Today’s consumers participate in a wide array of fandoms, from sports and video games to music and science fiction – sometimes all of these and more. Many are “fluid fans,” a cohort that sits somewhere between super fans and casual fans. The rise of this group has broadened the definition of fandom, bringing it into the mainstream, and making once-exclusive spaces more accessible, even to brands. 

“Brands don’t just have permission to engage with fandoms. In a lot of cases, there’s an expectation that brands will show up in these spaces,” explains Allison McDuffee, head of insights and measurement for the Americas at Twitch Ads.

Few places demonstrate this new world of fandom as clearly as Twitch, one of the busiest and most vibrant hubs for fan communities online. The livestreaming service is a top destination for communities built on gaming and other fandoms. 

Twitch Ads and Amazon Ads recently authored a report with brand strategy consultancy Crowd DNA, on the subject called The Anatomy of Hype. The report explores what drives fan passion and how brands can participate. Surveying 12,000 people across 12 countries, it revealed that 63% of fans agree any brand can get involved with fan communities as long as they make an effort to understand them.

“What’s most important is how brands show up in fan communities. Brands must display integrity, authenticity and relevance when entering fan spaces,” McDuffee says. “If they do, they will be welcomed.” 

The top ways respondents felt brands could participate or support their fandoms included: merchandise (31%), conventions, concerts and other types of live event sponsorships (30%), content (30%), and exclusive benefits or discounts (28%). 

“Speaking directly to fan communities helps us be a more authentic brand for our audience,” says Ben Banks, digital strategy manager at Skip the Dishes. “Fandom makes this easy for us. We’re able to target a succinct group by leveraging an influencer to connect with them in a genuine way. That’s something that can’t be replicated in a polished studio setting.”

Skip The Dishes sponsored a two-hour Twitch livestream featuring one of the service’s well-known streamers, NickEh30, and NHL All-Star Mitch Marner. Over freshly delivered meals, the duo chatted about gaming and hockey while playing Fortnite and completing in-game challenges. The campaign included premium video, stream display ads, homepage headliners and first impression video takeovers, attracting close to 100,000 views and resulting in a total of 590,000 minutes watched. 

“We have a lot of data and research to back the fact that gamers are heavy food-delivery users. We think our product has a lot of value to them, but wanted to ensure that we were seen as authentic on Twitch and to its community,” Banks explains “We demonstrated this understanding by working with NickEh30, who not only has strong ties to the gaming audience but was a very good match for our brand.”

The activation reinforced a key insight from the report, that people are drawn to fan communities for two main reasons: escapism (78%) and enjoyment (72%). Because those reasons are so personal, marketers must be sure their brand is relevant to the conversation and act authentically. 

“Fans are impacted when brands get it wrong – they recall moments when ads and brands have taken over fan spaces and depleted their authenticity,” the report says. “They want to hold their escape sacred.”

Notably, 54% of fans say they can tell if a brand’s actions are authentic. That said, fans are very open to having brands contribute to their culture in any number of ways. 

“The fans who participated in our study hold positive attitudes towards brand involvement in many forms, from sponsored content to live events to giveaways,” McDuffee says. “If a brand can help fans engage more deeply with the things they love, they will welcome that brand into their world.”

The benefits of brand involvement with fandoms can be long-lasting – 62% of respondents said they feel positively towards brands that get involved for extended periods of time. But to be successful, brands must demonstrate they understand the fandoms they engage with, illustrate their shared passions, and enhance the overall experience. 

Check out The Anatomy of Hype in full here.