the first of back-to-back victories at the Daytona 200 on a 750 KR model.
1969 – Harley-Davidson merges with the American Machine and Foundry Company (AMF), a longtime producer of leisure products.
Mert Lawill wins the AMA Grand National Championship for team Harley-Davidson in dirt track racing.
1970 – In consideration of new AMA rules for Class C racing, a new Sportster®-based motorcycle, the XR-750 racer is introduced.
1971 – In response to the customizing craze, Harley-Davidson introduces the FX 1200 Super Glide®, which combined a sporty front end (similar to that of the XL series) with the frame and powertrain of the FL series. A new class of motorcycle, the cruiser, is born.
First year of Harley-Davidson snowmobile production.
1972 – The new, more powerful, more reliable aluminum alloy XR-750 debuts. It becomes the dominant dirt track racer through the next three decades. Dirt track racer Mark Brelsford wins the AMA Grand National Championship on the XR-750 this year.
1973 – Motorcycle production is upgraded when all assembly operations are moved to a modern 400,000 square foot plant in York, Penn. All other production operations remain in Milwaukee and Tomahawk. The Capitol Drive plant in Milwaukee begins production of engines.
1975 – The first of four more consecutive years of Harley-Davidson AMA Grand National Championships in dirt track racing. Gary Scott wins in 1975. The following three years are won by racing legend Jay Springsteen.
1977 – Harley-Davidson introduces the FXS Low Rider® to the public in Daytona Beach. With drag style handlebars, unique engine and paint treatments, the Low Rider lives up to its name by placing the rider in a lowered seating position than was typical. Later in the same year, Willie G. Davidson’s dynamic version of the Sportster, the Cafe Racer, is released.
1979 – Introduction of the FXEF Fat Bob, “Fat” because of the dual gas tanks, “Bob” for the bobbed fenders.
1980 – Harley-Davidson debuts the FLT with its vibration dampening, rubber-isolated drivetrain and unique trailing front fork. The FLT also debutes an engine and five-speed transmission that are hard bolted together.
A kevlar belt replaces the chain as the final drive. The belt is cleaner running, and needs less adjustments and maintenance. It isn’t long before belt final drive is standard on all Harley-Davidson® motorcycles.
The AMA Grand National Championship in dirt track racing goes to yet another Harley-Davidson racer, Randy Goss.
In honor of the historic Sturgis motorcycle rally, Harley-Davidson releases the FXB Sturgis model, employing belt drive, black chrome appointments and 80 cubic inch engine.
The FXWG Wide Glide is introduced for the 1980 model year.
1981 – On February 26, thirteen Harley-Davidson senior executives sign a letter of intent to purchase Harley-Davidson Motor Company from AMF. By mid-June, the buyback is official, and the phrase “The Eagle Soars Alone” becomes a rallying cry.
Scott Parker begins racing for team Harley-Davidson on the AMA dirt track circuit. He will become the most successful racer in Harley-Davidson history, accumulating 93 career victories and, more incredibly, winning 9 Grand National Champion titles in a 10 year period.
1982 – More innovations demonstrate a new commitment to quality, such as the FXR/FXRS Super Glide® II with its rubber-isolated, five-speed powertrain and the welded and stamped frame for the new Sportster® models.
The top three finishers in the AMA Grand National Championship are Ricky Graham, Jay Springsteen and Randy Goss. This begins a two year run of dirt track Championship wins for Harley-Davidson. Goss takes the Championship in 1983.
The Materials As Needed (MAN) application is introduced to production. Generally, this means that parts and raw materials are purchased and built only as they are required. This dramatically lowers production costs and improves quality.
1983 – Harley-Davidson successfully petitions the International Trade Commission (ITC) for tariff relief, which is granted April 1, 1983. The tariff, scheduled to end five years later, is placed on all imported Japanese motorcycles 700cc or larger as a response to Japanese motorcycle manufacturers stockpiling inventories of unsold motorcycles in the United States.
One of Harley-Davidson’s most unique endeavors begins: Harley Owners Group®. Fondly referred to as H.O.G.®, the Group immediately becomes the largest factory-sponsored motorcycle club in the world. Within six years, H.O.G. membership soars to more than 90,000. By the year 2000, it exceeds 500,000 members.
Dirt track racer Randy Goss wins the AMA Grand National Championship this year.
1984 – Harley-Davidson unveils the 1340cc V²® Evolution® engine on five models including the all-new Softail®. The result of seven years of development, the Evolution engine produces more power at every speed, runs cooler, cleaner and is oil-tight. Also witnessed is the debut of the Softail design and its trend-setting method of “hiding” the motorcycle’s rear shock absorbers.
1986 – In another bold styling and engineering move, Harley-Davidson releases the Heritage Softail®.
The Motor Company is listed on the American Stock Exchange, the first time Harley-Davidson is publicly traded since 1969, the year of the AMF merger.
The Sportster® motorcycle line receives the Evolution V-twin engine.
To diversify its holdings, Harley-Davidson purchases Holiday Rambler Corporation, producer of quality motor homes.
1987 – Harley-Davidson is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
Harley-Davidson makes both business and American history. H-D petitions the International Trade Commission for early termination of the five-year tariffs on heavyweight motorcycles. In effect, the move demonstrated confidence in H-D’s ability to compete in the marketplace.
Harley-Davidson begins the “Buy Back Program,” for the XLH 883 Sportster, which offers full trade-in value within two years on either a model FL or FX.
1988 – The springer front end returns in the FXSTS Springer® Softail®. Also introduced is the Sportster 1200. Harley-Davidson celebrates its 85th Anniversary with a Homecoming in Milwaukee, attended by over 60,000 enthusiasts.
The Harley-Davidson Traveling Museum hits the road, displaying memorabilia, classic Harley-Davidson motorcycles and the rich history of the Harley-Davidson rider.
Scott Parker wins the first of his nine AMA Grand National Championships. His total domination is unprecedented in the history of the sport of dirt track motorcycle racing.
1990 – Upon its introduction, the FLSTF Fat Boy® almost instantaneously becomes a modern legend of motorcycle design.
1991 – Installation of a $31 million state of the art paint facility begins at the York, PA, factory. It becomes fully operational in 1992.
The Dyna line of motorcycles debuts with the 1991 FXDB Dyna Glide Sturgis®.
1993 – Harley-Davidson celebrates its 90th Anniversary in Milwaukee with a Family Reunion. An estimated 100,000 people ride in a parade of motorcycles.
Harley-Davidson buys a minority interest in the Buell Motorcycle Company. Erik Buell created the Company to manufacture American sport motorcycles using Harley-Davidson® XL 883 and 1200 engines.
1994 – Harley-Davidson enters Superbike racing with the introduction of the VR1000, a dual overhead cam, liquid-cooled motorcycle.
The classically-styled FLHR Road King® is introduced.
1995 – The 30th Anniversary Ultra Classic® Electra Glide® becomes the first production Harley-Davidson motorcycle to include sequential port electronic fuel injection. 1996 – A new, state-of-the-art Parts and Accessories Distribution Center opens in Franklin, WI. By the beginning of 1997, all inventory is moved from the original warehouse at Juneau Avenue to the new 250,000-sq.-ft. facility.
1997 – A new 217,000-sq.-ft. Product Development Center opens next to the Capitol Drive plant in Milwaukee. The building is dedicated to Willie G. Davidson.
Powertrain Operations at Capitol Drive expanded its capacity by moving FL engine and transmission production to a newly purchased plant located in Menomonee Falls. XL engines and transmissions, as well as Genuine Parts Manufacturing, remain at Capitol Drive.
