Building a Cult Brand: Secrets to Standout Success

I'm thrilled to pull back the curtain on something we've been developing behind the scenes at Detailist and that is our unique creative process. If you've ever wondered exactly how we craft our standout branding and web designs, I'm about to dive into that.

But first, let me share a bit of the backstory. Starting Detailist was a solo venture, but as we've expanded our team and our service offerings to include not only Brand and Web Design but also Brand Management and Influencer Relations, I've developed a process that isn't just about creating logos or websites, it's about creating a holistic brand experience.

This involves understanding brand perception, ensuring we're enhancing and not diluting the brand, and protecting it with strategic, emotionally resonant messaging that connects on a deeper level with strategic tactics rooted in sales psychology and on-brand, emotion-triggering messaging that gives people the “you just read my mind” feeling.

That’s what sets our strategies and design apart. In this article, I’m going to walk you through our step-by-step approach to building what I like to call a 'cult brand' the way Detailist does it. Each step builds upon the previous, starting from the foundational level. If you've considered hiring us to work on the details of your business, you'll be able to see how we work. Our books are open we are booking Q4 2024 and Q1 2025, get in touch with us here. Additionally, I've gathered insights from five marketing experts on the importance of distinctive branding, and I’ll share their perspectives with you shortly.

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Step 1: Vision Setting

I love to lay down the vision for the brand first. Where do you see your brand going? What vibes do you want the brand to encompass? Should it feel luxurious, approachable, or something else? All of this can be defined by asking the right questions and creating a Pinterest board that brings together all the images that inspire you the most. This includes imagery, web design inspirations, typography, illustrations you’re drawn to, photography you love, color palettes you prefer, and textures.

Once the vision is established, we come in to fine-tune and handpick common themes and elements from the Pinterest board that A) encapsulate the essence of the brand, and B) select the best options while exploring even better directions for the brand to create a mood board for our clients. Oftentimes, we hit the mark because we truly understand our client’s vision. We refine these elements to ensure they not only resonate but also set the stage for everything that follows.

“Every great brand begins with a vision. By asking the right questions and curating inspirations, we capture the essence of what you want to create. Together, we refine those elements into a mood board that not only resonates but also sets the stage for your brand's journey.” - Marie Ann Altuve, Founder and Senior Brand Director of Detailist

Our team member Oriana Fernandez, Marketing Coordinator at Detailist, shared her thoughts below:

“Pinterest is crucial for defining a brand’s vision. It helps clients visually articulate their ideas and makes it easier to understand the brand’s goal and spot key themes and likes for marketing. Pinterest is a great platform for this because it sparks creativity by letting users look at different inspirations, like lifestyle and product design.”

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Step 2: Strategic Foundation 

You cannot move forward without any strategy, it’s a non-negotiable. Here, we define your target audience in detail. Consider their demographics, preferences, and behaviors. What emotions do they seek? What are their age ranges? Where do they spend time and money? Understanding their buyer type is crucial for effective selling. Identify which social media platforms they frequent and how they make purchasing decisions. Then, focus on your business's desired image and personality. How do you want to be perceived? What unique perspective or value can you offer that sets you apart from competitors?

These are questions we help our clients answer and serves as a great exercise to get clearer on who they want to target and how they want to show up online which helps us craft a detailed and targeted brand strategy for them. Market research, performing a SWOT analysis, and identifying success indicators are what lays the foundation for strategy.

Having connected with Amy Porterfield, Online Marketing Expert and New York Times Best Selling Author, she shared her three main tips on building a successful brand:

“My three main tips would be, first, to get really clear on your expertise where you offer the most value. I always say when I teach my students how to create digital courses: where have you gotten results for yourself or for someone else? Because no matter if you're going to create a digital course or something totally different, get really clear on where you can offer the most value and get people results. That's number one.

Number two is to get really clear on who you want to serve. Now, if you want to serve all women, you're going to get lost in the sea of noise online. But if you want to serve women who have toddlers and you want to help those toddlers sleep through the night, now you're getting more specific. Like I have one of my students and she helps only female physicians to build wealth and to invest. She's an expert in building wealth and investing, but she used to be a dermatologist. So she's like, "So I can speak to female physicians, I know how much money they're making, what they're struggling with, what they want." So she only serves busy female physicians. I love getting really specific there. So that's number two: niche yourself, find your specific audience.

And then number three is to make sure you know what lights you up. You can make tons of money doing something that totally bores you. You get up in the morning and you're like, "Here I go again. I'm good at it, but it doesn't light me up." But if you can find that sweet spot between what you love to do, know who you serve, and something that you're really good at, you've found that golden sweet spot that is perfect for you. Sometimes it takes years to find though; it took me about two years to really dial it in. So, have a little grace with yourself.”

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Step 3: Solution Development 

Your audience has challenges, and your brand offers solutions. This step is about aligning your services or products with the needs of your market. It’s not just about what you sell, but how it solves their problems. Whether it’s through branding or web design, we tailor our services to meet these needs effectively. This is where you need to understand pain points and pleasure points. You should never create a problem and offer a solution for that made up problem. There has to be a need for your product or service. Understanding your target market, what their pain and pleasure points are is what’s going to help you make sales.

I was able to pick the brain of Kristen Maestu, Marketing & PR Specialist, and she shared with me:

“Having a strong brand is essential to standing out in today’s saturated market. Branding personifies businesses and connects emotions to their products, fostering relationships and trust with their audience. Successful branding not only drives awareness but also resonates with consumers, ensuring your business is top of mind when it’s time to solve their needs.”

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Step 4: Brand and Design Execution 

This is where the fun begins. We translate the strategic groundwork into tangible designs. This includes everything visual from logos, color schemes, typography, and more. This stage is about bringing your brand’s character to life visually, ensuring it not only looks good but feels right to your audience.

As noted by Yanyn San Luis, Social Impact Expert and Professor of Marketing Management in the Global Environment for Florida International University’s Master’s of Science Marketing program:

“One of the things I've come to realize when it comes to branding is the importance of having an aesthetically pleasing brand. I've found that audiences are drawn to something that catches their eye and captures their attention based on aesthetics. If the brand feels professional and looks good, people are naturally drawn to it. That's why it's important to invest in your branding. By investing in high-quality branding, it will elevate the brand and help it stand out and ensure it resonates with your audience. Essentially, ugly branding simply does not work.”

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Step 5: Marketing and Messaging 

Finally, how you communicate your brand is crucial. This involves crafting the right messaging across all platforms to engage your audience. It's about making sure the language, the tone, and the content reflect your brand's unique voice and deliver on the promises made by your visual identity.

As Brand Marketer Lauren Gray said it,

“Cult brands excel in their marketing and messaging because they deeply resonate with their audience's values and lifestyles, creating a strong emotional connection. They know how to effectively speak directly to specific consumer wants and needs. This authentic approach helps create a strong community of fans who not only buy the products but also advocate for the brand passionately. Thanks to their commitment to quality products and interactions, cult brands build a loyal customer base that grows organically through digital engagement and word-of-mouth."

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In this article, I’ve broken down each step that builds upon the last, culminating in a brand that not only stands out but also truly connects with its audience. Remember, starting with a strong foundation and maintaining a clear focus on your strategic goals are key to building a brand that resonates deeply and endures. Thank you for exploring our process, and I hope it inspires you to think strategically about your brand. If you have any questions or want us to transform your company into a cult brand, our inquiry inbox is always open, click here to inquire! 

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