Douglas Atkin; The Culting of Brands: Turn Your Customers Into True Believers, Portfolio, Penguin, New York, 2004.
We all crave ‘meaning’ and ‘belonging’. Cult-like brands have become the new religion because they provide these two basic human needs.
People queue overnight to be the first into the new Apple temples, I mean, retail stores. Cult-like brands inspire extreme religious-like customer loyalty – and fanatical behaviour. Customers are no longer satisfied with mere product. They’re buying into an ideology with meaning, purpose and value; an identity with personality; and a community of like-minded, mutually interested souls. The two most important elements of a cult-like brand are the ideology and the interaction between your customers. Your ideology provides vision, meaning and desire. The contact with you and fellow customers builds a community. This provides meaning in a chaotic world and a place of belonging.
Start a cult today. Cult your brand and build a devoted following of loyal customers. Be different, take a stand and build a meaning engine and a community that lets your customers be more of themselves.
Most personal brands fail. Why? Because they’re forgettable. They sound like everyone else, attract no…
Most experts struggle to monetize their expertise — not because they lack skill, but because…
What if your personal manifesto could become a six- or even seven-figure business? Stephen Covey…
What began as one man’s personal manifesto went on to sell 25 million copies and…
Are you a 45+ leader thinking of abandoning corporate life? You’re not alone. An Australian study…
MIT research just proved that entrepreneurs at 50 succeed at twice the rate of those…