A new 330,000-sq.-ft. plant in Kansas City produces its first Sportster.
1998 – Harley-Davidson celebrates its 95th Anniversary. 140,000 plus riders are warmly received by Milwaukee to help with the celebration.
A new assembly facility opens in Manaus, Brazil, the first operations outside of the U.S.
Harley-Davidson buys a remaining 49% interest in Buell Motorcycle Company. Erik Buell is named Chairman of Buell operations.
1999 – The Touring and Dyna motorcycle families receive the new Twin Cam 88® engine.
2000 – The FXSTD Softail® Deuce™ is introduced to the immediate delight of riders and the motorcycle media.
The 2000 model year Softail® models are outfitted with the Twin Cam 88B™ engine, a counter-balanced version of the Twin Cam 88.
Fuel injection is unveiled as a feature new to the Softail line of motorcycles for the 2001 model year.
Buell introduces the Blast®, a single-cylinder motorcycle, for the 2000 model year. The Blast receives excellent reviews. It’s introduced in tandem with the Rider’s Edge® Academy of Motorcycling, a beginner’s rider course available through Harley-Davidson and Buell dealerships.
2001 – The VRSCA V-Rod® is introduced for the 2002 model year. Inspired by the VR-1000 racing motorcycle, the V-Rod is Harley-Davidson’s first motorcycle to combine fuel injection, overhead cams and liquid cooling, and delivers 115 horsepower.
Harley-Davidson Racing announces the latest addition to the team: 17 year old Jennifer Snyder, the first woman to win a national event in the Formula USA National Dirt Track Series.
Harley-Davidson announces expansions at the Product Development Center (Milwaukee), as well as Tomahawk, WI, and York, PA, facilities.
2002 – The all-new Buell® Firebolt® storms onto the scene.
The Open Road Tour debuts in Atlanta, GA, in July to celebrate the upcoming Harley-Davidson 100th Anniversary.
2003 – Buell Motorcycle Company unleashes the Lightning® XB9S.
More than 250,000 people come to Milwaukee for the final stop of the Open Road Tour and the Harley-Davidson 100th Anniversary Celebration and Party.
2004 – For the 2004 model year, the Sportster® family models receive rubber engine mounting, a new frame, and a wider rear tire. Some Sportster® models receive a redesigned gas tank.
The FLHRSI Road King® Custom is introduced. With its low rear suspension and wide handlebars, the FLHRSI brings a beach look to a classic Harley-Davidson motorcycle.
Andrew Hines of the Screamin’ Eagle®/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson drag racing team clinches his first NHRA Powerade Pro Stock Motorcycle Championship at age 21, the youngest champion in NHRA history.
2005 – The XL 883L Sportster® 883 Low brings a lowered seating position to the Sportster® line.
The FLSTNI Softail® Deluxe adds a sleek look to the Softail® line and a paint scheme reminiscent of 1939 Harley-Davidson motorcycles. Also, the FLSTSC/I Softail® Springer® Classic revives looks from the late 1940s.
Andrew Hines wins his second straight NHRA Powerade Pro Stock Motorcycle Championship. G.T. Tonglet, also of the Screamin’ Eagle®/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson team, places second.
Harley-Davidson and the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) mark the 25th anniversary of their partnership.
2006 – The first of the 6-speed transmissions are made available on 2006 model year Dyna™ motorcycles. Also joining the Dyna™ family is the FXDB/I Street Bob™.
The 2006 model year includes the all-new FLHX/I Street Glide™, a lower profile touring motorcycle.
Harley-Davidson unveils plans for an all-new museum in Milwaukee, scheduled for opening in 2008.
Harley-Davidson appoints Beijing Feng Huo Lun (FHL) as the first authorized Harley-Davidson dealer on mainland China.
2007 – Eddie Krawiec joins the Screamin’ Eagle/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson NHRA Pro Stock Team.
Kenny Coolbeth wins his second consecutive AMA Flat Track Twins Championship.
The XL 1200N Nightster arrives on the scene with black rims, fork gaiters, and side mount license plate holder.
Announced for the 2008 model year, the new FXCWC Rocker introduces Harley-Davidson’s first swingarm-mounted rear fender and 2-into-1 Trick seat.
2008 – The Touring family now has an all new frame, providing longer wheelbase, lower seating position and better maneuverability.
The all new Harley-Davidson Museum opens in Milwaukee on July 12. Located at 6th and Canal streets, the Museum showcases hundreds of classic and custom motorcycles, interactive exhibits and never-before-seen films and photographs.
In keeping with tradition, hundreds of thousands of riders from around the world converge on Milwaukee to celebrate Harley-Davidson’s 105th Anniversary. Riders and dealers raise more than $6.7 million for MDA. Entertainment includes the Foo Fighters and Bruce Springsteen. That same weekend, HOG marks 25 years with its own party.
Kenny Coolbeth clinches his third consecutive Grand National Championship. On the drag strip, Eddie Krawiec wins the fourth NHRA Pro Stock title for Harley-Davidson in five years.
2009 – Harley-Davidson announces expansion into India.
The AMA Flat Track team wins yet another Grand National Championship, this time with Jared Mees at the top.
The 2009 model year brings the first three-wheeler for public purchase in the new FLHTCUTG Tri Glide Ultra Classic. Also new is the history-inspired Cross Bones, a bobbed factory custom.
2010 – The XL Forty-Eight is introduced, recalling the raw, custom Sportsters of earlier days.
Seth Enslow on a Harley-Davidson XR1200 breaks the world record for a long distance motorcycle jump on a Harley-Davidson at 183.7 feet. Previously, the record was proudly held by Bubba Blackwell (1999) and Evel Kneivel (1975).
We have tracked businesses with unprecedented brand loyalty since 2001. A Certified Cult Brand is a designation we hold for brands that fulfill specific market criteria, including upholding the Seven Rules of Cult Brands.
Linux Quick Stats
Linux is a leading server operating system, and runs the 10 fastest supercomputers in the world.
Linux powers 446 of the world’s top 500 supercomputers.
Google runs its web servers on Linux.
Any person or group distributing the Linux kernel must make the source code available to the recipient of the package.
$7.37 billion: projected cost to produce that amount of code in a commercial environment.
The federal government of Brazil favors Linux operating systems over all others in its PCs.
Interactive Data Corporation projects that Linux support sales will top $1 billion by 2012.
Linux Cult Brand Summary
As far back as the 1960s and the very beginning of the Internet, a sense of cooperation and brotherhood has always existed among computer programmers. However, as of 1990, computer geeks were still without a reliable and affordable operating system to “call their own.”
UNIX, widely used by engineers in universities and large corporations, was expensive to run and wasn’t intended for low-powered desktop machines. What were these frustrated programmers to do when they went home at night? In 1991, Linus Torvalds, a twenty-one-year-old college student, set out to change this picture and develop a “cheap alternative” to UNIX. In the summer of 1991, Torvalds posted version 0.01 of the kernel for a new, free, powerful operating system that he called Linux. Within very little time, programmers around the world started sending Torvalds snippets of code. Torvalds posted the source code in public view, and the programming community liked what they saw.
Today, Linux has millions of users around the world, and Torvalds is treated as a near-religious figure responsible for freeing a nation of engineers from their chains to sub-par operating systems.
The open source development process doesn’t discriminate. The best code always wins in the Linux nation, whether it comes from a fourteen-year-old kid in Buenos Aires or a fifty-year-old verteran programmer working for a major corporation. They know they will be judged by their peers by the quality of their work and their ideas, and not by their age, job title, background, or work experience.
