Vicco Laboratories has been recognised as a ‘Cult Brand’ by ‘The Greatest Marketing Influencers 2016’ initiative, which is presented by BBC Knowledge and endorsed by CMO Asia.
The award ceremony was held in Mumbai, India, last month.
Sanjeev Pendharkar, director of Vicco Laboratories, said a ‘Cult Brand’ is a product or service with a committed customer base. “The attainment of such true believers or customers is made possible because a ‘Cult Brand’ sells more than a product. A ‘Cult Brand’ is a brand with an extremely loyal customer base, where consumers visualise the brand as something more than just a product – where the brand becomes a piece of their everyday lives,” he noted.
Vicco Laboratories, it was observed, falls in the category of ‘benign cults’ – where members are “truly attached or intensely devoted” to the product/service the brand provides. In ‘benign cults’, human desires are fulfilled in a positive and harmless way.
Further, Pendharkar said the ‘Cult Brand’ recognition is a “great honour” for the company and its promoters.
According to a press statement, Vicco Laboratories was identified as a ‘Cult Brand’ due to the following factors: a ‘superior’ level of customer loyalty is achieved, brand loyalists perceive no true competitors to the brand as there are no substitutes for the ‘true’ brand, customers get a sense of ownership vis-à-vis the brand, loyalty is sustained over time (as opposed to fads that are unsustainable and short-lived), and customers receive more than a product – they “experience a lifestyle”.
Sanjeev Pendharkar, director of Vicco Laboratories.
