Search results for

brand communities

The Ethics of Cult Branding: Navigating the Fine Line Between Passion and Manipulation

Hello to all brand enthusiasts and ethically-conscious thinkers, BJ Bueno here. As we delve into the nuances of cult branding, an imperative conversation emerges surrounding its ethical implications. When does fervent brand loyalty cross over into unhealthy obsession? Is it ethical for brands to foster such deep emotional attachments that some may argue it obscures individual identity? Let’s dissect this intricate matter.

Understanding the Power of Branding

Branding, at its core, is about creating connections. Brands that resonate deeply with individuals often align with their personal values, aspirations, and identity. Cult brands magnify this connection, creating communities and offering a sense of belonging. However, with great power comes great responsibility. Brands must recognize the influence they wield and use it judiciously.

Identity Enhancement vs. Identity Replacement

It’s one thing for a brand to enhance an individual’s sense of self; it’s entirely different for a brand to replace it. Cult brands should aim to complement and empower an individual’s identity rather than overshadow it. Encouraging self-expression within the brand’s community rather than dictating a monolithic brand identity is key.

Encouraging Critical Thinking

While fostering brand loyalty is understandable, it’s essential to promote critical thinking within the brand’s community. Fans should feel free to voice concerns, critique, and discuss without fear of backlash or ostracization. This open dialogue keeps the brand accountable and ensures followers maintain their agency.

Transparency and Authenticity

Manipulative tactics, hidden agendas, or misinformation can propel a brand into “cult” status, but such strategies are ethically questionable. Authenticity and transparency must be the foundation of any brand seeking deep connections with its audience.

Balancing Exclusivity and Inclusivity

Exclusivity can elevate a brand’s perceived value, but there’s a fine line between creating desire and promoting elitism or divisiveness. Brands should be wary of fostering toxic elitism within their communities.

Well-being and Consumer Welfare

Promoting excessive spending, unhealthy behaviors, or pushing products/services without regard for the consumers’ well-being goes against ethical branding principles. Brands must ensure that their strategies prioritize the health, well-being, and financial stability of their followers.

Continuous Evaluation

Ethics in branding is not a one-time consideration but a continuous process. As brands evolve and grow, so too should their ethical evaluation processes. Regularly revisiting and reassessing brand strategies from an ethical lens is imperative.

While cult branding can be a potent tool for creating deep consumer connections, it must be approached with care, consciousness, and ethical consideration. Loyalty born out of genuine value, respect, and mutual growth is sustainable and ethical. Brands should aim to uplift, empower, and serve their communities rather than exploit them.

To all brand builders: In the pursuit of loyalty, never lose sight of humanity. Ethical branding is not just good practice; it’s good business.

Stay mindful, ethical, and authentic in your branding journey.

BJ Bueno

September 28, 2023 by

Unlock the Power of Cult Branding with BJ Bueno

BJ Bueno Speaker

Brands, like stories, have the power to captivate and inspire. They can become the core of cultures, conversations, and communities. And no one understands this more profoundly than the Author of Cult Branding himself – BJ Bueno.

Why BJ Bueno is Your Ideal Speaker

As the pioneering mind behind the concept of Cult Branding, BJ Bueno has cemented himself as a thought leader in the world of marketing and branding. His insights, strategies, and rules are not just theories—they’re proven formulas that have stood the test of time and brought success to many businesses globally.

What The Leaders Say

– Julie Gardner, former Chief Marketing Officer, Kohl’s Department Stores says, “BJ Bueno’s process provides a deep understanding… and positive results are achieved.”

– Bert Jacobs, Chief Executive Optimist, The Life is good Company states, “BJ Bueno and his team… have a proven track record of building healthy, sustainable businesses for some of the best brands in the world.”

– Al Reis, author of The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding, remarks, “After reading The Power of Cult Branding, you are going to want to create one as soon as possible.”

– Eric Roads, CEO/Publisher, RADIO INK Magazine proclaims, “BJ is to marketing now what Trout and Ries were 20 years ago.”

Elevate Your Team

Instead of just hearing about it, give your business team the chance to experience it firsthand. Dive deep into the world of Cult Branding with BJ Bueno, elevate your brand’s reach, foster a stronger connection with your customers, and refine your marketing strategies like never before. 

