The brands that stand out don’t just show up; they build connection, community, and something people actually believe in.
At Fast Company Grill during SXSW, the cult branding panel showed how real brands cut through the noise, build loyalty, and create memorable experiences that turn attention into lasting connections.
Why One SXSW Panel Stuck With Us
SXSW is loud. It’s layered. Its companies spread out everywhere, all at the same time. And not all of it will stick. The moments that are intentional and focused are the ones that actually stick.
We didn’t try to see everything this year. We really were just roaming around Austin to see which events called out to us.
For us, it came down to one company. one panel.
A conversation centered around cult branding and what it really takes to build it.
Inside Fast Company’s Grill House: A Standout SXSW Brand Experience
It happened inside the Fast Company Grill. An activation that, in itself, got a lot right.
Guests could join through a general admission line, signing up via QR code either on arrival or online ahead of time, and received a yellow wristband. People moved through smoothly, greeted by friendly staff, and a free bar tab for all guests kept the energy social. A paid lunch tier, marked by orange wristbands, added layers of exclusivity offered: reserved tables with attentive “wait staff” and food served directly at the tables. However, whether the table was reserved or not, anyone could grab a fresh, ready-to-eat meal from Farmer’s Fridge vending machines. Up front, about three rows of reserved, blocked off seating put attendees directly in front of the panelists without feeling stuffy.
It wasn’t just an event. It was an ecosystem.
And within that ecosystem was a panel titled: Cracking the Cult Brand Code
The SXSW Panel That Cut Through The Noise
The panel, Cracking the Cult Brand Code, centered around a simple but important idea: in a world where consumers have endless options, only a handful of brands will break through, building real loyalty, creating cultural moments, and turning customers into genuine fans.
The conversation focused on what separates short-term hype from lasting devotion, and what it really takes to build a brand people don’t just buy from, but believe in.
The panel featured:
Elyse Cohen, Chief Impact Officer at Rare Beauty & President of the Rare Impact Fund
Kim Vaccarella, Founder and CEO of Bogg
Jen Zeszut, Cofounder and CEO of Goodles
Moderated by David Salazar, Staff Editor at Fast Company
The idea was simple:
Why do some brands build real loyalty, while others just ride waves of hype?
But what made the panel hit wasn’t just the topic. It was the raw clarity of their responses. No fluff. No vague answers. Just real insights into what it really takes to build a business that people actually believe in.
At its core, it all came back to one thing: cult branding.
Key Cult Branding Takeaways from the SXSW Panel
1. Find the White Space and Own It
What stood out across the cult branding panel was how intentional each brand was about identifying what wasn’t being done, how they could fit in, and go all in.
For Goodles, Jen Zeszut, Cofounder and CEO, believed that meant challenging an entire category. While big competitors continued to position mac and cheese as something nostalgic or kid-focused, they saw an opportunity to lure in a new audience: young adults who had grown out of it.
Instead of playing within the category and repeating already done tactics, they expanded it.
That shift didn’t just win over customers; it created new demand that retailers actually wanted and a product that people fell in love with.
That’s cult branding: creating something people don’t just buy, but believe in.
2. Your Size Is Your Advantage
Being small isn’t a limitation. “It’s actually your leverage because you have exactly what they never have.”
The Goodles team spoke to the power of being nimble, scrappy, and willing to take risks that bigger brands simply can’t. That ability to move fast, test ideas, and stay close to your audience is what builds momentum and real loyalty, early on.
That hit. Especially coming from a small but growing creative studio at Forty4 Design, where being adaptive and resourceful is our creative advantage.
As they put it: “This is something that’s important not to change. Just go for it. There’s nothing stopping you.”
The message was clear: Don’t try to act big. Use the fact that you’re not.
Create Experiences That Connect
Building a brand is one thing. Creating experiences people actually connect with, online and in real life, is another. That’s exactly what we focus on at Forty4 Design.
3. Build for Real People, Not Demographics
Bogg Bag started with one simple audience: moms.
But instead of narrowing that audience, they expanded on what that category could mean. A Gen Z mom. A Gen X mom. Different lifestyles, but the same product. That flexibility allowed the brand to scale across a wide retail landscape. Kim Vaccarella, Founder and CEO, stated that “the beauty of our product could range from Dicks sporting goods to Nordstrom and Bloomingdale’s,” without losing its identity.
The takeaway: Don’t over-define your audience to the point where you limit your growth.
This is a core lesson in cult branding. Always have room for more runway to cover.
4. Community Is Built in the Small Moments
Goodles didn’t just talk about the community they built, they showed what it actually looks like:
- Writing personal notes to customers
- Showing up in conversations
- Supporting fans who host their own gatherings
And the result?
People are tattooing the brand. Dressing up as it is for Halloween. Throwing block parties around it.