In making Linux open source, Torvalds allowed its brand evangelists not only to make helpful suggestions, but to actually build it. They could see their thoughts and dreams in the form of lines of computer code being intertwined into the core of Linux. Piece by piece, they really were building an alternative to Windows.
Microsoft played right into the Linux movement’s hands, becoming the most visible representation of “the dark side.” In 2001, Microsoft CEO Steve Balmer stated that, “Linux is a cancer.” These types of public comments from the world’s largest software company only furthered the fervor and resolve of many open-source devotees. Every revolution needs a villain, and Microsoft’s critical public comments have only helped to unify the Linux brand.
By 1996, lively discussion had begun among open-source developers that the new operating system clearly needed to have its own mascot and logo. Ferocious animals like sharks, eagles, hawks, and foxes came up, but Torvalds hopped into the discussion and casually said to the open source community that he was rather fond of penguins.
A fun-loving penguin was the antithesis of the logos of other tech products: they were cold and corporate. The penguin screamed: We’re different! But Torvalds didn’t want just any penguin for the logo, he wanted one that “looked happy, as if it had just polished off a pitcher of beer and then had the best sex of its life.”
After Torvalds spoke his mind, and the Linux community agreed, an informal contest was held to select the exact penguin logo that Linux developers could rally behind. The eventual choice was a fun painting of a plump by content sitting penguin submitted by graphic artist Larry Ewing.
Today, the Linux Penguin appears in everything from IBM’s high profile campaigns to Linux T-Shirts, toys, and product packaging. The open source community has given the plump penguin its own name, Tux. The imaginary penguin is truly a star.
1983 The GNU Project, started by Richard Stallman, had the goal of creating a “complete Unix-compatible software system” composed entirely of free software.
April 1991
Linus Torvalds, a 21-year-old student at the University of Helsinki, Finland started working on some simple ideas for an operating system.
August 1991
“Hello everybody out there using minix – I’m doing a (free) operating system (just a hobby, won’t be big and professional like gnu) for 386(486) AT clones. This has been brewing since april, and is starting to get ready. I’d like any feedback on things people like/dislike in minix, as my OS resembles it somewhat (same physical layout of the file-system (due to practical reasons) among other things).I’ve currently ported bash(1.08) and gcc(1.40), and things seem to work. This implies that I’ll get something practical within a few months, and I’d like to know what features most people would want. Any suggestions are welcome, but I won’t promise I’ll implement them 🙂 Linus (PS. Yes – it’s free of any minix code, and it has a multi-threaded fs. It is NOT protable (uses 386 task switching etc), and it probably never will support anything other than AT-harddisks, as that’s all I have :-(.”
September 1991
Linux version 0.01 is released and put on the Net.
April 1992
The first Linux newsgroup, comp.os.linux, is proposed and started by Ari Lemmke.
October 1992
Peter MacDonald announces SLS, the first standalone Linux install. At least 10MB of space on disk was recommended.
June 1993
Slackware, by Patrick Volkerding, becomes the first commercial standalone distribution and quickly becomes popular within the Linux community.
August 1993
Matt Welsh’s Linux Installation and Getting Started, version 1 is released. This is the first book on Linux.
March 1994
The first issue of Linux Journal is published. This issue featured an interview with Linus Torvalds and articles written by Phil Hughes, Robert “Bob” Young, Michael K. Johnson, Arnold Robbins, Matt Welsh, Ian A. Murdock, Frank B. Brokken, K. Kubat, Micahel Kraehe and Bernie Thompson. Advertisers in the premier issue include Algorithms Inc., Amtec Engineering, Basmark, Fintronic (later became VA Research, VA Linux Systems, then…), Infomagic, Prime Time Freeware, Promox, Signum Support, SSC, Trans Ameritech, USENIX, Windsor Tech and Yggdrasil.
Linux 1.0 is released.
June 1994
While at a conference in New Orleans, Jon “maddog” Hall persuades Linus to port Linux to DEC’s 64-bit Alpha computer processor chip. Less than two weeks later, maddog had also persuaded DEC to fund the project. An Alpha workstation was immediately sent to Linus. “Digital [DEC] and the Linux community formed the first truly successful venture of suits and Linux geeks working together”, said maddog.
Linux International, a nonprofit vendor organization, is founded by Jon “maddog” Hall. Linux International goes on to become a major contributor to the success of Linux, helping corporations and others work toward the promotion of the Linux operating system.
August 1994
Linux trademark dispute: is Linux trademarked? William R. Della Croce, Jr. files for the trademark “Linux” on August 15, 1994, and it is registered in September. Della Croce has no known involvement in the Linux community yet sends letters out to prominent Linux companies demanding money for use of the trademark “Linux”. A lawsuit is filed in 1996 against Della Croce. Plai.pngfs in the suit include Linus Torvalds; Specialized Systems Consultants, Inc. (publishers of Linux Journal); Yggdrasil Computing, Inc.; Linux International; and WorkGroup Solutions (also known as LinuxMall). The plaintiffs prevail, and in 1997 announce the matter as settled by the assignment of the mark to Linus Torvalds on behalf of all Petitioners and Linux users.
September 1994
Linux is first mentioned in the mainstream press. Wiredmagazine features an article titled “Kernel Kid”, by Seth Rosenthal. He writes: “So, is Linus going to become the Bill Gates of Finland? Maybe not. He claims to be ‘by no means a good student’ and is in no hurry to graduate since ‘Linux has taken a lot of time from my studies, and I like the work I have at the University which keeps me alive.”’
Randolph Bentson reports on the world’s first vendor-supported Linux device driver in Linux Journal. Cyclades gave him a multiport serial card in exchange for developing a Linux driver for it.
December 1994
A major tradeshow and conference take notice of Linux. Open Systems World features a Linux track, hosted by Linux Journal. Two days of seminars include Eric Youngdale, Donald Becker, Dirk Hohndel, Phil Hughes, Michael K. Johnson and David Wexelblat as speakers.
April 1995
Linux Expo, the first Linux-specific tradeshow and conference series, launches, thanks to the folks at North Carolina State University and in particular, Donnie Barnes. Speakers include Marc Ewing, Rik Faith and Michael K. Johnson, among others. Linux Expo snowballs and becomes the most popular and well-attended annual Linux show for the next several years (after three years Red Hat takes over organization and becomes the major sponsor). The price for entry into the exhibit hall and a pass to the conferences? $4.
January 1997
First “Linux virus” discovered. Called Bliss, it actually works on any UNIX-like OS and offers a helpful—“bliss-uninfect-files-please” command-line option. Alan Cox points out that Bliss “does not circumvent the security of the system, it relies on people with privilege to do something dumb” and reminds users to install digitally signed software from trustworthy sites only and to check signatures before installing.
“In fact it’s probably easier to write a virus for Linux because it’s open source and the code is available. So we will be seeing more Linux viruses as the OS becomes more common and popular.” —Wishful thinking from McAfee
January 1998
Linux Weekly News begins publication with Jonathan Corbet and Elizabeth Coolbaugh as founders. The very first issue, dated January 22, was just a tiny hint of what LWN was to become.
Netscape announces that they will release the source to their browser under a free software license. This almost certainly remains one of the most important events of the year; it opened a lot of eyes to what Linux and free software could provide.
Red Hat Advanced Development Labs (RHAD) is founded. It has since become one of the higher-profile places where people are paid to develop free software and an important component of the GNOME Project. RHAD is able to attract developers like “Rasterman” (although only for a short time) and Federico Mena-Quintero.