His passion, backed by a profound understanding of human nature, brings transformative value that every team member will benefit from. His presentations transcend typical lectures, evolving into engaging experiences that encourage fresh, innovative perspectives on branding and marketing.

From understanding the power of a cult brand, as Jack Trout, coauthor of Positioning, points out, to the masterful communication prowess that even impressed David Copperfield, the most commercially successful magician in history, BJ Bueno’s expertise is unparalleled.

Bring Cult Branding to your next event and get ready to unlock the secrets of Cult Marketing and revolutionize your team’s perspective on building a brand with loyal followers.

September 17, 2023 by

Creating a Cult Brand: A Step-by-Step Guide

Greetings brand enthusiasts, BJ Bueno here. We’ve all admired brands that seem to transcend the typical consumer-business relationship, morphing into passionate communities or even lifestyles. But what does it take to create such an iconic brand? Here’s my step-by-step guide to building a brand that doesn’t just have customers but devout followers.

Define Your Brand’s Purpose and Values

Cult brands stand for something larger than their product. Begin by identifying your brand’s core purpose. Why does your brand exist beyond making a profit? What values drive your brand’s actions and decisions?

Identify and Understand Your Audience

Not every brand is for everyone. Understand who you are targeting. What are their desires, pain points, and aspirations? This will allow you to create a brand story that deeply resonates with them.

Craft a Compelling Brand Story

Narratives are powerful tools to forge emotional connections. Your brand story should embody your purpose and values while speaking directly to your target audience’s desires and aspirations.

Foster Community

It’s not enough for customers to love your product; they should connect with each other. Create spaces – both online and offline – for your audience to share their experiences, stories, and passion for your brand.

Encourage Participation

Whether it’s through contests, user-generated content, or co-creation initiatives, involve your audience in your brand’s journey. This engenders a sense of ownership and deepens loyalty.

Deliver Exceptional and Consistent Experiences

Quality cannot be compromised. Ensure that every touchpoint, from product quality to customer service, is consistent and exceeds expectations.

Evolve with Authenticity

Cult brands don’t rest on their laurels, but they don’t chase every trend either. Evolve in response to your community’s needs and global shifts but always remain true to your brand’s core values.

Reward Loyalty

Recognize and reward your most passionate advocates. Whether it’s through exclusive offers, early access, or simply acknowledgment, make your community members feel special and valued.

Engage in Open Dialogue

Cult brands don’t hide behind corporate walls. Engage with your community openly, be it through Q&A sessions, social media interactions, or community events. Listening is as crucial as speaking.

Stay Humble and Grateful

No matter how big your brand becomes, never lose sight of the fact that it’s your community that made you. Approach them with humility, gratitude, and a genuine desire to serve.

Building a cult brand is not an overnight endeavor. It requires passion, patience, and a genuine desire to connect. Remember, it’s not about transactional relationships; it’s about building meaningful, lasting connections that enrich both the brand and its community. 

To all brand builders out there, dream big and brand bigger!
Onward!

– BJ Bueno

September 14, 2023 by

The 5 Key Elements of Cult Branding

Hello, fellow brand enthusiasts! BJ Bueno here. We’ve all seen brands that enjoy a fiercely loyal following – brands that transcend their product or service offering and cultivate a genuine and ardent community of advocates. Ever wondered why some brands achieve this cult-like status while others don’t? Let’s delve into the five essential ingredients that make a brand truly cult-worthy.

Shared Beliefs: The most powerful cult brands don’t just sell products; they sell beliefs. Apple doesn’t just sell technology; they sell the idea that people who challenge the status quo can change the world. When consumers resonate with a brand’s belief system, they’re not just buying a product; they’re joining a movement.

Customer Inclusion: Cult brands often involve their customers in the brand narrative. They make them feel like insiders, part of an exclusive club that understands something others don’t. Harley Davidson, for instance, doesn’t just sell bikes; it sells a lifestyle and identity, and every owner is a part of that exclusive brotherhood.

Community Building: Brands that cultivate communities create a sense of belonging among their customers. Whether it’s through fan clubs, online forums, or real-world meetups, they foster environments where like-minded individuals can connect over shared passions. This not only makes consumers more loyal to the brand but to each other.

Devotion Beyond Reason: Cult brands evoke emotions that often defy logical reasoning. People camping out for days for a new sneaker release or the latest iPhone is a testament to this. This irrational devotion is often a mix of the brand’s story, its symbolic value, and the emotional connection it fosters.

