Carl Pei, founder of cell phone company Oneplus created a brand centered around enthusiast fandom. The company slogan “never settle” embodies the way that the company brings high quality smartphones to market at low prices by selling direct to consumer and eliminating the unnecessary bells and whistles that other phone brands are laden with.

Oneplus began as an invite-only purchase model since their manufacturing capacity was limited. All advertising was done through word of mouth and a tight knit community of fans quickly formed. As the company grew, Oneplus implemented a referral program with discount incentives to drive more sales. Today the company is a well established player in the global smartphone market.