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Cult Marketing

How One of Our Favorite Cult Brands Was Born

How do you tackle an impossible brief?

With culture.

Let me explain with a story I love.

In the late 1950s, Britain faced a fuel crisis. Petrol was rationed, and the public abandoned big cars for smaller ones.

Leonard Lord, head of the British Motor Corporation, gave his team an impossible challenge:

“Build a proper miniature car small enough to park anywhere, big enough to seat a family.”

Impossible, right?

But instead of complaining, engineer Sir Alex Issigonis and his team got curious.

“Why,” they asked, “do engines always face forward?”

That single question changed everything. By turning the engine sideways, they freed up space and created a design that would go on to change the world, the Mini.

A British icon.
A cultural movement on four wheels.

In 1999, the Mini was named the second most influential car of the 20th century, right behind the Ford Model T.

The takeaway?

Impossible briefs don’t need more money or more time.

They need more imagination and a culture that asks “why not?” instead of “why.”

That’s what great brands do.
They challenge convention.
They don’t wait for permission to reimagine what’s possible.

That’s how cult brands are born.

October 31, 2025 by

One of the Coolest Outcomes of Advertising: Pricing Power

Most marketers think of advertising only in terms of awareness or short-term sales. But one of the most overlooked and most powerful outcomes of advertising is pricing power.

A fascinating study called Advertising’s Long-Term Impact on Brand Price Elasticity Across Brands and Categories by Berk Ataman, Prof. Koen Pauwels, Shuba Srinivasan, and Marc Vanhuele looked at 350 brands across seven years. The finding was clear: advertising significantly reduces price sensitivity.

This effect was strongest for premium and niche brands in complex categories. In other words, when the stakes are high and the choices are overwhelming, great advertising doesn’t just sell, it helps consumers navigate. By clarifying value and meaning, advertising makes people more willing to pay for a brand they trust.

Kantar and Oxford research reinforces this: brands that cultivate emotional perceptions see far greater resilience and pricing strength. When multiple brand effects are built, willingness to pay grows dramatically, up to 11% firmer pricing for brands with four or more strong brand associations.

Here’s my favorite finding from the Ataman study: competitive ads can help your brand, too. When competitors advertise, they often shine a spotlight on the entire category. That lifts awareness for everyone, making consumers less price-sensitive across the board.

The lesson for leaders? 

Strong brands can hold their ground on price. The more your advertising connects emotionally by telling stories, clarifying your purpose, and creating meaning, the less you have to rely on discounting to win business.

That’s the hidden magic of advertising: not just selling more, but giving you the confidence and resilience to charge what you’re truly worth.

October 28, 2025 by

Our Work With TradeStation

TradeStation has long been known as a platform built for serious traders. With powerful tools, a tech-first mindset, and a deep commitment to enabling active investors, it stood apart in a competitive and often noisy financial services market. Yet, as the fintech space rapidly expanded and new platforms flooded the landscape, TradeStation faced a familiar challenge. While the product was strong and the customer base loyal, the brand lacked clarity. What truly sets it apart in the minds of customers? And how could that clarity translate into deeper loyalty and smarter growth?

That’s where Cult Branding came in.

Our work began with a mission to help TradeStation better understand its audience, refine its messaging, and align its entire brand around what customers valued most. We started by building a statistically valid brand model, rooted in both quantitative research and deep qualitative insight. This wasn’t about guesswork or focus group feedback. It was about getting to the emotional and behavioral core of TradeStation’s most engaged users.

Through this work, we uncovered what we call “brand attractors.” These are the key factors that actually drive customer preference and loyalty. For TradeStation, these attractors included advanced trading tools, transparency, and exceptional customer support. These weren’t simply features on a spec sheet. They were emotional and functional anchors—reasons customers chose to stay, to recommend, and to deepen their relationship with the brand.

We then helped TradeStation put this insight into action. Product development began to focus more deliberately on the attractors, prioritizing what customers cared about most. Marketing messaging became clearer, more authentic, and more targeted. Customer support was aligned to reinforce trust and transparency at every touchpoint. Rather than trying to be all things to all traders, TradeStation doubled down on what made it unique and valuable to its best customers.

The impact of this work is best understood in the broader context of TradeStation’s public performance. Around the time these branding initiatives were in motion, TradeStation was growing rapidly. According to their public filings, the company reported 178,863 total customer accounts at the end of 2021—a 36 percent increase year over year. Gross new accounts reached 27,412 during the same period, an 81 percent jump from the year prior. Customer assets climbed to 12.3 billion dollars, with about 3 billion held in cash. These numbers demonstrate how TradeStation was scaling and investing in growth, even while navigating a complex market environment.

