Why Every Brand Wants to Be a Cult (And Why That's Not a Bad Thing)
Let’s talk about the word ‘cult’. It’s had a tough run. Kool-Aid. White robes. Questionable leadership. But lately, marketers have been whispering it with envy. Not the scary version, but the brand cult. The Apple-level zeal. The type of loyalty where the product could explode and people would still pre-order the next version.
Here’s the part that gets interesting. Cult brands don’t just sell you something. They hand you an identity. You’re not buying a motorbike, you’re joining a brotherhood (hello, Harley). You’re not sipping a fizzy drink, you’re a member of Generation Red Bull. These affiliations work because they mimic something primal: tribe. People want to belong. Good marketers know this. Great marketers make people feel like insiders.
Now for the rabbit hole: I spent an afternoon buried in Discord servers for niche beauty brands. Don’t judge me, it was research. What I found? Fan groups organising product drops like secret gigs. Custom memes. DIY packaging hacks. There are skincare brands whose fans create better content than the agency. That’s not just marketing engagement. That’s emotional equity. And it’s happening in sectors you’d never suspect, from high-performance hiking socks to Japanese bidets.
The lesson? If your brand isn’t making people feel like part of something, you’re just wallpaper. Cults are sticky. Not in a weird way, in a Mary’s-mayo-meets-muscle-memory kind of way. Build belonging, not just awareness. No robes required.
Here’s the part that gets interesting. Cult brands don’t just sell you something. They hand you an identity. You’re not buying a motorbike, you’re joining a brotherhood (hello, Harley). You’re not sipping a fizzy drink, you’re a member of Generation Red Bull. These affiliations work because they mimic something primal: tribe. People want to belong. Good marketers know this. Great marketers make people feel like insiders.
Now for the rabbit hole: I spent an afternoon buried in Discord servers for niche beauty brands. Don’t judge me, it was research. What I found? Fan groups organising product drops like secret gigs. Custom memes. DIY packaging hacks. There are skincare brands whose fans create better content than the agency. That’s not just marketing engagement. That’s emotional equity. And it’s happening in sectors you’d never suspect, from high-performance hiking socks to Japanese bidets.
The lesson? If your brand isn’t making people feel like part of something, you’re just wallpaper. Cults are sticky. Not in a weird way, in a Mary’s-mayo-meets-muscle-memory kind of way. Build belonging, not just awareness. No robes required.