The new marketing question. Will they follow?
The new marketing question. Will they follow?
The idea itself is nothing new. Publicity-shy elitist brands have been around for some time – but they have tended in the past to revolve around high-end lifestyle products, the highly technical or collectables. Increasingly, that’s changing as new companies hook into new generations of consumers who don’t want what everyone else has.
These people take huge comfort from the fact that what they know and like is unknown to the majority. These buyers are also more cynical, impatient and monied. And they firmly believe that kudos has nothing to do with presence. They select as a group … and their loyalty is to themselves. Credibility is everything, and obscurity is attractive because it’s non-mainstream and non corporate.
The result has been the rapid emergence of companies that cultivate an ardent following by not cultivating a mainstream following. Companies like Deus ex Machina (http://www.deusexmachina.com.au/)who produce specially hybridised bikes for people who want to feel that they have a bike made for them and them alone.
Cult branding is branding with a twist. All the attitude of a successful brand, but without the mainstream, predictable promotion. The big idea, expressed through Chinese whispers – and gaining strength, mystique and respect with every telling. Accessible too. Because suddenly, a cool idea, a gap in the market, some media attention and a domain name is just about all you need to start the cult ball rolling …
How did I find out about Deus? Simple. My friend Andrew Haines told me. And I told others. And we all went to the website … Why? For the same reason you might. Because it’s new, it’s different, it’s a talking point and because it’s small. Huge, global brands are now associated with huge global corporations – and huge global corporations are the object of considerable animosity from an increasingly politically and environmentally aware youth.
Right now, small is precious, unknown is uncorrupted, and ideas are the emerging credentials currency. It’s a huge opportunity. But only if you’re the right kind of company. And only if you have the street-wise understanding of your markets to leverage the potential in ways that are acceptable. If you have these abilities, then perhaps you qualify to brand yourself as the new kind of savvy business owner.
Building a following isn’t anti-branding. It’s anti-mainstream branding perhaps. But it is different and it is successful precisely because it shuns traditional forms of promotion. It’s not about being self important. It’s about being cool important. It’s about the recognition of like-attitude.
10 ways to build a following:
1. Understanding is everything. A vibrant, dynamic insight of who you want, exactly how they think and precisely what they are and will be looking for. Cult branding has its roots set deep in the soil of “gut-feel” marketing. It’s a God-given gift most of the time. If you’ve got it, then you have the single prerequisite you need to consider creating a following for your business.
2. Plan to appear spontaneous. If you want to build a following, you need to appear casual. Blind ambition is not cool. Rewarded individualism is. And don’t get carried away with your own importance. Corporates get fixated with who they are, they believe their own hype, and the power of their brand overshadows the experience – at least in the eye of the cult brand devotee. If you want to create a following, chill!
3. Stuck for an approach? Option 1: battle the mainstream. There’s nothing like controversy, outrage and conventional disapproval to project your idea into the loving arms of those looking for the alternative. Often it’s a case of the ruder, the better.
4. Option 2: make an old idea new. Revival is a wonderful thing. If you’re looking for a way to create a following, look for something that is so “out” it might just make it back to “in”. That tends to mean it’s quaint, ridiculous or just plain weird. It’s human nature to love the idiosyncratic.
5. BYO attitude. Remember, a cult brand doesn’t have to be targeted at the young, just the young at heart. It needs to have chutz and charisma. And it needs to feel true to itself and to the people it wants to do business with, whatever their age and stage. Cults feed themselves with attitude and quiet self belief, but the brand needs to feel effortless and natural. And it needs to be smart. Customers must be able to experience it and be hooked – not just by the offering, but by the attitude that accompanies the offering. Self righteousness is a wonderful thing if that’s what you’re looking for as a consumer. In a cult brand, it can also be remarkably profitable.
6. Nothing to do with size, everything to do with mindset. Cult brands have a honed sense of self. They think and feel small, because intimacy and engagement are two of their biggest selling points. They seem special and exclusive, no matter how successful they may become.
7. Limit your ambitions. The key, and the challenge, is to remain genuine. Cult brands are created by people with passion, and that deep sense of love and commitment triggers similar emotions in everyone else. That’s what makes them so attractive. If you are seen or sensed to have sold out, or if suddenly your brand doesn’t ring true, it’s game over.
