What really makes you famous? World-class advertising spend and physical distribution like Coca-Cola? Influencer collaborations like Nike? Content and shows like Paddy Power? Or all of them?
“Make my brand famous!” the CMO shouted. It makes sense, right? (Even if he did.) Being the most famous brand in a category means being the most recognizable and talked about brand. And that means winning the battle that Byron Sharp called “mental accessibility” in his famous book How Brands Grow. It means people will choose you and put you ahead of the competition.
So what actually makes you famous? World-class advertising spend and physical distribution like Coca-Cola? Influencer collaborations like Nike? Content and shows like Paddy Power? Or all of them?
How do you maintain your reputation? Can your brand afford the cost of continued reach and buzz? As one Pepsi customer once told me about their content strategy: “We have to keep feeding the beast, Christian!”
After quitting soda and focusing solely on video game marketing at Waste, I realized there was one truth to all of this…
Fans are the lifeblood of eternal fame
Advertising, content marketing, PR, and collaborations are empty tools without the validation and support of a dedicated fan base. Your fans are people who are passionate about you. Loving you is part of who they are. Supporting you is part of their purpose in life.
It's clear that when it comes to fame, fans are priceless:
Your fans will describe you with passion and in all their unique style in a way that no advertisement could.
They will continue to talk about you even during your less active periods.
They will share your content with higher credibility than any sponsored post you make.
They will raise your reputation and create excitement in an unexpected way for you.
They will create content and memes that fit the spirit of your brand culture.
They will encourage more people to use your products because they want to share the growth journey and experience that ensures their passion will continue.
Your fans will build on your fame in their circles because they will want to meet other people like them.
They will initiate cultural rituals that will redefine what makes your brand famous in the first place.
They will continue to stand behind you even when you lose your reputation. (Unless you make major mistakes that have damaged their trust beyond repair.)
Fan culture must be constantly nurtured
Fans can’t be bought. This isn’t like people who watch your ad once on YouTube or your Facebook followers. Fans emerge naturally from your user base when you adhere to the principles of excellence (and continually provide them with something to fuel their loyalty), openness (being willing to listen to your users and spot emerging trends), and empowerment (giving them control and allowing them to organize themselves).
This is not about satisfying desires, it’s about creating meaningful value exchanges between the brand and the fans in a transparent manner. At the end of the day, you’re giving them entertainment, identity, influence and belonging; they’re giving you revenue, loyalty, ideas and ongoing advocacy. In short, you’re the winner.
What did Larian do differently?
The impact of Larian Studios’ roleplaying game Baldur’s Gate 3 (BG3) is a good example of fan-driven fame. According to a report by VGI, the game’s revenue reached $657 million in 2023 and its player base increased to 875,000. All this was achieved by a relatively small and independent game studio.
Read the full article in MediaCat.