Tesla, NWSL, Bulleit Whiskey, and MLS scored
out of the top 50, but were among the brands with the strongest
momentum
NEW
YORK, June 6, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- National
Research Group (NRG), a global insights leader at the
intersection of culture, content, and technology, today released
The Fandom 50, a list of the top 50 brands earning the highest
scores across 18 categories included in the newly created NRG
Fandex. The NRG Fandex takes a data-driven approach to measuring
brand fandom through a multi-dimensional lens, conducted through a
comprehensive study of 12,500 U.S. consumers.
Fandom of brands has hit critical mass, as the research
concluded that 73% of U.S. adults consider themselves a superfan of
at least one brand. These fans are the vital force behind brand
success. Not only are they advocates, they are also part of a
larger community that surrounds the brand and their loyalty is
strong enough to withstand organizational missteps along the way.
Validated against financial performance, NRG's Fandex composite
metric has a stronger positive correlation to revenue than any one
measure, making NRG's Fandex more predictive of revenue than usage,
affinity, or likelihood to recommend alone.
Technology brands dominated the top of the Fandom 50 list, with
Google (1), Apple (3), Android (6), and Samsung (9) all placing in
the top 10. Amazon (2) and YouTube (4) rounded out the top five,
along with one household brand, Dawn, which far outpaced the rest
of the household brands despite the category being well-represented
on the list.
"The Fandom 50 highlights brands that have the most powerful
fandom," said Fotoulla Damaskos,
EVP, Brand Strategy and Innovation, NRG. "From tech giants leading
innovation, to platforms and companies that connect people, to
reliable household products, each brand on the Fandom 50 uniquely
delivers on the components that culminate in brand fandom. These
are brands that are committed to continually innovating and
evolving in ways that surprise and delight customers, and they
rally behind a mission that consumers identify with, creating a
community that connects people with like minds and
interests."
Highlights from the study include:
- The Top 5 brand categories with the strongest Fandex
Scores, in order, are: technology, entertainment and media, social
media, household goods, and food.
- Brands are for (Millennial) lovers: Avid brand fandom is
strongest among Millennials, who are superfans of nearly twice as
many brands as Boomers, and of 19% more brands than Gen Z.
- Vocal in their support: Brand fans are 3.5x more likely
to be vocal advocates for a brand.
- Through thick and thin: Brand fans are 3x more likely to
stick with a brand even if it does something they don't like.
- Generational divides: When isolated by generation, the
list of brands with the strongest fandom shifts. The brands with
the most notable shifts include:
-
- Gen Z – Snapchat moves 28 spots higher on the list to #13
- Millennials – Nintendo moves 16 spots higher on the list to
#6
- Gen X – MLB moves 20 spots higher on the list to #30
- Boomers – Keurig moves 27 spots higher on the list to #10
- Top 50 absentees: Brand categories that were included in
the overall study but absent from the top 50 list include: travel,
automotive, fitness, luxury, and alcohol.
