“Building super-fandom isn’t an art, it’s a science with a proven formula that brands can learn and replicate.”
– Andy Zimmerman, CEO of Journey
Fans follow predictable patterns centered around shared ideas that generate a sense of belonging. Understanding these patterns is the path to transforming casual consumers into passionate fans who drive real business impact. Monetizing a fan engagement is about creating an ecosystem where fans feel valued, empowered, and excited to spend money — without feeling exploited.
Fandom operate on four fundamental principles:
Emotional resonance comes first. Life is made up of experiences. Experiences are made up of moments and what we remember from those moments are memories. Taylor Swift’s fans – “Swifties” – see their stories reflected in her lyrics and every album becomes a shared emotional journey. Because they see themselves and their values reflected in Taylor’s music, they become a part of her “tribe” – her fandom.
Shared rituals and language create insider status. Fandom about creating a culture people want to be part of. A movement they feel ownership over. It’s an unspoken code among Marvel fans that you stick around for the post-credit scenes of every single movie. Fandoms develop their own vocabularies, traditions, and ways of belonging that make outsiders want in.
A sense of belonging transforms individual consumers into collective identities. There are whole online and in-person communities dedicated to being a member of Beyoncé’s Beyhive. They travel to concerts together, buy music and merchandise together, and every other brand avenue released by Queen Bey.
Active participation and co-creation turns audiences into collaborators. Fandoms thrive because fans don’t just consume. They remix, theorize, create fan art, write fanfiction, and build upon the original work, offering another opportunity for direct fan-to-artist connection.
Most brands approach loyalty like a math problem. Spend $100, get 10 points. Visit five times, get a free coffee. Instead of a transactional approach to building brand loyalty, consider deploying the following:
Build emotional anchors in the brand experience: There are degrees of fandom from casual to die-hard superfans – from a low to high emotional investment. The higher the emotional investment, the higher the loyalty and engagement frequency. Every brand interaction is an opportunity to create lasting emotional connections beyond the initial point of sale. Red Bull exemplifies this approach by translating the energy and thrill customers experience from their drink into a lifestyle ecosystem. Through immersive experiences like virtual reality alpine climbing and extreme sports activations, Red Bull offers energy and the feeling of limitless possibility for their community of thrill-seekers.
Foster community, not an audience: Audiences consume, but communities create, connect, and discover together. Celebrities have become especially adept at leveraging fandom to create dedicated brand communities. Take Hailey Bieber’s recent success with cult beauty brand Rhode. From exclusive pop-up events and viral TikTok videos, Rhode created virtual and physical spaces where beauty enthusiasts could experiment and bond over their collective obsession. In turn, Rhode built a movement around beauty that turned skincare routines into shared experiences and enough cultural cache to drive a $1 billion valuation in just three years, leading to its acquisition by e.l.f. Beauty.
Make fans a part of the experience: Designing a fan engagement experience involves creating a holistic, emotionally resonant journey that deepens the relationship between fans and a brand. Fandoms cultivate active participants and collaborators. Netflix’s “Netflix Houses” represent this principle at scale, transforming viewers into main characters of their favorite Netflix series. One second they’re a contestant of Squid Game and the next they’re wandering through Stranger Things’ Hawkins to solve the latest mystery. Netflix repurposed dying mall space to create these immersive experiences, curating a new way for younger generations to experience malls and TV shows. A win for Netflix, the teens, and the malls.
The most successful brands don’t just have customers, they have believers. Behind every transaction is a human being seeking connection, meaning, and belonging. In a world where fandoms power industries, the only thing standing between brands and that devotion is the courage to design experiences that honor this fundamental truth.
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Van Tyne, Sean. Understanding The Types of Fan Monetization. November 11, 2025. https://www.seanvantyne.com/2025/11/01/understanding-the-types-of-fan-monetization/
Van Tyne, Sean. Five Essential Rules to Fandom. October 6, 2025. https://www.seanvantyne.com/2025/10/06/five-essential-rules-to-fandom/
Van Tyne, Sean. Fan Engagement Monetization Experience. August 2, 2025. https://www.seanvantyne.com/2025/08/02/fan-engagement-monetization-experience/
Van Tyne, Sean. July 24, 2025. Fan Engagement Experience Design. https://www.seanvantyne.com/2025/07/24/fan-engagement-experience-design/
Zimmerman, Andy. There’s a formula to loyalty—super-fandoms have mastered it. Fast Company. July 15, 2025. https://www.fastcompany.com/91368842/theres-a-formula-to-loyalty-super-fandoms-have-mastered-it
Van Tyne, Sean. Life, Experiences, Moments and Memories. May 26, 2019. https://www.seanvantyne.com/2019/05/26/life-experiences-moments-and-memories/