February 1998
The Cobalt Qube is announced and immediately becomes a favorite in the trade press due to its high performance, low price and cute form factor. Cobalt’s Linux engineering is done by none other than David Miller, the source of much that is good in the Linux kernel.
The Linux user community wins InfoWorld’s technical support award; Red Hat 5.0 also won their Operating System award. But it was the tech support award that truly opened some eyes; everybody had been saying that Linux had no support. This was the beginning of the end of the “no support” argument.
Eric Raymond and friends come up with the term “open source”. They apply for trademark status and put up the opensource.org web site. Thus begins the formal effort to push Linux for corporate use.
March 1998
Consumer advocate Ralph Nader asks the large PC vendors (Dell, Gateway, Micron, etc.) to offer non-Microsoft systems, including systems with Linux installed.
April 1998
Linux is covered by the US National Public Radio news, marking one of its first appearances in the mainstream, nontechnical press.
O’Reilly holds the “first ever” Free Software Summit, featuring Larry Wall, Brian Behlendorf, Linus Torvalds, Guido van Rossum, Eric Allman, Phil Zimmermann, Eric Raymond and Paul Vixie.
May 1998
The Google search engine pops up. Not only is it one of the best search engines around, but it’s based on Linux and features a Linux-specific search page.
Big databases start to arrive. Support for Linux is announced by Computer Associates for their Ingres system and by Ardent Software for their O2 object database.
June 1998
“Like a lot of products that are free, you get a loyal following even though it’s small. I’ve never had a customer mention Linux to me.” —Bill Gates, PC Week, June 25, 1998
“…these operating systems will not find widespread use in mainstream commercial applications in the next three years, nor will there be broad third-party application support.” —The Gartner Group says there is little hope for free software.
A Datapro study comes out showing that Linux has the highest user satisfaction of any system; it also shows Linux to be the only system other than Microsoft Windows NT that is increasing its market share.
IBM announces that it will distribute and support the Apache web server after working a deal with the Apache team.
July 1998
The desktop wars rage as KDE and GNOME advocates hurl flames at each other. Linus gets in on the act, saying that KDE is okay with him. In this context, KDE 1.0 is released. The first stable release of the K Desktop Environment proves to be popular, despite the complaints from those who do not like the licensing of the Qt library.
Informix quietly releases software for Linux. Meanwhile, Oracle beats Informix to the punch PR-wise and makes a Linux-friendly announcement first, suggesting that they would soon be supporting Linux. Oracle promises to make a trial version available by the end of 1998, a deadline they beat by months. This, seemingly, was one of the acid tests for the potential of long-term success for Linux; a great deal of attention resulted from both Informix’s and Oracle’s announcements.
Informix announces support for Linux effectively moments after Oracle does so. Sybase later announces their support for Linux also.
Linus appears on the cover of Forbes magazine. A lengthy story presents Linux in a highly positive manner and brings the system to the attention of many who had never heard of it before. Linux begins to become a household word.
September 1998
LinuxToday.com is launched by Dave Whitinger and Dwight Johnson. The site, later acquired by Internet.com, arguably becomes the most well-read and visited Linux portal of all time.
Microsoft’s Steve Ballmer admits that they are “worried” about free software and suggests that some of the Windows NT source code may be made available to developers. The same month Microsoft goes on to list Linux as a competitive threat in its annual SEC (US Securities and Exchange Commission) filing. Speculation abounds that their real purpose is to influence the upcoming antitrust trial.
October 1998
“For the moment, however, the company from Redmond, Washington, seems almost grateful for the rising profile of Linux, seeing it as an easy way of demonstrating that Windows is not a monopoly, ahead of its antitrust trial, scheduled to begin on October 15. That may be short-sighted. In the long run, Linux and other open-source programs could cause Mr. Gates much grief.” —The Economist, October 3, 1998
Intel and Netscape (and two venture capital firms) announce minority investments in Red Hat Software. The money is to be used to build an “enterprise support division” within Red Hat. An unbelievable amount of press is generated by this event, which is seen as a big-business endorsement of Linux.
Corel announces that WordPerfect 8 for Linux will be downloadable for free for “personal use”. They also announce a partnership with Red Hat to supply Linux for the Netwinder.
December 1998
A report from IDC says that Linux shipments rose by more than 200% in 1998, and its market share rose by more than 150%. Linux has a 17% market share and a growth rate unmatched by any other system on the market.
January 1999
“Microsoft Corp. will shout it out to the world when Windows 2000 finally ships. Linux creator Linus Torvalds announced the arrival of the next generation of Linux, version 2.2, with a simple note to the Linux-kernel mailing list.” —Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols, Sm@rt Reseller
Samba 2.0 is released. It contains a reverse-engineered implementation of the Microsoft domain controller protocols, allowing Linux servers to provide complete services to Windows networks.
Hewlett-Packard and Compaq announce plans to offer Linux-based systems. Later, Dell also announces plans to begin selling Linux-installed systems. SGI contents itself with providing information on how to bring up Linux on its systems.
Loki Entertainment Software announces that it will port Civilization: Call to Powerto Linux.
February 1999
Linux and BSD users unite for “Windows Refund Day”. They visit Microsoft, hoping to return the unused Windows licenses that they were forced to acquire when they purchased a computer system bundled with the OS.
March 1999
“Like a Russian revolutionary erased from a photograph, he is being written out of history. Stallman is the originator of the Free Software movement and the GNU/Linux operating system. But you wouldn’t know it from reading about LinuxWorld (Expo). Linus Torvalds got all the ink.” —Leander Kahney, Wired magazine, March 1999
The first LinuxWorld Conference and Expo is held in San Jose, California. As the first big commercial “tradeshow” event for Linux, it serves notice to the world that Linux has arrived; 12,000 people are said to have attended.
Linux Magazine debuts, bringing some additional competition to the Linux print business. Later, other magazines rise and fall including Open, Journal of Linux Technology (JOLT) and Maximum Linux.
VA Research buys the Linux.com domain for $1,000,000 and announces plans to turn it into a Linux portal. Microsoft’s rumored bid for the domain is frustrated.
April 1999
“…please imagine what it is like to see an idealistic project stymied and made ineffective because people don’t usually give it the credit for what it has done. If you’re an idealist like me, that can ruin your whole decade.” —Richard Stallman on GNU/Linux
Al Gore’s presidential campaign web site claims to be open source. That claim is gone, but the site still claims: “In the spirit of the Open Source movement, we have established the Gore 2000 Volunteer Source Code Project;www.algore2000.com is an ‘open site’.“
HP announces 24/7 support services for the Caldera, Turbolinux, Red Hat and SuSE distributions. They also release OpenMail for Linux.
The Linux FreeS/WAN Project releases a free IPSec implementation, allowing Linux to function as a VPN gateway using what is now the industry standard.
“But the mere fact that there is now an official SEC document that includes the text of the GPL serves as fairly astonishing proof that the rules of the software business really are being rewritten.” —Andrew Leonard, Salon
May 1999
“Those two little words—open source—have become a magical incantation, like portal in 1998 or push in 1997. Just whisper them and all will be yours: media attention, consumer interest and, of course, venture capital.” —Andrew Leonard,Wired
August 1999
First Intel IA-64 “Merced” silicon. Although Intel had given simulators to several OS vendors, Linux is the only OS to run on the new architecture on its first day. The Register headline: “Merced silicon happens: Linux runs, NT doesn’t”.