Continual Evolution While Staying True to Roots: This is a delicate balance. While cult brands innovate and adapt to changing times, they always remain true to their core values and beliefs. It’s about evolving without losing the essence. Think about LEGO – they’ve embraced digital transformation with video games and movies, but at the heart, it’s still about the joy of building and imagination.

Cult branding is about creating more than a transaction; it’s about fostering a deep, emotional connection with consumers. When brands manage to embed themselves into the lifestyles, identities, and hearts of their customers, they transition from being just a brand to a beloved icon.

Remember, at the heart of every cult brand is a story that resonates, a purpose that inspires, and a community that thrives. Cultivate these elements, and you’re on the pathway to creating your own legacy in the annals of brand greatness.

Stay curious and keep branding!

BJ Bueno

September 11, 2023 by

Cult Brands: The Secret Behind Their Fervent Following

Cult brands have captivated the world with their unique products, services, and experiences, inspiring a devoted and passionate following. These brands don’t just provide a product or service, they create a sense of belonging and identity for their loyal customers. So, what do cult brands do differently to generate such fervent support? Let’s find out.

Creating Emotional Connections

One of the key factors that set cult brands apart is their ability to create strong emotional connections with their customers. They go beyond just meeting their customers’ needs and tap into their desires, aspirations, and values. By connecting on an emotional level, cult brands create a sense of loyalty and attachment that transcends the average consumer-brand relationship.

Building Communities

Cult brands foster a sense of community and belonging among their customers. They encourage interaction and engagement among their followers through social media, events, and other platforms. These communities enable customers to connect with like-minded individuals, further strengthening their attachment to the brand and creating a sense of collective identity.

Crafting Unique Brand Stories

A powerful brand story is essential for cult brands. They often have an interesting origin or a mission that resonates with their target audience. These stories help humanize the brand, making it more relatable and appealing to customers. By sharing their journey, values, and purpose, cult brands inspire trust and admiration from their followers.

Providing Exceptional Experiences

Cult brands understand the importance of providing memorable and exceptional experiences for their customers. Whether it’s through outstanding customer service, innovative products, or engaging events, these brands go above and beyond to make their customers feel valued and appreciated. This commitment to excellence leaves a lasting impression and keeps customers coming back for more.

Encouraging Customer Advocacy

One of the most powerful aspects of cult brands is their ability to turn their customers into brand advocates. By consistently delivering exceptional experiences and connecting with their customers on a deeper level, these brands inspire loyalty and word-of-mouth marketing. Customers become enthusiastic promoters of the brand, sharing their experiences and recommending the brand to their friends and family.

Remaining Authentic

Cult brands maintain authenticity in all aspects of their business, from their products and services to their marketing and communication. They stay true to their core values and mission, resisting the temptation to compromise their identity in pursuit of short-term gains. This authenticity resonates with customers, who appreciate the brand’s genuine commitment to its principles.

By adopting these strategies, brands can foster a passionate and loyal following that not only drives business success but also creates a lasting legacy.

May 16, 2023 by

The CMO’s Guide to Cult Branding

Loyal customers consistently do business with their preferred brands, often without evaluating convenience or pricing factors. These loyal customers are also more likely to tell their friends and family about the brand (called word of mouth), creating a low-cost stream of new customers.

Given these valuable attributes, it’s easy to understand why loyalty is considered the holy grail of marketing.

Loyalty Isn’t An Accident

It's one thing to create a loyal customer; it's another to foster brand communities where groups of people band together around your brand's message.

Companies that foster brand loyalty go to great lengths to understand their customers’ needs and meet those needs better than anyone else.

These companies seek to create loyal customer evangelists, or what we call Brand Lovers. Creating Brand Lovers requires diligent effort on the part of executives to adopt a highly customer-centric approach to marketing, product development, and operations.

Cult Brands are those businesses that foster an unusual level of brand loyalty among their patrons. Apple Brand Lovers, for example, don’t consider a PC as a viable alternative.

Five Factors that Influence Loyalty to a Brand

Numerous factors and psychological processes are involved in influencing customers’ relationship with your brand:

  1. Repeat Purchasing Behavior: How often does a customer buy from you?
  2. Commitment: How long has a customer been committed to doing business with you?
  3. Perceived Value: How much value does a customer perceive in your offering?
  4. Brand Trust: How much trust does a customer have in your brand?
  5. Customer Satisfaction: How satisfied is a customer with the overall brand experience?

