Thousands of years before a term actually existed for those who joined them, cults have existed within mainstream society. And for as long as cults have existed, there has always been a negative connotation when discussing the types of individuals who joined them.
Nevertheless, for as long as brands have existed, those who have managed them have longed to have a customer base with a cult-like following.
Which should come as no surprise when you consider those who join cults often become some of the most committed, dedicated, and devoted individuals that you’ll ever come across. All characteristics which comprise an ideal customer base.
Similar to cults, those who join tribes also share many of those same characteristics that brands covet in a customer base.
Target those who share this mindset
Maybe it’s just part of my inquisitive nature, but for as long as I could remember, I’ve always been extremely intrigued by what would impel your average, well-to-do citizen, to take all of the necessary actions that entails joining a cult or a tribe. After years of studying both cultism and tribalism, what I discovered is that those who join these social groups have two things in common that motivated them to do so.
What I discovered is that the two things that served as the biggest contributing factors that impels people to join cults and tribes is that individuals from both groups felt alienated from the mainstream. Both also shared an utter discontent with the status quo.
But those who feel alienated and discontent with the status quo aren’t just ideal candidates to become the targets for cults and tribes, their mindset also makes them an ideal collective of consumers for brands like yours.
Or at least they should be.
Why target these types of consumers?
As author and consultant Neil Rackham so eloquently stated, “Without dissatisfaction, there is no basis for a sale.” In every market, there are misfits. A subset of consumers who feel their needs and interests have been totally ignored and neglected by leading brands.
These alienated and dissatisfied consumers have been anxiously awaiting the day for a brand to come along that communicates directly to them; while also catering specifically to their needs and interests.
Whenever a brand makes it a focal point to specifically market towards consumers who feel they have been untended by larger brands, those consumers often become early adopters of the brand’s products and as a result of their appreciation—they often go on to reward the brand with their commitment, dedication, and devotion.
How should your brand go about marketing towards these consumers?
To engage and capture the interest of an alienated audience, there are a few things that your brand must be; and one thing it certainly must not be. Above all else, in order to appeal to the discontented—your brand must be noticeably different from all others in its market or industry. What's more, it must also declare its differences.
“To call to the discontented, an organization must remove itself from norms of the culture and declare and demonstrate its separation to those who feel separate.” Says Douglas Atkin, author of the book, The Culting of Brands: Turn Your Customers into True Believers.
Nothing screams they not like us (shoutout to Kendrick Lamar) more than a brand that unabashedly exudes its differences.
This means that everything from the way your brand looks; to its messaging, to the imagery used in its marketing materials, to its core values, and most importantly—to the way it makes its target audience feel—should be divergent—yet in alignment with the interests and ideals of the alienated audience it aims to attract.
If your brand marketing checks all of those boxes, your brand logo will serve as a proverbial Bat-Signal for a specific group of misfit consumers.
As a consequence, not only will your brand entice those alienated consumers to become members of its tribe—they’ll also go on to recruit other consumers like themselves to join as well.
Closing thoughts
A mistake made quite frequently by startups is that instead of setting out to attract those who feel alienated and discontent with the status quo comprising a particular market—they focus their marketing efforts towards appealing to consumers who are perfectly satisfied with the status quo set forth by leading brands in their industry.
And as you and I both now know, without dissatisfaction, there is no basis for a sale.
If you would like a marketing firm to help your brand identify, entice, and successfully sell to its ideal customer base, contact us immediately to schedule a complimentary client consultation!