SGI announces the 1400L—a Linux-based server system. SGI also announces a partnership with Red Hat and begins contributing to kernel development in a big way.
Red Hat’s initial public offering happens; a last-minute repricing helps to create difficulties for people participating in the community offering. The stock price immediately rises to $50; a value that seems high at the time.
“For the umpteenth time, someone paved paradise, put up a parking lot. For the thousands of Linux coders who’ve built the utopian open-source movement—offering free help to create a free operating system—the IPO of Red Hat Software was a sure sign of Wall Street cutting the ribbon on the new Linux mall.” —The Industry Standard
Motorola jumps into Linux announcements of embedded systems products, support and training services, and a partnership with Lineo.
Sun acquires StarDivision; it announces plans to release StarOffice under the Sun Community Source License and to make a web-enabled version of the office suite.
September 1999
“’Burlington Coat Factory Warehouse Corp. in Burlington, New Jersey is spending $1 million or so to buy 1,250 Linux-equipped PCs from Dell, but it won’t pay Red Hat a dime for support’, says Michael Prince, chief information officer. ‘I suppose Red Hat’s business model makes sense to somebody, but it makes no sense to us’, he says.” —Daniel Lyons, Forbes, May 31, 1999. Then in September, Burlington ended up purchasing support from Red Hat.
The first big Linux stock rush happens. Shares in Applix more than double in volume, reaching nearly 27 million shares—three times the 9 million shares that are actually on the market.
SCO trashes Linux in a brochure distributed in Northern Europe: “Linux at this moment can be considered more a plaything for IT students rather than a serious operating system in which to place the functioning, security and future of a business. Because Linux is basically a free-for-all it means that no individual person/company is accountable should anything go wrong, plus there is no way to predict which way Linux will evolve.”
Stock in Red Hat hits $135/share. The price seems unbelievably high at the time.
October 1999
Sun Microsystems announces that it will release the source to Solaris under the Sun Community Source License. The actual release drew criticism: “In a move aimed at Linux, Sun said it will announce Wednesday that it is making the source code for its new Solaris 8 operating system ‘open’. Webster’s has lots of definitions for the word, including ‘not sealed, fastened, or locked’. But when you dig into the details of Sun’s announcement, you’ll find that what it is offering doesn’t come close to meeting the dictionary’s definition, let alone that of the Open Source movement.” —Lawrence Aragon, Redherring.com, January 26, 2000
November 1999
“…if there’s one thing about Linux users, they’re do-ers, not whiners.” —Andy Patrizio,
Red Hat buys Cygnus for almost $700 million in stock. Rumors of other acquisitions by Red Hat begin to circulate and show no signs of stopping.
December 1999
VA Linux Systems goes public after two repricings (originally priced at $11-$13/share). The final IPO price is $30/share; that price rises immediately to $300 before closing around $250. It sets the record for the biggest IPO rise in the history of the NASDAQ.
“Gee. Remember when the big question was ‘How do we make money at this?”’ —Eric Raymond
January 2000
VA Linux Systems announces SourceForge (although the site had actually been up and running since November 1999). SourceForge also makes the code for its operation available under the GPL. By the end of the year, SourceForge hosted over 12,000 projects and 92,000 registered developers.
Version 1.0 of Red Flag Linux is released in the People’s Republic of China.
Transmeta breaks its long silence and tells the world what it has been up to—the Crusoe chip, of course.
The Linux Professional Institute announces the availability of its first Linux professional certification exam.
Linux wannabe press releases flow from companies trying to ride on the success of Linux stocks. Vitamins.com, for example, posts the following: “Vitamins.com has further distinguished itself in the competitive Internet health industry race by being one of the first to integrate the Linux Operating System, produced by Red Hat, the leading developer and provider of open-source software solutions.”
February 2000
The latest IDC report suggests that Linux now ranks as the “second-most-popular operating system for server computers”, with 25% of the server operating system sales in 1999. Windows NT is first with 38% and NetWare ranks third with 19%. IDC previously predicted that Linux would get up to the number two position—in 2002 or 2003. The revolution appears to be well ahead of schedule.
VA Linux Systems acquisition of Andover.net in a high-profile purchase that values Andover shares at 0.425 of VA’s, or roughly $50/share. Andover.net is the owner of the popular web sites Slashdot.org and Freshmeat.org.
LinuxMall.com and Frank Kaspar and Associates also have made plans to merge. LinuxMall.com has been at the top of the retail side of Linux almost since the very beginning; Kaspar is one of the largest distribution channels.
Red Hat wins InfoWorld’s “Product of the Year” award for the fourth time in a row.
March 2000
“The law in open code means that no actor can gain ultimate control over open-source code. Even the kings can’t get ultimate control over the code. For example, if Linus Torvalds, father of the Linux kernel, tried to steer GNU/Linux in a way that others in the community rejected, then others in the community could always have removed the offending part and gone in a different way. This threat constrains the kings; they can only lead where they know the people will follow.” —“Innovation, Regulation, and the Internet” by Lawrence Lessig for The American Prospect.
A new version of LILO is posted that is able to get past the 1024-cylinder boot limit that has plagued PC systems for years.
The latest Netcraft survey shows Apache running on just over 60% of the Web.
Caldera Systems goes public after a short delay, on March 21. The stock, which was offered at $14/share, began trading at $26 and closed at $29.44. It thus registered a 110% gain on its first day.
“Caldera knows of no company that has built a profitable business based in whole or in part on open-source software.” —Caldera SEC filing
Walnut Creek (the parent company for Slackware) and BSDi announce their merger. Yahoo! will be taking an equity investment in the new company.
Motorola Computer Group announces the release of its HA Linux distribution. This distribution is aimed at telecommunications applications that require very high amounts of uptime; it includes hot-swap capability and is available for the i386 and PowerPC architectures.
The Embedded Linux Consortium is announced. Its goal is “to amplify the depth, breadth and speed of Linux adoption in the enormous embedded computer market”. The initial leader will be Rick Lehrbaum, the man behind the LinuxDevices.com and DesktopLinux.com web sites, among other things.
Ericsson announces its “Screen Phone HS210” product—a Linux-based telephone with a touchscreen that can be used for e-mail, web browsing, etc. Ericsson and Opera Software also announce that Ericsson’s (Linux-based) HS210 Screen Phone will incorporate the Opera web browser.
April 2000
Code is ruled to be speech. On April 4, 2000, the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit published its decision regarding Peter Junger’s challenge to the Export Administration Regulations that prevented him from posting information on the Internet that contained cryptographic example code. Most critical in the ruling: “Because computer source code is an expressive means for the exchange of information and ideas about computer programming, we hold that it is protected by the First Amendment.”
Andy Tanenbaum releases the the Minix operating system under the BSD license. Had Minix been open source from the beginning, Linux may never have happened.
May 2000
SuSE releases the first supported Linux distribution for the IBM S/390 mainframe.
“Approximately 140 distribution companies exist across the globe. We believe all but the top five will be bought, will go out of business or will be relegated to insignificance. Market-share leaders are currently defined around geographic boundaries. Red Hat has the largest global brand recognition and leading North American market share; SuSE leads in Europe, Turbolinux leads in Asia, and Conectiva leads in South America.” —Keith Bachman, an analyst for WR Hambrecht, predicting in The Red Herring
June 2000
Commercial considerations help prompt the relicensing of MySQL under the GPL. Now the two freely available databases that are widely used in the Linux and Free Software communities, PostgreSQL and MySQL, meet the Debian Free Software Guidelines and the Open Source Guidelines. In addition, Progress Software forms a new company, NuSphere, just for the purpose of supporting MySQL.