The full list of the Fandom 50 is:
- Google (Tech)
- Amazon (Retail)
- Apple (Tech)
- YouTube (Social Media)
- Dawn (Household)
- Android (Tech)
- Netflix (Entertainment)
- Walmart (Retail)
- Samsung (Tech)
- Coca-Cola (Beverage)
- TikTok (Social Media)
- Visa (Finance)
- Microsoft (Tech)
- Disney (Entertainment)
- NFL (Sports)
- PayPal (Finance)
- Chick-Fil-A (QSR/Fast Casual)
- Febreze (Household)
- Starbucks (QSR/Fast Casual)
- Marvel (Entertainment)
- Facebook (Social Media)
- Nintendo (Entertainment)
- Instagram (Social Media)
- Spotify (Entertainment)
- Clorox (Household)
- Dove (Beauty/Personal)
- Nike (Apparel)
- Crest (Beauty/Personal)
- PlayStation (Entertainment)
- Lysol (Household)
- Target (Retail)
- Gatorade (Beverage)
- Bounty (Household)
- Pepsi (Beverage)
- McDonald's (QSR/Fast Casual)
- Tide (Household)
- Keurig (Consumer Goods)
- NBA (Sports)
- Kraft (Food)
- Rare Beauty (Beauty/Personal)
- Snapchat (Social Media)
- Heinz (Food)
- Colgate (Beauty/Personal)
- Verizon (Telecom)
- Kellogg's (Food)
- Mr. Clean (Household)
- Pinterest (Social Media)
- Adidas (Apparel)
- Fenty Beauty (Beauty/Personal)
- MLB (Sports)
"Building an engaged and loyal fanbase has never been more
important for brands who want to stand out and drive success on all
metrics," said Ryan Linder, EVP,
Global Chief Marketing Officer, Stagwell. "Understanding how to
build and activate your brand fans is critical, as is having a
reliable and data-backed way to measure that fandom year over year.
The brands on the Fandom 50 are knocking it out of the park and the
insights from this research provide an incredible tool for brands
ready to take their fandom to the next level."
The research also revealed that the most dominant path to brand
fandom starts with "Momentum," which is driven by a brand's
commitment to continuous evolution, clear future vision, and
innovation. Brands that harness the power of Momentum and leverage
the right ingredients of fandom – community, belonging, relevance
and identity – have the power to be the future leaders on the brand
fandom list.
Rising brands identified as leading on Momentum but not yet
in the Fandom 50 include: Tesla, NWSL, Bulleit Whiskey, MLS,
SoFi, Mint Mobile, Method, Toyota, Mrs. Meyers, YETI, VRBO, and
Discord.
Rooted in four decades of expertise, NRG is a tested leader on
cultural and entertainment insights, fueling the post-pandemic
resurgence of the film industry and informing strategy for several
of the most well-known sports teams, leagues, and brands. With a
unique understanding of the world's most passionate fan bases, NRG
created The Fandex to bring those insights to brands across
industries, providing a new data-driven approach to understanding
the brand fan ecosystems.
Brands interested in learning more about The NRG Fandex should
contact fandex@nrgmr.com. NRG is part of Stagwell (NASDAQ: STGW),
the challenger network built to transform marketing.
Methodology
The NRG Fandom 50 is based on an online survey of 12,509 Americans
in a nationally representative sample of adults ages 18-64 fielded
from April 21-May 3, 2023. The Fandom
50 ranking is based on Fandex Scores, which are a composite of
three key pillars: Action (engagement and first choice in
category), Alignment (passion and personal relevance), and
Amplification (advocacy and buzz). The Fandex study has also
identified the components that make up a multi-dimensional
framework for defining brand fandom and unpacks the drivers that
spark and grow a brand's fan base, allowing brands to measure their
current fan ecosystem and understand how to better activate, grow,
and nurture a stronger fan network.
About National Research Group
National Research Group
(NRG) is a leading global insights and strategy firm working at the
intersection of culture, content, and technology. Rooted in four
decades of industry expertise, the world's leading marketers turn
to us for insights that drive growth. To learn more, please
visit www.nrgmr.com and follow us on LinkedIn.
About Stagwell
Stagwell is the challenger network built to transform marketing. We
deliver scaled creative performance for the world's most ambitious
brands, connecting culture-moving creativity with leading-edge
technology to harmonize the art and science of marketing. Led by
entrepreneurs, our 13,000+ specialists in 34+ countries are unified
under a single purpose: to drive effectiveness and improve business
results for their clients. Join us
at www.stagwellglobal.com.
Media Contacts
NRG
Mary Moczula
mary.moczula@nrgmr.com
HUNTER
Ross
Lipschultz
Fandom@hunterpr.com
Stagwell
Sarah
Arvizo
pr@stagwellglobal.com
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SOURCE Stagwell Inc.