Four Types of Loyalty

Marketing professor Philip Kotler suggest four groups of customer types that demonstrate similar behavioral patterns in respect to brand loyalty:

  1. Hard-core Loyals: Customers who buy exclusively from a brand.
  2. Split Loyals: Customers loyal to two or three brands in a particular category.
  3. Shifting Loyals: Customers who move from one brand to another.
  4. Switchers: Customers with no sense of loyalty to any brand.1 2

Three Customer Mindsets

There are three primary customer mindsets important to understanding the factors behind brand loyalty. Every customer engages in all of these behaviors at different points throughout their lives.

  1. Transactional Mindset: Logic-driven thinking that weighs the options and makes the optimal decision in the moment.
  2. Relational Mindset: Although logic still plays a role, feelings primarily drive purchasing decisions.
  3. Loyal Mindset: Decisions are based on deeply-held values and ideals.

The Cult Branding Loyalty Continuum

Over nearly two decades at The Cult Branding Company, we have identified three primary patterns of behavior among customers:

  1. Brand Lovers: Customers a brand is especially for; those customers who love the brand the most and who may not perceive any alternative to the brand’s offering. Brand Lovers have an emotional investment in the brand. They feel their values align with the brand’s.
  2. Brand Enthusiasts: Customers who have a favorable impression of a brand but don’t necessarily have any investment or a deeper connection to the brand.
  3. Brand Nomads: Customers with a transactional mindset (see above) who shift from brand to brand without forming any brand allegiances.

The Key to Building Brand Loyalty

The truth is that most businesses struggle to build brand loyalty.

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

Of course, we have a lot of evidence for this claim. A quick look at Cult Brands highlights the extraordinary level of brand loyalty some businesses have achieved with their customers.

While not every business may want to go to the lengths it takes to transform into a Cult Brand, every business can cultivate a core group of loyal customers—their Brand Lovers.

Focusing on your Brand Lovers is the key to building brand loyalty.

The Psychology of Mass Movements

Brand loyalty becomes less elusive when you understand the various drivers of human behavior. You don’t need to be a psychologist to appreciate that we, as humans, aren’t always aware of why we do what we do.

It’s one thing to create a loyal customer; it’s another to foster brand communities where groups of people band together around your brand’s message.

When you see groups of people joining a brand’s mission, you see a Cult Brand in action. How does it happen? And what can you do to help your brand build a following of loyal customers?

Using Apple as an ideal example, take a look at how you can create a mass movement:

Onward

If you’re looking to further your knowledge on brand loyalty and how to cultivate it for your business, here’s a hand-picked selection of related articles:

_______________________

August 15, 2022 by

We Don’t Talk About Bruno…What Can Brands Learn From Encanto?

Because I have small children, I have seen The Walt Disney Company movie Encanto about 37 million times. And this experience has made me wonder: does every brand have a Bruno?

We Don’t Talk About Bruno – What’s That About?

A quick summary for those who haven’t seen the movie. Encanto is about a family that has magical gifts. Bruno’s gift was the ability to see the future, which sounds fantastic, but most of his predictions were negative. His family began to believe his predictions caused the bad outcomes, and after one especially notable conflict, Bruno left. Ever since, the family’s most famous song says, we don’t talk about Bruno.

In every group, each person has a role to play. Bruno’s role was that of the truth-teller: the person who, genuinely out of a sincere desire to help, says things other people don’t want to hear. These people are often dismissed from the conversation, brushed off, as Bruno was, as the crazy uncle no one listens to.

Who Is Your Bruno?

What does that mean for a brand? Who is your organization’s Bruno? Who don’t you talk about?

Bruno could be a customer, quick to write harsh reviews pointing out even the smallest flaw.

Bruno could be an activist, loudly demanding your company conduct itself in a way they see as more humane, ethical, or otherwise correct. 

Bruno could be an employee speaking up about working conditions and pay rates.

Bruno could be a manager pointing out that changes need to be made because the in-store experience is suffering.

Bruno could be in leadership, taking a stand and telling the others the organization isn’t going in the right direction. 