July 2000
“In a world of NDA-bound business agreements, Debian is an open book. In a world of mission statements, Debian has a social contract. At a time when commercial distributors are striving to see how much proprietary software they can pack into a box of Linux, Debian remains the bastion of software freedom—living proof that you can have a fully functional and usable operating system without needing any proprietary code.” —Evan Leibovitch, ZDNet
Sun announces that StarOffice is to be released under the GPL. The code is going to be reworked, integrated with Bonobo and GTK, and released as a set of reusable components. StarOffice will also be reworked to use a set of open XML-based file formats.
Oracle’s Linux-based internet appliance system hits the shelves. The “New Internet Computer” (NIC) is the latest result of Larry Ellison’s long personal crusade to make non-Microsoft systems available to the world. It’s aimed at people who only want access to the Net; as such, it’s essentially a $199 (without monitor) X terminal.
Reports first appear that SCO may be purchased by Caldera. Later in 2000 Caldera and SCO announce their intent for Caldera International to be formed from Caldera’s existing operation and two of SCO’s three divisions.
Ted Ts’o steps forward to become the new 2.4 status list maintainer. Alan Cox was doing the job until he said that it was time to “find someone else to maintain it”. Ted Ts’o responded to Linus’ subsequent call for a new status list maintainer.
August 2000
HP, Intel, IBM and NEC announce the “Open Source Development Lab”, which makes large hardware available to Linux developers for benchmarking and testing.
September 2000
“I’m a bastard. I have absolutely no clue why people can ever think otherwise. Yet they do. People think I’m a nice guy, and the fact is that I’m a scheming, conniving bastard who doesn’t care for any hurt feelings or lost hours of work if it just results in what I consider to be a better system.” —Linus Torvalds trying to change his image.
The RSA patent expires, allowing for secure web transactions without proprietary software.
Trolltech releases the Qt library under the GPL, putting a definitive end to a long-running and unpleasant license flame war.
The CueCat fiasco begins. Digital Convergence attempts to shut down programmers who have written Linux drivers for its CueCat bar code scanner. The company has given out large numbers of these scanners for free, expecting people to use them with its proprietary software and web site. The threats cause the drivers to become marginally harder to find for a short period, after which the company declares victory and moves on.
October 2000
Microsoft says that penguins can mutate in a European print ad that quickly becomes famous.
December 2000
“I was dumbfounded to discover that installing Linux was easy. Why? Well, the world has changed. No more do you have to understand everything about Linux before you install it, downloading the many chunks of code necessary to run a complete system and getting them all to work together. That was BSW—before shrink-wrap. With companies such as Red Hat and Corel putting all the software you need in a box, the pain is (nearly) gone.” —John Schwartz, Washington Post
IBM announces plans to invest $1 billion in Linux in 2001.
January 2001
The long-awaited 2.4.0 kernel was released on January 4.
The US National Security Agency (NSA) releases SELinux under the GPL. SELinux offers an additional layer of security checks in addition to the standard UNIX-like permissions system.
March 2001
The Linux 2.5 kernel summit is held in San Jose, California; it is, perhaps, the most complete gathering of Linux kernel hackers in history.
April 2001
IBM gets into trouble over its “Peace, Love and Linux” graffiti in several cities.
“Slackware has always made money (who else producing a commercial distribution can say that?), but with BSDi we ended up strapped to a sinking ship.” —Patrick Volkerding
May 2001
Sony’s PlayStation Linux kit, shipped in Japan, sells out in eight minutes despite a doubling of the available stock.
June 2001
Sharp announces its upcoming Linux PDA based on Lineo’s Embedix system.
VA Linux Systems exits the hardware business, choosing to focus on SourceForge instead. Later VA drops the word “Linux” from its name altogether, relaunching as VA Software Corporation.
“In a press release issued Wednesday afternoon, VA Linux CEO Larry M. Augustin called the shift in strategy a logical move. ‘Our differentiating strength has always been our software expertise’, Augustin said”. —Wired. You only thought VA was a hardware company.
July 2001
Free Dmitry! Dmitry Sklyarov is arrested in Las Vegas after Adobe complains about the Advanced eBook Processor. The following month he is charged with DMCA violations and conspiracy: the potential penalties add up to 25 years in prison. Dmitry’s defense is based on constitutional challenges to the DMCA, on free speech and jurisdictional issues. Later in the year, charges are dropped, conditional on one year of good behavior and testimony in the ElcomSoft trial.
“Although Adobe withdrew its support for the criminal complaint against Dmitry Sklyarov, we respect the grand jury and federal government’s decision to prosecute the company, ElcomSoft, and as a law-abiding corporate citizen, Adobe intends to cooperate fully with the government as required by law.” —Adobe’s position
November 2001
Sharp Electronics Corporation begins a special Linux developer prerelease of the Zaurus PDA to attract free software developers to the hot new platform.
February 2002
Avaya, the former PBX and enterprise systems division of Lucent, announces Linux-based PBX systems.
“So there are some—and I’d list myself among them—who believe that the return to Earth is a good thing. There’s nothing wrong with making a buck, but Linux doesn’t benefit from being elevated beyond reality on a shaky foundation.” —Evan Leibovitch takes a look at the post-rush world of Linux.
2005:
The project openSUSE begins a free distribution from Novell’s community. Also the project OpenOffice.org introduces version 2.0 that now supports OASIS OpenDocument standards in October.
2006:
Oracle releases its own distribution of Red Hat. Novell and Microsoft announce a cooperation for a better interoperability.
2007: Dell starts distributing laptops with Ubuntu pre-installed in them.
July 2011
Linus Torvalds announced the release of Linux 3.0: Gone are the 2.6. days .The version bump is not about major technological changes comparing to Linux 2.6.39, it marks kernel 20 years anniversary.
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.
But few brands ever develop a deep, penetrating relationship with their customers. Few brands truly win the hearts of their customers, which breeds authentic customer loyalty. Few brands ever adhere to the Seven Rules that define Cult Brands.
We present you with profiles of eleven of the world’s greatest Cult Brands.
Apple Computers is the epitome of self-empowerment and self-fulfillment combined in one brand. How else to describe a Cult Brand whose original slogan for the Macintosh was, “the computer for the rest of us”?
It’s hardly an accident that Oprah Winfrey has maintained such a fervently steadfast and devoted fan base during her career. She has used her talk show as a daily platform for holding heart-to-heart discussions with her audience.
To say that Harley had fallen on hard times by 1981 would be a drastic understatement. Japanese companies were destroying the company on pricing and Harley-Davidson’s bikes had lost the quality that made them famous.
People are camping outside. Traffic jams are so severe that highway exits must be shut down. Traffic lights are rendered useless requiring police to direct traffic. Is it a new Star Wars film? No, it’s the opening of a new Ikea store.
In the wake of September 11th, airlines suffered a major setback. Even after a $15 dollar attempt by the government to save airlines, American, Delta, and United collectively lost $4 billion; the major airlines laid off 16% of their workforce.
Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry couldn’t have been further away from fitting the mold of the typical Hollywood director. He wasn’t born into a Hollywood family, and he didn’t have any connections in the film industry.
Today the Beetle is regarded as arguably the best-selling car of all time, but back in 1948 it was unknown in the U.S., and many sales types believed no one would ever buy, partly because of its association with Nazi Germany.
World Wrestling Entertainment’s (WWE) Vince and Linda McMahon are both masters at challenging and shattering conventional wisdom. They prove that anyone can build a Cult Brand.
