The functionality of products is no longer the only consideration for buyers in today's connected world. It has to do with identity, connection, and meaning. Why else would thousands of people pay AUD $180 for a pair of yoga pants or stand in a queue all night for the release of an iPhone? How did the political catchphrase "Make America Great Again" evolve from a campaign catchphrase to a means of self-identification for millions of people? Despite the obvious differences between these examples, running from tech to fashion, they all lead to cult-like followings.

 

This article examines why cult followings emerge, why they remain so prevalent, and what they mean for brands seeking to do business in today's competitive environment. We explore Apple, Donald Trump's MAGA movement, and Lululemon to investigate how emotional branding, aspirational lifestyles, and charismatic messaging turn mundane objects, or even ideas, into cultural phenomena.

 

Cult followings provide brands tremendous benefits, like loyal consumers, less price sensitivity, and strong backing. However, they also encourage one to consider the abuse of power, monopoly, and long-term sustainability. Understanding how people desire to belong, construct identities, and align with principles can help clarify why some brands transcend business and have evolved into nearly untouchable cultural forces.​​

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Why do we see so many brands developing cult followings today?

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People are social by nature. We require a feeling of belonging and conformity. Some brands leverage our desires and emotions in order to fabricate their own community or create an identity associated with their products. As a result, we see brands develop intensely strong and loyal consumer bases, sometimes resembling something similar to a cult-like following. 

 

Consumers are generally emotional, choosing to act based on feelings and vibes as opposed to factual information. Hence, if a brand reciprocates their dream lifestyle or current values, customers will flock to them, creating a loyal community. Lifestyle and brands used to be more distinct from each other, but with the rise of social media and interconnectedness within the world, we see brands become associated with all kinds of culture like music and art. 

 

The formation of such communities can also have various benefits to the brand besides loyalty and consumer advocacy. For example, a ‘cult-like’ following can reduce price sensitivity within consumers, which naturally follows with greater sales or donations. Designer brands like Gucci, YSL, and Prada are prime cases of this, high ticket items with a dedicated consumer base to purchase them. 

 

Some brands model themselves as a lifestyle that the consumer aspires to reach, creating a vision so captivating that the consumer is enthralled enough to buy into the dream. The American dream, for example, is a lifestyle that millions of immigrants aim to live: a white picket fence, a loving family. This idea of a problem-free life in America is a lifestyle that is effectively sold to millions of immigrants. Lifestyle can be a great factor in creating a loyal following as it creates a sense of longing within consumers. A brand that creates a need/requirement within its consumers will be able to create large followings based on the emotions and lifestyle it sells. 

 

This article from MINT delves into how a consumer’s loyalty has evolved from being prompted by familiarity and repetition in traditional forms of branding and advertisements to being influenced by lifestyle and identity that newer forms of media offer. Today, people don't just buy products, they buy into communities, values, and visions of themselves. ​

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Apple: How the tech giant turned its products into a lifestyle

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Take a look at the tech giant Apple. The company's products appear to have a notion of status attached to them; their sleek and minimalistic design exudes luxury and character. The brand has become synonymous around the world for its high quality devices, resulting in the general public and tech fanatics coveting them. The brand is so popular that people often mention they have an ‘ick’ for Android users, or others complain about green messages when talking with friends. What about Pear phones that were used in Nickelodeon shows? Clearly an imitation of the real world brand. Take Oppo or Huawei, for instance, comparing smartphones specifically, both brands are incredibly high-tech, possessing cutting-edge CPUs and cameras at an affordable price point. However, it's likely you know far more people who choose to use an iPhone instead of an Oppo or Huawei device. 

 

Apple has crafted a loyal community that obsesses over both the brand and its product, with a staggering 90% retention rate amongst current iPhone users. But what sets them apart?

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Apple was able to create and maintain its loyal consumer base not only because of the lifestyle it sells, with its sleek, minimalistic look. By utilising their uniquely crafted ecosystem, Apple products have a high level of cohesiveness when used in tandem. Sending notes or photos from an iPhone to a MacBook becomes so much easier when you are able to take advantage of the AirDrop function. It's this integrated ecosystem that also makes it harder for consumers to leave, effectively coercing them to become a part of the Apple community. 

 

As mentioned before, the best way to build up a significant following is to provide an identity that consumers of your brand can latch on to. This form of emotional branding can provide powerful results. For example, one of Apple’s more popular slogans, “Think different,” empowers creativity and dissent. Apple positioned itself as the brand for thinkers and innovators, utilising the faces of world leaders, artists, and inventors in simple black and white posters. This form of marketing instilled aspirations within their target audience to think outside the box, be special, and one of a kind. This effectively built a community of people with similar interests and goals that coincide with Apple's values. 

 

Campaigns like “Think different” have allowed Apple to create a devoted following, however, it isn’t the only reason for their success. The company champions one of the highest NPS (net promoter score) ratings within the tech industry at an astonishing 72. While companies such as Samsung have a broad selection of products, Apple's focus on portable devices gave it an opportunity to focus more on customer service and multiple channels of support. Apple offers a multitude of ways to receive online support, making it not only fast but effective for consumers with product defects. This aftercare for customers is part of the reason why Apple’s NPS is significantly high, as well as a large factor in the customer loyalty they exhibit. 

 

Through the use of its emotional appeal and compelling storytelling, Apple has created a brand that provides top-end products to consumers, but also a brand that instills aspirations that anyone can be better, that they are cared for and supported, and that they are a part of something greater. Apple has used all of these factors strategically in order to create a community that has one of the loyal consumer bases in the industry. 

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Donald Trump: From slogan to symbol

 

What began as a simple campaign slogan quickly evolved into a powerful identity. Here’s how Trump’s MAGA brand cultivated one of the most recognisable cult followings in modern politics.

