Fan Communities

Fan Communities. With the increasing impact of Bubble-Up Culture, fan communities will matter more in 2023. Fan communities are in-built audiences for new products, even those distant from a brand’s core competency.

They enable monetisation based not on mass appeals and advertising, but on propulsion towards the mainstream by a movement. Another characteristic of a fan community is that it likely spans the online and offline worlds. Fans can be a vital source of understanding about the deepest points of connection between consumers and a brand.

Mass culture has become a contested idea at a time when communities, “tribes” and fandoms are increasingly the source of culture formation and dissemination. For marketers, this means that traditional notions of “mainstream” appeal could be due for a rethink. For Gen Z in particular, this is an increasingly foreign – and, indeed, unwelcome– lens for thinking about their cultural lives.

Taking part in “bubble up” culture will require that brands find authentic ways of engaging with numerous different communities while remaining true to a clear, overarching proposition. Creators are the lifeblood of this new digital ecosystem, and especially popular with members of Gen Z. For marketers and media owners, these influencers are a route to cultural relevance.

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