Why Every Brand Wants to Be a Cult (But Can’t Handle the Commitment)
There’s a certain type of brand that really wants to be Patagonia. Or Glossier. Or Allbirds circa 2019. You know the ones. They slide into your feed like they’ve been your mate since year 5, all lowercase letters and low-contrast selfies, whispering about values and transparency. And yet, three scrolls later, there’s a sponsored haul video on TikTok pushing their ten-step upsell bundle.
The thing is, building a brand cult isn’t about tone or tactics. It’s about sacrifice. The good cult-brands give something up. Patagonia gave up newness. They told customers not to buy the jacket. Glossier gave up mass. They didn't stock in stores, they listened in forums. And the old Allbirds? They gave up the plastic eyelets and committed to wool even when it limited output.
But most brands today want the badge without the burn. They talk like they’re about community, then panic-buy an ad slot during the cricket. They launch a sustainability line, then quietly buy carbon offsets while outsourcing to the same old factories. A true cult brand risks alienating the majority to earn the loyalty of the few. That’s terrifying for most CMOs.
So here’s the challenge: if a brand wants to have a following, it has to stand for something, sure. But it also has to give up something. Attention is still zero-sum. If you want loyalty, you need to be brave enough to say, this isn’t for everyone. And then mean it.
The thing is, building a brand cult isn’t about tone or tactics. It’s about sacrifice. The good cult-brands give something up. Patagonia gave up newness. They told customers not to buy the jacket. Glossier gave up mass. They didn't stock in stores, they listened in forums. And the old Allbirds? They gave up the plastic eyelets and committed to wool even when it limited output.
But most brands today want the badge without the burn. They talk like they’re about community, then panic-buy an ad slot during the cricket. They launch a sustainability line, then quietly buy carbon offsets while outsourcing to the same old factories. A true cult brand risks alienating the majority to earn the loyalty of the few. That’s terrifying for most CMOs.
So here’s the challenge: if a brand wants to have a following, it has to stand for something, sure. But it also has to give up something. Attention is still zero-sum. If you want loyalty, you need to be brave enough to say, this isn’t for everyone. And then mean it.