11 Consumer Fandom

Consumer fandom is a label (much like “civic fandom”) that is not always explicitly invoked (say, in contrast with far more typical adjectival associations like “celebrity fandom” or “sports fandom”). Part of the reason for this is the fact that so much of participatory culture and all the varied fandoms contained within intersect with the world of consumer goods. A crucial part of sports fandom, for instance, is the merchandise involved in displaying one’s membership in the ‘tribe.’ The influencer culture of celebrity fandom similarly depends upon the marketing of goods through interactive audience relations. In fact, ‘consumer fandom’ really drives home the argument that was made early on in this book/course that everyone is a fan of something. ‘Civic fandom’ emphasized the point that through fandom, audiences could exercise their agency as citizens, moving beyond existing as sheer consumers (the extent of public engagement by many). Consumer fandom emphasizes, however, the potential power of consumers. Consumer fandom connects the concept of consumer culture to fan-audiences and participatory culture wherein fans act not only as consumers but also producers and creators. In a straightforward fashion, consumer fandom can be defined as “subcultures, groups, and/or communities of like-minded consumer, revolving around a unifying interest or object” (Hao, 2020, p. 18). Everyone consumes ‘stuff’; by necessity, we all purchase products and many believe in the brands they bring into their homes and with which they decorate their lives. For some, though, that belief in brands and consumer products can become part of their identity — it can become a significant factor in determining what they do, who they do it with, how they spend their discretionary time, and what they care deeply about. For those individuals (what we don’t term consuming fans^[1] or fans of consumption^[2], but ‘consumer-fans’), the act of consuming becomes but an entry point into a wider sphere of participation.

Affuso uses the example of CoverGirl’s 2015 collaboration with Star Wars to point readers towards how “branded makeup lines extend beauty products into fannish spaces turning notions of beauty into tools of fan engagement” (2018, p. 186).^[3] While this is a fascinating case-study demonstrating both the top-down and bottom-up push and pull dynamic of fashioning consumer fandom as participatory culture, we can also benefit from other research that seeks to explain the antecedents of consumer fandom. What (affective) factors help characterize consumer-fans and influence people’s decisions to become active members of brand-based communities? Hao (2020) identified two self-related antecedents: self-identity and self-discovery, and three social-related antecedents: social integration, social enhancement, and subjective norms.

A significant focus within the study of consumer fandom, at least from the perspective of marketing professionals, is the question of what fans do in service of brands. “In contemporary consumer societies, fans are more than passive consumers who purchase or use a product or service; they are also playing [a] vital role in co-producing, creating, promoting, and distributing the product or service, as partners of a company or organization” (Wang, 2020, p. xxxi). In other words, the most successful brands achieve their status largely because of the committed audience activity of the brand-fans who contribute to the brands’ growth. Some believe consumer-fans can be classified based on three key characteristics: First, fans are demarcated based on their

knowledge of the product or the brand mythology (‘lore’). Next the social drive … is how driven they are to talk about or share the product with others. Finally, passion is how outwardly and unashamedly ardent they are about the brand, versus how ‘rational’ they wish to come across for their decision to be involved with the brand. (Collins, Volkheimer, and Murphy, 2020, p. 5)

From these characteristics, different categories of consumer-fans can be generated. For instance, Geeks are those whose “emphasis is on the intellectual component of the pursuit, whether the product is make-up, a cult film or a car. They gather socially to share knowledge and possibly learn more about the product, with less of a concern for how many users or followers the product has or product comparison.” (Collins, Volkheimer, and Murphy, 2020, p. 7). Meanwhile, Mavens are rational fans. They support a product because “they are knowledgeable about most products and this one wins out for one reason or another.” … “They like to be above the fray and consider themselves impartial or wish to be considered as such.” … “Positioning themselves as dispassionate experts, Mavens are inherently bias[ed] but wish to distance themselves from the more emotive fans” (Collins, Volkheimer, and Murphy, 2020, p. 7). Then there are Alphas, “someone in a group who is a leader, one whose opinions will be heeded and followed” (Collins, Volkheimer, and Murphy, 2020, p. 8). Next come Evangelists, those driven to convert others. (Collins, Volkheimer, and Murphy, 2020, p. 9). There’s also Fanboys, “the brand community flamethrower. Loyal beyond and without reason, Fanboys (or girls) have all the obsession of the Evangelist with none of the love. They use any means necessary to obliterate the opposition brand, and are known more in their opposition than in their positive contribution to the community” (Collins, Volkheimer, and Murphy, 2020, p. 10). However, from the perspective of participatory culture, the point is not to identify consumers who are fans of brands but to ask the question of what consumer-brands do for fans. Much of this discussion tends to revolve around the biggest and most well known brands, those that have transcended business and become part of the cultural discussion. These brands such as Nike, Apple, Starbucks, Coke, and Disney have achieved such cultural status that they are referred to as ‘iconic brands’ which “help [consumers] express who they want to be” (Holt 2004, p. 4).

