Sports fandom in the metaverse: marketing implications and research agenda
The metaverse is transforming how sports fans consume sports, express their fandom, and interact with sports brands representing professional sports leagues, teams and athletes. However, scholars and practitioners lack an understanding of how sports brands can effectively appeal to their fans using the metaverse. This conceptual study aims to address this gap by combining marketplace evidence and extant research through the lens of social identity theory. The study suggests that sports brands should engage their fans in the metaverse by offering exclusive experiences that strengthen fans’ identification as a fan, facilitating opportunities for fans to demonstrate their fandom and reinforce their association with the fan community, and fostering immersive experiences that enable fans to interact with each other and the sports brand. This study outlines several potential areas for future research based on three themes, namely experiences, personalization, and inclusivity. By addressing these areas, sports brands can better understand and optimize their engagement strategies with fans using the metaverse.
Springer Nature Link / Ellen Schmidt-Devlin & Raeesah Chohan
Cannes Lions Retrospective: 3 Reasons Why Fandom Can Be a Marketer's Superpower
CANNES, France 2024 —Brands whose marketing strategies overlook fan communities are leaving their most valuable audiences untapped, executives shared at a group chat on Monday at ADWEEK House in Cannes. Michael Sugar, CEO and founder of Sugar23, moderated the panel, which included Alyssa Buetikofer, vice president and CMO of McDonald’s Canada, and Stephanie Fried, the CMO of Fandom. The executives discussed the power of connecting with audiences in fan communities and through online forums surrounding sports, entertainment, music and gaming. All three executives are well-versed in the subject. Sugar, an Oscar-winning producer, has been recently helping brands connect with popular celebrities who inspire fandoms.
AD Week
Fandom and marketers: Here’s what the numbers say
From pop stars to sports, fandoms can be a great benefit to marketers, but not without risks, according to a recent Kearney report.
Marketingdive.com/Kearney
Here’s How Fandom Marketing Can Power Your Global Strategy
Embracing Fan Culture - As brands continue to recognize the power of fandoms, we’re likely to see more campaigns that celebrate fandom creativity, blending branded experiences with the unique passions of these dedicated communities. This evolution in marketing makes fandoms an invaluable asset for brands looking to build meaningful, long-lasting relationships with consumers.
Sociallypowerful.com
Fandom is no longer a niche, as 3-in-5 Aussies consider themselves fans.
In an age where passive impressions are losing their power, with 70% of media investment reportedly wasted on attention that doesn’t last beyond two seconds, Snack Drawer identifies fandom as a potent, underutilised force for brands seeking to build true cultural relevance.
Snack Drawer / Campaign Brief
Different fans express their fandom in different ways - Sports and Entertainment: Key insights on fandom, betting, media, and more..
The ways we spend our free time are changing amidst generational shifts, technological innovation, and more. Read on for a closer look at Ipsos’ exclusive data on sports and entertainment.
IPOS
Study of influencers in the pharmaceutical field and connection with their audience
Through a methodology based on content analysis, the publications and reactions of the main pharmaceutical-themed profiles on TikTok are examined, delving into the communication resources, interaction strategies and topics with which they connect with their audience. The results reveal that, unlike other digital spaces, which are more prone to tension and confrontation, pharmaceutical influencers can openly expose their experience and professional opinion, and also demonstrate their mastery of the technical resources offered by TikTok to create informative videos about health.
Mediterranean Journal of Communication (MJC) / Revista Mediterránea de Comunicación (RMC)
Healthcare Fandom: How to Boost Engagement by Creating Fans
There is a clear need for "fan building" in healthcare. "Fans" are a critical engagement component of most industries; so how can healthcare remain the exception as it strives to be more consumer friendly? This book postulates that to have better (or more engaged) consumers in healthcare, we need to strive to build fans, followers, and friends.
First, readers are initiated to the complexities in healthcare and necessary mindset changes to create fans and sustained engagement. Second, a model based on best practices from consumer disciplines provides a blueprint for building healthcare fans. Third, possible applications for Fandom in healthcare are illustrated with tools and templates to get leaders started on their journey for transformative engagement through Fandom.
It incorporates wisdom based on interviews and discussions with healthcare leaders so Healthcare Fandom can become the oxygen needed for sustained healthcare engagement.
Purchase Here from Google books. Auth: Christina Speck
Why sports are the next big win for pharmaceutical marketing
Consumers are used to watching paid actors implore them to ask their doctors about any number of pharmaceutical drugs or treatments. But when more than a third of Americans say they follow or pay attention to sports teams, leagues, or favorite athletes at least semi-closely, according to a 2023 Pew Research survey, there is a whole field of underutilized marketing opportunities available for pharma.
Ad Age
Can fandoms be as deep and meaningful as religion?
Most of us can say that we’re fans of something – music, sports, art, books. But what does it mean to be part of a fandom? You’ve probably seen devoted super fans participating in cos play at Comic-Con, painted in their team’s color at a football game or dressed up as their favorite characters at a midnight screening of a film series. But is there something deeper than just fun at play here? Something that aligns more with religion or even sacredness? That’s the argument of sociologist Michael Elliott, a professor at Towson University who has studied the culture of Comic-Con for 7 years. Elliott joins The Excerpt to share the results of his deep research into fandoms.
USA Today