In the movie, it becomes clear that Bruno’s predictions weren’t causing the events that happened. He merely spotted the clues of impending events ahead of time and did his best to let people know. But it was easier for the family to become angry with what they were hearing and stop talking about Bruno. 

This dynamic plays out in every human setting, including within our organizations. Perhaps you can think of times within your career when you’ve seen someone who’s been acting as a truth-teller phased out of the organization or otherwise disregarded. This is a thing that happens, but it doesn’t need to be that way.

As part of our ongoing conversation about trust, we need to reach a point where brands trust themselves enough to be able to listen to the Brunos of the world without shutting them out. We have to trust that the people in good faith relationships with us – our customers, our communities, our employees, team, and leadership – tell us things we don’t want to hear because they want us to do better. 

We don’t talk about Bruno, but we have to if we want to grow.

March 22, 2022 by

How to Start a Cult … Brand

Cult Brands provide insights for building loyalty that can be applied to any business of any size.

Heaven’s Gate, Jonestown, Scientology, Manson Family … destructive cults abound.

Destructive cults manipulate their members and do not care about their well-being. It’s no wonder why “cult” has become a dirty, four-letter word.

Not all cults, however, are destructive. At their cores, cults are groups that demonstrate a strong commitment towards someone or something.

Many cults are benign, harmless. In fact, they can be helpful to their members’ well-being. Some cults even have the power to elevate and inspire their members.

When a benign cult is centered around a brand, we call it a Cult Brand.

Businesses that harness the power of cults—cultivating evangelical customers and cohesive brand communities—possess an uncommon competitive advantage.

These Cult Brands enjoy unprecedented customer loyalty, word of mouth, and profitability.

Is Cult Branding Right For Your Business?

Perhaps you think your business isn’t cult-worthy. Maybe you’re just not ready yet. Or, maybe you’re just not interested in the hard work it takes to develop and maintain a passionate fan base.

But, whether you’re poised to establish a Cult Brand or not, there’s a lot you can learn from the psychological dynamics of cults and how they form that can be applied to any business of any size.

For example, they instruct you on how to:

  • Build meaningful connections with your customers.
  • Be chosen more often than your competitors.
  • Get your customers to build awareness of your business for you.
  • Cultivate customer loyalty that impacts the bottom line.

Clearly, there’s a lot we can learn from cults. Let’s dive in.

5 Reasons Customers Join Groups

Before we lay out a strategy you can use to create a cult around your business, let’s briefly explore five reasons why customers join brand communities and movements in the first place:

1) Humans want to belong

From Abraham Maslow, we learned that love and belonging is a fundamental human need. Customers instinctively look for social groups they can feel a part of.

2) Humans need a sense of identity

Another psychologist, Erik Erikson, pointed out that humans reach a point in their development where they begin to form their own identities.

At this Fidelity stage, as Erikson called it, people develop the capacity to maintain loyalties and allegiances to valued institutions and ideals.

To help form identity, people associate with social groups, including brand communities, that bring importance and meaning to their lives.

3) Humans rally around shared values

Values and ideals are at the core of what people congregate around. Maslow called these values being values. They include ideals like truth, goodness, aliveness, uniqueness, simplicity, justice, playfulness, and self-sufficiency.

Different people resonate with different being values. Brands that clearly express specific being values act like homing beacons to customers who naturally seek out brands who have the same values they do.

4) Humans want peak emotional experiences

Emotions give us a sense of aliveness. Although modern humans tend to rely more on thoughts and reason, emotions give life texture and provide meaning.

People gravitate to groups that provide them with emotional experiences they can’t get on their own. (Try replicating, in the privacy of your living room, the elation fans experience at a Jimmy Buffett concert or a Star Trek convention.)

5) Humans seek hope

Life is difficult. Customers seek out groups that provide relief from life’s challenges.

Cult Brands create movements that provide the promise of a better tomorrow. Star Trek offers hope of a peaceful future. Harley-Davidson offers hope of freedom on the open road. Life is good offers hope and optimism for the good life.

7 Steps to Create a Cult, Tribe or Movement

The main thing you need to understand about customer communities is that your customers create them on their own. That said, here are seven steps you can take to increase the likelihood:

Step 1: Determine what needs your business fulfills

Figure out which human needs your business naturally fulfills. Then, determine how your brand fulfills these needs for your customers in a way no other business does.

