Cult Marketing

Last (but not least) in our 20-year series: Licking Heights Local Schools Licking Heights Local Schools needed a brand strategy that honored its history while embracing the diversity of its growing student population. The district also wanted an updated visual identity and a communications strategy to support the new brand and school names. Cult Marketing led a comprehensive community engagement process, interviewing key stakeholders, including teachers, principals, parents, and students. The rebrand successfully aligned the district’s visual and verbal identity with its evolving community. Cult Marketing developed a fresh logo and visual identity with the tagline “Go Higher,” symbolizing the district’s commitment to student empowerment and growth. Additionally, we renamed several school buildings to accommodate the district’s rapid growth and future vision. Each new name honors the district’s rich history while symbolizing higher levels of achievement and success. South Elementary → Broad Peak Elementary West Elementary → Everest Elementary New elementary school → Lima Ridge Elementary Central Intermediate → Summit Station Intermediate Central Preschool → Pathfinders Preschool See the full case study here: https://lnkd.in/gDanZpba #Cult20 #CultMarketing #LickingHeights #GoHigher #HornetsTakeFlight #Branding #Rebrand #Insights #ColumbusOhio

Nineteenth in our 20-year journey: The Ohio Chamber of Commerce ?? The Ohio Chamber of Commerce is an organization whose mission is to create a more favorable environment for businesses in Ohio. One goal for the organization is to convince voters in Ohio to support business-positive policies and initiatives. We learned that there was a segment of the Ohio population that was anti-business. They believed that businesses were greedy, inclined to relocate jobs overseas, and opposed and attacked labor unions. They were not aware of all the wonderful things that companies do for their communities and the tax and revenue benefits they provide to support local services and initiatives. Cult developed a statewide marketing campaign to convince the business-negative voters that businesses were good for Ohio workers and communities. Our tagline was “Ohio Businesses…Good for Life.” We produced four TV commercials, numerous digital/paid social executions, outdoor boards, a dedicated website, and social media channels and content. The creative assets demonstrated the positive benefits that businesses have had in Ohio. A pre-post campaign survey showed that Cult had significantly moved the needle to convince the target segment that businesses were in fact, good for life. See the full case study here: https://lnkd.in/gqSYvYfG #Cult20 #CultMarketing #OhioChamber #OhioBusiness #Campaign #Branding #Insights #ColumbusOhio

Eighteenth in our 20th Anniversary highlights: Rocky Brands, Inc. ?? Rocky Boots has a diverse range of product categories. Their footwear and apparel categories include duty (military, police, postal), work, outdoor/hunting, and western. So, how do you create a brand positioning that appeals to such diverse customer segments across four lines of products? Cult set out to find out about the Rocky customer. We talked to military personnel, police, rodeo riders, hunters, construction workers, hikers, and casual shoe workers to understand their lifestyles, attitudes, and views on footwear and apparel. The Rocky breed of customer has an interesting trait in common – they can’t sit still. These people are active all the time and enjoy being outside and exploring nature or trying new ways to be in motion. They passionately pursue their interests, and look for the best equipment to take their activities to new heights. Based on these insights, Cult developed a positioning essence for Rocky called “Confidence in Action.” The "We’re With You" campaign grew out of this positioning by taking the concept of “Confidence in Action” and making it more personal and empathetic. The campaign created a sense of solidarity with Rocky’s customers, showing that the brand stands beside them in their toughest moments. Whether they’re serving their country, working a tough job, or pushing their limits outdoors, Rocky Boots is their reliable companion. The message conveyed Rocky’s unwavering support, no matter the challenge, reinforcing loyalty and trust across its diverse customer base. Ready to discuss your brand strategy opportunities? Let's chat! #Cult20 #CultMarketing #RockyBrands #WereWithYou #Branding #Campaign #Ads #Insights #ColumbusOhio

