Cult brands are continuously unconventional and have special quality characteristics such as emotional added value until they reach cult status. Belonging to a cult brand conveys a sense of unity. Rituals often play a major role for cult brands, whether it’s the Nutella jar on the breakfast table or the queues outside the Apple Stores. The fans of a cult brand pay homage to a certain lifestyle and are characterised by similar values. At the same time, socio-political statements which give the brands depth are increasingly coming to the foreground.
Lars Kreyenhagen, strategy director of Karl Anders, has the same opinion. The new added values of a brand are increasingly of a social nature – “Know Why, instead of Know How”, he writes in his current article “The New We Brands”.
With Live Entertainment to a cult brand – How cult brands strengthen the sense of unity
Live Entertainment can support the idealistic charging of a brand, says Stefan Lohmann, live entertainment expert and artist relations manager. It is important for the cult brand to make the right choice of the right artists for events with Live Entertainment. Artists with character and an image, that matches the cult brand, and stars, that are idolized by the fans. As this understanding of the world of the brand fans shows the close connection between the cult brand and the fan. A brand strengthens the sense of togetherness by celebrating the common lifestyle, rituals and shared values, and by making the dreams of the brand fans come true.
How the cult status is created at brand events
Important factors for the authenticity of a cult brand are its brand representatives, who give the brand a face in public. From the CEO to the marketing director, press spokesperson and influencer, everyone must live the brand and represent it authentically. They are examples that must be present at events.
A second important factor for the cult status is to make demand greater than offer. In terms of brand events, this means that it doesn’t matter how big the event is, the brand must be able to create a greater demand than there are tickets to buy.
Due to the great demand, the event automatically receives a higher value, simply because not everyone can participate. If the target group wants to go to the event, they have to get tickets early. The newsletter is in high demand and the brand is followed in the social media in order not to miss the advance ticket sales date. This also provides a topic of conversation; for example, assumptions are made about what will probably happen at the next event, who will perform, what surprises there will be, etc.
What advantages Live Entertainment offers for brand events
- Sold out events are attractive for media partners: If tickets are sold out within a short period of time, the value of the remaining tickets increases for raffles organized by media partners – newspapers, radio stations, trade journals …
- The reach of the cult brand grows automatically with cult events Every participant of a cult event becomes a micro-advertising medium and influencer. Brand fans like to share cool brand experiences with their environment. Trade journals like to report on events that are popular in the scene.
- Greater potential for partnerships and refinancing Potential partners and sponsors are very interested in a cooperation with cult events and cult brands. From a certain number of guests on, the event becomes attractive for the local tourism industry, hotels, restaurants, city marketing, regional marketing. Cult events offer great potential for image transfer and good storytelling.
- Cult brands fulfill desires and deliver unique experiences With stars and Live Entertainment it is relatively easy to create unique experiences on a regular basis. Because when brands manage to make popular stars of brand fans experienced at first hand, the longings in the beloved brand environment and in the community of like-minded people are fulfilled. And that leads to an extremely strong brand loyalty.
With Live Entertainment to a cult brand – How to implement a “cult” brand strategy with the building block Live Entertainment can be seen well in the example of the brand Thunderbike.
THUNDERBIKE – from MOTORBIKE SHOP to CULT BRAND
Thunderbike, a former Suzuki motorcycle shop in the district of Wesel/NRW, is now the custom bike specialist with Harley-Davidson dealership and its own bar/restaurant.
Thunderbike has not only cultivated the “American Way of Life” as a marketing strategy, but also knows how to use stars and Live Entertainment for the brand image as a cult brand. In addition to the dealership with Harley-Davidson and the company’s own workshop, a concept that combines the passions of the founder and former racer was intuitively realized with an annex: motorcycles and “The American Way of Life”.
In 2009, Thunderbike built the “American Roadhouse” restaurant next to its Harley-Davidson Dealership shop and the fenced-off workshop and thereby created its own world of experience. A restaurant in a rustic blockhouse with a huge wooden veranda, where customers and fans like to extend their stay in the shop and enjoy classic American specialties.