While we cannot isolate branding as the sole cause behind this growth, the alignment between customer insight, brand messaging, and operational execution helped the company maximize the value of every new relationship. Internally, teams were more focused. Externally, customers felt more understood.

Salomon Sredni, then CEO of TradeStation, reflected on the experience this way:

“Working with this team was an exceptional experience. They helped us build a statistically valid brand model that provided invaluable insights into our customer base. The outstanding results led to a more organized and effective marketing strategy that truly resonates with our audience. We couldn’t be happier with this impact on our business.”

TradeStation’s journey is a lesson in how even high-performing companies can benefit from deeper clarity. Features are important, but they are not enough. What matters most is knowing who your customers are, what they value, and how your brand can show up in ways that feel credible and compelling.

If your brand has strong assets but lacks alignment and emotional resonance, we can help. By uncovering your brand attractors and translating them into strategy, we create the conditions for deeper loyalty, more effective marketing, and long-term growth.

October 24, 2025 by

The Difference Between an Insight and a Strategy

People often confuse insights with strategies, but they’re not the same thing. Knowing the difference is what separates breakthrough thinking from wasted effort.

An insight is a revelation. It’s the “aha” moment that makes you look at the problem in a new way. Think of it as the key—it unlocks the door.

A strategy is a plan of action. It’s how you use your limited resources to reach a specific goal. Think of it as the house—it’s where you live once the door is unlocked.

An insight without a strategy is just a clever observation. A strategy without insight is just guesswork. Together, they give you the clarity and direction to actually move the needle.

Take Adidas, for example. The insight was that people don’t just buy athletic wear to perform better—they buy it to express identity and belonging. Sportswear is fashion as much as function. The strategy was to position Adidas not just as a performance brand but as a cultural brand by partnering with creators, musicians, and streetwear influencers. Adidas shifted from “athletic gear” to “lifestyle statement.”

The insight unlocked the door, but it took the strategy to build the house.

October 21, 2025 by

The Hidden Cost of Bidding on Your Own Brand

Here’s an uncomfortable truth I’ve seen too many established brands overlook: bidding on branded keywords might be a waste of money.

Back in 2012, eBay ran a fascinating experiment with economists Tom Blake, Chris Nosko, and Steve Tadelis. They shut off paid search ads in certain regions while keeping them active in others. What they discovered was eye-opening. When brand keyword ads like “eBay shoes” were turned off, sales didn’t go down. Customers found eBay anyway through organic search. In other words, the ads were redundant.

Non-brand keywords performed a little better and brought in some new or infrequent users, but even then, the return on investment was negative. When all the numbers were tallied, eBay’s overall ROI on paid search was -63%. They were essentially paying for clicks they would have gotten regardless.

This experiment validated something I’ve been teaching for years: strong brands don’t need to buy their way back into their customers’ minds. If your customers already love you, they’ll find you. They’ll type your name directly into their browser. They’ll recommend you to others because you’ve earned a place in their identity. As I wrote in Customers First, the customer creates the brand. 

Now, that doesn’t mean paid search is useless. It can be valuable for reaching new audiences with non-brand keywords, protecting your brand from competitors, or helping younger brands gain recognition. But for established brands, I believe the smarter play is to redirect that spend into strengthening your culture, building your customer community, and creating the kinds of experiences that get people talking about you.

That’s money you’ll never regret investing.

October 19, 2025 by

Our Work With David Blaine

David Blaine’s magic blurs the lines between illusion, art, and experience. Over more than two decades, he has captivated audiences around the world with performances that defy belief and linger long after the final moment. But as his work expanded into digital platforms like iTunes and Netflix, the question became clear. How could his visual identity evolve to meet the expectations of a digital audience without losing the mystery, tension, and emotional weight that defines his brand?

David Blaine turned to Cult Branding not just for updated artwork, but for a creative partner who could understand the essence of his brand and bring it to life in new ways. The goal was simple but ambitious. Refresh the artwork for all of his specials across major platforms, create a unified yet flexible visual identity, and ensure that each design felt like an authentic extension of his unique energy.

