For the following conversation, you’ll need to step into a time machine—DeLorean, police box, whatever works for you!
Our destination for today takes us back to a skatepark in the 90s: scratched-up boards, ripped jeans, a mixtape buzzing from an equally scratched-up boombox. A cool hangout spot, sure, but it was more than that: it was a scene, a subculture. The brands these kids wore? They weren’t just logos, they were tribal markers.
We’ve returned back to the present day, and while the skateparks have been replaced by TikTok feeds and Instagram reels, the energy is the same. Subcultures and consumer behavior have gone digital, and brands that know how to foster loyalty are those that thrive.
In this age of digital tribes, consider that the identities of your customers extend beyond consumers—they’re potential subculture icons. By empowering them, brands can upgrade from campaigns to communities and cultivate followings so passionate they rival any skate crew or sneakerhead meet-up.
It’s easy to think of your customers as endpoints in a sales cycle, but the real magic happens when they become part of your brand’s identity.
The history of Supreme is a prime showcase of how a brand fosters a tribal subculture in its customers. What started as a niche skate shop grew into a global phenomenon—not because of any traditional advertising methods, but because the brand itself became synonymous with its community. People don’t camp outside stores for drops just to own a new product, they crave the physical presence of being involved in that community.
Key Takeaway: When customers are treated like insiders they’re actually buying that feeling of belonging, not the products.
The days of top-down brand narratives are over; Modern customers want to co-create, not just consume. A good—and quite literal—example of a brand producing their customers’ ideas is found in the LEGO Ideas series.
The output of this series of LEGO building sets relies on designs submitted by fans that have the potential to become official LEGO products. By giving their audience full creative control, the end result is not that LEGO will simply receive these new product concepts—they cultivate evangelists who are awarded for making a difference.
The community of Fenty Beauty thrives because the brand listens to its customers, treating them more like a fanbase than consumers. The beauty (get it?) in this interaction lies in Fenty’s recognition of user-generated content: Fans are involved in everything from product ideas to marketing campaigns.
When a brand listens to this degree, customers shout their loyalty from the rooftops.
Launch Collaborative Campaigns:
Celebrate User-Generated Content:
Build Feedback Loops:
Just like skateparks and underground venues, today’s communities have their own gathering places in new digital formats.
Discord servers, Reddit threads, private Instagram accounts: these are the modern campfires where stories are shared and summer camp-level loyalty is forged. No s’mores though, someone should get on that…
Peloton’s thriving digital community is proof that shared experiences can create unshakable bonds, even in a digital realm. Live riding classes are the secret ingredient to encouraging this loyalty and experience: riders cheer each other on, form tighter subgroups with others, and celebrate personal milestones collectively.
You forget that it’s a bike—it becomes a lifestyle.
Though they probably didn’t recognize it at the time, the coolest subcultures often start on the fringes of “normal.” They’re raw, authentic, and unapologetically themselves. Brands that try too hard to “fit in” often end up looking like they’re wearing a costume, getting lost in a crowd of other lookalikes.
The key: stay real. Really real.
Case Study: Liquid Death, the canned water brand, took an irreverent approach with their “murder your thirst” tagline and punk-inspired marketing. Elevating themselves far beyond the industry norms of any water brand, they leaned into humor and edge.
How many other water brands have hired a witch-doctor to curse their competitors?
So, how do you actually transform your customers into subculture icons? Here’s a roadmap:
Let’s look one more time at that 90s skatepark to make this realization: those kids all owned these identifying products—the brands of the boards, jeans, boombox—but purchasing these items was never the end goal.
Selling products shouldn’t be the north star in your brand’s process, it should be to create a movement. When your brand becomes a part of your customers’ identity, you’ve transcended marketing.
Next time you’re planning a campaign, ask yourself: How can we make our customers the heroes of this story? Lean into their creativity, celebrate their individuality, and give them a platform to shine. The result won’t just be a campaign—it’ll be a community, a tribe.
Can't make your brand stand out and feel real? Read "Storytelling with Data: How to Make Spreadsheets Cry".