by Andy StroteAs marketing continues to move online, it’s getting ever more possible to market to niches – in fact, it’s nearly becoming mandatory. And yet, too often we still try to identify markets by age group, income and education when interest groups cut across those definitions and provide much more focused targets.
Consider the broad category of fans – whether they’re following sports, music, movies, cars or bikes. Many of them are heavily invested in their fandom and will re-arrange their lives and spending priorities to pursue their interests.
And best of all, they are often highly organized online. Lots of sites, wikis and lists are built by fans for fans.
And yet, so few marketers offer to participate. In fact, in many cases the most obvious beneficiaries seem to push their fans away. However, the ones that embrace them are often very well rewarded.
Two contrasting examples in the music industry illustrate the point. Hard core Neil Young fans hang out on the “rust list”. There are over 5,000 of them. And yet, until recently, no one from Neil Young’s management, record company or publicists would have much to do with this group. They wouldn’t create an official fan club. There’s no special treatment, no acknowledgement. It’s hard work being a fan of Neil.
On the other hand, Pearl Jam caters to their fans. They formed the Ten Club, an official fan club where the management provides a constant stream of updates, concert photos and videos, “official bootlegs” of the concerts (Neil’s fans tape and trade their own bootlegs of shows), and best of all first dibs on tickets for concerts. In fact, fans can buy tickets to multiple shows on a tour, right at the beginning of the tour. And they do.
Pearl Jam has become their generation’s version of the Grateful Dead. The CDs / records don’t break any sales records, but the concerts consistently sell out coast to coast. They have built a solid fan base, where many other bands of the same vintage have withered.
It’s not just the subjects of the adulation that could benefit from catering to the fans. With the right offer, other brands could participate. How about car rental companies (fans travel and rent cars), a hotel chain, food or clothing? The list goes on.
People have organized themselves around their interests. They don’t want to be exploited. But they wouldn’t mind be catered to. The opportunity is there for the asking.
