Atkin - The Culting of Brands - When Customers Become True Believers

Atkin, Douglas

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THE

OF

WHEN CUSTOMERS BECOME TRUE BELIEVERS

DOUGLAS ATKIN

U.S. $24.95 Canada $36.00

In his work as a marketer, Douglas Atkin became fascinated by the way some people become fiercely loyal to certain brands. Picture a convention of Harley riders, or an intense conversation between iPod owners, or an avid eBay user raving about her newest find. Their devotion is almost cultlike. So to understand these consumers better, Atkin thought, why not study real cults?

seven years later, Atkin's research into cults has yielded some surprising conclusions. For example, people usually join cults for good reasons, not because theyre psychologically flawed, gullible, or desperate. Quite the contrarycult members are likely to be intelligent, educated, and socially adept. Cults provide community and meaning for their members, a place where they can be themselves and yet also play an important part of a group. Every great religion and social movement started with bands of devoted followers chastised for being different.

Atkin argues that people become addicted to cult brands like jetBlue, Apple, eBay, or Mary Kay for more or less the same reasons that people become committed to cults like Hare Krishna. In The Culting of Brands, he explains how these and other companies have fueled such unshakable allegiance through basically the same techniques as those used by the Moonies.

This doesnt make these companies unethical. They have simply figured out how to spread the

THE

CUTTING

OF

BRANDS

fit S i

P> Ot? L

OF

When Customers

Become

True Believers

Douglas Atkin

PORTFOLIO

PORTFOLIO

Published by the Penguin Group

Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, U.S.A.

Penguin Books Ltd, 80 Strand, London WC2R ORL, England

Penguin Books Australia Ltd, 250 Camberwell Road, Camberwell, Victoria 3124, Australia Penguin Books Canada Ltd, 10 Alcorn Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4V 3B2 Penguin Books India (P) Ltd, 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park,

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Penguin Books (South Africa) (Pty) Ltd, 24 Sturdee Avenue, Rosebank,

Johannesburg 2196, South Africa

Penguin Books Ltd, Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R ORL, England

First published in 2004 by Portfolio, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

10 987654321

Copyright Douglas Atkin, 2004 All rights reserved

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING IN PUBLICATION DATA Atkin, Douglas.

The culting of brands: when customers become true believers / Douglas Atkin.

p. cm.

Includes index.

ISBN 1-59184-027-9

1. Brand name productsMarketingManagement. 2. Customer loyalty. 3. Identity (Psychology) I. Title.

HF5415.13.A85 2004 658.8'343dc22 2004044283

This book is printed on acid-free paper.

Printed in the United States of America Designed by Nancy Resnick

Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the authors rights is appreciated.

For Matthew, Annie, David, Nigel, and Mark

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

There are many people to blame for this book, but the guiltiest is Lisa Caputo, president of Women & Co., a division of Citigroup, Inc. It was her idea to publish this material and she made it happen by introducing me to the incomparable Joni Evans. Joni is an Agent Celebre whose charm, intelligence, and reputation make the publishing world her servant. Ive certainly become smitten as she doled out encouragement, criticism, and direction at just the right moments. She made all the difference.

Ryan Barton and Patrick Kaysers contributions made all of the difference, too. Theyll be famous one day. Doug Garrs advice and experience, for which he is already famous, was invaluable.

What an incredible team at Penguin. Adrian Zackheim is Publisher Celebre and his group has been magnificent. Stephanie Land, editor, has been tactful as she gave her wise comments (its so easy to be wounded), and Will Weisser has thrown himself into the project.

Douglas Rushkoff, friend and writer, was inspirational at the early stages of this project, as was Dr. Bob Deutsch.

The true heroes of this undertaking are all my colleagues at Merkley Newman Harty. They have uncomplainingly dealt with

Acknowledgments

the distraction that the book has caused. This is especially true of the Planning Department, the best in the country. Super-planners Margot Grover, Janet Oak, and Ann Marie Davis helped directly, as did Hamish Chandra, Jason Cha, and Don Tulanon... three highly talented and tail-waggingly keen interns. But the whole group took up the slack with alacrity and delivered performances that made me proud.

My fellow partners, Alex Gellert, Steve Harty, Andy Hirsch, Parry Merkley, Marty Orzio, and Randy Saitta, have been very, very supportive both emotionally and by providing the actual resources that got this job done.