Category
Lifestyle
Assisted Choices
Trend cluster
Category
Cult
Campaigning
Sneaker brands entice consumers with celeb-led cultural experiences.
3.1
Trend score
Trend
What is the Cult Campaigning trend?
Cult Campaigning: Playing up the cult of celebrity and the pursuit of exclusive, insider experiences, many athletic apparel and footwear brands are emerging with mass marketing campaigns disguised as once-in-a-lifetime cultural events. This progression demonstrates that in a time marked by consumers' lack of attachment to physical objects and large institutions, brands have the opportunity to cultivate meaningful relationships with individuals by serving as an enabler of experiences.
Trend themes
Themes within the Cult Campaigning trend
Three behaviours holding the trend together01
Celebrity-led Cultural Experiences
Brands are creating once-in-a-lifetime cultural events disguised as mass marketing campaigns, playing up the cult of celebrity and the pursuit of exclusive, insider experiences.
02
Community-Driven Experiences
Brands can serve as catalysts in cultivating meaningful communities of customers with culture-driven experiences.
03
Personalized Marketing
Directly interacting with and rewarding loyal customers through personalized marketing initiatives can help brands reach consumers on a more personal level.
Industry implications
What the Cult Campaigning trend means for industry
Where the trend changes the playbookFor
Fashion
Fashion brands can learn from the success of celebrity-led cultural experiences and community-driven experiences to create exclusive, insider campaigns that cultivate meaningful relationships with customers.
For
Sportswear
The sportswear industry can capitalize on personalized marketing initiatives to directly interact with and reward loyal customers who have proven to be valuable assets to their brand.
For
Athletic Retail
Athletic retail brands can learn from the success of Nike's 'Run with Hart' program and create community-driven experiences to get people excited about running by positioning it as a 'movement.'
Workshop question
If your brand were to design a once-in-a-lifetime experience, what would that look like? How could you make it distinctive to your brand?
Trend signals
Trend signals for Cult Campaigning
Trend score 3.1 out of 10, from popularity 32%, activity 53%, freshness 8%.
Popularity32%
Activity53%
Freshness8%
Audience
50%Men
50%Women
- Gen Alpha
- Gen Z
- Millennial
- Gen X
- Boomer (not a primary audience)
Market
North America
Europe
Asia-Pacific
South America
Africa
Evidence
Examples of the Cult Campaigning trend
5 featured examples from Feb 16 to May 6, 2016CategoryFashion
Gothic Songstress Sportswear
Rihanna's Fenty x Puma Collection Sparks Eerie Urban Style
Fashion brands can capitalize on the Gothic Sportswear trend and collaborate with celebrities to launch their own collections.
CategoryLifestyle
Milestone Skate Culture Hubs
This House of Vans Toronto Pop-Up Celebrates the Brand's 50 Years
The House of Vans Toronto pop-up showcases how branding professionals can create immersive experiences to build stronger connections with customers.
CategoryLifestyle
Athletic Comedian Run Campaigns
Kevin Hart's Run with Hart Program is Part of the Nike Run Club
Disruptive innovation opportunities exist in developing and marketing sports apparel and equipment that align with celebrity-led running campaigns.
CategoryPop Culture
Album-Streaming Fashion Shows
Kanye West Used His Yeezy Season 3 Show to Debut His New Album
Fashion brands can leverage album-streaming fashion shows to attract new customers and create memorable experiences.
CategoryMarketing
Surprise Footwear Giveaways
The 'Nike Speed Drops' Promotion Surprised Fans with Golden Cleats
The sports apparel industry can leverage surprise footwear giveaways as a disruptive innovation opportunity to enhance customer engagement and loyalty.