  ^[5]

One iconic brand that depends upon a particular kind of fandom is Disney (and, likely to a lesser extent, other themed places such as Universal Studios). Williams uses the term ‘plandom fandom‘ when articulating how planning one’s trip and mapping out the details of one’s theme park experience ahead-of-time can augment the fun of the visit itself: “For many guests, both first time visitors and fans alike, the process of ‘plandom’ that they engage in is a source of pleasure, a key element of building anticipation for the future trip, and a way to connect both literally and imaginatively with a community of fellow theme park visitors and fans” (2020, p. 93).

Acting in this capacity, one is not merely consuming consumer culture (watching the movies, buying the hoodies, etc). One is participating in it, physically on-site (by taking in the visceral thrills) and also virtually. “The practices of planning and preparing allow visitors/fans to draw on a wide range of resources – both official and fan-created – to maximize their visits and to display their pre-visit fandom via discussion on social media sites and blogs” (2020, p. 69). While Williams emphasizes fans’ activity prior to their visit(s), the activity of fans afterwards is incredibly meaningful too. Ahead of time, one immerses oneself in all the information about how best to ensure that one does not miss out on the best possible experience. But one’s continuing engagement with the participatory culture around the brand contributes to the planning behaviour of other fans. After-the-fact, fans often post news of their visits for the benefit of other future secular pilgrims and share social media posts of one’s visit to update one’s network of friends, family, and followers. Such activity both bolsters one’s social capital within a brand community and contributes to the cultural capital of the Disney brand as consumers become producers of information, interacting with the brand and fellow fans (and potential consumers) of the brand in order to co-create value for all involved parties. Disney’s reputation as “the happiest place on earth” becomes much more than a catchy slogan when it is embodied in one’s (affective) consumer labour for everyone to see.

Affect is, of course, a primary factor in consumer fandom also. Kulinicheva (2021), for example, emphasizes “the ‘immaterial psychological property’ of fandom such as affect, community values and practices, sets of tastes and ways of rating sneakers, and different forms of creative self-expression.” Perhaps even more interesting, we see affect in a sub-field of consumerism too, not only colouring the realm of mass-manufactured goods but also a prime mover in the sector of the market designed for fans, by fans: “Within fandom, Etsy and related e-commerce spaces ideologically bridge market economies and gift economies, with the handmade, exclusive nature of the objects for sale. This structure creates an affective link between consumer and entrepreneur” (Affuso and Scott, 2023, p. 8). In platforms such as Etsy, we see the power of the ‘craft consumer,’ a figure who “takes an active part in producing and crafting the things they consume, with this participation forming a key part of the act of consumption” (Beer and Burrows, 2010, pp. 3-4). These types of consumers seek,

to ‘craft’ . . . products for themselves; that is, they are deciding to both design and make the end result.The very popularity of television programmes that feature food and cooking . . . together with the many associated magazines and books, supports the suggestion that there exists a large population of consumers who want to be successful in creating their own aesthetically significant end products. (Campbell, 2005, p. 33)

As this chapter ends and we look towards the final chapter in this (mostly) formal overview of participatory culture and active fan audiences, I thought it might be useful to remind you of what has already been said a number of times in the preceding treatments of fandom: every fandom contains multitudes (including toxic elements). This is certainly also the case with consumer fandom. Social divisions based on gender, race, and class, not to mention age, religion, or issues specific to fandoms always threaten to divide rather than unite audiences. A CBC News headline, referring to tensions within the consumer-based Star Wars fandom declared the following: “The fandom menace: Why I won’t let toxic Star Wars fans take me to the dark side.”^[6] The “dark side” always threatens (or is that ‘beckons’?) — and it is to the uglier sides of our human nature that we turn to next.

Affuso, E. (2018). Everyday Costume: Feminized Fandom, Retail, and Beauty Culture. In The Routledge Companion to Media Fandom, edited by Melissa Click and Suzanne Scott, 184–192. New York: Routledge.

Affuso, E., & Scott, S. (2023). Introduction: Fandom, But Make It Fashion. In E. Affuso & S. Scott (Eds.), Sartorial Fandom: Fashion, Beauty Culture, Identity, (pp. 1-18). University of Michigan Press.

Beer, David, and Burrows, Roger (2010) “Consumption, Prosumption and Participatory Web Cultures: An introduction.” Journal of Consumer Culture, Vol 10(1): 3–12.^[7] 

Williams, R. (2020). Theme Park Fandom. Spatial Transmedia, Materiality And Participatory Cultures. Amsterdam University Press.