May 04, 2011, 10:19 AM — It's not often that a company of any kind is accused of inspiring cultlike devotion. But that's certainly the case with at least one tech giant: Apple is widely considered to have a cultlike following among its customers. How else can you explain the fact that the release of the white iPhone 4 was such important news? Especially when the white iPhone 4's distinguishing attribute is its being...white.
But Apple isn't the only tech company out there with a seemingly cult-like following. Android and BlackBerry (CrackBerry?) fanboys abound, ravaging the internet with their similarly irrational, mindless chants about their respective platforms' advantages.
(See "Quiz: Who Said It--Cult Member or Fanboy?")
But can any of these followings really be called "cultlike"? After all, there is a difference between "intense brand loyalty" and "cult membership"--right?
Let's take a look at the three loyalty-inspiring phone brands--Android, Apple, and BlackBerry--and see how they compare with real cults.
What is a Cult?
People often think that cults are all the same: manipulative, mind-controlling, and evil. But this isn't the case--there are many different kinds of cults, and not all are dangerous.
According to leading cult expert, former cult member, and founder of The Freedom of Mind Center, Steve Hassan, cults exist on a continuum ranging from benign to destructive. In fact, Hassan says many cults are not considered dangerous, because they don't use destructive tactics such as mind control, coercion, or deception. Rather, they're benign cults that inspire people's loyalty through the simple--and ethical--use of psychology.
Because no two cults are the same, it's hard to define exactly what makes a cult. Hassan identifies destructive cults as having four basic components (sometimes known as the BITE Model): Behavior control, Information control, Thought control, and Emotional control. According to Hassan, "destructive mind control" can be determined when all four of these components come together and promote dependency and obedience to a certain leader or cause.
Now, most of these components are not found in the "cults" we're talking about here. After all, Steve Jobs doesn't ask Apple users to cut their hair a certain way, and the cute green Android robot doesn't encourage you to spy on other Android users to make sure they're not using Apple products.
Douglas Atkin's book, The Culting of Brands, defines cultlike traits that many brands exhibit (or can exhibit in order to inspire loyalty in their users). Many of Atkin's cult characteristics can apply to nondestructive cults as well as destructive ones, including the emphasis and promotion of difference or exclusivity, emphasis on symbolism, shared experiences, and strict adherence to a doctrine or belief system.
Let's take a look at some of the classic traits of cults and the behavior of the people leading them and participating in them, then compare them to the traits we see in tech movements and their devotees.
Cult Trait #1: A Charismatic Leader
