Being cultrepreneurs

Cultrepreneurs have one thing in common. A fervent determination to be black sheep. This is most obviously borne out in their business-driven decision not to mainstream. Far from fighting for the traditional profile and footprint, cultrepreneurs work away from the spotlight, and under the radar.

Cultrepreneurs understand something that the big corporates don’t. You can be huge in status and intimate in mindset.

Who cuts it as a cultrepreneur?

Cultrepreneurs combine two ideas that have always been considered irreconciliable – successful and anonymous. What the cultrepreneurs truly understand is that not everyone wants to buy what everyone else buys. For some customers, the ability to seek out and secure the unknown is nothing short of a thrilling act. That’s why such customers will go out of their way to secure the out of the way.

In many ways, it’s a step back to time to the era of the discoverers – except now the barrier of the great unknown that so intimidated Magellan and Columbus has been replaced by the barrier of the “great knowns”, the mega-brands who have totally turned off today’s contrary consumer. In a world of globalisation, corporatisation, mega-mergers and brands that are big to the point of obese in these world-weary customers’ eyes, the cults have recognised that downplayed is fascinating for those who are tired of being oversold.

Five sure signs of a successful cultrepreneur’s brand Cult brands live and die on their obscurity, their credibility and their ability to stoke fanaticism. Never have the words “never heard of them” carried so much weight.

Enigmatic Cult brands are all about being under-stated. They are the underground of commerce. The brands that become known, not the ones that make themselves known. In a world of hype and superlatives, the cultrepreneur brands are the strong, conspicuously silent types. In fact, they often have to be not seen to be believed.

Treasured Cult brands are like any cult in one respect – those who believe will walk over hot coals to get to them. And they attract that level of loyalty because there is a consensus amongst fans that these companies and their brands are quality-driven. They have not stooped to “mass production”, no matter what the quantities. They have not sold out. Perhaps that’s why cultrepreneur brand production lines are often booked years in advance. And why cultrepreneurs are often very well off individuals.

Pure Cult brands are touchpoints to the non-glasstowers world. They are the businesses that are seen as exceptional in what they do and untainted in the manner in which they pursue it. People identify with them because they feel “real”. The money they make is accepted as rewards for their talents, not opportunism or greed. In a world of increasing disillusion with corporate behaviours, those are powerful ideas to have on your side.

Tenacious Basically because they have to be. It takes time for the word to get around, but true cultrepreneurs are prepared to wait for attention to build. Dedication is also a cultrepreneur credential, because it shows commitment, experience and fire in the belly. Cultrepreneurs bide their time – not easy in these days of go-to-market urgency, knowing that surely, inevitably those who adore what they do will seek them out.

Worldwide Not always – but certainly often. The internet has not just powered up whole new ways of being in several markets, it’s also driven a whole new way of marketing. A huge number of consumers and fans are now networked as never before, and chatrooms, blogs and sites like epinion.com offer unprecedented opportunity for fans to share their “discovery” with world-wired communities. A mention here, a sighting there ... and suddenly, a cultrepreneur is born, or rather, found. All of this has helped make location less relevant, and the URL the calling card of choice.



Being cultrepreneurs - To learn more about this author, visit Mark Di Somma's Website.

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