The Mini became an icon of the 1960s, and its space-saving front-wheel-drive layout influenced a generation of car-makers. The vehicle was produced in many limited edition designs and was easily customizable making it a fun car to make your own.
Founded in 1999, Zappos.com was the product of Internet entrepreneur Tony Hsieh’s Venture Frogs venture capital firm. Focusing on being the best in customer service propelled Zappos to $1 billion in gross sales in 2008, 2 years ahead of schedule.
We have tracked businesses with unprecedented brand loyalty since 2001. A Certified Cult Brand is a designation we hold for brands that fulfill specific market criteria, including upholding the Seven Rules of Cult Brands.
Vans Cult Brand Summary
While Vans is today known as a symbol of alternative sports like skateboarding and snowboarding, the company didn’t start out this way. The original dream of Paul Van Doren and his family was simply to manufacture shoes and sell them directly to the public, which he did when the Vans opened its first small shop in 1966.
Then in the mid-seventies, Southern California skateboarders started wearing Vans shoes. Unlike any other shoe manufacturer at the time, Vans accepted these customers and began catering to the desires and needs of the, then, renegade skateboarding crowd. In fact, Vans was the first shoe company to start paying well-known skateboarders to wear its shoes.
Vans took skateboarders—consumers that in the seventies were treated like lepers by the rest of corporate America—and celebrated them as champions. Vans preached to the choir and listened to the response. They understood that skaters not only wanted shoes that looked “one of a kind” but that actually were one of a kind. Vans collaborated with its customers by going into the custom shoe business after receiving numerous requests for funky-looking custom shoes from Southern California skaters.
Today, Vans continues to stick to its inclusive message by actively seeking out and implementing new product ideas from the dozens of “core sports” athletes the company sponsors.
Even though Vans was embraced by skaters, it wasn’t easy growing and rewarding its customers on the shoestring budget they had when they opened. Vans put together a team of skateboarders that traveled around the schools in Southern California, putting on safety shows about skateboarding. At the time, parents were rightly concerned about the apparent safety risks involved with the new sport. Vans put on the safety shows for two reasons: to give back to its community and to prime its young customer base and their parents for future Vans’ shoe sales.
It’s no accident that Vans sponsors and organizes dozens of extreme sports events each year. It knows that this is the best way to connect with customers. For many teenagers and young adults, an activity like skateboarding is their passion. After all, what is more liberating for a teenager than hopping onto a skateboard and riding for a few minutes each day without having to worry about chores, homework, or even parental control?
For a teenager, a skateboard is temporary escapism and self-fulfillment on four wheels and some wood. With this in mind, Vans has gone out of its way to sponsor and promote activities like concerts and sport events that appeal to the extreme sports and skateboarding set. As Vans CEO Gary Schoenfeld told Inc. magazine, “Kids don’t relate to direct hard-sell advertising. They see through a company that’s just spending a lot of money to attract their attention. Our strategy is to ingratiate ourselves more into their lifestyle.”.
In addition to developing high-profile events for its customers like the Vans Triple Crown and the Vans Warped Tour, Vans has also begun building and operating its own skateboard parks, each filled with thousands of square feet of space for both skateboards and BMX bikers of all skill levels. Vans uses the parks to continue to build an environment of collaboration and openness: Vans takes input from its customers about what it’s doing right, what it’s doing wrong, and how it can improve.
Of course, each Vans-branded park also includes a retail shop with Vans shoes and merchandise. These parks give the people at Vans a unique way to weave their products into the regular activities of their customers.
Vans Timeline
1966 — Paul Van Doren and three partners open up the first Vans shoe store
1970 — Skateboarders all around South California can be seen sporting Vans shoes
1975- Vans creates the #95, known as the Era today
1979 — Vans introduce the #45 shoe, with the help of BMX riders and skaters the slip-on shoe’s become incredibly popular in South California
1980 — By the end of the 1970’s, Vans had over 70 stores across the state of California
1980- Paul Van Doren begins to take a lesser role in the companies activities
1982 — Vans slip-on shoe’s gain national appeal when they are worn by the iconic actor Sean Penn in the film “Fast times at Ridgemont High”
1983 — Despite wild popularity and excellent sales, the wide range of shoes being sold depleted their resources and the debt forced Vans into bankruptcy.
1986 — Vans pays back all of its creditors and emerges from bankruptcy
1988 — Vans sells out to an investment banking firm (since then vans has been sold several times the most recent time being for $356 million in 2004 to Greensboro, N.C.-based VF Corp.)
1994 — Vans closes their main factory in Orange, California and begin manufacturing over seas
1994- Vans sponsors the Inaugural Triple Crowns Series which will eventually form into the Vans Triple Crowns Series
1998 — Vans opens a 48,000 square foot indoor/outdoor skate park at the block in Orange County
2000/2001 — Forbes magazine recognizes Vans as “America’s best small companies”
2002 — Vans opens a indoor skate park in Festival Bay mall in Orlando Florida
2004 — Vans creates Vans Customs allowing people log on to their website and create their own custom Vans shoe.
Presentations about Vans as a Brand
Archetypal Branding: Cult Branding 2.0
The Power of Your Brand Lover
An Introduction to Cult Branding – the truth behind customer loyalty!
Many retailers loose a big edge online because they don’t create a pleasurable shopping experience, a place where the customer can enjoy the essence of the brand and even do a little “window shopping.”
If you have never visited Ikea.com you don’t know what you’re missing. Perhaps one of the best shopping experiences found online, Ikea’s Web site is considered to be a “best of breed” by the “Web Globalization Report Card,” placing 23rd out of 200 Web sites.
More amazing than their online store is the fun experience provided through their online kitchen showroom. Ikea has developed this online showroom to inspire their customers with ideas for their kitchens. Check out the experience for yourself!
Ikea has set up an online experience that can’t even be matched in a real life scenario. With great music, photography, and a lot of imagination, Ikea allows their shoppers to look through their products and get a feel of what it can do for their home. Although there are many products displayed with their price, Ikea wants you to take in the full experience and doesn’t even offer any kind of shopping cart to distract you from the experience.
Ikea creates an online showroom that sparks anyone’s imagination. By inventing different scenarios, music, and different atmospheres, Ikea allows everyone to find something they love about Ikeas design.
So what can we learn from Ikea’s online experience?
Ikea shows us that great brands extend past the physical world. Making sure their online space reflects their physical locations and atmosphere, Ikea makes sure they give their customers an enjoyable shopping experience?even if they’re just browsing.
Don’t be afraid to show who and what your brand is throughout all touch points. Give your customers and those interested in becoming your customers a unique experience no matter what aspect of your brand they encounter.
Amazing customer experiences will start conversations
ORLANDO, Fla. – Last summer, in an article titled, “I Sold it Through the Grapevine,” Business Week reported that marketing powerhouse companies like Procter & Gable were using legions of moms to help promote their products. In behind-the-scenes word-of-mouth campaigns, these moms share products and coupons with co-workers and friends based on talking points suggested to them by the company, helping the company introduce new products and extol the virtues of current products.
BJ Bueno, marketing expert and a partner at Nonbox Consulting, believes hiring “pretend fans” often backfires. His newest release, Why We Talk: The Truth Behind Word-of-Mouth (Creative Crayon Publishers, February 2007, ISBN: 0971481539, $24.95) explores word-of-mouth marketing and how to generate, not manipulate, customer conversation. Bueno introduces seven principles to create amazing customer experiences and generate authentic product gossip, steering marketers away from buzz agents and freebies, as well as other techniques that do not build lasting brands.
