Fandoms: from marginal space to vector of cultural and economic transformation

The internet turned the fan club into a fandom. Social media made fandoms turn mainstream. With the strength to talk to millions, create content, demand products and pay for experiences, fandom has become a protagonist in the creative market and the pop industry. But what does this mean for us?

“Fandoms today are not just groups of people who love something; they are vectors of cultural, economic and even political transformations. Brands that recognize this are one step ahead”, explains André Alves, psychoanalyst and co-founder of the institute of cultural studies and behavioral research float. Alves is a writer and researches the behavior of young people in the digital world.

Almost 40% of Brazilians say they are fans of something or someone. According to research “The Age of Fandoms“, conducted by the Media Monks agency and float, Brazilians spend R$200 a month, on average, with their idols – five times more than the amount spent on cultural activities. More than half of fans say that, when they buy something from their idol, are investing in themselves.

The return on this comes in million-dollar figures. The Brazilian Brand and Character Licensing Association estimates that the market for licensed products is worth R$21.5 billion in Brazil and US$300 billion worldwide. According to the survey, 30% of Brazilians buy at least one limited edition product linked to the idol per year.

Financial power unfolds in the world. Taylor Swift's tour, The Eras Tour, which passed through Brazil in 2023, is expected to earn more than US$2.2 billion when it ends at the end of the year. Economists estimate that, in the United States alone, the artist's fans generate US$5 billion.

It's not just Taylor Swift who has an energized fandom. South Korean pop groups also draw crowds – online and offline. Fans who pay for subscriptions on specific apps, who go to shows, consume music. BTS alone is responsible for moving 0.3% of South Korea's gross domestic product.

WELCOME TO FAN-ECONOMY

In the 1960s and 70s, fangirls (groups of fan girls) were often ridiculed, seen as hysterical and obsessive. So much so that, to this day, the term fangirl is considered pejorative. In the 1980s and 90s, it was nerds' turn to occupy this place of worship and intense dedication to series, films and bands.

At that time, the film industry was looking for new sources of revenue and found the sale of licensed products a way to continue earning money from the public long after the films left the cinema.

In the 2000s, with the emergence of the internet, fans gained the stamp they needed: outgoing the kilometric letters and posters for idols, digital platforms with their infinite possibilities entered.

These are sites for fan stories (so-called fanfics), spaces for publishing drawings made by fans (fanarts) or tools for quick video editing (famcams). Even before the existence of social networks, fandoms were already creators and distributors of content.

Brazilian fandoms are hungry for live experiences: 62% would like more in-person fan-facing events.

The language of fandom entered culture once and for all with the networks: spoilers, shipping, lore, memes. The vocabulary of the internet is the glossary of fandom. “Fans today see themselves as co-creators. They are no longer just consuming, they are also creating”, says Fabiano Carvalho, director of cultural and insights from Monks.

The main fan fiction site, Archive of our Own (AO3), for example, has 13 million publications. More than half of Brazilian fans believe that fan-created content is as or more interesting as official content. 53% say that events organized by the fandom add more than an “official event”.

Fan-created products come out of the fandom niche. The film “An Idea of ​​You”, starring Anne Hathaway and released this year at the South by Southwest festival, has a script based on a fanfic made for singer Harry Styles.

Author Ali Hazelwood, who exploded on TikTok, has sold more than a million copies of her novels for young adults. His stories became famous on AO3, as alternate universe romances of Star Wars.

By creating different experiences, fans have changed the way brands launch products. Netflix, for example, has invested in immersive experiences. Burger King transformed one of its stores on Avenida Paulista, in São Paulo, into a space to set up sets for series, games and films. Even Airbnb jumped on the bandwagon and started to have an area focused on “themed houses“.

Creation is not just for the universe of fiction. Taylor Swift fans, for example, make and distribute “friendship bracelets” during The Eras Tour shows. The props are handmade and have song phrases, words of encouragement or the date of the concert.

Last year, when the tour passed through Brazil, there was a 120% increase in the sale of beads on Shopee and a 74% increase in searches for bracelet kits on Mercado Livre.

ANTI-PERRENGUE SHIELD

The survey of Brazilian fandoms indicated that they are hungry for live experiences: 62% would like more in-person events aimed at fans. But don't worry, this doesn't mean that every brand has to bring Madonna or Taylor Swift to Brazil. Or produce the Barbie movie.

There is also no point in selling licensed products or limited editions to reach this audience. Consumption without experience does not bring contact with the fandom. At best, it can irritate the public. “Fans are not idiots. On the contrary, they have a very strong critical sense because they dominate the universes we are talking about”, warns Alves.

For 61% of Brazilians, brands do not deliver a good product or experience for fans. One way to be together is to understand that, to consider yourself a fan of something, there are sacrifices.

“Perrengues” are part of fandom life. Whether it's watching a game in the pouring rain or spending hours standing in line to get the best seat at the front of the stage. For the group of people passionate about an artist, this experience serves to unite and create connections.

How many fans remember that game the team almost won? How many series fans remember the hours they waited for the last episode to air?

Brands can be in this environment and make life easier for fans. Fabiano Carvalho remembers Domino`s actions during Taylor Swift's tour in Brazil. In coordination with the Update Swift Brasil group, the brand distributed pizza and water to people who were waiting in long lines to enter the Allianz Parque stadium to follow the tour.

It was a way to be with the fandom without, in fact, having to print anything with the artist's name. “Brands can enter this game as agents, helping fans to co-create. But they need to understand that, whenever they come into contact with a fandom, there are sacrifices to make”, warns André Alves.

By creating different experiences, fans have changed the way brands launch products.

According to research carried out by Amazon Ads62% of fans have a positive attitude towards brands that have engaged with fandoms for long periods of time. More than half (55%) said they are more likely to consider a brand that sponsors fandom-related content.

The questions that can help guide strategies are those that try to understand the commitments and sacrifices that fans demand. With attentive listening and connected to networks – and even faster responses – brands can insert themselves as enablers between fandom and idols.

GREAT POWERS, GREAT RESPONSIBILITIES

The fan-made economy has enormous creative energy, but it also has destructive potential. Fandoms are demanding and feel like they “own” the stories and narratives of their idols. When idols (or brands) don't match up, the criticism is severe.

In other words, to navigate this high-energy space, the brand must heed Marvel's advice: with great power comes great responsibility. Fans want to be served, but have specific demands on how to “serve well.” “THE fanservice it emerges as a demand, but, at the same time, the fan wants to be surprised”, says Alves.

For 61% of Brazilians, brands do not deliver a good product or experience for fans.

He calls this phenomenon the “paradox of fanservice“. It's a dilemma faced by brands and creators when trying to please fans while trying to innovate. On the one hand, meeting expectations can strengthen the emotional bond and ensure commercial success, as fans feel valued and represented.

On the other hand, completely giving in to fans' desires can limit creativity and the ability to surprise, making stories or products predictable and weakening cultural impact.

“To what extent, for example, do the more than 30 films in the Marvel cinematic universe exist to serve fans or to surprise fans?”, asks Alves.

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