Experiential Marketing: The Fandom Superpower

According to a recent Sky report sports fandom is on track to generate £13 billion a year for the UK economy by 2034.

So, it’s not surprising that across all forms of marketing fandom is the current hot topic. And, perhaps nowhere more than in the world of experiential. At Collaborate we’re well versed at tapping into existing fanbases, creating experiences to cater to both superfans and casual visitors. But any hot topic deserves a closer look – so building on LBB’s recent deep dive into fandom, we offer up a few thoughts through the experiential lens.

NOVEL OR RESURGENT? 

We start with insight around the wider context. Too often there’s assumption that the recent rise of fans is a new phenomenon built on social media and tech. But we see it as resurgence of the tribal nature of culture from the 1960s to the 2010s. It disappeared into relative homogeneity over the last decade and has resurfaced supercharged by tech and connectivity. 

There’s much to be learnt about recent fan groups by considering Beatlemania, goths, punks, Bros, Spice Girls to One Direction. It’s easy to dismiss a brand as not fan-worthy based on consumer behaviour over the last 10 years - we believe that any brand and product has potential to tap into a community defined by shared love rather than demographics.  

IT TAKES GUTS! 

Moving a transactional customer to a loyalist requires authenticity …you just can’t fake it. 

Brands need to be genuine, involved in the conversation, be consistent and build communities – this means being willing to occasionally lose control of the narrative. It means being brave, having an opinion, and client and agency working closely with open minds and trust. 

Red Bull is a great example - truly driving consistent emotional connection. It taps into scenes it plays in, identifying talent before it goes mainstream and championing athletes and artists to bring their ideas and visions to life. From Felix Baumgartner at the edge of space, Robbie Maddison backflipping over Tower Bridge, to nurturing Stormzy before he went mass – the brand is building on the dreams of the emergent stars themselves.  

TAKE FANS SERIOUSLY

You cannot be halfhearted, these groups are not strange niches, they are the first shoots of the new mainstream, and they have power! 

Think of Charlie XCX’s ‘Brat Summer’ …built on one very carefully chosen shade of green and a basic font, the antithesis of the manicured content creators on social. It’s messy, carefree, celebrates living for the moment and embracing the chaos just as Charlie lives her life. This isn’t a fad, it’s reflection of a true societal shift and has echoes of other summer trends: ‘very demure, very mindful’ or Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess. The colour green may fade, but the attitude to life, partying and rebellion may come to change a generation. 

NURTURE THE COMMUNITY  

Fandoms flourish when they are fed. Create opportunities for fans to commune and share so they are co-creators of content, not passive consumers. Rapha has achieved huge success by positioning the sport away from the negative image rooted in doping scandals and towards the ‘pain and glory’ that make it so addictive. Making the sport aspirational, the brand created a new lifestyle with road cycling at its core. 

TECH DRIVEN PERSONALISATION 

Use data and AI tools to hyper-personalise marketing to build consumption and build community. The epitome of a tech driven consumption brand is Amazon – striving to be the world’s most customer-centric company through AI, browsing and purchase data all aiming at personalisation. 

An excellent example of a tech driven community brand is Strava – growing rapidly by evolving from a platform logging rides to one that truly fosters and gamifies social fitness and personal challenge. 

CREATE MEMORABLE MAGIC

Media consumption is no longer linear – we watch, stream, scroll, listen, engage and experience. This is where experiential truly flexes its muscles. Contrast consumer attention of 14 seconds on an Instagram doom scroll with 14 minutes of engagement on a stand at a live event. Combining both means both deep and broad amplification - done right, digital is experiential’s best friend. Think Glastonbury - watch on TV and get the best view in the house. But go IRL, you live it - the Glasto swamps, the putrid long drops, the magic sing-alongs with headliners, and the secret 2am drag raves. 

ROI, CONNECTIVITY, THE ATTENTION ECONOMY

At our recent Open Table conversation with industry experts at Goodwood Revival - an event we know well and successfully plays with immersive escapism and fandom - three key fandom topics resonated…

Firstly, experiential ROI. Yes, there’s a need to do the basics: brand sentiment tracking, content driven by need-state analysis, attendance and sales data, social click rates etc. It’s just as important to establish a culture where not everything can be quantified, where there is ultimately a cost advantage to emotion, and where a fan is a brand asset that exists beyond the balance sheet.    

Secondly, the need to authentically connect with diehard fans, but never at the expense of casual brand consumers. Fans may drive emotion and attention, but sales volume may be driven by those less engaged.  

Thirdly, the “attention economy”. Broader media channels bringing wild content proliferation, super short viral trends, all lowering attention spans. The way forward? Experiment with output and see what sticks - viable for social messaging or tailored content. Bigger experiential budgets make it harder, but tweaking content and modular roadshow style builds can help. 

SUMMARY 

Fandom is evolving rapidly through cycles of love and cynicism, through brands that ebb and flow, and as technology empowers and constricts. As experiential becomes ever more relevant, fandom can unlock brand truths and engagement drivers for all visitors and ultimately deliver that sense of satisfaction when you just feel your event has got it right.