Beyond Brand Awareness: Building B2B Brands

Beyond Brand Awareness: Building B2B Brands That Create Cult-Like Devotion

In the era of AI, algorithmic sameness, and infinite scroll, most B2B brands are stuck playing the wrong game. They're chasing awareness when they should be building belief. They're optimizing for reach when they should be engineering resonance. And they're creating "communities" that feel more like ghost towns than movements.

The uncomfortable truth? Your brand isn't dying from bad design. It's dying from not meaning anything.​

This insight comes from R.J. Abbott, founder of Neighborhood Cult and creator of the Narrative OS framework, whose unconventional approach to branding has challenged how founders and executives think about building brands in the modern era. The brands that win don't just capture attention—they create devotion.​

The Biggest Lie in B2B Branding

"Brand awareness" has become the holy grail of B2B marketing. Agencies promise it. CMOs chase it. Marketing teams optimize for it. But here's what the data actually shows: most brands are forgettable five seconds after you see them.​

The traditional playbook says if you get your name in front of enough people—through ads, influencers, and polished campaigns—consumers will remember you. But attention is fleeting. Social feeds are infinite. AI is churning out more content than any human can process.​

In this saturated landscape, awareness without meaning is just expensive noise.

Consider this: when was the last time you saw a B2B SaaS ad and thought, "I need to tell everyone about this"? Probably never. Yet companies like Salesforce, Notion, and Figma have created almost religious followings—not through bigger ad budgets, but through building worlds people want to belong to.​

From Positioning to Mythology: A New Framework

Traditional brand strategy revolves around positioning statements: "We help [target audience] do [thing] better than [competitor]." It's logical. It's clear. And it's completely forgettable.​

The brands that break through don't just position—they mythologize.​

What is Brand Mythology?

Drawing from Joseph Campbell's work on mythology, Abbott's framework recognizes that "mythology explains the universe and your place in it." Just as ancient myths helped people make sense of their world, modern brand mythology helps customers understand their identity, aspirations, and belonging.​

Brand mythology provides three essential elements that positioning cannot:​

1. Status – How you're perceived by others (the traditional archetype)
2. Transformation – The promise of becoming something more god-like
3. Magic – The ability to suspend logic and believe in something extraordinary

When you buy a Tesla, you're not just purchasing an electric vehicle. You're joining a movement toward sustainable energy, aligning with Elon Musk's vision of humanity becoming multiplanetary, and believing in a magical future where technology solves climate change.​

That's mythology at work.

The Cult Brand Framework: 10 Psychological Principles

After studying cult brands across industries, Abbott identified ten core principles that create unwavering devotion. Here's how they apply to B2B:​

1. A Strong, Compelling Narrative

Your brand needs an origin story that provides purpose and exclusivity—one that involves struggle, an enemy (real or imagined), and promised transformation.​

B2B Application: Salesforce didn't just launch a CRM. They positioned themselves as rebels against the bloated, on-premise software establishment, promising a "No Software" revolution that democratized enterprise tools.​

2. Charismatic Leadership

Most cult brands have a central figure who embodies the group's values and mission. In B2B, the founder often becomes the brand.​

B2B Application: In the age of personal branding, your founder's narrative sovereignty—the ability to control and shape their story—becomes your company's growth engine. Think of how Jason Fried and DHH's contrarian views on work have become inseparable from Basecamp's brand identity.​

3. Exclusivity & Belonging

Cult brands create an "us vs. them" mentality where members feel like part of a special, enlightened group.​

B2B Application: Notion's power users don't just use a productivity tool—they speak an insider language of "databases," "relations," and "templates" that signals they're part of an elite group who've transcended traditional project management.​

4. Rituals & Symbols

Repeated rituals and unique symbols reinforce ideology and create group identity.​

B2B Application: Apple's product launches aren't announcements—they're sacred rituals that loyal followers anticipate yearly. The unboxing experience itself has become a ritual replicated millions of times on YouTube.​

5. A Common Enemy

Many cult brands rally around a shared antagonist, strengthening internal bonds.​

B2B Application: Who's your enemy? Tesla positioned against traditional auto manufacturers. Liquid Death positioned against boring water brands. Patagonia positions against fast fashion and overconsumption. Define what you stand against, not just what you stand for.​

