Leveraging the fandom era of brand experiences

This article first appeared in WARC written by, Louise Odquier, Strategy Director at Imagination London.

What happens at festivals no longer stays at festivals, and social media has upended what brand experiences look like in these spaces.

From Facebook photo albums and highly curated Instagram carousels to micro-content videos on TikTok, festival-goers are sharing everything from packing to performances and all that comes in between.

In 2023, the global music festival market was valued at approximately $207.8 billion and is projected to reach around $528.6 billion by 2032.

Partnering with influencers or friends of the brand immediately creates fandom as well as generating awareness, desire and exclusivity of community.

Why it matters

As festival culture expands in new markets and regions, new communities are created and commercial opportunities are emerging.

Takeaways

• Create a niche and novel world that only exists for the people who are there – a mini festival within a festival that can bring the brand values and world to life, transporting attendees to another time and space. Unlocking the power of fandom starts with understanding the fans.

• Use technology that festival-goers have never seen before IRL to bring to life unreal concepts, characters and stories – creating moments that feel movie-like.

Festivals have always been a potent mix of sights, sounds and shared experiences. However, the rise of social media has dramatically reshaped this landscape. What happens at festivals no longer stays at festivals. These events are now no longer purely self-contained experiences; they’re snapped, shared and seen at rapid speed, creating global conversations that transcend physical boundaries.

From Facebook photo albums and highly curated Instagram carousels to micro-content videos on TikTok, festival-goers are sharing everything from packing to performances and all that comes in between. Hashtags have become the rallying cry, uniting festival-goers into fandoms across geographical divides and fostering a sense of virtual camaraderie.

The numbers speak for themselves. Mentions for Coachella skyrocketed from 10m in 2018 to 15m in 2023. With this growth highly attributed to the explosion of short-form video and powerful algorithms, brands have a golden opportunity to tap into the power of fandom.

The future is immersive

The growth in festival content and conversation underscores the immense commercial value of festivals. In 2023, the global music festival market was valued at approximately $207.8 billion and is projected to reach around $528.6 billion by 2032. And that’s just music.

As festival culture expands in new markets and regions, new communities are created. Outside of music, there’s now a festival for nearly everything, from media (SXSW) to gastronomy (Taste of London) to art (Art Basel). The dedication of communities to these formats reflects a demand for festivals inspired by fandom – cultural moments connected by passion, interests and shared conversations.

Similarly, destinations like AlUla in Saudi Arabia have become the backdrop for ground-breaking luxury and lifestyle-inspired festivals. From art installations with Dior to wellness activities and leadership summits, these new format festivals have challenged the traditional music festival and fuelled innovation within it, forcing brands to push their creativity. In short, brand activations need to be more experimental, more audience-first, and more social.

A playground of possibilities

As more brands than ever incorporate festival activations in their marketing plans, standing out isn’t just about festival footfall; it’s about social conversation and the opportunity to create a fandom that lasts beyond the festival. To capitalise on this new era, brands need to innovate, invent, invite and involve:

Invent a brand world to step into

Create a niche and novel world that only exists for the people who are there – a mini festival within a festival that can bring the brand values and world to life, transporting attendees to another time and space.

From Kendall Jenner’s 818 Outpost at Coachella to Marvel Studios’s KNOWHERE, Coachella festival is known for offering guests an opportunity to step into highly Instagrammable spaces that feel exclusive and fantastical. These worlds are made even more special by their limited edition-ness, building a connection to the brand and with each other.

818 Outpost featured a pioneer-style Western theme with a full-service saloon with 818 Tequila cocktails.

Expanding the world meant guests also enjoyed festival essentials and complimentary services, including cowboy hat customisation from Bumble, custom photo experiences from Tezza, a provisions shop full of snacking staples from Gopuff and even a makeup touch-up station from Anastasia Beverly Hills.

Involve fans in a show-stopping fandom moment

A personalised or participation moment has the power to not only authentically connect the audience with the brand but also has the potential to generate a highly shareable asset for social.

Major League Baseball’s London Series Trafalgar Square Takeover was a three day fan festival at the heart of London. Bringing together baseball fans across the city, the festival showcased the best of baseball culture from players through to gastronomy.

To activate the fandom (and competitive nature of fans), guests were invited to try their hand at baseball – first at the Batting Boot Camp and then into The Cage. A highly social-worthy moment, the results were then broadcast across the square, creating a sense of competition and achievement.

Invite tastemakers, influencers and brand partners to join the community

As with every party, the guestlist can be the difference between a good party and a disastrous one. Partnering with influencers or friends of the brand immediately creates fandom as well as generating awareness, desire and exclusivity of community.

Spotify’s four-day Spotify Beach experience at Cannes Lions included a who’s who of culture. Attendees had sessions with Spotify leaders and guests, including Alex Cooper, Issa Rae, Emma Chamberlain and Cesc Fàbregas. Trevor Noah also joined Spotify CEO and Co-founder Daniel Ek for a conversation on the future of storytelling. In the evening, guests were treated to performances from Florence + The Machine, Jack Harlow, will.i.am, Foo Fighters and A$AP Rocky. Maximising the guestlist extended the reach and drove high levels of awareness.

Spotify Beach itself featured several interactive experiences, like daily sound bath meditations, an immersive Songs of Summer soundscape, an FC Barcelona play zone, a “Sonic Sips” coffee-and-juice bar, a custom sunglasses gifting station and much more.

Innovate to challenge reality

Use technology that festival-goers have never seen before IRL to bring to life unreal concepts, characters and stories – creating moments that feel movie-like.

During SXSW 2024 in Austin, Texas, Netflix promoted its upcoming "3 Body Problem" science fiction TV series with a holographic projection in the sky.

Featuring content from the show, those familiar with the story experienced a surreal moment that made them question reality – a concept that features heavily in the series. Netflix’s TikTok of the activation doubled up as a teaser trailer for the show, generating five million views and 2,500 comments.

The last word

While the shift in festival culture driven by social media has opened up vast opportunities for brands, it is key that brands remain authentic to their brand as well as their audience. Unlocking the power of fandom starts with understanding the fans.