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Document 1 of 1 The cult of brand personality Author: Carr, Steven D ProQuest document link Abstract: Cult brands are niche products that attract a loyal following few mainstream brands enjoy. Byemploying a cult brand strategy, managers working with a struggling brand suddenly can be sitting on a goldmine. With cult brands the customer and the brand have a relationship, an affinity without a rationale; anemotional rather than an intellectual response. Full text: Growing a business around a core group of loyal buyers is a powerful strategy to compete againstcompanies with larger advertising and marketing budgets. This is the appeal of cult brands to savvy marketerseverywhere. Cult brands are niche products that attract a loyal following few mainstream brands enjoy. By employing a cultbrand strategy, managers working with a struggling brand suddenly can be sitting on top of a gold mine. Forthose few managers of power brands dominating a product category, a cult brand could be their fiercestcompetitor--or their next acquisition. What sets a cult brand apart from brands that attract loyalty or have positive brand images is the passion theyarouse in the customer. Any brand, just like any person, has a personality. But not every person has apassionate following. Nor does every brand. Cult brands have charisma that is off the charts. The customer and the brand have arelationship, an affinity without a rationale; an emotional rather than an intellectual response. Managers interested in building a cult brand have a powerful opportunity to grow market share rapidly. Profitsare likely to follow, as purchasers of cult brands are often willing to pay premium prices to obtain the productsthey love. Far from being an obstacle, scarcity may even enhance the appeal of the product. Witness the example ofHarley-Davidson motorcycles. Not only are they premium-priced, but purchasers may be in line for up to twoyears to buy a new one. Often it seems that products attain cult status for no reason. However, careful study shows there are somecommon denominators. Here are five suggestions on how to assess the charisma of a brand and go aboutcreating a cult following. * Know what' s precious about the brand and protect it. Imagine if Maker's Mark bourbon started selling its high-quality product in containers other than its distinctive bottles with the red wax seal. The product that isconsumed would retain its legendary quality, but would it maintain the mystique that made it popular? Managing the charisma of a brand is a tricky assignment. For example, the marketing and advertisingcommunity, not to mention the financial community, is following Snapple closely. When the brand first became popular, people stockpiled cases of Snapple peach iced tea. Last year Quakerpaid $1.7 billion for the company, only to see distribution and positioning issues cast doubt on the wisdom of theacquisition and the purchase price. Snapple continues to be a major consumer brand, but does it still have itsloyal, cult-like following? * Think in terms of creating a club rather than building market share. In traditional mass marketing, the measureof success is share of market. With cult brands the growth driver is repeat business from the core group of loyalcustomers. By definition, the cult brand will not be No. 1 in its market. The mindset of building a club has important implications for a marketer. Building a data base of customers andprospects for targeted mailings can be critical. Customer referral programs, in which existing customers receivean incentive for referring new customers, are logical outgrowths. PR image-building programs and special event

marketing also are critical. *Sell to club members rather than customers. A great success story here is Saturn. Advertising and PR forSaturn talk about it as "a different kind of car company." Saturn has special newsletters and local fan clubs. Inspring 1994 it sponsored a famous homecoming weekend that motivated 44,000 people to drive their Saturns toSpring Hill, Tenn. The Saturn homecoming is very similar to the Harley-Davidson rides in which hundreds of owners take theirchoppers out for a long weekend drive. Harley and Saturn aren't building markets in the traditional sense;they're forming clubs of dedicated buyers. * Look at things from the perspective of a very small, defined group. We need to be able to say, "There's someattitude or aspiration there that we can reach on a deep level." The marketer is making an appeal that will havea very emotional, intense response. This requires a strong understanding of consumers and their motivations. Marketing firms with skilled inhouseresearchers and focus group leaders and ad agencies with account planners will have a distinct advantagepursuing this strategy. * Remember that cult marketing is a strategy for risk takers. Strategies and tactics associated with cult brandsdon't follow the rules. In many cases, especially when using new media and interactive media, the tactics usedin cult marketing cannot be tested. Regular reach and frequency numbers won't apply. Any company that builds a larger market around its core market-the original cult following-takes a risk. Last yearThe Wall Street Journal ran a front-page story that quoted a professor from the University of Michigan businessschool who said, "Saturn is in danger of losing the idea that its dealers and workers `are all part of one bigfamily'-an idea that has the implied question, he says, of `Wouldn't you like to be part of the family, too?"' A major issue for marketers is how broadly a core group of buyers can expand before the brand begins to loseits cult mystique. A working hypothesis says that many brands have the potential to build a large mainstreamfollowing while holding onto that original following. If this is true, it provides a new way of looking at brand loyaltyand marketing. Ben &Jerry's ice cream is a good example. To people who aren't dedicated to wearing Ben &Jerry's Tshirts orsaving the rain forest, the product simply represents good-tasting ice cream. Or consider Nike, which has a strong cult following based on shoe technology and athletic performance. PhilKnight didn't build a $5 billion global business strictly by reaching dedicated runners. People around the worldbuy Nike simply because they're good shoes. No question, it's tougher for some brands and categories than it is for others to build a core group of dedicatedbuyers. Striving for charisma is difficult, and once a brand has it, it's possible to lose it. However, the strategyopens up some rare and exciting marketing opportunities. AuthorAffiliation Steven D. Carr is vice president, PR, Cramer-Krasselt, Chicago. Subject: Market potential; Consumer behavior; Brand preferences; Location: US Classification: 9190: US; 7000: Marketing Publication title: Marketing News Volume: 30 Issue: 10 Pages: 4

Number of pages: 2 Publication year: 1996 Publication date: May 6, 1996 Publisher: American Marketing Association Place of publication: Chicago Country of publication: United States Publication subject: Business And Economics--Marketing And Purchasing ISSN: 00253790 CODEN: MKNWAT Source type: Trade Journals Language of publication: English Document type: PERIODICAL Accession number: 01207424 ProQuest document ID: 216323821 Document URL: http://search.proquest.com/docview/216323821?accountid=149759 Copyright: Copyright American Marketing Association May 6, 1996 Last updated: 2014-05-22 Database: ABI/INFORM Trade & Industry,ProQuest Research Library

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