6. Identity Transformation

Cult brands promise members will evolve into better versions of themselves.​

B2B Application: When companies adopt Slack, they're not just changing communication tools—they're transforming into modern, transparent, collaborative organizations. The tool becomes a symbol of organizational evolution.​

7. Control of Information

Cults control narrative through repetition and environment control.​

B2B Application: For brands, this translates to carefully curated messaging and maintaining consistency across all touchpoints. Your website, social media, sales deck, and customer experience should all reinforce the same belief system.​

8. Community & Shared Struggle

A sense of shared struggle bonds people together.​

B2B Application: Indie hacker communities around tools like Gumroad or ConvertKit thrive because they unite people going through the same journey—building sustainable, bootstrapped businesses against venture-backed giants.​

9. Gamification & Commitment Triggers

Cult brands use small commitments that escalate over time.​

B2B Application: Once you invest in learning Figma's interface, integrate it with your workflow, and build a library of components, you're committed. The switching cost becomes psychological, not just technical.​

10. A Higher Mission Beyond Profit

The most effective cult brands align members around a transcendent purpose.​

B2B Application: Patagonia's environmental activism, Tesla's mission to accelerate sustainable energy, or Basecamp's crusade for calm, focused work—these missions give customers something bigger to believe in than product features.​

Why B2B Brands Need This More Than Ever

"But we're B2B," you might protest. "Our buyers are rational. They make decisions based on ROI and feature comparisons."

The research says otherwise.

Studies show that B2B buyers are even more emotionally connected to brands than B2C consumers. Why? Because a bad purchase decision in B2B can literally kill a company or end a career. The stakes are higher, which means trust and emotional connection matter more, not less.​

According to research by Gallup, customers with strong emotional connections to brands deliver a 23% premium in terms of share of wallet, profitability, and relationship growth. In B2B, where customer lifetime values are measured in hundreds of thousands or millions, that premium compounds dramatically.​

The Death of the "Sea of Sameness"

Walk into any B2B tech conference or scroll through any SaaS website, and you'll see the same thing: abstract globes, connection metaphors, stock photos of diverse teams pointing at monitors, and language about "empowering" and "transforming."​

Abbott calls this the "sea of sameness"—where every brand chases algorithms, short-term virality, and "best practices" that make everyone look identical.​

The irony? In trying to appeal to everyone, these brands appeal to no one. They become commodities competing on price and features instead of belief systems competing on meaning and identity.​

What Most B2B Brands Get Wrong About "Community"

"Build a community" has become the rallying cry of modern brand strategy. But 99% of brands do it completely wrong.​

They think community means:

• Engagement metrics
• A Discord or Slack group
• Replying to comments
• "Involving the customer in the conversation"

Then they wonder why no one cares.​

Here's the truth: People don't want to join your brand. They want to join a world that makes them feel something.​

The difference between a failed "community" and a cult brand isn't the platform—it's the depth of meaning. Cult brands don't build communities; they build worlds.​

Consider the difference:

Traditional Community Approach:

• Start a social media page
• Create "engaging content"
• Launch a Discord group
• Hope people show up

Cult Brand Approach:

• Define a belief system (what do we stand for, and who's the enemy?)
• Create rituals and symbols (what actions and language make someone an insider?)
• Make it exclusive (can everyone join, or is it earned?)
• Give it mythology (what's the origin story, the legend, the deeper meaning?)​

Apple doesn't have a "community." They have an ecosystem of believers who will camp outside stores for product launches. Tesla doesn't have customers; they have evangelists who defend Elon Musk like family members.​

Practical Framework: From Commodity to Cult

Ready to transform your B2B brand from forgettable to unforgettable? Here's the step-by-step framework:​

Step 1: Define Your Belief System

Stop asking "What do we do?" Start asking "What do we believe?"

Your belief system should answer:

• What's our origin story? (The struggle that led to creation)
• What truths do we hold that others deny?
• What future are we fighting to create?
• Who benefits if we win?
• Who loses if we win? (This is your enemy)​

Example: Basecamp believes that work doesn't have to be frantic. They believe calm, focused work produces better outcomes than hustle culture. They believe most "productivity" tools make people less productive.​

Step 2: Identify Your Enemy

Every powerful movement has an adversary. Your enemy could be:​

• An industry norm (Tesla vs. traditional auto)
• A competitor approach (Apple vs. PC complexity)
• A societal problem (Patagonia vs. overconsumption)
• An outdated way of working (Slack vs. email)

The enemy gives your community something to rally around. It creates an "us vs. them" dynamic that strengthens bonds.​

Step 3: Create Rituals and Symbols

What repeated behaviors signal insider status?​

• Language: Notion users talk about "databases" and "relations." Figma users share "components" and "variants."
• Behaviors: Apple users unbox products on camera. Starbucks customers Instagram their cups.
• Visual signals: Supreme's box logo. Patagonia's fleece vest in finance. Tesla's minimalist interior.