Seventeenth in our 20-year celebration: Napa Smith Brewery ?? We're thrilled to showcase our illustrative work with Napa Smith for their exceptional line of craft beers, featuring the Mt. Sutro Tropical Wheat, SR29 Pils, Golden Gate IPA, and Blonde Crusher Ale. When Napa Smith approached us, they sought to create a vibrant and cohesive brand identity for their new can designs that would capture the essence of California's stunning landscapes and the unique character of each brew. Our goal was to elevate their product presentation and enhance shelf appeal in a competitive market. We immersed ourselves in Napa Valley's natural beauty, drawing inspiration from its iconic landmarks and vibrant culture. Each can was thoughtfully designed to reflect the distinct flavor profile and story behind each beer. The new can designs have not only enhanced Napa Smith's brand visibility but also positioned them for growth. In December 2023, Napa Smith announced that, thanks to the continued support from their customers, they recognized the need to expand distribution. We are proud to have played a pivotal role in bringing their vision to life and supporting this growth. Stay tuned for more highlights from our Cult20 campaign! If you're looking for unique, custom visuals that resonate with your audience, let's chat! #Cult20 #CultMarketing #NapaSmith #Brewery #Branding #Insights #ColumbusOhio

Sixteenth in our 20-year timeline: CBRE | facilitysource FacilitySource was growing exponentially and was transitioning its strategy to stay ahead of new and well funded entrants. Management believed the company was known as a software company and wanted to reposition itself more as a comprehensive trade services company. Through a series of in-depth interviews with current and prospective clients, Cult learned that one of the earmarks of FacilitySource was its management style and corporate culture of hard work, its get-it-done attitude, and its exceptional commitment to reliable and fast service. We repositioned FacilitySource using the concept of Up. And Running. which combines two important elements: One, it conveys what FacilitySource does on behalf of its clients which is to keep their businesses running at high levels of efficiency and with minimal downtime; and two, it reflects the FacilitySource attitude of “Hustle.” To internalize this new brand positioning, we developed a comprehensive Brand Manual that defines the brand elements and provides specific behaviors and guidelines that deliver and support the brand promise. It is distributed to all associates. We also launched the new brand with internal events and presentations. In 2018, CBRE purchased FacilitySource for $290M. Sales continue to increase at exponential rates and the new brand has been a successful platform for both inspiration and consistency. See the full case study here: https://lnkd.in/gEBV9GuY #Cult20 #CultMarketing #FacilitySource #UpAndRunning #Branding #Insights #ColumbusOhio

Thirteenth in our 20-year milestone: PhaseOne Health PhaseOne has a patented process to effectively bottle HOCl (Hypochlorous Acid), a powerful anti-microbial that is naturally produced by the human body to fight infection. HOCl has been extremely difficult to bottle as it loses effectiveness and stability when exposed to oxygen. In discussions with doctors and nurses, there was a low awareness of HOCl and its uses. The challenge was to create awareness of the amazing benefits of HOCl for wound care and surgical procedures. Other HOCl brands in the market are not as stable or effective and PhaseOne needed to clearly demonstrate its superior performance. We positioned PhaseOne as the most effective and stable HOCl by using direct, head-to-head comparisons to the four leading competitors. We redesigned the website to create a simple and clear story. Additionally, we created trade show elements and digital banner ads to support their marketing efforts. Every month PhaseOne is growing and gaining market share. See the full case study here: https://lnkd.in/ggmA3fky #Cult20 #CultMarketing #PhaseOneHealth #Branding #Insights #ColumbusOhio

Fifteenth in our 20-year reflection: Carhartt Let’s say your company has been around since 1889, and has developed a nice niche by targeting industrial and other blue-collar workers. This is the story of Carhartt, a family company that originally catered to union workers with purpose-built rugged apparel. Why are young people suddenly crazy about Carhartt? Carhartt approached Cult with an interesting question: how do we expand our target audience without jeopardizing our relationship with our core audience of construction workers, farmers, and other physical labor workers? Cult hit the streets to learn about the core audience and their love of the Carhartt brand. We visited farmers, construction workers, and others from all over the US. Their connections to the brand were profound, bordering on spiritual. Next, we explored two other audiences to assess their views of the Carhartt brand. One was people engaged in physical activities for leisure like hunters and outdoor activity junkies. Audience two was younger hipsters with a love for heritage brands. We visited places like Bend, OR, Austin, Los Angeles, and Seattle. Wow, did we learn a lot. The first thing we did was define our three segments and build a profile of their lifestyles, interests, beliefs, motivations and buying behaviors. We developed go-to-market creative executions, retail strategies, product roadmaps and tactical implementation plans for each segment. We built out these strategies over a five-year period, adding a new target audience to the mix every 18 months. Look around to see the fruits of this plan. Celebrities, young kids, and many others have embraced the Carhartt brand. They love its durability, quality, and reputation, making it an incredibly successful brand that has retained its core audience yet expanded into a wide new audience. For more information, and to discuss your brand strategy opportunities, send us a message. #Cult20 #CultMarketing #Carhartt #Branding #Insights #ColumbusOhio