Step 2: Identify your symbols

Determine what your business symbolizes in the minds of your customers. These symbols are also called archetypes.

The Harley icon, for example, showcases a flying eagle, a dynamic symbol of power, choice, and freedom.

Step 3: Discover your emotional targets

Uncover how your customers are emotionally connected to your brand. When the symbol enters their mind, what do your target customers feel?

Nike’s swoosh symbol may evoke feelings of determination, competitiveness, and triumph for its customers. Apple’s symbol may evoke feelings of creative self-expression, possibility, or truth.

Step 4: Clarify your brand values

While core values are internal to your organization, brand values are external. Your customers may never know your corporate values, but if you are effective, they will have a clear perception of what you stand for (your brand values).

All Cult Brands have clear brand values that attract like-minded people to their business.

The Life is good Company stands for optimism. Oprah stands for self-empowerment.

Step 5: Design your messaging

Ensure that your messaging promotes the fulfillment of your core needs, highlights your symbol, triggers your emotional targets, and captures your brand values.

That is, leverage these customer insights to develop more effective media.

Consider how companies spend billions on advertising without clearly understanding any or all of these psychological insights that drive advertising effectiveness.

Step 6: Target your messaging

Make sure your messages are in the appropriate market channels. Cult Brands know their customers, which means knowing where they hang out and what they like to do.

Energy drink Red Bull, for example, initially avoided traditional media, opting for grassroots marketing by handing out samples on college campuses. Then, they began sponsoring extreme sporting events where their target market congregated.

Step 7: Set up your environment

Provide people the tools to form their own groups. Whenever possible, create a space where your customers can meet and interact with one another—either in person or online.

Establish social events that reflect your mission. Star Trek conventions, Jimmy Buffett’s concerts, and Harley’s HOG Rallies are excellent examples.

Set up conditions for a fun, playful environment where friendships can be forged. The stronger the bond members have to one another, the stronger the bond members will have with your business.

Onward

Remember, never attempt to control your community. Instead, participate as a co-creator.

Okay, now it’s your turn to go start a movement, establish a tribe, create a Cult Brand.

July 13, 2021 by

How Cult Brands Create a Magical Experience For Their Customers

Turn Shared Values into a lifestyle.

As human beings, we have many different kinds of relationships. The relationship you have with your boss is probably very different than the relationship you have with your romantic partner, and both of these relationships are different from the relationship you have with your favorite baseball player and the kid who was your best friend in third grade.

We not only have relationships with other people, but also with ideas and philosophies. Identifying yourself as a skeptical person or an Evangelical Christian, for example, will impact the way you view and interact with the world.

We also have relationships with inanimate objects, such as cars or roller coasters. You’ve surely heard people proclaiming how much they love (or hate) their cars. Space Mountain, one of Disney’s flagship rides, is so beloved by some people that they have their weddings there.

Brands are a unique combination of a set of ideas and inanimate objects that serve as an ideal platform for relationships.

A Cult Brand is born when a group of individuals rally around a brand’s beliefs and values and the lifestyle that supports those beliefs and values. These brands spark a magical participation with their customers.

When people feel bound to a group or community of shared beliefs, at least part of their identity is tied to the group.

Allowing Customers to Express A Deeper Part of Themselves

You can be a corporate attorney running frantically from meeting to meeting, but when you enter a Jimmy Buffett concert you morph into a Parrot Head; litigation, conference calls, and the stress of daily life slide into shadow.

Now, life is all about taking it easy. The most important things on your agenda are burgers, cocktails, and connecting with friends in the paradise of Margaritaville.

Cult Brands are successful because they allow people to be who they want to be—not the person they’re forced to be to meet the demands placed on them personally or professionally.

Cult Brands provide a route to self-expression that feels natural and intuitive to their Brand Lovers.

Cult Brands provide an experience and a community where Brand Lovers feel like they belong.

Providing The Means for Self-Expression and Belonging

Now, as a result of the pandemic, people are hungry for ways to connect with each other. Bringing customers together has always been important—it’s arguably the hallmark of a Cult Brand—but the need is even greater at the current time.

Keep in mind that finding ways to help customers express themselves is vital to your cause.