These aren't marketing tactics—they're identity markers that help your tribe recognize each other.​

Step 4: Build Your Mythology

Move beyond feature lists to deeper narratives:​

• The Genesis Story: How did this brand come into being? What problem couldn't be ignored?
• The Hero's Journey: What obstacles did the founders overcome?
• The Promised Land: What world are we building together?
• The Transformation: How do members evolve by joining?

Your mythology should be so compelling that people retell it to others without prompting.​

Step 5: Make It Exclusive

Scarcity drives desire. Exclusivity drives devotion.​

This doesn't mean artificial scarcity (though that can work—see Supreme). It means:

• Earned membership: Some brands require customer success stories before featuring them
• Insider knowledge: Advanced features that require deep learning (like Figma's Auto Layout)
• Selective partnerships: Not working with everyone who can pay
• Community standards: Clear expectations about who fits and who doesn't​

When everyone can belong, belonging means nothing.

Step 6: Transform, Don't Just Transact

Finally, promise and deliver transformation, not just transactions.​

• Bad: "Our CRM helps you track leads"
• Good: "Our CRM transforms how your team builds relationships"
• Best: "Join companies that chose relationships over revenue targets and built sustainable growth"

The transformation should be both practical (better results) and identity-based (who you become).​

The ROI of Cult Brands

Still skeptical? Consider the business impact:

Pricing Power: Cult brands can charge 2-5x more than competitors. Apple's margins dwarf other hardware manufacturers. Patagonia charges premium prices while telling customers not to buy.​

Customer Acquisition Cost: When customers become evangelists, your CAC plummets. Tesla spent $0 on advertising for years because owners did the marketing.​

Retention: Emotionally loyal customers stay for 5.1 years on average vs. 3.4 years for merely satisfied customers.​

Lifetime Value: Emotionally connected customers spend 23% more over their lifetime.​

Crisis Resilience: When problems arise, cult brands get defended by their community. Traditional brands get abandoned.​

Common Objections (And Why They're Wrong)

"This only works for consumer brands."

Wrong. Salesforce, Figma, Notion, Slack, and Basecamp are all B2B brands with cult followings. The principles remain the same—humans make decisions, whether they're buying sneakers or enterprise software.​

"Our category is too boring for this."

Dollar Shave Club created a cult brand around razors. Liquid Death created one around water. Boring categories are opportunities—they have less competition for meaning and identity.​

"This feels manipulative."

Manipulation creates false beliefs. Cult branding articulates genuine beliefs that attract like-minded people. If you're lying about your values, you're not building a cult brand—you're running a scam.​

"We need to scale—this approach is too niche."

Cult brands scale by going deep before going wide. Start with 100 true believers who would be devastated if you disappeared. Then expand. Apple started with designers and creatives. Tesla started with early adopters willing to take risks. Zoom with remote teams.​

The Age of Narrative Sovereignty

We're entering what Abbott calls the age of narrative sovereignty—where the only uncopiable moat is your story.​

In a world where:

• AI can replicate any feature in months
• Distribution is commoditized
• Technical differentiation is temporary
• Attention is infinite but worthless

Your narrative becomes your only defensible advantage.​

The brands that win won't be the ones with the most features, the biggest marketing budgets, or the flashiest campaigns. They'll be the ones that mean something—that create worlds people want to belong to, belief systems people want to join, and transformations people want to experience.​

Your Move: From Brand Awareness to Brand Devotion

Stop chasing awareness. Start building belief.​

The question isn't "How many people know about us?" It's "How many people would be devastated if we disappeared?"​

That's the measure of a cult brand. That's the future of B2B branding. And that's what separates companies that become movements from those that become footnotes.

The brands that last won't be the loudest. They'll be the ones that mean something.​

Not campaigns. Causes.
Not content. Community.
Not metrics. Mythology.​

Your brand will either blend in, or it will belong. The choice is yours.