The Culting of Brands

Book excerpt: Marketing expert Douglas Atkin has spent years re- searching both full-blown cults and companies that use cult-branding techniques. He interviewed countless cult members to discover what makes them tick. And he explains exactly how brands like Harley-Davidson and Apple make their customers feel unique, important and part of an exclusive group - and how that leads to solid, long-term relationships between a company and its customers. In addition to describing a fascinating phenom- enom, it will be of enormous value to businesses as it reveals the secret to customer loyalty.