30 Nov

"Those who would transform a nation or the world cannot do so by breeding and captaining discontent … or by coercing people into a new way of life. They must kindle an extravagant hope." -- Eric Hoffer

When Aeschines spoke, they said,”How well he speaks.” But when Demosthene spoke, they said, “Let us march against Philip.”David Ogilvy, Ogilvy on Advertising

“Damn, Daniel! Back at it again with the white Vans.”

Remember that meme? It took the internet by storm in February 2016. What started on February 15th as a video on Twitter of Josh Holtz commenting on his friend Daniel Lara’s clothing skyrocketed Josh and Daniel to recognition, landing them on Ellen DeGeneres and being crowned one of the 30 most influential people on the internet by Time Magazine.[1. Time Staff, “The 30 Most Influential People on the Internet,” Time.com, 2016.]

Seeing its popularity and its ability to break through the clutter, many brands started appropriating the meme: Clorox suggested to “get back at it with Clorox” and Axe attempted to link its popularity to their #findyourmagic hashtag.

As in the case with the Damn Daniel memes, companies often try to hijack memes in an effort to gain borrowed visibility. But, all too often they release their memes after popularity has peaked or they misunderstand the meme.[2. Adam Pierno, “How Brands Can Use Memes to Connect With Consumers in a New Way," AdWeek.com, 2018.] [3. Renée Millette, “15 Times Big Brands Did Memes and It Got Weird AF,” TheThings.com, 2017.]

05:57 / Marketing
21 Dec

Authentic Branding Diagram

While revolution must be led from the top, it rarely starts at the top. The spirit of revolution already exists in the hearts and minds of motivated employees and loyal customers. It shows up in the individual stories that employees tell about the work they do. And it shows up in the individual stories that customers tell about the products they love. Often a leader need only act as a kind of managing editor, shaping the stories to align with a shared vision.Marty Neumeier[1. Marty Neumeier, The Designful Company: How to Build a Culture of Nonstop Innovation, 2008.]

Despite what many agencies still claim, brands aren’t logos or taglines and they can’t be made or changed with a single ad campaign.

A brand is a living entity with three elements: vision, culture, and customer. These elements influence each other and collectively create a perception about the company. That perception is the brand.

There’s more than one way to create a brand. But, we think there’s only one way to create a brand that will be relevant now and in the future. And, that’s creating an Authentic Brand.

17:42 / Leadership / Marketing
06 Jul

THE BIG IDEA: Certain businesses excel at fostering undying, cult-like following among their customers. Our study of Cult Brands reveals seven rules any business can follow to attract loyal customers. ______________ Some customers have a religious devotion to a particular brand. They may go so far as...

12:10 / Marketing
10 Mar

I have observed and quantified the phenomenon of Cult Brands since 2001, and Crown Business published these findings in 2002. One thing that I quickly learned is that Cult Brands have mastered the art of building meaningful, long-term relationships with their customers.
11:24 / Marketing
01 Mar

Contents VW Beetle Quick Stats VW Beetle Profile Summary Images of VW Beetle Brand Lovers VW Beetle Timeline Videos created by VW Beetle Brand Lover Presentations about VW Beetle as a Brand Articles related to VW Beetle [table id=8 /] VW Beetle Quick Stats Dr. Ferdinand Porsche (1875-1951) was the creator of the bettle With over...

12:00 / Marketing
09 Sep

Some customers have a religious devotion to a particular brand. They may go so far as to permanently scorch their skin with the logo or image of the brand they love. While this may appear extreme to you, fifteen years of research into Cult Brands has...

12:54 / Marketing
19 Sep

21 Brands That Have Fanatics and Cult Followers Cult Branding is the art and science of creating human experiences that lead to a feeling of belonging. This feeling provides a sense of shared consciousness with others, supported by ritualistic behavior. Cult Branding is so effective that many...

17:18 / Marketing
18 Sep

'Cult Brand' Defined 1: A product or service that is in a class of their own as they have mastered the art of building lasting and meaningful relationships with their customers. In the world of Cult Brands, the customer is not only king, but is part...

19:09 / Marketing