As word-of-mouth becomes a more accepted and popular marketing practice, most marketers have focused on WHAT people talk about but have failed to address WHY people talk. Based on extensive research into psychology, marketing, and consumer behavior, Why We Talk explores what motivates consumers to spread the word about a company and its products. Bueno advocates learning how to serve your customer better, instead of investing time and energy trying to manipulate and influence customers to talk.
There is no magic formula to get people to start jumping around and telling the world about a new product or service,” says Bueno. “If you give someone something to talk about, they will. Create experiences for your customers through your products and services that give them something to talk about.”
Bueno is the co-author of the popular marketing book, The Power of Cult Branding, which received rave reviews from leading marketing mavens like Al Reis, Jay Conrad Levinson, and Jeffrey Fox. Bueno is also a partner in Nonbox Consulting, a consumer insight think tank located in Orlando, Fla., which provides consulting services for companies interested in discovering the secrets to creating beloved brands. He is a member of the Retail Advertising & Marketing Association (RAMA) and is on the board of the Chief Marketing Officers (CMO) for top international retailers. He has advised companies like Kohl’s Department Store, LA Lakers, Thomas Nelson Publisher, Scheels, and the Magic of David Copperfield. Bueno currently lives in Orlando, Fla.
For more information about Why We Talk: The Truth Behind Word-of-Mouth, please visit cultbranding.com/blog.
One of the characteristics of Cult Brands is their unabashed ability to play, as written in the Golden Rule of Fun. Although we’re programmed to think that there’s nothing funny about being an adult, these brands fearlessly turn back the hands of time and enthusiastically celebrate the child within us.
Childlike, Not Childish
You play an innocent practical joke on your friend. And it’s a good one. But your friend doesn’t appreciate your feeble attempts at making her laugh. She scolds, “Don’t be such a child!
Now you can take this proclamation as either an insult or a compliment. According to Merriam-Webster, to be childish is to be characterized by immaturity, lacking in poise and complexity. To be childlike is to resemble a child, marked by innocence, trust, and ingenuousness.
Many times we confuse these two terms. We think that acting like a child is a bad thing, because we’re old, we should know better, we need to act our chronological age at all times. However, in Games People Play, psychiatrist Eric Berne theorized that we have three ego states—the Child, Adult, and Parent—all of which are important and acceptable within the right context. We’re comfortable playing the Adult and Parent, but now we know it’s really okay being the Child at times too.
MINI’s Way to Play
Certain Cult Brands, like MINI, the ‘jumbo shrimp’ of the car industry, have overturned such rigid definitions of adulthood by encouraging drivers to get out there and play.
On their website, they explain that too many hours clocked at the office can put you in a rut, and how it’s best to get out and motor. With step-by-step instructions, you can install a customizable MINI Desktop Decoy screen saver, and then duck out of the office. That way, it’ll look and sound as if you’re working hard, when you’re hardly working and taking your MINI out for an afternoon ride.
Other creative collectibles include a downloadable assemble-it-yourself Life Size MINI Robot that doubles as your motoring guardian. You just need to print out and tape together 289 sheets of paper, and there you have a gigantic transformer robot as your personal wingman. But of course, knowing MINIs awareness of environmental issues, please recycle. MINI also encourages its drivers to hand out Good Motoring Citations, which look and feel like real traffic violation tickets, only the citation is meant to reward good motoring. MINI explains, “Let’s take the law into our own hands. Let’s slap someone with a compliment. Let’s reward a really good parking job. Let’s write someone up for having a sweet set of wheels. Let’s be sure we make this month’s quota.” You’re instructed to fill it out, place it under the windshield wiper, and then run away.
The purpose? MINI says it is to contribute to the “collective good” of “motoring karma.” Among the different citations, you might be the proud recipient of the “Wash me” citation and the note: “Congratulations. Your car is absolutely filthy. This means you have really enjoyed motoring in the fullest sense of the word. Keep up the good work.” MINI’s initiative reflects a playful spirit, much like the experience of exploring a nouveau casino en ligne 2024, where innovation meets entertainment. You might also be commended for having a great bumper sticker. MINI says, “Humor is important, especially when you’re stuck in traffic. Without it, we’d all just be getting from point A to point B. But you took the time to change that. And never once mentioned your honor student, thanks a lot for that.” As an owner of a convertible, you might be recognized for “going topless.” Your note reads: “You’re motoring in a convertible the way it was meant to be done: Open. And you trusted the world not to rob you blind. And that’s special.”
The beneficiary of the ‘Good Motoring Citation’ is then instructed to “mail this compliment home to your mother.” After all, we’re still little kids playing in a bigger sandbox.
Take this lesson from MINI, and don’t be afraid to show customers your playful, childlike spirit. We all know that the big kid getting down and dirty on the playground is more fun to be with than the stodgy, serious adult who’s afraid of rumpling his three-piece suit.
Embrace the Golden Rule of Fun and honor the childlike spirit within. Admit it. It’s more fun coloring outside the lines, isn’t it?
You take a week off work to deal with a family emergency. When you return, you’re told to contact the Human Resources Department. The voice on the phone is devoid of human feelings. You’re instructed to fax proof to substantiate your absence. What would be acceptable as proof—a copy of the emergency room bill or how about a receipt from the funeral parlor? Why do you need proof? Can’t you hear it in my voice? Isn’t my word good enough?
Archaic company policies spell out sick time benefits. If you’re out sick for more than two days, you’ll need to bring in a doctor’s note to excuse your absence. You think you’re caught in a time warp, traveling back to your days in elementary school. Next thing they’ll ask is for your mommy to sign off on your quarterly performance reports.
Sadly, these types of heartless interactions are typically encountered in bureaucratic organizations. Although not necessarily motivated by malice, these companies are blinded by their need for efficiency. It takes courage to break out of this rigid mindset and relinquish the need for control. Most of all, it takes spirit to esteem employees as human beings with meaningful lives beyond work.
Cult Brand Southwest Airlines is the champion of cultivating a world-class culture. At Southwest, if you have a baby, you’ll receive a joyous note of congratulations. If there’s a death in your family, you’ll receive communication filled with heartfelt condolences. If you’re out sick because of a serious illness, you’ll receive a phone call every two weeks to see how you’re doing.
Founder and former chairman Herb Kelleher once said, “We could have made more money if we furloughed people. But we don’t do that. And we honor them constantly. Our people know that if they are sick, we will take care of them. If there are occasions of grief or joy, we will be there with them. They know that we value them as people, not just cogs in a machine.”
Kelleher guided Southwest by these principles for nearly 30 years, and the public is finally catching on. A recent survey by the National Consumers League shows that customers are paying more attention to the way employers treat their employees. In fact, 76% of Americans indicated that a company’s treatment of its employees is a major factor in deciding whether or not to patronize that company.
Like Southwest, the entertaining financial information provider The Motley Fools knows the value of honoring their employees, especially in celebrating life’s milestones. While many parents need to fight for their rights to take time off, The Fools give new moms and dads 8 to 12 weeks off at 100% pay. Knowing that new parents barely have enough time for themselves, they provide $400 worth of take-out meals at the company’s expense. The Fools even offer a lactation program, including home consultation and telephone/email support, to help ease the transition to parenthood.
Companies that prioritize policies over people are destined for mediocrity. Great companies focus on human values rather than by-the-book operations and procedures. If you treat your employees with love and respect, you can trust that your customers will be privileged with the same.
Honor your employees as human beings, rather than automatons ready to serve at any cost. They have a name, a face, and most of all, a beating heart.
