AI-fueled Discovery for Brands That Capture Hearts


When We Build Cult Brands


With the latest tools in AI we help brands build thier clubhouses - online and in the real world - where customers know they belong & feel loved. We focus on leadership, customers and culture to build strong brand identity and cohesion which leads to true loyalty. With authenticity, resiliency, and adaptability, we help companies create the passionate following that drives long-lasting success.


We wrote the book on Cult Branding

Like religious cults that can attract thousands of devoted disciples, is it possible for company brands to build legions of loyal followers? Can your company harness the power of cult branding without blowing a fortune on advertising?


“Who wants a cult brand? After reading The Power of Cult Branding, you will want to create one as soon as possible. The logic, the strategies, and the tactics are spelled out for you in comprehensive detail.” —Al Ries, author of The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding and chairman, Ries & Ries Inc.

“Ragas and Bueno have not only demystified branding in their brilliant book but also revealed the heart of how to do it with aplomb. And, at the same time, it’s fun to read.” —Jay Conrad Levinson, author of the Guerrilla Marketing series

“Cult brands, while not easy to create, are among the most powerful. This book will show the way.” —Jack Trout, coauthor of Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind and president of Trout & Partners Ltd.


Our Process


Case Studies

What: GripGrab, a cycling essentials company, was well established in the Danish market and had a presence in several European markets. They were looking to expand more into Europe and into the North American market. To ensure success of the expansion, we helped them create a comprehensive understanding of their brand and best customers that could be easily translated to anyone working for the company. This resulted in a new brand style guide, a new website, a new focus on their products, and a detailed company vision that aligned all departments towards the same goal.

How: We took the founders and department heads of GripGrab through our Brand Playbook and Roadmap process. The Brand Playbook created a comprehensive guide for making all branding related decisions that was translated by their marketing team into a style guide and a new look that would resonate with their passionate fans. We led the founders and CMO through the Roadmap process to create a detailed 3-Year Vision that inspired the executive team, brought the product strategy to life for the first time, and got everyone pushing towards the same goals for the brand.

What: Working with Kohl’s Department Stores for almost a decade, we helped Kohl’s gain a consistent increase in market share, even during a recession. This resulted in over $2 billion annual growth during our time with Kohl’s.

How: We did a deep dive into Kohl’s customers via customer interviews, surveys, and analysis of existing data to understand what their best customers–their Brand Lovers–loved about Kohl’s. We translated these insights into the Cult Branding Playbook that resulted in a new customer segmentation and helped Kohl’s develop strategies to enhance the Brand Lovers’ love for the brand and get other segments to see the tensions Kohl’s can solve, bringing value to their lives. We worked with the executive marketing team to develop high-level strategies and advised on ad execution to bring the brand’s story to life and increase market share.

What: Turner Classic Movies (TCM) had a strong following of viewers and an active community of online members, but they didn’t have a means of monetizing their viewership. We helped identify online and offline positioning strategies and viable brand extensions that represented over $500M in new revenue opportunities. Our process led TCM to acquire a new library of classic movies, establish the annual TCM Classic Film Festival, and launch an ecommerce site dedicated to TCM souvenirs and merchandising.

How: Digging deep into TCM’s forum, we found TCM’s most passionate fans. We traveled the country interviewing them to understand their passion for classic movies and how TCM brought that to life. We used our understanding of psychology to translate these interviews into insights. And, we combined these insights with our knowledge of best business practices to give TCM a way to both connect deeper with their customers and offer them products that they’ll love. This resulted in TCM being able to turn customer passion into profit.


Trusted By

  • Los Angeles Lakers
  • Hagerty
  • Coca-Cola
  • Turner Classic Movies
  • Zappos
  • Apple
  • Scheels
  • Jimmy Buffett
  • IBM
  • Harvard Business School
  • Life is Good
  • Kohl's

Create Customers For Life

Boost your marketing game with the techniques Cult Brands like Apple, Harley-Davidson & Ikea use to win. Master their approach to create profitable lasting loyalty for your brand.

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Brand Playbook

Our brand playbook is a powerful tool for any CEO looking to build a strong and loyal customer base. The must-have tool for brand builders who are determined to win. The Brand Playbook is your step by step roadmap to success, including everything you need to know to create a unique identity, connect with customers, and drive long-term growth. Field-tested by the world’s best brands, including Coca-Cola, Kohl’s, and Harvard Business School. Proven to deliver far beyond expectations.

Strategy

  • Research & Insights
  • Purpose & Vision
  • Values & Behaviors
  • Brand Definition
  • Brand Positioning
  • Brand Architecture
  • Audience Personas

Verbal

  • Brand Personality
  • Brand Story & Manifesto
  • Naming & Nomenclature
  • Naming & Signature Phrases
  • Tagline Development
  • Verbal Guidelines

Visual

  • Brand Look & Feel
  • Logo Systems
  • Art Direction
  • Brand Guidelines

Let's Work Together


About The Cult Branding Company

With over 20 years of experience as The Cult Branding Company, we've honed our strategies and methods to help companies identify their brand's DNA, gain deep consumer insights, and understand the marketplace ecosystem.We are an independent agency that creates strong and provocative relationships between good companies and their customers.

Ready to build a passionate following for your brand?

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