_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

Report Information from ProQuest

March 18 2015 14:06
_______________________________________________________________

18 March 2015

ProQuest

Table of contents
1. The cult of brand personality........................................................................................................................

18 March 2015

ii

ProQuest

Document 1 of 1

The cult of brand personality

Author: Carr, Steven D
ProQuest document link
Abstract: Cult brands are niche products that attract a loyal following few mainstream brands enjoy. By
employing a cult brand strategy, managers working with a struggling brand suddenly can be sitting on a gold
mine. With cult brands the customer and the brand have a relationship, an affinity without a rationale; an
emotional rather than an intellectual response.
Full text: Growing a business around a core group of loyal buyers is a powerful strategy to compete against
companies with larger advertising and marketing budgets. This is the appeal of cult brands to savvy marketers
everywhere.
Cult brands are niche products that attract a loyal following few mainstream brands enjoy. By employing a cult
brand strategy, managers working with a struggling brand suddenly can be sitting on top of a gold mine. For
those few managers of power brands dominating a product category, a cult brand could be their fiercest
competitor--or their next acquisition.
What sets a cult brand apart from brands that attract loyalty or have positive brand images is the passion they
arouse in the customer. Any brand, just like any person, has a personality. But not every person has a
passionate following.
Nor does every brand. Cult brands have charisma that is off the charts. The customer and the brand have a
relationship, an affinity without a rationale; an emotional rather than an intellectual response.
Managers interested in building a cult brand have a powerful opportunity to grow market share rapidly. Profits
are likely to follow, as purchasers of cult brands are often willing to pay premium prices to obtain the products
they love.
Far from being an obstacle, scarcity may even enhance the appeal of the product. Witness the example of
Harley-Davidson motorcycles. Not only are they premium-priced, but purchasers may be in line for up to two
years to buy a new one.
Often it seems that products attain cult status for no reason. However, careful study shows there are some
common denominators. Here are five suggestions on how to assess the charisma of a brand and go about
creating a cult following.
* Know what' s precious about the brand and protect it. Imagine if Maker's Mark bourbon started selling its highquality product in containers other than its distinctive bottles with the red wax seal. The product that is
consumed would retain its legendary quality, but would it maintain the mystique that made it popular?
Managing the charisma of a brand is a tricky assignment. For example, the marketing and advertising
community, not to mention the financial community, is following Snapple closely.
When the brand first became popular, people stockpiled cases of Snapple peach iced tea. Last year Quaker
paid $1.7 billion for the company, only to see distribution and positioning issues cast doubt on the wisdom of the
acquisition and the purchase price. Snapple continues to be a major consumer brand, but does it still have its
loyal, cult-like following?
* Think in terms of creating a club rather than building market share. In traditional mass marketing, the measure
of success is share of market. With cult brands the growth driver is repeat business from the core group of loyal
customers. By definition, the cult brand will not be No. 1 in its market.
The mindset of building a club has important implications for a marketer. Building a data base of customers and
prospects for targeted mailings can be critical. Customer referral programs, in which existing customers receive
an incentive for referring new customers, are logical outgrowths. PR image-building programs and special event
18 March 2015

Page 1 of 3

ProQuest

marketing also are critical.

*Sell to club members rather than customers. A great success story here is Saturn. Advertising and PR for
Saturn talk about it as "a different kind of car company." Saturn has special newsletters and local fan clubs. In
spring 1994 it sponsored a famous homecoming weekend that motivated 44,000 people to drive their Saturns to
Spring Hill, Tenn.
The Saturn homecoming is very similar to the Harley-Davidson rides in which hundreds of owners take their
choppers out for a long weekend drive. Harley and Saturn aren't building markets in the traditional sense;
they're forming clubs of dedicated buyers.
* Look at things from the perspective of a very small, defined group. We need to be able to say, "There's some
attitude or aspiration there that we can reach on a deep level." The marketer is making an appeal that will have
a very emotional, intense response.
This requires a strong understanding of consumers and their motivations. Marketing firms with skilled inhouse
researchers and focus group leaders and ad agencies with account planners will have a distinct advantage
pursuing this strategy.
* Remember that cult marketing is a strategy for risk takers. Strategies and tactics associated with cult brands
don't follow the rules. In many cases, especially when using new media and interactive media, the tactics used
in cult marketing cannot be tested. Regular reach and frequency numbers won't apply.
Any company that builds a larger market around its core market-the original cult following-takes a risk. Last year
The Wall Street Journal ran a front-page story that quoted a professor from the University of Michigan business
school who said, "Saturn is in danger of losing the idea that its dealers and workers `are all part of one big
family'-an idea that has the implied question, he says, of `Wouldn't you like to be part of the family, too?"'
A major issue for marketers is how broadly a core group of buyers can expand before the brand begins to lose
its cult mystique. A working hypothesis says that many brands have the potential to build a large mainstream
following while holding onto that original following. If this is true, it provides a new way of looking at brand loyalty
and marketing.
Ben &Jerry's ice cream is a good example. To people who aren't dedicated to wearing Ben &Jerry's Tshirts or
saving the rain forest, the product simply represents good-tasting ice cream.
Or consider Nike, which has a strong cult following based on shoe technology and athletic performance. Phil
Knight didn't build a $5 billion global business strictly by reaching dedicated runners. People around the world
buy Nike simply because they're good shoes.
No question, it's tougher for some brands and categories than it is for others to build a core group of dedicated
buyers. Striving for charisma is difficult, and once a brand has it, it's possible to lose it. However, the strategy
opens up some rare and exciting marketing opportunities.
AuthorAffiliation
Steven D. Carr is vice president, PR, Cramer-Krasselt, Chicago.
Subject: Market potential; Consumer behavior; Brand preferences;
Location: US
Classification: 9190: US; 7000: Marketing
Publication title: Marketing News
Volume: 30
Issue: 10
Pages: 4

18 March 2015

Page 2 of 3

ProQuest

Number of pages: 2
Publication year: 1996
Publication date: May 6, 1996
Publisher: American Marketing Association
Place of publication: Chicago
Country of publication: United States
Publication subject: Business And Economics--Marketing And Purchasing
ISSN: 00253790
CODEN: MKNWAT
Source type: Trade Journals
Language of publication: English
Document type: PERIODICAL
Accession number: 01207424
ProQuest document ID: 216323821
Document URL: http://search.proquest.com/docview/216323821?accountid=149759
Copyright: Copyright American Marketing Association May 6, 1996
Last updated: 2014-05-22
Database: ABI/INFORM Trade & Industry,ProQuest Research Library

_______________________________________________________________
Contact ProQuest

Copyright 2015 ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. - Terms and Conditions

18 March 2015

Page 3 of 3

ProQuest