The Making of Cult Brands

A brand represents various ideas and emotions associated with a product or service that creates a distinct consumer experience. Among brands, the designation of ‘cult brands’ goes to those brands that command unprecedented customer loyalty, surpassing the status of not only average brands but also that of iconic brands. The term ‘Cult Branding’ was coined by Mathew W. Ragas and Bolivar J. Bueno, in their book The Power of Cult Branding: How 9 Magnetic Brands Turned Customers into Loyal Followers (and Yours Can, Too!). The authors use the term to “describe the process of actually turning a company, person, place or organization into an entity with devoted followers who identify with it and show their commitment in various visible ways”. The greatest challenge for marketers, in a marketplace bombarded with numerous brands, is to create and maintain brand loyalty among consumers. Cult Brands successfully match up to this challenge by creating an experience, a feeling, and an aura of a group identity which the consumers imbibe and stay committed to. To their followers, cult brands aren’t just companies with products or services to sell – they are a living, breathing, surrogate family of like-minded individuals who share a similar passion for the brand. This book The Making of Cult Brands provides insights into this relatively new concept called cult brand and also studies the origin and behavior of the related consumer community. Through an assortment of cases and experiences, it elucidates the strategies or tactics needed to turn a brand into a cult brand.