8. Get the right media play. Cult brands unashamedly leverage press coverage and viral marketing networks. Get the right coverage in the right media or by the right reporter, and it will send the email and the hotwired gossip circuit into a frenzy. Let them spread the word. Long live “cc.”
9. Consider all the media possibilities. Today, most exclusivity followers are fluent with a range of media. Don’t just give them access to more of what they want, give it to them in a plethora of formats and ALWAYS plan for a sequel. Every successful cult needs a follow up idea to the one that launched it.
10. Don’t try to be popular. A cult brand is unassuming, unapologetic and on the hunt for like minds. If customers don’t get it, don’t convince them. Don’t even try – or you’ll sink your credibility. If customers are off the radar, that’s generally where a cult brand will leave them.
Be warned though - building a following in lieu of a mainstream, highly profiled brand is risk-return marketing. The risks are significant, because the dependence on intuition and difference is so high. The exposure to the whims of fashion is also enormous. And it takes enormous courage and self belief to go there, stay there and adapt to the market’s forces from there. But get it right, and keep that going, and there’s every chance that you can quietly amass credibility all the way to the bank, whilst remaining, well, largely unknown – by the majority, anyway.
The new marketing question Will they follow - To learn more about this author, visit Mark Di Somma's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
Everyone’s abuzz with the news: mainstream brands don’t have the pulling power they once had. Put it down to any number of factors: disenchantment with globalisation; saturation of mass market brands; anti-establishment factionalism – whatever the cause, suddenly the huge, globally omnipotent mega-brands are finding themselves impinged on by a new phenomenon – the deliberately and decidely obscure cult brand, a badge recognised and demanded by those “in the know”, ignored by everyone else.
The idea itself is nothing new. Publicity-shy elitist brands have been around for some time – but they have tended in the past to revolve around high-end lifestyle products, the highly technical or collectables. Increasingly, that’s changing as new companies hook into new generations of consumers who don’t want what everyone else has.
These people take huge comfort from the fact that what they know and like is unknown to the majority. These buyers are also more cynical, impatient and monied. And they firmly believe that kudos has nothing to do with presence. They select as a group … and their loyalty is to themselves. Credibility is everything, and obscurity is attractive because it’s non-mainstream and non corporate.
The result has been the rapid emergence of companies that cultivate an ardent following by not cultivating a mainstream following. Companies like Deus ex Machina (http://www.deusexmachina.com.au/)who produce specially hybridised bikes for people who want to feel that they have a bike made for them and them alone.
Cult branding is branding with a twist. All the attitude of a successful brand, but without the mainstream, predictable promotion. The big idea, expressed through Chinese whispers – and gaining strength, mystique and respect with every telling. Accessible too. Because suddenly, a cool idea, a gap in the market, some media attention and a domain name is just about all you need to start the cult ball rolling …
How did I find out about Deus? Simple. My friend Andrew Haines told me. And I told others. And we all went to the website … Why? For the same reason you might. Because it’s new, it’s different, it’s a talking point and because it’s small. Huge, global brands are now associated with huge global corporations – and huge global corporations are the object of considerable animosity from an increasingly politically and environmentally aware youth.
Right now, small is precious, unknown is uncorrupted, and ideas are the emerging credentials currency. It’s a huge opportunity. But only if you’re the right kind of company. And only if you have the street-wise understanding of your markets to leverage the potential in ways that are acceptable. If you have these abilities, then perhaps you qualify to brand yourself as the new kind of savvy business owner.
Building a following isn’t anti-branding. It’s anti-mainstream branding perhaps. But it is different and it is successful precisely because it shuns traditional forms of promotion. It’s not about being self important. It’s about being cool important. It’s about the recognition of like-attitude.
10 ways to build a following:
1. Understanding is everything. A vibrant, dynamic insight of who you want, exactly how they think and precisely what they are and will be looking for. Cult branding has its roots set deep in the soil of “gut-feel” marketing. It’s a God-given gift most of the time. If you’ve got it, then you have the single prerequisite you need to consider creating a following for your business.
2. Plan to appear spontaneous. If you want to build a following, you need to appear casual. Blind ambition is not cool. Rewarded individualism is. And don’t get carried away with your own importance. Corporates get fixated with who they are, they believe their own hype, and the power of their brand overshadows the experience – at least in the eye of the cult brand devotee. If you want to create a following, chill!
3. Stuck for an approach? Option 1: battle the mainstream. There’s nothing like controversy, outrage and conventional disapproval to project your idea into the loving arms of those looking for the alternative. Often it’s a case of the ruder, the better.
