Rating: 
Summary: What's this about Cults?!
Review: Pay very close attention: "Cult Branding" and "The Seven Golden Rules" are going to make it into the vocabulary of marketers and business owners.Although the book seems to be geared towards small to mid-sized business owners, I suspect that even huge brands like Sears and IBM are going to want to build loyal followings around specific product offerings by applying the concepts and ideas spelled out in this book. I was at my college bookstore and at first, the title left me a bit perplexed: The Power of CULT Branding. It sounded negative to me, so it piqued my interest. I bought it after skimming through the pages. This relatively small book is deep; it made me think really hard. This book is groundbreaking in that it dares to go where other marketing books haven't: by drawing a parallel between loyalty exhibited by cult members to their cult and fans of successful brands to their brand. That took some daring on the part of the authors. When you read it, you'll see the brilliance behind the idea. After reading it, I discovered that it's not at all negative. On the contrary. All of the brands featured in the book facilitate people getting together so they can go and be with their "own kind." At these events, customers of these brands can form extended families that share in the same value system as they do. It's a practical guide to how a company can help and reward their loyal customers by supporting them, by helping the customer to achieve fullfilment in their lives. Take Harley, for example, they host bike week events and support bike clubs; Vans Shoes, they build skate parks; Jimmy Buffet, he does music that strikes a chord with people of many different backgrounds and they form groups who support and help each other. Power of Cult Branding is required reading if you've ever read any of the Guerilla Marketing books. Why? Simple. Because this one takes it a step deeper: it doesn't just talk about marketing techniques and ideas, it talks about taking it to the next level and speaking to the deepest needs of the customers so they'll rally around your brand. The book also offers some real fascinating insights into how the brands profiled in the book achieved their stardom. I gained a new appreciation and respect for the founders and teams that built these brands. It requires some serious effort to grow a business, but the advice contained in this book will make it that much easier for a business to achieve its goals of winning and keeping customers. Being a Marketing major, I'm recommending this book to my professors and peers.
Rating:
Summary: What's this about Cults?!
Review: Pay very close attention: "Cult Branding" and "The Seven Golden Rules" are going to make it into the vocabulary of marketers and business owners. Although the book seems to be geared towards small to mid-sized business owners, I suspect that even huge brands like Sears and IBM are going to want to build loyal followings around specific product offerings by applying the concepts and ideas spelled out in this book. I was at my college bookstore and at first, the title left me a bit perplexed: The Power of CULT Branding. It sounded negative to me, so it piqued my interest. I bought it after skimming through the pages. This relatively small book is deep; it made me think really hard. This book is groundbreaking in that it dares to go where other marketing books haven't: by drawing a parallel between loyalty exhibited by cult members to their cult and fans of successful brands to their brand. That took some daring on the part of the authors. When you read it, you'll see the brilliance behind the idea. After reading it, I discovered that it's not at all negative. On the contrary. All of the brands featured in the book facilitate people getting together so they can go and be with their "own kind." At these events, customers of these brands can form extended families that share in the same value system as they do. It's a practical guide to how a company can help and reward their loyal customers by supporting them, by helping the customer to achieve fullfilment in their lives. Take Harley, for example, they host bike week events and support bike clubs; Vans Shoes, they build skate parks; Jimmy Buffet, he does music that strikes a chord with people of many different backgrounds and they form groups who support and help each other. Power of Cult Branding is required reading if you've ever read any of the Guerilla Marketing books. Why? Simple. Because this one takes it a step deeper: it doesn't just talk about marketing techniques and ideas, it talks about taking it to the next level and speaking to the deepest needs of the customers so they'll rally around your brand. The book also offers some real fascinating insights into how the brands profiled in the book achieved their stardom. I gained a new appreciation and respect for the founders and teams that built these brands. It requires some serious effort to grow a business, but the advice contained in this book will make it that much easier for a business to achieve its goals of winning and keeping customers. Being a Marketing major, I'm recommending this book to my professors and peers.
Rating: 
Summary: imitation is the most sincere form of flattery...
Review: the truth be told, author Douglas Atkin began his research on cults and brands more than seven years ago. then his premise was discovered by Forbes about four years ago and eventually became the COVER STORY (in which he is cited) of Forbes on April 16, 2001.
Then later, this grad student did a thesis on the same topic and published it as a book.
Stick to the real deal: The Culting of Brands: When Customers Become True Believers by Douglas Atkin
Not a diluted, "borrowed" grad student thesis.
Perhaps this is one reason Atkin's book was reviewed by the Wall Street Journal and this grad student thesis was not.
Rating:
Summary: we don't live in a vacuum!
Review: This book earns five stars before getting to the first chapter. Going where few business books have gone before the authors recognize the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to running a successful business. Unfortunately many of our learning institutions have failed to recognize this. Liberal arts schools teach psychology, business, religion etc.. but they are taught in isolation from each other. Business is psychology! Edward Wilson uses a term he calls consilience and defines it as the unity of knowledge. We do not operate in a vacuum! I highly recommend this book. I would also recommend reading Driven written by Paul Lawrence and Nitin Nohria.
Rating:
Summary: we don't live in a vacuum!
Review: This book earns five stars before getting to the first chapter. Going where few business books have gone before the authors recognize the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to running a successful business. Unfortunately many of our learning institutions have failed to recognize this. Liberal arts schools teach psychology, business, religion etc.. but they are taught in isolation from each other. Business is psychology! Edward Wilson uses a term he calls consilience and defines it as the unity of knowledge. We do not operate in a vacuum! I highly recommend this book. I would also recommend reading Driven written by Paul Lawrence and Nitin Nohria.
Rating:
Summary: Modern Marketing on Your Hands.
Review: This is a book that will bring to your hands the modern marketing, giving you easy rules that will transform business into a miracle cult with followers that will promote your brand like a lifestyle. The human being needs to be part of a group and when you create a cult brand, you are giving people the opportunity... yes, the opportunity of being in a social group... all those things and more and more you will find it in this book. On top is very easy to read. After you start you won't stop untill you finish it.
My best wishes to Ragas and Bueno.
Rating:
Summary: No Hype - Just Good Reading and a Fresh View
Review: Unlike most of the marketing books out there this one strikes a refreshing cord. The Authors have done some great research and offer a new look at a tired subject. Im surprised that it ranks as low as it does as this has some good stuff, easy to read, interesting and something you can walk away and do something about. Ive written a couple business books with the goal of facts and an easy ready for todays busy people and this one is just like that. Check it out!
Rating:
Summary: Very happy reader!
Review: Whether you're a fan of one of Ragas & Bueno's "cult brands," or a business owner who wants to build his/her own cult brand, this is a fun read, chock full of information. These two guys have skipped the filler and gotten right down to the "how to" of establishing a brand with a legion of followers. This is down to earth advice that's actually doable, no matter what the size of your business. As a reader who works in retail and who is a Jimmy Buffett fan (he's one of the cult brands), I couldn't put this book down, and found lots of pages to mark for future reference. Can't wait to see what these two tackle next!
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent book on branding
Review: Written in clear, no nonsense words that make you think about the basics of branding and what it should accomplish. Exceptional at showing how even the smallest company can create a cult brand. Should be required reading for every serious marketer.
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