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A Proj On Cult Brands...
This is a discussion on A Proj On Cult Brands... within the Final 100 Mark Project forums, part of the Projects HUB for Management Students ( MBA Projects and dissertations / BMS Projects / BBA Projects category; hey pals...
am a BMS student, n i need some info on Cult brands... can u temme wht is it ...
hey pals...
am a BMS student, n i need some info on Cult brands... can u temme wht is it dat i can add in my proj...
as we know cult brands are the ones that we not only buy but believe in...
they'r different from the generic brands, long lasting brands and the ones that fizzle out...they remain for a long time in our minds...
some of these would be...
harley davidson, coco cola, colgate, fevicol, zippo, bullet(rajdoot bike), ambassador, parle-g, amul, yoga, many more....
brand personalities: Big-b, srk, oprah, kofi anan, osho, all baba's, (-ve ones are osama, hitler) marlin monroe, calvin and hobes, tom and jerry, popey, etc....
kartik; if ur readin this man....help me with this one...
jus hlep me with the contents....
1. intro (brand/cult brand)
2.y are these different from normal brands
3.xamples.....
4. in india
5. which can become
help me with wht M.R do i do in this one..????
thanks and regards....
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REGARDS ........
FROM UR DEAR FRND......
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“This seismic shift in clout from companies to their customers is creating opportunities, especially for younger brands that grew up with the Internet and have become adept at building user communities. Meanwhile, some traditional brands, such as Coca-Cola and Microsoft, are struggling to retain their mammoth leads in a market where consumers increasingly resist what they see as bland ubiquity and a surfeit of power.”
“There have always been cult brands, mostly smaller labels unknown to the masses. But these days, building cults or at least strong communities, is a widespread strategy. No wonder companies that are able to instill a sense of ownership in near-fanatical customers showed the biggest gains in our fourth annual ranking of the 100 most valuable global brands.”
“The brands that have managed to build cultlike followings have done so by being, well, cultlike, at least in some aspects. They are self-consciously different from rivals. They're bound by a set of clearly defined and rigorously enforced values. And they fulfill a range of needs for their members -- er, customers. The fastest-growing ones often project an aura, an attractive group identity.”
“Such exchanges (specific reference to Jian Shu’s blogging about his IKEA experiences) underline a key aspect of brand communities in the modern age: They evolve in ways that the head office often can't control. Newly empowered consumers can appropriate and manipulate the brand in whatever way they want.”
“Some companies are using mass customization to bind their customers ever more tightly to their brands. The efforts extend beyond the individualized Web pages that characterize Web sites like Amazon.com and eBay. It means allowing customers to set up fan sites on the Web or personalize items.”
“In contrast, some old-line brands seem to be coasting on sheer size rather than an ability to forge a unique relationship with customers. Even brands that have enjoyed decades of success and have instant recognition with consumers can lose some sparkle. Over the past year heavyweights like Microsoft, Coca-Cola, and Walt Disney saw their brand values erode.”
The Cult Brand creates an experience, a feeling, an aura of a group identity - involving the customer in a way that employs them. Consumers become passionate and empowered; they feel they can affect the brand in whatever way they want, even if it's negative. When the Neistat Brothers created a movie and website about the iPod's faulty battery they insisted that the protest was an act of love: "We made that film because we believe in the brand so much." Rather than shun the criticizing user, the Cult Brand embraces them, changes their approach in response, and thanks the customer for their help. The consumer then, not only feels empowered, but is also a strong advocate for this company's personal touch.
This used to just be called Customer Service, now it's also Marketing. As a result of this empowerment, the consumer then has stake in the brand. They now feel that their choice in brand is not just a representation of the company, but of themselves. Cult Brands aren't new. Ford has been enjoying a cult following for years even when the quality of their cars were at their lowest (ahem, Mustang). But now with the Internet, the cult brand has the ability to propagate at an enormous pace. This is where Mass Customization comes into play. Mass Customization is key to connecting the consumer with the brand. I'm not talking about behavioral cookie-writing for "the page you built", but instead consumer outreach efforts for fan sites, community sites and blogs. These sites are the tentacles of communication from the company directly to the consumer. Companies can simply wind up the people behind these sites and let them go; creating unpaid workers who put more effort behind the product than employees do (think the "unofficial guy" from Wendy's). As companies nurture these sites with information, support, and especially empowerment, they gain hoards of cult-like masses following (and purchasing) their every move.