4. Option 2: make an old idea new. Revival is a wonderful thing. If you’re looking for a way to create a following, look for something that is so “out” it might just make it back to “in”. That tends to mean it’s quaint, ridiculous or just plain weird. It’s human nature to love the idiosyncratic.
5. BYO attitude. Remember, a cult brand doesn’t have to be targeted at the young, just the young at heart. It needs to have chutz and charisma. And it needs to feel true to itself and to the people it wants to do business with, whatever their age and stage. Cults feed themselves with attitude and quiet self belief, but the brand needs to feel effortless and natural. And it needs to be smart. Customers must be able to experience it and be hooked – not just by the offering, but by the attitude that accompanies the offering. Self righteousness is a wonderful thing if that’s what you’re looking for as a consumer. In a cult brand, it can also be remarkably profitable.
6. Nothing to do with size, everything to do with mindset. Cult brands have a honed sense of self. They think and feel small, because intimacy and engagement are two of their biggest selling points. They seem special and exclusive, no matter how successful they may become.
7. Limit your ambitions. The key, and the challenge, is to remain genuine. Cult brands are created by people with passion, and that deep sense of love and commitment triggers similar emotions in everyone else. That’s what makes them so attractive. If you are seen or sensed to have sold out, or if suddenly your brand doesn’t ring true, it’s game over.
8. Get the right media play. Cult brands unashamedly leverage press coverage and viral marketing networks. Get the right coverage in the right media or by the right reporter, and it will send the email and the hotwired gossip circuit into a frenzy. Let them spread the word. Long live “cc.”
9. Consider all the media possibilities. Today, most exclusivity followers are fluent with a range of media. Don’t just give them access to more of what they want, give it to them in a plethora of formats and ALWAYS plan for a sequel. Every successful cult needs a follow up idea to the one that launched it.
10. Don’t try to be popular. A cult brand is unassuming, unapologetic and on the hunt for like minds. If customers don’t get it, don’t convince them. Don’t even try – or you’ll sink your credibility. If customers are off the radar, that’s generally where a cult brand will leave them.
Be warned though - building a following in lieu of a mainstream, highly profiled brand is risk-return marketing. The risks are significant, because the dependence on intuition and difference is so high. The exposure to the whims of fashion is also enormous. And it takes enormous courage and self belief to go there, stay there and adapt to the market’s forces from there. But get it right, and keep that going, and there’s every chance that you can quietly amass credibility all the way to the bank, whilst remaining, well, largely unknown – by the majority, anyway.
The new marketing question Will they follow - To learn more about this author, visit Mark Di Somma's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
 | |
 |
No article feedback found. |
| |
Leave Your Feedback |
 | |
| |||
Joe DagerJoe Dager is President of Business901, a progressive coaching company providing no-nonsense direction in areas such as Lean Six Sigma Marketing and organized referral marketing. What others say: In the past 20 years, Joe and I have collaborated on many difficult issues. Joe’s ability to combine his expertise with “out of the box” thinking is unsurpassed. He has always delivered quickly, cost effectively and with ingenuity. A brilliant mind that is always a pleasure to work with.” - James R. If you want to learn more about Business901, start a conversation with us. We can be found @ Web/Blog: Business901.com Web/Blog: FundingYourNonprofit.com LinkedIn Profile Follow me on Twitter - Visit Joe Dager's Website |
|||
Leanne Hoagland-SmithAre your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales or business success or one of the many who have failed to change? Are you tired of being told you are like everyone else? Then you may find my first book on sales of interest. Be the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits, The Keys to Unlocking Sales available at Amazon or at http://www.processspecialist.com/red-jacket.htm. This book is a reflection of my no-nonsense approach to improving sales to overall business results. If you are truly committed to making sustainable changes, then I can help you secure a positive return on your investment because I focus on executable solutions not telling you the problems you already know you have. From training to corporate (group) coaching to executive one on one coaching, my approach is to assess, create awareness, build a goal driven action plan and then execute. The bottom line question is "Not do you or your employees know it, but do you or they want to do it?" Please call for a free strategy session at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website |
|||
