Primarily, they wield an influence over consumers purchasing decision. They get repeatedly chosen over competition They bring higher prices than competition Week after week, month after month, year after year Cult brand consumers not only use the product, but evangelize to the world about it. Cult brands exhibit a high degree of consumer loyalty ANATOMY OF A CULT BRAND 1. Be Remarkable. (Deliver the extraordinary) 2. Have Purpose. (Be driven by powerful ethos) 3. Be Inspirational. (Inspire from the inside out) 4. Be Relatable. (Personify human attributes) 5. Be Involved. (Co-create with customers) 6. Be Pervasive. (Envelope consumers lives) 1 BE REMARKABLE Cult Brands deliver extraordinary products, services and experiences. Make a value promise that gets consumers talking. Deliver on their promise to win customers wholl pay more and wont accept substitutes. Harley Davidson stirs passion in its riders, its dealers and its employees, and translates that passion into profit. 2 HAVE PURPOSE
Give people something to care about. Nothing motivates more than a shared purpose. People are more motivated by a brands WHY than its WHAT Have an articulate vision or noble cause that goes above and beyond their products or services. Remind both consumers and themselves why they do what they do at every opportunity. TOMS Shoes built a cult following by benefitting children around the world in need of shoes. Dove aims to redefine what it means to be beautiful 3 BE INSPIRATIONAL
Cult brands inspire from the inside out. Inspirational brands. Hire the best candidates whose attitudes best aligns with the brand personality. Train their workforce well, by showing them what they value and what they dont. Keep their culture fresh in employees minds through strong internal communications. Whole Foods empowers staff to meet the local needs of their communities and customers uniquely 4 BE RELATABLE
Cult brands personify human attributes People associate with brands as they do each other Make their values and personality present at every touch point. Can be readily associated by consumers with someone they either know or would like to know. Behave in human ways, including admitting faults and owning up to mistakes. 5 BE INVOLVED
Cult brands co-create with their customers. People are drawn together by common bonds. When customers feel they belong to a group, they will care enough to want to make things even better. Cult brands listen and respond to customers. Get feedback from customers early and often. Give customers a sense of ownership and control over the brand. Celebrate innovations inspired by customers. Especially when theyre losing faith in the brand. Coca-Cola designs a creative bottle cap that could only opened by another Coca-Cola bottle. It creates a better way to bring communications like sharing and collaborating with one another. STARBUCKS The cult of coffee... The third place in a consumers daily existence - a familiar & welcoming refuge from work or home where they can relax in a safe public setting and enjoy a sense of community Consumers in a dozen countries associate the Starbucks brand with: coffee accessible elegance community individual expression control 6 BE PERVASIVE
Be where consumers expect you to be. Pervasive brands Create destinations or events that deliver memorable, shareable brand experiences. Are everywhere their audience wants to be: At home, online, or on-the-go. Cult brands create their own universe and place consumers at the center. Disney characters and stories extend beyond movies to games, clothes, toys and experiential destinations. The Marvel universe spans comic books and video games to movies, mobile apps and collectible toys. CULT The path to market enlightenment, brand fanatical followings and ludicrous loyalty starts here