Brand Against the Machine: How to Build Your Brand, Cut Through the Marketing Noise, and Stand Out from the Competition

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Longing to Belong

DO YOU REMEMBER all those silly high school cliques, the ones we were desperate to be a part of and made life horrible when they wouldn't let us in? That need to belong has been instilled in all of us since a very early age. We all want to feel like we are a part of something. Everyone wants to feel like they belong.

There's not a person on earth who isn't looking for their place. That place where it's okay to be yourself because you are with others just like you. I've always felt like being an entrepreneur is very lonely, so when I find myself surrounded by other like-minded entrepreneurs, I feel at home. We're on the same page. We can talk about the same things. There's an understanding and connection with each other based on our commonality, even if the rest of our lives are at polar opposite ends of the spectrum.

Your fans, audience, or whatever you want to call them, all have that longing to belong. They want to be a part of something that is fun, exciting, and has a real sense of community. Have you ever noticed how motorcycle drivers almost always wave at other motorcycle drivers or how drivers notice others with the same make and model of car? They don't even know each other, yet there is a connection. That connection is based on the commonality and significance of liking the same thing.

Harley Davidson has an enormous number of fans. Not only are these fans super passionate, but they also want to hang around with other Harley Davidson fans. They organize ...