From Apple to Lululemon, cult brands elicit something that approaches religious fervour among their dedicated customers, helping to not only boost their sales figures but establish their place in the common cultural lexicon. But how exactly do companies inspire such levels of devotion?
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Rob Howard is the head of ideation at Ontario-based audience engagement firm Cult. He helped to found the Society of Cult Brands and its annual flagship event, The Gathering. He has worked with a number of leading brands in Canada and co-authored ‘FIX: Break The Addictions That Are Killing Brands’, a study of the potential of marketing departments.
Dr, Dimitri Witter is the strategy director and partner at Bern-based Gridonic, a digital agency that offers design, strategy, and engineering services. He holds a PhD from the University of Bern and Columbia Business School, and wrote his thesis on the role of culture in shaping strong brands.
Jonah Berger is a marketing professor at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and the bestselling author of Contagious: Why Things Catch On, Invisible Invisible Influence: The Hidden Forces that Shape Behavior, and The Catalyst: How to Change Anyone’s Mind. Dr. Berger is an expert on word-of-mouth, influence, and consumer behaviour, and has consulted for Google, Facebook, and General Electric.
Mansoor Iqbal is a writer with a background in consumer and education journalism. He is fascinated by the way brands convey their personalities and the relationships we have with them. When not writing, he can be found doodling, baking or playing the bass guitar (badly).
