In the world of branding and marketing, one question has been left unanswered:
Why certain brands stand out?
Well, we cannot give you a conclusive answer to this, as both statements can be true. In fact, successful brands are famous for their ability to withstand challenges and remain relevant for years and years. However, most of them achieve cult status because their consumers stay loyal to them over a significant period of time. In essence, brands are built both by the organisations and the consumers as well.
We can even supplement this statement with a few examples. There are many brands out there that have achieved glory and cult status, not to mention they’ve gained a diverse fan following as well. We’re talking about brands like Apple, Marlboro, and Mont Blanc, just to name a few. They are not just popular — they are also a part of the identity their consumers hold; associations of their social culture and lifestyle. People all over the world consider having one of their products as a status symbol; it’s the one thing that shows that they’ve made it in life.
Of course, if we were to ask the brand owners whether they could have imagined such a success, they would most likely say that they couldn’t have. So how did these brands get this sort of status and power?
It all comes down to good brand management and careful consideration. First, these brands rolled out products so that they could further their businesses. Then, they invested their resources in boosting the value proposition and all sorts of promotions so that they could build brand loyalty and provide their customers with increased value. The rest was just a waiting game. Once their activities matched with the expectations and wishes of the customers, their brand gained loyalty so intense that they became powerful.
However, we have to note one thing: their empowerment came because of the customers. What’s more, once the organisations realised their brand’s power boost, they focused even more on building it. They invested in smart advertising in order to increase their reach, as well as helped everyone accept the brand. And slowly but surely, the customer loyalty grew until, at one point, they became a cult.
Iconic brands and what they are doing right
We also have to remember that these cult statuses are not an accident. These companies have not only grown their brands, but they’ve sustained them as well. They’ve invested time and money so that they could improve quality, features, utility, and their brand promise. Moreover, they’ve stood by and have built certain implied or soft values that the customers recognise and like. Thus, they’ve made themselves endearing to the public.
For example, Harley Davidson, which promises adventures and freedom. These values appeal to adventurous men and women who actually see themselves in the brand and thus celebrate it, along with other groups and communities that gather around the brand.
We can also see this in the technology industry. As we all know by now, Apple has long been a staple in the tech world, and it has a massive following across the globe. Why? Because its computer, Mac, is just different to any competitor offering. Compared to other computers on the market, it’s unique, as it has a different kind of OS and different capabilities. Thus, consumers eat up whatever Apple releases. They love these computers not just because they are user-friendly, but because their tech capabilities are unparalleled, their performance superior, and their quality practically unmatched on the market.
What’s more, the brand offers such a quality guarantee that most Mac users wouldn’t even dream of doubting it, let alone compare it to other computers. And that’s all because the brand itself has proof of superior product performance and quality. In fact, the brand is backed by the unspoken brand owner’s promises, which are not only useful but also powerful enough to take over the whole market.
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Brand Management Knowhow – learn more about branding with our collection of educational articles.
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