John PowerJohn Power, founder of Biltmore Franchise Consulting, has extensive experience developing and marketing franchises and business opportunities. He has been in and around franchising for over twenty years. From 1980 through 1990 he conceptualized, organized, and developed the American Video Association. He grew AVA to 2,000 national members, before selling the company it 1990. It was later merged into another home video marketing company. From 2000 to 2005 he worked as a contract marketing and human resources consultant to several local and national companies. In 2005 Mr. Power began working as a franchise development consultant on a full-time basis. Since that time he has helped more than three dozen companies initiate and develop their franchising program. He notes that there are many companies interested in developing a franchise program, and who need his specialized assistance. Mr. Power is a “hands-on” franchise consultant. He said, “I am the ‘nuts and bolts’ person who tends to the details for my clients.” Mr. Power holds a B.S. degree with a major in Marketing. See: www.biltmorefranchise.com You may contact Mr. Power at: jpower@biltmorefranchise.co - Visit John Power's Website |
|||
Dave KurlanDave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website |
|||
Jeff FosterWebBizIdeas.com is a Minneapolis website design company founded to help people start an internet business by providing them with website, business, and internet resources that help foster the growth of successful online businesses and develop innovative Internet business ideas. We specialize in internet consulting & internet marketing. - Visit Jeff Foster's Website |
|||
Stephanie RobeyStephanie Robey is President and CoFounder of Pivot Positive, LLC - an Internet marketing business focused on helping people start work at home ventures. Previously, she was employed at The Search Agency with over 20 years experience in graphic design and 10 years experience in online marketing. She was responsible for launching the Conversion Path Optimization (CPO) unit where she and her team have conducted hundreds of optimization tests for online companies across multiple verticals. She is a successful entrepreneur having started and sold 2 companies and remains on the board of directors of the third, PhotoSpin.com Stephanie began her career in the direct marketing realm creating and producing direct mail for many of the major cable television companies and directly attributes her understanding of Internet marketing to those early offline experiences. Stephanie is a graduate of San Diego State University with a BFA in Graphic Arts and also holds an Executive MBA from the Graziadio School of Business and Management at Pepperdine University. Read Steph's Blog Meet Steph and Dave Sign up for our Free 7-Day BootCamp: Self Employed & Rich - Visit Stephanie Robey's Website |
|||
David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
|||
Jay Kubassek(Jay's Full Bio: EvanCarmichael.com/jaykubassek) In five years, Canadian-born entrepreneur Jay Kubassek went from selling mufflers at a Midas franchise to revolutionizing Internet marketing with the 2004 launch of CarbonCopyPRO, a online marketing education company, now worth over $20 million with customers in over 160 countries.
As an independent film producer, his upstart film fund Aliquot Films is currently producing a films with Spike Lee and Abel Fererra (starring Ethan Hawke and Dennis Hopper.)
Jay's entrepreneurial spirit is irrepressible. He’s the owner of five companies, a professional speaker and trainer, international real estate developer/investor, extreme sport enthusiast and emerging philanthropist. Jay resides in NYC with his wife Jamie, son Milo and dog Cooper. Visit Jay's official website: www.JayKubassek.com - Visit Jay Kubassek's Website |
|||
|
To learn more about the Evan Elite Author Program please contact us. | |||
 | |
|  |
Subscribe to Mark's articles
 | |
|
|  |
 | |
|
| |
 | |||||||
|
 | ||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
| ||
 |
| Have you written articles that would be of value to entrepreneurs? Become an expert on our site by publishing them! Expose yourself to a wide audience, drive more traffic to your website and get more sales! Click Here for details. |
|
|
 |
| Modeling the Masters: Learn the true secrets behind Walt Disney's business success factors & grow your company! Video produced by Phanta Media |
|
|
 |
"Learn straight from Evan how you can Make a Full Time Income (And More) from a Website"
Click Here To Learn More |
|
|
|
|
Get advice & tips from famous business owners, new articles by entrepreneur experts, my latest website updates, & special sneak peaks at what's to come!
|
|
|
 Relational Software Learn From Success Radio Campaigns Recession Proof Competetive Advantage Article |
|
 | ||
 |
Top 50 Productivity Blogs
Top Blogs To Watch In 2008 | |
 |
Top 50 Marketing Blogs
Top Blogs To Watch In 2008 | |
| ||
 | ||||
| ||||
|
| ||||
| ||||
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||
|
Email us your ideas on how to make our website more valuable! Thank you Sharon from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for your suggestions to make the newsletter look like the website and profile younger entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez and Sean Combs!
|
|
|
| ||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||