Do you consider yourself a true fan? Are you an expert in Harry Potter trivia? Can you recite lines from the Lord Of The Rings books (or movies)?Do you know all the romantic relationships of Marvel’s finest? If so, you’re one of the millions of hardcore fans around the world.
“Fan” is basically short for fanatic. Whereas a casual viewer only gets excited by the ‘new and novel,’ true fans stay interested most of the time. They also perform, share and produce content and activities in a community of practices. This community is what’s known as a “fandom” – a blend of ‘fan’ and ‘kingdom’.
The fandom is the universe of interested parties involved, and a strong fandom can make or break a franchise. In fact, fans don’t limit themselves to only viewing or reading the official materials, they also do a lot of creation by themselves!
Fans make fan art, write fan fiction and reviews, make videos, build websites and engage in passionate conversations in online forums. They have their own vocabulary, known as “fanspeak” and their own dress code, known as “costume” or “cosplay.” The literature produced by fans is called “fan fiction” and the music is called “filking”. Fans get together in person in conventions, “fanzines” or other fan-organized meetings.
To foster brand awareness and identity, big franchises ideally collaborate with fans, connecting with a passionate audience that can do enormous marketing on its own.
Today’s infographic is all about fandoms: which fandoms are the strongest, how fans connect and overlap between fandoms, and how these people move millions of dollars every year. Are you part of any fandom?