We began by exploring what makes Blaine’s brand so powerful. His performances are rooted in stillness, silence, tension, wonder. There is a minimalist clarity that runs through all of his work. Audiences are drawn not only to the illusion, but to the emotional weight of each moment. Every stunt is a story. Every stare, a question. That sense of presence had to translate visually in a space that favors fast scrolling and split-second decisions.

We also considered how modern digital platforms display visual content. A thumbnail on iTunes or Netflix must be instantly recognizable and emotionally charged, even at small sizes. We studied design hierarchy, color psychology, contrast, and negative space. Every detail matters when you have only a few seconds to stop someone in their tracks.

From there, we designed new covers for each of David Blaine’s specials. Some leaned into darker tones, using shadow and contrast to evoke suspense. Others brought the viewer in close, emphasizing eye contact or subtle facial expressions to convey intensity. We maintained a consistent visual language with typography, spacing, and layout, allowing each piece to stand on its own while reinforcing a broader brand identity. The result was a collection of covers that not only looked sharp on modern screens, but felt unmistakably Blaine.

The reaction from fans was immediate and positive. Longtime followers recognized the evolution while appreciating the continuity. New viewers were drawn in by the clean, modern, and intriguing visuals. The designs helped David’s specials stand out in crowded digital storefronts, where attention is fleeting and presentation is everything.

As David Blaine himself shared, “Working with BJ Bueno on updating the artwork for my specials was great. BJ is not just a branding expert, he’s a magician, making it incredibly fun to share ideas. He truly understood my brand, and we brought the project to life quickly.”

Beyond visual appeal, the refreshed artwork became a strategic asset. It improved discoverability, reinforced brand perception, and aligned every special under a cohesive creative vision. In an era where presentation often determines performance, that alignment mattered.

David Blaine’s case is a reminder that great content deserves equally great presentation. Visual identity is not just about aesthetics. It is a tool for storytelling, for signaling quality, and for building trust. For executives in entertainment, media, or consumer-facing content, this case highlights the importance of investing in brand coherence and creative strategy.

If your brand delivers compelling experiences but lacks consistency or clarity in how it shows up, now is the time to evolve. Design, when done well, becomes part of the experience.

October 3, 2025 by

Why Customer Belonging Is the Future of Brand Growth

CEOs today are under extraordinary pressure. Digital transformation is racing ahead, economic volatility has become the norm, and retaining top talent has never been harder. Traditional growth levers—bigger ad spends, deeper discounts, louder campaigns—no longer guarantee results.

The real question leaders face is: How do you build sustainable growth when customers have more choices, higher expectations, and less patience than ever before?

The Hidden Growth Driver

Research shows that emotionally connected customers deliver 306% higher lifetime value than the average buyer. Customers who feel like they belong to your brand community don’t just purchase more often—they forgive mistakes, defend your reputation, and become your most powerful advocates.

Why? 

Because belonging is not a marketing gimmick. It is a fundamental human need. Abraham Maslow placed it just after food, shelter, and safety in his hierarchy. We are hardwired to seek tribes, groups, and communities that affirm who we are.

Brands that understand this—Apple, Harley-Davidson, Patagonia, LEGO—don’t just sell products. They create identity, rituals, and shared experiences. Their customers aren’t just buyers; they’re members.

The CEO’s Opportunity

The CEOs who embrace belonging unlock growth that competitors cannot touch.

  • Patagonia built a billion-dollar business by standing for sustainability, earning 75% higher trust than its peers.
  • Salesforce turned its Dreamforce conference into a 170,000-person annual pilgrimage, transforming software into a movement.
  • Harley-Davidson created the Harley Owners Group, boosting repeat sales by 30% and turning riders into evangelists.

These examples prove that when brands give people a community to join, not just a product to buy, loyalty becomes exponential.

How to Start Creating Belonging

Building belonging to your brand doesn’t happen by accident. It requires intentional leadership. Here are three practical steps to start:

  1. Conduct an Emotional Branding Audit. Go beyond surveys and transactions. Ask: Where do customers feel a connection with us, and where do they feel indifferent?
  2. Build Community Touchpoints. Create rituals, forums, or shared experiences where your customers can see themselves reflected in others. (Think Harley rallies, Apple stores, or Starbucks as a “third place.”)
  3. Align Culture with Customers. Employees are the front line of belonging. Purpose-driven companies see 79% higher employee retention. When your people believe in the mission, your customers feel it.

The Payoff of Belonging

The results are undeniable:

  • Loyal customers spend 67% more.
  • Cult-brand customers are 32% more forgiving during crises.
  • And perhaps most importantly: customers who feel like they belong will bring their friends, family, and colleagues along with them.

