Face front, true believers!

There's a lot of excellent reading out there already about the nature of fandoms. 

Henry Jenkins and Gary Alan Fine are two that I recommend frequently, as the lessons they derive from (very niche) fandoms are transferrable. The Organization for Transformative Works is devoted to "fandom" in its many forms, and is also worth scoping out. Plus the wealth of research on loyalty programmes and the value of, er, brand values, and, well... the positive benefits of fandom (to a brand, a property, and the fans themselves) are well-documented. 

That’s a rosy picture. But… is fandom always a good thing? 

An article from the Journal of Consumer Culture sets the scene nicely - explaining that, rather than "limiting the focus to fandoms", we should be examining it as an aspect of broader "fanaticism". Why? Because the latter study area is better equipped to handle recent discussions:

"Fandom" is collective, enthusiastic. "Fanaticism" is exclusive, antagonistic. And yet, recent events have shown that the former can, very swiftly, turn into the latter.

My cold take is, indeed, frosty. Toxic Star Wars backlash, the Football Lads Alliance, etc. have all proven that not all "fan passion" is a positive force.

Erin Reilly offers a framework for 'fan motivators' - including identification (expressing oneself as a fan), creation (making original content), collection and others. These motivators are broad (both a Star Wars fan and a Real Madrid fan can be explorers, looking to learn more and more about their passion), but they aren't static (someone can be drawn in through play, turn to mastery and then be driven by advocacy, etc. etc.) It is a useful list, but, like most business articles about creating advocacy, it is charmingly optimistic.

But each motivator can also be a form of fanaticism: identification / exclusion; collection / obsession; mastery / elitism; advocacy / zealotry. It shouldn't come as a surprise that the same search for belonging, identification and charismatic leadership is also used in most models of extremism. The same set of psychological levers that makes us smile at other people wearing Gryffindor scarves also leads to GamerGate.

I think there's a larger concern here - and brands/properties should be treading carefully. "Back in the day", there was a hefty remove between a property and its fandom. Whether that's QPR or Star Trek, fans had limited access to 'voice'. If they were very unhappy, they could 'exit' - turn the TV off, watch another team, change soap powder, etc. But otherwise, their choices were minimal. Suffer or quit.

However, some bright spark - be it a fan or a brand - realised that collectively there was the possibility of impact. Technology, with its ability to unite and amplify voice, accelerated the process. Fan populism, at it were. 50,000 individuals that all read a comic book = 50,000 disparate individuals. 50,000 "true believers" = a force to be reckoned with. Fandoms aren't shy about using the language of militarism, religion, and faith: selling the belief that you're joining something larger than yourself. There is power in the collective, whether that's to bully a network, sell stuff, or simply pitch to a sponsor. 

But, at some point, the monster wandered off on its own. Relying on the voice created a scenario where fans strived to - literally - own the property as well. Fan fiction is benign; piracy isn't - but both are results of fan empowerment. It can range from benignly naive offers to "save" Firefly to the sexist dorks trying to reshoot the "blasphemous" The Last Jedi. And, of course, it can impact - disproportionately - the process of creating or shaping the brand or property itself:

Is fanaticism all bad? Not if you believe its coming home. Collective passion for football has brought people together and made the world a more joyous place. Fandom can also create powerful role models. The well-documented Scully Effect, for example. Letitia Wright's Shuri Effect is poised to have the same impact. Fandom can create social momentum and spur massive change. Whether it is Ariana Grande's concert for Manchester or Chiefs' fans spontaneously giving to charity to honour their departing quarterback, fandom can also deliver positive messages and delight. Fandom, like any other individual or collective endeavour, can be as good or as bad as we make it.

But, for those that are trying to build fandoms, there's an important lesson there. With great power comes...

Get: Those creating, tapping into, or otherwise 'using' fans

To: Be careful about the language they use

By: Demonstrating the parallels between fandom and extremism

A fantastic (pun intended) day at the NWG Innovation Festival yesterday.

(Buried in the #FansforLife hashtag is a video of me, failing to draw a straight line. So proud.)