As someone who’s chronically online, that kind of loyalty stands out. You can tell when something is real versus when it’s being pushed. These results weren’t manufactured or optimized for clicks. The community built is organic, creative, and driven by people who genuinely care.
And that’s the difference.
Because that kind of loyalty doesn’t come from ad spend, it comes from connection.
Real cult branding is built through community.
5. Don’t Chase Growth at the Expense of Quality
In my opinion, one of the most grounded takeaways of the panel was simple: Never sacrifice the product for attention.
For Goodles, that meant staying committed to quality—no shortcuts, no chasing trends just to keep up.
And honestly, that’s where a lot of brands and companies get lost. It’s easier to cut corners for growth, to follow what’s working for someone else, or to prioritize quick wins over long-term value. But when everything is said and done, your brand is all you have, and not all attention is the right attention.
You don’t just want people watching. You want the right people to believe.
Because hype might get people in the door, but the product is what makes them stay.
6. Purpose Has to Be Lived, Not Marketed
Elyse Cohen, Chief Impact Officer of Rare Beauty & President of Rare Impact Fund, offered one of the clearest examples of this.
In an industry built on perfection, Rare Beauty flipped the narrative, challenging the idea that beauty is about covering up who you are.
Instead, they built a brand rooted in mental health, self-acceptance, and authenticity, stemming directly from their founder, Selena Gomez’s, lived experience with unrealistic standards from a young age. The goal wasn’t just to sell makeup, but to create a space where people could embrace who they are and use beauty as a tool for something deeper.
As they put it: “Let’s create a community about embracing who we are, breaking down unrealistic standards of perfection, and talking about mental health and self-acceptance along the way.”
That was their white space.
This wasn’t just messaging for the brand; it was truly embedded into the brand from the start. That’s what separates surface-level marketing from real cult branding.
Their philosophy says it best: People come for the products, but they stay for the mission.
7. Protect What Makes You Different
When asked for final advice, every speaker came back to the same idea, but in a different font:
Goodles: Being small and scrappy is your edge, don’t lose it
Bogg Bag: Learn how to do things yourself before handing them off
Rare Beauty: Stay true to your point of difference
What makes your brand unique is the one thing you can’t afford to dilute. The strongest brands today aren’t just selling products, they’re selling an identity, a meaning. That’s the foundation of cult branding.
People don’t just buy to buy. They see themselves in it.
That shift, from transaction to loyalty, is what separates attention from obsession. And it’s what turns customers into advocates.
The Bigger Picture: Why This SXSW Experience Stuck With Us
What made this moment land wasn’t just what was said on the cult branding stage; it was everything around it.
Fast Company didn’t just host a conversation; they created the conditions for it to matter. A space where people could walk in casually, stay intentionally, and leave with something real.
But honestly, walking into it, I thought it was just going to be a cool experience, another large-scale activation at SXSW. I didn’t expect to leave with something meaningful.
Then the panel started. And it hit.
Not just for me, but for our team too. We found ourselves connecting with what was being said in a real way. The speakers weren’t just talking to the audience, they were saying things we’ve always believed at Forty4 Design: don’t lose sight of what you want, stay true to your brand, don’t chase trends, believe in your mission. It all felt so familiar.
And that was the unexpected part, realizing that these brands, as big as they are now, started in the same place a lot of us are in. Small. Figuring it out day by day. Taking risks.
That’s why it hit.
That’s why it stood out to us over the majority of SXSW events. Their words actually meant something, making the cult branding principles feel real.
Honorable Mentions: Other SXSW Moments We Experienced
We didn’t see everything, and we’re not pretending to. But a few other activations we came across are worth mentioning:
Inc. Founders House — Free entry, breakfast, and a bar tab made it an easy stop, but the “airport/boarding pass” concept added a layer of creativity. The pop-up, paired with panels and goodie bags, made it feel thoughtful without being overdone or overwhelming.
Mercury Pop-Up — A simple setup with free mystery gifts and a photobooth. It leaned into interaction and gave people a reason to step in and engage.
São Paulo House — Music, an open bar, and a steady crowd throughout. It felt less like a structured activation and more like a destination and fun space people naturally gravitated toward.
It’s the same mindset we brought into our recent SXSW activation, building something people don’t just see, but feel.
→ Check out the work we did for 1 Hotels
Final Thoughts From SXSW
SXSW will always be filled with things to see, do, and chase. Live music, panels, expos, brand experiences, and more. Doing it all will definitely leave you feeling more encouraged, but not all of it stays with you.
The moments that do stay aren’t always the biggest or the loudest; they’re the ones that shift how you think, even slightly.
This was one of them.
We walked into SXSW expecting a moment, but we left with insight.
And if anything, it was a reminder that the best brands aren’t just built to be seen. They’re built to mean something.
That’s what cult branding is all about.