Fourteenth in our 20-year anniversary series: Opera Columbus ?? Our extensive research of opera fans and non-opera fans uncovered several key insights that drove our new brand strategy. Opera fans were generally exposed to opera through three primary channels: their parents, through musical training, or through a partner or friend relationship. They tend to be more formal and older than the mainstream population, and enjoy other forms of the arts as well. Non-opera fans who otherwise fit the target profile (attend live entertainment, enjoy a heavy social calendar, achieved higher levels of income and education) had some perceptions of opera that created significant barriers in their decision to attend. One being that they could be intimidated by the genre of opera: sung in foreign languages, confusing, don’t understand the traditions. And two, the perceived experience: for old people, stuffy, boring, not “my scene”. Cult positioned Opera Columbus as the organization that is breaking down the traditions of opera to create a fun and innovative experience for everyone, regardless of age, race, or demographic. We developed a new visual identity, selected compelling photos of people not normally associated with the opera, and developed its new tagline: Opera Columbus “Make it Yours.” See the full case study here: https://lnkd.in/giTj94KU #Cult20 #CultMarketing #OperaCbus #MakeItYours #Branding #Insights #ColumbusOhio

Twelfth in our 20-year celebration: Cielo Tequila ???? Cielo is a new entrant into the super competitive premium tequila market. The challenge was to build a differentiated compelling brand. In discussions with tequila aficionados, we learned that many embrace the Mexican heritage and authenticity of the brand, and consider themselves insiders and "in the know." They also have a high level of respect for the reputation of the Master Distiller, Arturo Fuentes. We created a differentiated brand by developing a Spanish language campaign that translates to "The Secret You Won't Spill." This approach provides a level of exclusivity and secrecy that keeps out the wanna-be crowd. The brand launched nationally in 2023. See the full case study here: https://lnkd.in/gDRmsVzp #Cult20 #CultMarketing #CieloTequila #Cielo #ASecretYouWontSpill #Branding #Insights #ColumbusOhio

Eleventh in our 20-year journey: Milestone Aviation ?? Milestone is the world’s largest owner and lessor of civilian helicopters. It was founded by Richard Santulli, founder of NetJets. Cult worked with their management team from the very beginning to develop their original brand strategy and communication materials. In 2016, after five years Milestone was acquired by GE, and they asked Cult to rebrand the company to reflect their new position as a GE company and industry leader. Cult interviewed the internal team to understand the new business model and the strategic objectives of the company. We also interviewed eight of their global customers to obtain their views on Milestone, and their perceptions of its strengths, points of differentiation, and persona. We identified Milestone’s brand archetype as the “Relentless Fixer.” James Bond is the embodiment of this archetype as he is brought in to solve challenging problems around the world, and performs with a level of sophistication and confident swagger. Cult redesigned all brand touchpoints—including sales collateral materials, print ads, the website, digital templates, and trade show presence—to reinforce their market leadership. Our work included a new tagline, “First. And Rising Higher,” emphasizing their vision for expansion and growth. The Milestone website became their primary brand touchpoint, featuring custom photography and bold design elements to differentiate them from competitors. Additionally, we crafted a company brochure to support their global sales efforts and leave a lasting impression. Ready for a smooth takeoff? Let’s elevate your brand together! #Cult20 #CultMarketing #MilestoneAviation #Aviation #Branding #Insights #ColumbusOhio