But in order to have these Cults begin, the Brand itself needs to be carefully articulated. It needs to be designed in a way that fosters the experience from the beginning, and is followed through with quality service and Mass Customization. It's the experience that creates the following. Why is there no cult for Blockbuster, yet one for Netflix? Because the Blockbuster experience is horrible, even when they try to copy the Netflix business model, they don't "get it" the way Netflix does - even Walmart didn't "get it" and has since bowed to Netflix to handle that business.
So what creates an enhanced experience that then feeds into a Cult?
Design. Consider the difference between JetBlue and US Airways. Sure, both are essentially metal cylinders with wings that herd us from one location to the other, but JetBlue concentrates on every facet of the Design of these metal people movers. The whole of these well-designed tiny facets creates the experience. The design creates the experience, and the experience defines the brand, which then manifests the cult.
The only thing Blockbuster truly offered the customer is convenience of location, but Netflix has not only combated this, but has decided to nurture the Mass Customization concept, thereby feeding the Cult. Their design is better, their experience is better, and they nurture the cult. Meanwhile Blockbuster is still brute-force advertising and losing market share. The bottom line is that the Cult Brand is loose, flexible and understanding. It understands that the nagging masses are really the passionate consumers who want to be heard. Adapting to this feedback, providing a quick response and approaching the market in a creative personalized fashion provides an advantage that other brands, which are still following their conventional antiquated methods, cannot achieve.
Maybe the Cult Brands aren't dethroning the leaders (Netflix still only has a fraction of Blockbuster's total sales)… but that can change quickly.
Brands that create cult-like devotion from customers by fostering community and forging unique relationships where companies allow customers to feel as if they own the brand are rewarded with greater sales and even greater salience
“This seismic shift in clout from companies to their customers is creating opportunities, especially for younger brands that grew up with the Internet and have become adept at building user communities. Meanwhile, some traditional brands, such as Coca-Cola and Microsoft, are struggling to retain their mammoth leads in a market where consumers increasingly resist what they see as bland ubiquity and a surfeit of power.”
“There have always been cult brands, mostly smaller labels unknown to the masses. But these days, building cults or at least strong communities, is a widespread strategy. No wonder companies that are able to instill a sense of ownership in near-fanatical customers showed the biggest gains in our fourth annual ranking of the 100 most valuable global brands.”
“The brands that have managed to build cultlike followings have done so by being, well, cultlike, at least in some aspects. They are self-consciously different from rivals. They're bound by a set of clearly defined and rigorously enforced values. And they fulfill a range of needs for their members -- er, customers. The fastest-growing ones often project an aura, an attractive group identity.”
Cult brands are different from the generic brands. These brands may have a niche or mass market but they are brands who have loyal set of consumers and would go to any extend to be associated with the cult brands.
Loyatly for these brands are so intense that they might even wait for the product of these cult brands. These consumers will not switch over to competitive brands. Like users of Harley Davidson - They will wait for HD bike even for more than 2 years but will not switch over. These consumers of cult brands might even go on strike to sustain their brands in the market. This the extent of their loyalty which makes certain brands as cult brands.
There are around 9 cult brands in US, they are -
1. Harley Davidson
2. The Oprah Winfrey show
3. Volkswagen Bettle
4. Van shoes
5. Jimmy Buffet
6. Star Trek
7. Apple
8. WWF
9. Linux
The above are the world renowed cult brands.
Visit CultBranding.com which will guide you about the cult brand.
I have brand positioning presentation on cult brands which I will upload in a day's time.
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