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The ‘Make America Great Again (MAGA)’ campaign may seem geographically distant, but in the context of vivisecting the phenomenon of ‘cult-like’ followings, it is more relevant than ever. Originating as a few words of determination in President Ronald Reagan’s 1980 presidential campaign, MAGA has adopted its own identity and, in turn, attracted a significant cult-like following. But how exactly did this happen?

 

Much like how the sun powerfully commands the orbit of our solar system, brands, celebrities, and cult leaders charismatically demand devotion.​ The role that a charismatic authority, or a flashy message and symbol, can play in cultivating a faithful following is simply undeniable. People want something to believe in, something to orbit around to ensure they don’t drift away into the void of uncertainty- or worse yet, obscurity. Beguiling demonstrations or inflated projections give people hope and certainty, acting as a vessel to safeguard their ambitions when their personal drive to take initiative is running low. 

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And that boils down to a simple truth: like moths drawn to a flame, we crave the allure of flamboyance and superficiality above the cold, bleak realm of practicality. 

 

Charismatic, unserious, or comical, no matter through which avenue, being able to draw attention and make an impact on the public impression underscores the reason why MAGA has adopted an almost cult-like following. Trump’s cultivation of an almost celebrity presence, whether it be satirical political cartoons, an episode of The Simpsons, or the Tiktok For You Page, maintains his unyielding relevancy across a multitude of platforms and generations. His established standing as a billionaire businessman beguiles his promises to boost the nation’s economy by guiding people to associate his personal wealth with national prospects, thus fuelling his image as a ‘god-like’ saviour amongst MAGA supporters. In synonymising this celebrity identity with his patented slogan “Make America Great Again”, people are pulled into the cult-like MAGA orbit of diehard red caps, like moths to a flame. 

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The phrases “fake it till you make it” or “you have to look the part” have become pervasive sayings in society - and for good reason as well. Envisioning success makes us feel like we’re halfway there, that we’re ALREADY living the dream. In a world where first impressions are ignited by the superficial exterior, looking the part goes a long way, whether it be entering a new workplace or even just committing to a new way of life. There’s a reason why the ‘performative male’ phenomenon has been making waves across social media. It unabashedly admits to the practice of curating a version of ourselves that we hope will be desirable to others. Reading feminist literature on the train exudes a political awareness, it tells the world that you are not just a reader, but a gentle philosopher. Matcha is characteristic of a demure and calm demeanour. Listening to artists such as Clairo and Beabadoobee makes us appear lovestruck and soulful, while the wired earphones represent an ostentatious aversion to the fast-paced modern world. But not to fret, for it is all balanced by the frivolous yet charming Labubu, which precariously clings onto the organic artistry of a canvas tote bag. 

 

Our ancestry as social creatures plays a part in this, it confirms that from the beginning, altering the way we projected ourselves to others was crucial to conformity. 

 

Brands that project a certain lifestyle effortlessly draw in people who want to take that first step towards being their dream self but don’t know how. Changing the way others perceive oneself can oftentimes provide the momentum to go that one step further and spiritually commit to that lifestyle. Whether this stems from trying to live up to this new expectation or simply feeling the confidence boost to go about it. 

Simply just ‘looking the part’ is often condemned in the didactic world we live in, but truth be told, looking the part can help us feel like we can be the part. 

Enter Lululemon.

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A technical athletic apparel brand that has taken the world by storm for its elegant yoga-inspired activewear and tireless focus on community. Their mission to make this oftentimes ‘sweaty’ depiction of perseverance and tenacity appear elegant falls into resonance with the demure, idealistic, active lifestyle many wish for themselves. 

 

If you take a look at their social media page, you’ll be quick to notice that it is defined by dynamic photos with a diverse array of celebrity athletes from a plethora of sports. Suggesting that there’s something out there for the dancers, but also for the F1 enthusiasts. And permeating through it all is that subtle note of gracefulness. It’s something that quite clearly says: this can be you. It takes people that we may already see ourselves represented by, and fashions up a new mix of lifestyle sophistication and confidence. The perfect degree of amalgamating who we are and the way of living that we want. Too much and it’s unachievable, but too little and it’s unappealing. As Lululemon puts it: “With our focus on feel, functionality, fit, and versatility, people of all ages and backgrounds can see themselves in Lululemon.”

 

We see TikToks revelling in the fact that the Dfyne jackets alone have been able to make $2.8M in a month. There’s something about wearing that jacket that instills in buyers the capability of leading the dream lifestyle of morning pilates coupled with post-lunch matcha. Lululemon has become a sort of backbone in the Pink Pilates Princess movement. You bring the dream, and Lululemon will provide the rest: jacket, leggings, drink bottle, mat, and bag in tow. By wearing that signature pattern and signature logo, consumers are able to project to the world their ideal selves, someone poised and active but not at the cost of sophistication. They become ambassadors in their own right. Buying a jacket is cheaper and easier than investing time and money into a new lifestyle. 

 

Lululemon doesn’t just sell clothes, it sells an identity and a lifestyle. ​​

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Final Remarks

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In the end, cult-like brand followings indicate much more about consumers than they do about commodities. Consumers queuing up overnight for a phone, shelling out outrageous amounts for yoga pants, or dedicating their identity to a political slogan may appear illogical at first. However, when these actions are considered together, what emerges is not irrationality but a reflection of what we as individuals truly crave and the importance of human social needs. Hence, it is important to highlight that brands that successfully generate cult loyalty are not only meeting materialistic demands of consumers but are catering to their psychological needs above all, belonging, identity, and the assurance of meaning in an uncertain world.