Top 4 Cult- Brand Heroes

How a handful of forward-thinking leaders are disrupting entire sectors by cultivating strong, emotionally invested communities.

Salad. Suitcases. Razors. Face wash. None of these words typically inspire enthusiasm. But when associated with certain fast-growing enterprises, the reactions can be rapturous. Sweetgreen’s Nicolas Jammet, Away’s Jen Rubio, Walker & Company’s Tristan Walker, and Glossier’s Emily Weiss talk to Fast Company’s Amy Farley about creating products that provoke passion.

When we talk about cult brands, we often mean companies that have been able to identify a void in the marketplace. Was this on your mind when you were founding your business?

EMILY WEISS : Beauty has traditionally been brands telling customers that they have some kind of inadequacy or that they should ascribe to a specific idea of perfection. The insight that we had at Glossier was to encourage every woman to become her own expert.

TRISTAN WALKER : I couldn’t shave, and I was frustrated. I thought, Here is an industry that’s been around for 100 years and, [because] I have curly hair on my face, I couldn’t use any of the mass-market tools that existed. And the shopping experience sucked: I would have to go to these ethnic beauty aisles that are always next to the beauty aisle. So [Walker & Company shaving line Bevel] started with my problem, but I also wanted to build a brand that was culturally relevant. With [women’s haircare line] Form, we are giving you a personalized [haircare] product bundle and usage regimen, which really hasn’t been done in the space. We’ll get a sense of the humidity in your zip code, whether you swim or exercise regularly, if you’ve had chemo treatments, if you’re pregnant. All of this stuff impacts your hair health. With both Bevel and Form, we’re not only changing behavior for the consumer but the industry as well.