Belonging is no longer optional. It is the growth multiplier of the future.

September 30, 2025 by

Why Brands Need Struggle

Carl Jung once said, “Man needs difficulties. They are necessary for health.”

The same is true for brands. Yet many instinctively avoid difficulty. They shy away from conflict, from tough expectations, or from friction with customers.

But here’s the paradox: the very struggles brands embrace are the ones that make them extraordinary.

  • The Ritz-Carlton empowers every employee to spend up to $2,000 to solve a guest’s problem on the spot. Why? Because service excellence isn’t born from avoiding complaints—it’s forged in the fire of difficult customer moments. Handling problems with grace is what made Ritz-Carlton legendary.
  • Google has endured enormous scrutiny, from antitrust battles to user trust issues. Each difficulty forced it to adapt, evolve, and reassert its mission to “organize the world’s information.” Those struggles built resilience into the brand’s DNA.
  • Ferrari isn’t known for comfort or convenience. Its cars are difficult to build, difficult to maintain, and often difficult to drive. But that difficulty is exactly what fuels Ferrari’s mystique. To own one is to embrace the challenge—and the reward is status, passion, and belonging to an elite tribe.

Brands that lean into difficulty don’t just survive—they grow stronger, more resilient, and more loved.And as an afterthought: this principle is just as true for people. Struggles in our own lives—the frustrations, the setbacks, the imperfections—are not obstacles to growth. They are growth.

September 26, 2025 by

Does Your Brand Look, Say, and Feel Right to Your Customer?

In the race for innovation, growth, and market share, many brands forget a simple truth: customers don’t fall in love with complexity—they fall in love with clarity.

At the heart of every Cult Brand is a clear and consistent emotional experience. And one of the fastest ways to evaluate your brand’s connection with its customer is through three deceptively simple words: Look, Say, Feel.

🔍 Look:

Does your visual identity tell a compelling story before you say a word?

If your logo vanished, would customers still recognize you from your imagery, packaging, or website? 

What story is your storefront, homepage, or ad layout telling your Brand Lover?

🗣 Say:

Are you speaking with your customer or at them?

Look at your headlines, email subject lines, product descriptions—do they express a real point of view, or are they interchangeable with your competitors? 

Can your customer quote your brand back to you?

💓 Feel:

What emotional signature does your brand leave behind?

Are you designing your brand for utility or for resonance?

How do your customers feel after interacting with you—and does your team know?Most executives focus on strategy and operations. But perception is the soil that trust and loyalty grow from. If your brand doesn’t Look, Say, and Feel aligned with your customer’s internal world, you’re not building a brand—you’re managing a commodity.

September 23, 2025 by

Marvel’s Multiverse of Loyalty

Marvel Studios may be facing theatrical turbulence, but its brand remains strong.

While critics point to “superhero fatigue” and underperforming films, Marvel has never relied solely on its box office performance. The brand’s real power lies in how it connects with its most loyal fans—its Brand Lovers—across comics, animation, games, television, merchandise, and events.

As outlined in the Cult Branding Workbook, true brand loyalty stems from meaningful relationships. Marvel continues to nurture these relationships across multiple channels, even when the spotlight dims on one.

Comics and Games: Engines of Loyalty

While moviegoers may hesitate, core fans are diving into Marvel’s newly rebooted Ultimate Universe, a fresh take on classic characters designed with reader feedback in mind. At the same time, the launch of Marvel Rivals, a multiplayer game with Twitch integrations and a $500,000 global tournament, shows Marvel’s investment in participatory brand experiences.

Consumers want to be part of something different. These ecosystems reward speculation, identity, and shared rituals—hallmarks of Cult Brand behavior.

Lessons for Brand Leaders

Brands must manage three dimensions—offering, space, and time—to create compelling experiences. Marvel excels here, orchestrating comics, games, shows, and films as interconnected touchpoints. From comic shop visits to Twitch streams to streaming binge sessions, fans are given constant opportunities to engage.

The Takeaway

Marvel’s strength is not just its intellectual property—it’s the multichannel relationship it maintains with its Brand Lovers. That’s what makes it a Cult Brand. When one format underperforms, the emotional connection remains intact because the brand lives in many places fans already care about.

For brand builders, the question is clear: Are we creating a brand that lives across the touchpoints our customers already use, or are we still hoping they’ll only meet us on our terms?

September 21, 2025 by