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Fans are people who have an intense liking and enthusiasm for a person, brand, sporting club, idea or trend. Though there is some confusion as to the origin of the word fan, it is the 20th century which really forged its meaning. Whether they are called aficionados, political supporters or band groupies, all have common characteristics resulting from a liberal society with an ever growing media reach.
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Putting extremities aside, we can attribute the becoming of one to the following factors: the fact that spectatorship is a form of leisure; dreaming of leading someone else’s life is a form of escapism; the bonding that exists between members of the same community or between fans that exercise the same activities often creates a state of euphoria among them. Fans are often experts in their field and know everything about their favourite subject; this can be easily perceived in their lifestyle.
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Fans have existed since even before the introduction of mass media outputs, such as radio and television; nevertheless, new technologies have considerably helped develop this lifestyle. People can now for instance watch sport games at the other side of the world without the need to be physically present at the match (even though the real enthusiasts will book a plane ticket to go there). With television came movies and attractive actors introducing some glamour into our lives. This has created new categories of fans. Etc, etc.
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The computer and later the Internet have further supported fan-based development with the introduction of bulletin board systems (BBS), then forums, and finally social networks. Fans suddenly had access to virtual connections, broadening their exchanges with other members of the community.
In the meantime, companies started to grasp the underlying economic significance behind this particular lifestyle and started tapping into it. T-shirts, dolls, posters, collectibles, and any kind of other merchandising or advertising with a star (actor or sportsman) would have anticipated success. Yet, the real value of a fan is not only his wallet, but his enthusiasm and viral communication.
Those are the advocates, people that do not necessarily follow a fan’s lifestyle, but can share their feelings with Fuggles (non-fan, a personal neologism based on JK Rowling’s non-magician or Muggle).
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The 21st Century introduced us to social media and new ways for self-expression. Fans can share their thoughts, experiences and pictures on their own blog, tweet about everything that happens with their favourite actor and show their enthusiasm on different social networks. Social media has brought with it its share of self-promotion and self-branding, giving the fan new opportunities.
But this is not where it ends. First of all, actors, sport clubs, bands and politicians are starting to understand this new channel and tap into it. Radiohead, Nine Inch Nails (NIN), Obama, Schwarzenegger are examples with moderate to extremely successful results. Social media helps to create stronger bonds with the fan’s subject of interest by creating interaction or at least being provided with information. The fan therefore feels relief as he knows his favourite sportsman (singer or other) knows about his existence.
Companies are also trying to understand how to tap into this pool of enthusiasm and are reaching out to the fans. This however is much more complex as there is no easy way to create a strong bonding with them.
Another part of this evolution - and a very interesting aspect of it - is the fact that some early blogs writers and social media early adopters have managed to create their own fan-base. They are not necessarily glamorous people, nor especially charismatic; it is their success, knowledge, demeanour and existing followers which attract others.
This has brought a new level to “fanship”. On the one hand, anyone with some guts or a funny idea can have his 15 minutes of success and can probably make it last much longer.
With other words, the real fan is losing ground to common people. By showing our love or appreciation time and time again on social networks, by using applications such as iLike or fan pages, aren’t we just usurping the fan’s title and therefore condemning him to an impoverished state of mind?
The same way that experts and journalists have to deal with User-Generated Content (UGC), the fan has to adapt and overcome this new ordeal by providing better content.
If this is the case, how can companies adapt to this change and acclimatize to this new environment when they haven’t yet grasped the full meaning of social media?
Should their online strategy be focused on growing their consumer base, or should they be willing to focus more on their existing fan-base and add value to this relationship?
Is the use of advertisements, applications, affiliation marketing or sponsoring the right method? Or, on the contrary, should there be different approaches per category of fanship, distinguishing the real fan from the amateur?
What would you suggest?
