Companies such as Apple have become cult brand names in a very similar way to how the public views pop stars.
It is clear that it is an incredibly strong and emotional link that the brand or the star creates with his or her's public.
When that link is created, the public is ready to spend hours in the cold and rain just to be in or at the right place with the star or have the brand's latest product.
This means that the brand has a lot of emotional value attached to it which provides for hefty margins and a successful brand. Success attracts success.
Steve Jobs had a pop star iconic influence on Apple's funs. So, if you had to choose between a Harvard best graduate with a 25 years experience or Lady Gaga, who would you choose?
Clearly Lady Gaga know her "stuff"! With more than 67 million Facebook Fans and Twitter's first place as well, it is clear that mass marketers, products and services companies can learn from her a few "tricks" and if they could have her as their CEO, probably their balance sheet numbers will go up as well.
I believe that today, with the ever present social networks, and internet enabled smartphones, companies should look at that possibility as well by on boarding or creating such a a cult icon public personae. A successful link between the company and that public icon can make for a very successful company provided that is an added long term value and not only a fad.
The products and services may need be of great value before the Lady Gaga CEO comes on board and the new CEO will make it globally known as THE product or service to have.
Marketers have always tried to use sport's legends in TV ads for example but pushing it all the way to giving that star the top job is another step which I expect to happen in the very near future.
In the case of Lady Gaga, it is her music, her personality, her use of social media, her looks, style, voice and body language that makes her stand out. In the case of Steve Jobs it was his human story and his quest for quality, details and user experience that made him a star.
Both personalities have created a reality of very distinct and strong principles with which their public identify itself and adhere to and is ready to pay for.
With cult size brand and names, it all boils down to emotions, our emotions and how we are manipulated by those emotions to act in a certain way and in fact simplify our choices and where first to look for products and services.
A strong selling point is that it contains a strong statement in a world in which buying an Apple product for example makes a strong statement about the owner as an individual but also in some way makes him or her part of a "tribe". Maybe this is what we are looking for, be ourselves but at the same time feel a powerful togetherness with like minded people by following the leader (the star).
(Picture from Wikipedia)
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