Fans are the new communicators

The big picture: "Everybody is a fan of something," says communications strategist Shawn Smith.

• Every fandom comms strategy needs to start with knowing and understanding the audience and what will resonate, she said.
• When done successfully, Smith said fan-driven strategies can score wins across multiple stakeholders.
• Fans amplify stories organically across social platforms. Media pick them up. Employees feel pride when they see their company show up in cultural conversations. Investors see a brand that remains relevant.

Zoom in: Some brands borrow external fandoms by offering tangible experiences that fans can amplify.

• Etsy hopped on the fan-made merch aspect of modern followings, connecting Olivia Rodrigo with Etsy sellers for a festival collection.
• The official collaborative line was created by fellow fans, unlike the usual mass-produced merch.
• "We're not trying to manufacture culture," Daniel "Monty" Montalto, Etsy's VP of brand marketing, told Axios. "We're giving fans new, personal ways to participate in communities and cultural moments they already care about."

Brands can also build their own mega-fans.

• Jeep has one of the deepest cultures among car brands, with rituals like the Jeep Wave, huge fan-organized off-roading events and, most recently, "ducking" each other.
• "The stories they tell about where they've gone and what they've experienced in their Jeep vehicles are often more powerful than anything we could create ourselves," a Jeep spokesperson said.
• Employees can become a company's most passionate advocates, too. Apple is reportedly holding an internal lottery for retail employees to staff the in-person iPhone launch event in Cupertino next month.

Zoom out: Communicators can also bridge the two strategies by leveraging existing external fandoms to grow their own brand.

• To build its loyalty program, World of Hyatt is creating fan experiences that members can't buy on their own, from Formula 1 driver meet-and-greets to literary retreats with Reese's Book Club authors.
• In travel, paid influencer marketing has lost touch with authenticity, says Laurie Blair, Hyatt's senior vice president of global marketing and loyalty. "Having real members and authentic experiences is so much more meaningful," Blair said.
• The strategy creates member experiences worth sharing, turning Formula 1 fans and BookTok readers into advocates for Hyatt itself.

Reality check: Moments like these can't be owned by one function, even if the idea originates in comms.

• Marketing might have the budget and the creative to kick off a campaign, and frontline teams might be the ones on the ground activating it.
• "There's such a level of trust between all of our teams that allows us to be nimble and to just move when the opportunity presents itself," said Danielle Swain, general manager from Delta's global communications team.

Between the lines: Companies that invest in fandom must contribute something communities value or risk losing credibility with the audiences they hoped to engage.

• BMW caught flak this week for the sudden appearance of a button on the dashboard display of some cars. When pressed, an ad for the latest Spider-Man movie plays — which, in a press release, it touted as an exclusive "special surprise."

Flashback: Long before "community building" became corporate jargon, Comic-Con, now one of the world's most recognizable fandom conventions, expanded because fans convinced others to come.

• David Glanzer, Comic-Con International's longtime comms chief, recalled a radio host's surprise when a contest winner chose Comic-Con passes over Grateful Dead tickets in the 1990s.
• The contest winner told the host: "You should really check it out, as it's a really cool event."
• Hollywood was ahead of the game in recognizing the value of reaching fans directly and generating word of mouth. Glanzer recalled the original "Star Wars" was teased with production stills and concept art at Comic-Con almost a full year before it was released
• That kind of promotional tactic was virtually unheard of back then, but has become standard practice for any blockbuster today.

Yes, but: Ultimately, community needs to drive business results.

• "Brand awareness" alone is no longer a sufficient metric. Instead, "there needs to be connectivity back to commercial business results," says Hyatt's Blair.

The bottom line: The best way to approach fans and win them over to your side? "Share, don't sell," said Glanzer.