Below are a few fun ways to cultivate brand loyalty for your business by helping you attract great customers and build lasting relationships:

Gatherings

Not all your customers have the time or energy to gather together, but some of your customers would actually enjoy gathering together to share ideas, learn, and be together. Apple, in its humble beginnings, hosted Mac user groups where programmers would band together to form small companies to develop software for the startup.

Festivals

Once you have reached a critical mass of Brand Lovers, it might be time for the festivity. Harley-Davidson hosts annual events that bring together over 1 million bikers from around the world. Many people are familiar with event marketing, but if you take that concept to the next level you may be destined to have your own festival, and possibly a unique story will emerge about you in your customers’ minds.

Food

A very interesting fact about Cult Brands is that they tend to share food with their customers. This fact is most likely connected to the idea that if you’re going to have people come together, humans need (and love) to eat. But this simple act of doing what we do each day has a hidden power of influence that makes us like those people that we eat with. Some researchers have shown that judges are more lenient on the offenders after their lunch break. So if it works on those of us with the strongest opinions, it can work for your Brand Lovers who already like you too.

Onward

What beliefs and values do your customers identify with?

How can you build a community to reinforce a lifestyle aligned with those beliefs and values?

July 6, 2021 by

Two Human Needs Every Cult Brand Masters

higher needs motivate and inspire humans to grow and reach their fullest potential.

Remember Maslow’s Hierarchy of Human Needs?

Biological needs. Safety and shelter needs. The need to belong and to feel loved. Self-esteem and the need to feel good about oneself in relation to others.

These are basic human needs. Every human being has them.

Every customer is constantly looking to meet these needs. And every business—consciously or not—attempts to help their customers meet at least some of them.

Meeting customers’ basic needs is the starting point. Your company needs to constantly develop new and superior ways to meet these needs.

But, meeting customer needs and base level desires isn’t enough. Your competitors can probably meet your customers’ basic needs too.

There are two areas of Maslow’s hierarchy that differentiate Cult Brands from other businesses. And it is these two areas that hold the secret to customer loyalty and prosperity.

The Need to Belong: A Driving Force in Human Motivation

From the moment we are born, we are partly defined by the communities we belong to. Even the smallest baby is part of multiple communities: she is part of a family, an ethnic group, even a nation.

As we grow and develop, we make choices that expand our identity. One way we do this is by joining or associating with various communities or social groups.

We join communities by our actions. We join communities by sharing a common belief. Joining groups makes us feel like we belong to something bigger than ourselves.

Cult Brands tap into this driving force by giving their customers the sense that they belong. The values and beliefs of the brand become part of their customers’ own identity.

The need to identify with a group and feel a sense of belonging is so strong that some customers go so far as to “brand” themselves with the logo of the company they identify with. Brand tattoos, then, provide membership into a social group.

After interviewing Brand Lovers of many of the world’s quintessential Cult Brands—like Apple, Linux, Vans, Harley, Life is good, Star Trek, Oprah, and IKEA—a common theme we hear is the feeling of family.

Cult customers feel like they are part of the collective. Cult Brands make their Brand Lovers feel included, important, special.

Higher Needs: The Key to Everlasting Loyalty

Now we jump to the top of Maslow’s hierarchy. Above, we listed all of the basic human needs. But Maslow’s real brilliance was in how he articulated that humans have needs beyond the basics.

We have higher needs, or spiritual needs.

Higher needs include:

  • Cognitive (meaning, knowledge, and self-awareness)
  • Aesthetic (beauty, form, balance)
  • Self-actualization (personal growth and development)
  • Transcendence (spiritual values)

All of these needs are human too. Everyone has them, but only a small minority of companies seek to help their customers meet them. Those that do tend to create legendary businesses.

These higher needs motivate and inspire humans to grow and reach their fullest potential. The more time we invest meeting these needs, the happier, mentally healthy, and creative we become.

Want to link positive emotions and associations between your customers and your brand? Help them reach their higher needs.

There are many ways to do this:

  • You can help them express themselves like Apple does.
  • You can help them achieve their most important goals as Google does.
  • You can help them celebrate a sense of aliveness and playfulness like Jimmy Buffett and Star Trek do.
  • You can inspire them with the call for freedom like Harley-Davidson and Oprah do.  

How can you elevate your customers? How can you help them become greater versions of themselves? How can you help them reach their highest goals?

This is the gift you can offer your customers. Loyalty and higher profitability is what they give you in return.

April 26, 2021 by