Devoted to branding and building and protecting brands

If you believe that people are actually buying into other people when they buy something, that traditional institutions are slowly losing their ability to create a sense of community, and that cult religions gain traction mainly because the people in them already know these things, then as a marketer you're probably prepared to start thinking about your value proposition in more than abstract terms. You may be ready to consider positioning your product or service as...the next "cult" brand the same way that Southwest (LUV) and JetBlue (JBLU) overcame the poisonousness of the airline category, the way that Harley-Davidson (HDI) enables weekend motorheads to indulge their "bad-boy" fantasies, and the way Steve Jobs (AAPL) gets Messianic treatment. Why? Because emotion always trumps rational analysis. In the words of author and cult-branding guy Douglas Adkin, "...Apple is a box of electronics, Harleys (leak oil), Mary Kay products are...not revolutionary...(and) the WWF is absurd". And each one commands market share, cult status and a following you'd do almost anything to achieve for your own brand. Not easy, but simple enough to get started. Begin by thinking of your role as nurturing a community. Just the way JetBlue, Mary Kay, Apple, et. al., do everyday.