A national newspaper contacted me yesterday asking for my opinion on whether using super fans to create and share your content was more effective than traditional celebrity endorsement. So, I wrote a few pointers for them. I suspect they will only use a quote or two from this, so I thought I would share my thoughts in full here. Once they publish the story, I shall also tweet out a link @njbaggott.
Here are my thoughts:
Influencing the influencers has become core to most business’ social media strategy. As Social channels like Facebook and Instagram have reduced the free exposure a brand can achieve with their personalisation algorithms, brands have had to find alternative ways of engaging with their audiences. Typically, we think of influencing influencers as being synonymous with finding celebrities with large reach. However, consumers increasingly want to hear from authentic users of a brand’s product or service, rather than listening to celebrities who they do not believe to be experts or genuine users of that brand. They will trust someone that they believe is genuinely recommending a product because they use it, more than someone who is being paid to endorse a brand. For this reason, I believe brands should focus on giving their best customers a voice.
This is particularly true in the more considered purchases, like in B2B sectors or in consumer markets that consumers want to research before they spend, such as choosing a University course, or a vacation. The rise of review sites like Trip Advisor and the importance of positive reviews in search rankings are examples of this.
One brand who uses fans effectively is Disney Themes Parks in the USA. Their “Disney Moms” membership programme is used to encourage theme park visitors to post positive and authentic imagery on their personal social media channels in return for money can’t buy rewards at the park (such as their children appearing in the Disney Parade or feeding the giraffes in Animal Kingdom. This generates huge reach for believable content that promotes their experiences.
Other examples include brands like Red Bull and Abercrombie & Fitch who use student ambassadors in University Campuses to spread the word and drive traffic to events and in-store activities.
The challenge for brands is how to maintain the feeling of authenticity when reviewers and members are getting rewards in return and also generating the reach that a high profile celebrity could achieve in one post.
My football team, Reading FC have used super fans in a different way to build bridges with their core fan base and to improve their fan experience. Since the appointment of a new Chief Executive in 2018, Reading FC have regularly engaged with a select group of Super Fans to ask for their opinion on generating a more positive atmosphere in the stadium and to bring more of a connection between fans and the club. It is the fans’ responsibility to feedback how the club has co-operated and listened to them with the rest of the fan base, via podcasts and fan forums. This has resulted in the club opening up a new area of the stadium, Club 1871, to fans who want to support the team in a positive way that does not include being abusive to away team fans, which has contributed to a much more positive in-stadium experience.
Do you have any great examples of brands using Super Fans that you can share?
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