Numbers or Fans? While marketing focuses on acquiring numbers for ad sales, it is the ability to turn those numbers into loyal fans that truly elevates a product. Without a strong fan base, a product may only serve as a utility generating users perhaps, but not fans
You can buy your way into numbers but marketing and programming creators can turn numbers into FANS. If the “Numbers to Fans” component is missing, the product will never be more than a utility. Utilities can be enormously successful, but the “fan” element ultimately evolves the utility to deeper connection as only fandom can deliver.
It starts with these big three:
Passion: The driving force behind a product’s creation, distinguishing between those created with genuine passion and those solely for profit. Profit is a goal but how you get there is driven by passion.
Character: The intangible quality that sets one product apart from another, even if they appear identical on the surface. Like passion, it’s clearly detectable.
Muscle: A certain swagger…an attitude. enforced by confidence rather than arrogance.
Then there’s:
CULT/MAINSTREAM: The magic balance. Whacked enough to have a cult following, mainstream enough to have a massive circulation.
SOUL: Ya need SOUL to cut through in today’s soul-less environment. Soul is that intangible that might be among the strongest competitive tools…and it’s off the radar in today’s conference rooms. Soul has to be developed…by people who have it.
ECLECTIC…ALL THE WAY TO THE BANK: Properly channeled eclectic…done smartly, is golden.
THE MIND CLOCK: Memories are as important as “now.” Classic and Archive are key words in people’s lives. 16-20 remain the cultural roots for most that define their M.O. This applies to all ages, and everyone from a toddler forward has memories.
SCANNABILITY: The world moves faster. Need to deliver content at the speed of Now. What was the right length in 1960 is too long today. What was too condensed in 1970 may be perfect today. Programming to the beat of 2024
TUNE OUT PARANOIA: People WILL tune you out—there are too many options out there. If you’re well-defined and amazing enough, they’ll be back. Programming to avoid tune-out will make you too safe for 2024
INTELLECT: Can be mass appeal and mainstream. Intellect is too often confused with elite and stiff.
MISSION VS. MISSION STATEMENT: A Mission Statement means nothing. A Mission is all about action. The difference between Talk and AFDI….between what you want to do and what you’re doing. For a modern-day laugh, look at the mission statements for some of the more evil companies.
CULT/MAINSTREAM: Striking the right balance between having a dedicated cult following and reaching a wide mainstream audience.
And leads to this style of thinking:
ER: Constantly striving for improvement and focusing on being biggER, bettER, or whatever “ER” attribute is relevant to the product.
Soul: In today’s impersonal environment, having soul is a powerful competitive advantage. It is often overlooked in corporate settings and must be nurtured by those who possess it as it’s another intangible that builds fandom
Eclectic…All the Way to the Bank: Skillfully channeling an eclectic approach can create an inimitable character
The Mind Clock: Recognizing the importance of memories and understanding that nostalgia and classic elements play a significant role in shaping people’s preferences and behaviors.
Scanability: Catering to the fast-paced world by delivering content quickly and efficiently. What was considered the right length in the past may not be suitable in today’s time zone.
Tune-Out Paranoia: Acknowledging that people have countless options and may tune out if not captivated. Striving to be well-defined and amazing enough to bring them back. Tuning away is a reality, bring them back every time is an art
Intellect: Intellectual content can have mass appeal and be mainstream without being perceived as elite or stiff.
Mission vs. Mission Statement: A mission statement holds little value without action. A mission is about actively pursuing goals and making a difference. Beware of empty talk and examine the actions of companies with questionable intentions.
2023 was another unprecedented and bizarre year, paving the way for new perspectives and innovative thinking to generate fans.
