A Look into Brands with Cult-Like Followings

What comes to mind when you hear about these brands?

Trader Joes.

Glossier.

Ikea.

Apple.

Lush.

Starbucks.

At first glance, there doesn’t seem to be many similarities between these companies- their products range from organic groceries to minimalistic makeup, and their prices range from affordable to near luxury. Despite the fact they are all hugely successful enterprises, there is one specific trait that groups these diverse brands together: their cult-like followings. While I have always been aware of their products due to the pervasive nature of effective brand marketing, a deep dive into their passionate and loyal followings revealed a world that I found extremely fascinating. What does a brand need to promise to make people wait in line for hours to enter their store? What entices people to create “fan-page”-esque content on a brand’s new releases and flaunt their vast collections of products?

In order to truly understand what keeps a brand’s followers devoted and loyal, I decided to investigate the forums and platforms where consumers can share their experiences and thoughts. I was surprised to see that fan-created Reddit groups of the companies listed above all have member numbers in the tens of thousands, and the majority of the posts were of members posting their grand purchases of immense collections of their products . An independent Instagram account that spotlights Trader Joes’ newest products had 339,000 followers and every post’s comment section was full of praise for the brand- “Time to go back for the third time this week!”. The Trader Joes account is not alone, accounts like @appleinsider_official and a Starbuck’s centered page @themacrobarista had followers in the tens to hundreds of thousands , and the hashtags for Lush and Ikea both have nearly 10 million posts. After scrolling through various accounts and forums, I quickly found myself immersed in the communities, and by the end of my search I was pining for a box of Trader Joe’s new seasonal cookies. As someone who was just a casual consumer of these brands, I can definitely see how entering these communities is a major catalyst to becoming a devoted brand-purist. However, I was still left with the question- how do specific brands stand out and form these communities in the first place?

I found that for businesses, awareness does not necessarily lead to the creation of these cult followers. Companies like Walmart are hugely popular and well-known, but they lack the devoted-knit community that the much smaller company Trader Joes does. Once again, Samsung is an extremely vast company, but Apple clearly holds the prize for having a more passionate and involved customer base. The key to establishing these differences lies in many factors, but they mostly center in the realms of branding, marketing, and consumer engagement.

In terms of branding and marketing, many cult-brands focus on a specific, consistent image. The image tells a compelling and unique story, one that people want to be a part of and identify with. Brands like Lush heavily emphasize their goals of sustainability and their usage of organic, natural products and IKEA exemplifies simplicity, functionality, and convenience. Cult food brands also follow this pattern, In-N-Out is tied to a specific image of the “relaxed, authentic Californian lifestyle” and Trader Joes is known for its “trendy but healthy” products. With such distinct, appealing feelings, consumers are more inclined to join, especially if a brand’s image closely matches their values and interests. Customer loyalty is established because, why purchase things from another company if one so clearly fits your lifestyle or ideals?

After customers identify with the brand’s message and image, it is the quality of the products and the brand’s involvement with the consumers that really pushes customers to stay. These brand’s work to establish a connectedness with their consumers through social media, feedback sessions, or regular newsletter updates about the company’s plans and products. Many of these cult-brands are known for adapting to the customer’s needs, like Apple with every new phone or Ikea and their investigations to see what consumers “really need” in terms of furniture. In the consumer’s eyes, the quality of a brand’s products improves if their needs are met, further conditioning their loyalty. Once the devotion starts, it is rewarded through “points” or “leveling” up programs that encourage frequent purchases and staying involved with a company.

Additionally, the power of the cult-brand is enforced simply by the presence of the community itself. Cult-brands create a feeling of togetherness, something that many consumers long for. When they join, they are a part of something greater than the individual, and with every purchase, post, or review, they are strengthening the bond of their movement. In these communities, people meet like-minded individuals, and after viewing the forums, I clearly saw that many followers of these brands actually formed close friendships with one another- friendships that even went beyond the brand.

Cult-brands see significantly higher rates of customer retention and because their customers are so passionate, they typically work themselves to spread awareness for the business they love. With such devoted consumers, these brands have increased price-flexibility and shine in competitive and fluctuating markets. It is no surprise that being a part of a community or group is a huge motivator for human behavior, but its impact on business is extremely fascinating- it’s a unique factor that can differentiate a business from success to stardom.

Written by: May Zhou | IQ Associate