The world of experience of the cult brand Thunderbike includes events to consolidate the cult around the own brand and to promote the business in the Roadhouse. At various events, hot rods and US cars encounter custom bikes of a special kind. Without forced tonality. Besides Open House & Aftershow, Rooftop Parties, Halloween and Santa Claus events, the Jokerfest has particularly made a name for itself with Live Entertainment among the motorcycle fans across all borders.
Meanwhile the Jokerfest is the biggest event of a Harley-Davidson dealer in Europe. It is the ultimate summer party for motorcycle fans with a ride-in-bike show and live entertainment. The event was created and grew in a time when values help decide the success of a brand. Therefore it is a matter of course for the brand Thunderbike to integrate a charity program and to donate annually the proceeds from the VIP tickets and also to build charity bikes for an auction in favour of the children’s hospital (proceeds over 250.000 Euro). Since 2014 Thunderbike has been supporting the DRK children’s hospital in Siegen with “Biker for Children”.
Thunderbike relies on Stefan Lohmann for the artist booking. As an internationally active Artist Relations Manager, Stefan Lohmann makes sure that the most popular stars of the scene, who usually perform in much larger locations, are attracted to the Jokerfest. Through Stefan’s access to the most popular stars of the brand fans, Thunderbike increases the attractiveness of its live entertainment event and boosts the demand for the tickets. These tickets are offered by Thunderbike at a much lower price than usual on the market. But due to the low capacity of the open air location the tickets are limited to 3,000. This makes the concert very exclusive and popular, because Thunderbike expresses its gratitude to its brand fans with the low ticket prices.
The festival helps the Thunderbike brand to be perceived as a cult brand. Therefore it is worth to book an expensive and well-known live act for Thunderbike, because the equivalent value is much higher than the costs of the event. It’s no secret that a cult status can’t be bought and that the media service in purchasing would also be much more expensive.
With the summer party and live entertainment, the custom bike specialist reaches its target group directly and authentically. Thunderbike is not about making money with the concert tickets, but about meeting friends, fans and partners, just like the very first time where people meet at the campfire in the backyard.
Artists who have been attracted to the Jokerfest of the cult brand Thunderbike so far are Status Quo, The Baseball, The Boss Hoss, Guano Apes, Leningrad Cowboys, Suzie Quatro, Uriah Heep, Doro, The Hooters, Manfred Mann’s Earthband, Slade and many more.
Booking made easy – How we can help you
You would also like to offer your fans a special experience? We will help you with the idea finding, planning and booking. We are looking forward to a contact without obligation.
Stefan Lohmann (Artist Booking)
Stefan Lohmann is a Hamburg-based Talent Buyer and Artist Relations Manager. His service portfolio includes the placement of artists as well as the creation of comprehensive live entertainment concepts for concerts, festivals and events. With his live entertainment network of artists and creative people, he also represents market-leading show productions in the entertainment field of aerial shows, drone shows, video projection mapping, dance shows … “We create for our customers what is not available on the market,” says Stefan Lohmann about his company philosophy.
With Live Entertainment to a cult brand – Booking Contact:
The creation of music concepts together with the customer is one of the specialties of live entertainment expert Stefan Lohmann. With Sustainable Event Solutions, he also offers support for climate-neutral, sustainable events and tours.
Contact: Tel: 0049 1711662517 info@stefanlohmann.de www.stefanlohmann.com www.sustainable-event-solutions.de
Stefan Lohmann – Talent Buyer & Booking Agent
“As Artist Relations Management & Live Entertainment Network, I offer a transparent and efficient solution to channel and professionalize live entertainment handling while reducing costs and increasing artist selection.”
“We place international Stars, Shows, Orchestra, Celebrity Speakers, Hosts, Performer …. and create Live Entertainment Concepts with WOW-factor”
