How to best leverage on 'fandom'-ination for marketing

Fandom culture has grown exponentially. Fans are no longer just showing support online on social media or buying merchandise. In recent times, fans have gone to great lengths such as purchasing out-of-home (OOH) ads to showcase their loyalty and support for their favourite artists. When Taylor Swift occupied the top 14 spots on the Billboard Hot 100 chart earlier in May, Swifties bought a billboard at New York's Times Square to congratulate the singer. Closer to home, fans of K-Pop virtual boy group PLAVE bought a digital billboard in celebration of member Bamby's birthday.

In a digital age where fandoms wield unprecedented influence, the relationship between brands and their most passionate supporters can evolve into a dynamic force - if done right. This is especially since fans are no longer passive consumers, said Stella Wong, founder, Brand Soul. 

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Fans are no longer just passive consumers; they are active participants in the creative process, and their voices are becoming increasingly influential.

They are actively shaping and influencing the content they love, using their collective voice and resources to make their preferences known, said Wong in conversation with MARKETING-INTERACTIVE.  As such, brands and content creators would do well to find ways to harness this fan energy and engagement, while also navigating the complexities and potential challenges that come with it.

On one hand, fan-led engagements can be a powerful indicator of fan loyalty and engagement, which can be leveraged to build stronger connections with audiences. On the other hand, they can also create tensions if the fans' desires conflict with the creative or commercial interests of the brand.

"Ultimately, the rise of fan-led engagements reflects a shift in the power dynamics between fans and content creators," added Wong. 

Leveraging fan-led engagements

Nikola Hassan, managing director of Avant-X added that the growing popularity in fan-generated content is "fascinating as a marketing practitioner". 

"We know the strategy and planning that goes into OOH ads, and for fans to devote their time to create shout-outs to celebrate their favourite idols is truly captivating," said Hassan.  That said, brands can capitalise on these fan-led engagements by amplifying their efforts. 

"There’s a community willing to be engaged and brands can outreach with authenticity. Fan-led ads are enabling the community of fans to drive the conversation, and as brand creators, owners and cultivators, we need to continue to empower them to successfully contour ‘fandom’ to ‘brandom’," said Hassan. Social media is a great platform to amplify fan-led engagement while still providing fans a platform to share, added Hassan.

In tandem, brands can capitalise on these fan-led engagements for strategic brand integration by tapping into their creativity and use their insights to personalise marketing.

"The idea is to see these super-passionate fans as an opportunity, not a challenge. By working with them, you can build stronger, more meaningful relationships that go beyond just buying and selling," said Ong Ee Shen, chief strategy officer, Brand Soul. 

In addition, brands can work with fans on cool projects like fan art, fan fiction or even fan-made trailers and videos. Brands may even consider asking fans themselves for ideas on new products or campaigns, said Ong, adding that brands can: 

Learn what makes fans tick and use that to tailor your marketing.

Through fan-led engagement, brands can also "target specific groups with ads or sponsorships that speak to them", said Ong. 

"Host fan forums, Q&As, or feedback sessions to hear what they think. Use their ideas to shape your brand and make it better. Let them help create content or experiences that are all about the brand," explained Ong. 

To Ong, showings fans that the brand cares about them and the fandom, and creating exclusive content, experiences or merchandises will make fans feel that they're part of a special club.  

Nicolette Yim, business director of PPURPOSE agrees, adding that brands can also leverage these engagements by creating strategic partnerships.

"Brands can reward fans with sneak peeks or exclusive 'money can’t buy' access that will in turn build brand affinity and generate earned media - whether it is through social media or word of mouth," said Yim. 

In fact, this led to the thinking behind "Club Netflix", a community building initiative conceptualised by PPURPOSE that brought the world of Netflix to life and gathered KOL fans from across the region to get a first look at key titles. The event, according to Yim, saw surprise appearances from actors from these Netflix shows to interact with their fans, and specially curated menus by chefs inspired by the shows.

Other successful examples in the past include adidas' "We Got This” campaign with David Beckham that took place in Singapore in 2022. During his visit, adidas surprised the Manchester United Supporters’ Club in Singapore with a short game of futsal with Beckham, giving them an exclusive opportunity to interact with the football legend himself. The campaign itself saw a large number of coverage on social media alongside local and regional media outlets, said Yim. 

Measuring success 

In today's world, there is no marketing without metrics. Yim said that success can be measured through brand uplift, increase in social media engagement with likes, share, reposts and the usage of hashtags. 

"Success of brand integration in the fan base or community can also be measured by the growth in active base," said Yim. 

Ong is of the opinion that "the key is to look beyond just the financial bottom line and focus on metrics that capture the depth and quality of the fan-brand relationship". "By monitoring a balanced set of engagement, loyalty, and advocacy metrics, brands can get a more holistic view of their fan engagement success," said Ong. 

This looks like measuring their success through fan sentiment and loyalty such as survey and feedback, as well as tracking fan retention and repeat engagement over time. 

Success also comes in measuring brand affinity and advocacy, explained Ong. This includes fan-created content, merchandise sales, and other signs of brand investmen, mentions and word-of-mouth referrals from fans and fan activism or lobbying on behalf of the brand.

Other forms of measurements includes experientially metrics too, said Wong. This includes attendance, ticket sales, and in-person event participation, feedback on the quality of fan experiences and event and observed behaviours such as cheering and merchandise wearing. 

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