Last week, we wrote about the power of the individual customers to transform your business. The intensely-devoted customers we highlighted—the Brand Lovers—seek out like-minded individuals to form brand communities. These groups become close-knit with ties that resemble family—or in modern parlance: they become framily. Here’s a...
Not All Cults Are Created Equal For some people, the word “Cult” is enough to make the hair on the back of their neck stand up. Thoughts of Jim Jones and David Koresh spring easily to mind. These renowned cult leaders certainly had their followers, but...
Definition of 'Cult’ 1: great devotion to a person, idea, object, movement, or work 2: a system of religious beliefs and ritual 3: In the 1930s cults became the object of sociological study in the context of the study of religious behavior. The Meaning of the Term For some people,...
People follow leaders who help them become better. The leaders people remember are the ones who bring something out of them. They create trust, dignity, clarity, and meaning. They help people feel stronger, safer, more capable, and more connected to work. In organizations, this matters more than...
Somewhere along the way, “reach” became a bad word. Marketers started saying it with hesitation, as if being broad or inclusive meant being wasteful or unfocused. I don’t see it that way. After years of helping brands grow, I’ve learned that reach is the foundation of relevance. Too often,...
From cave paintings to TikTok, storytelling has always been the way humans make sense of the world. Stories are how we connect, remember, and decide what matters. In today’s disruption era—marked by rapid technological change, economic volatility, and shifting consumer expectations—storytelling isn’t a creative luxury....
Over the years, I’ve written a lot about customer loyalty, brand love, and building communities. But if I had to sum up the heart of it all in two words, it would be this: 👉 Customers First That’s why I wrote my third book with exactly that...
Hi there—it’s me, BJ Bueno 👋 If you’re new here—welcome! We’ve had a lot of new subscribers recently, and I just wanted to take a moment to say hello and introduce myself. I’m the founder of The Cult Branding Company and the author of a few books...
I’ve spent years helping brands build communities. And I’ve seen time and again that the brands winning today aren’t the loudest—they’re the ones that become part of culture. One of the most powerful recent examples I came across didn’t involve a real spokesperson or influencer.. It involved an...
What makes a truly great customer experience? Is it the quality of the product, the efficiency of service, or something more? Danny Meyer, founder of Shake Shack, Union Square Cafe, and Gramercy Tavern, has built his career around a simple yet profound truth: The real magic of a...