What happens when brand
fandoms go wrong?!
Chris Quigley
The power of social media and user-generated content can
have a massive impact on brand perception, so it’s not
surprising to see marketers increasingly trying to leverage the
viral influence of their followers. But cultivating a fandom is
a tricky thing. Consumers are a fickle bunch and finding the
right mix of exclusivity and public appeal, (not to mention the
coveted ‘cool’ status) is a delicate balancing act.
For those lucky few that manage to achieve it, fandoms can
foster an incredible sense of community and loyalty, but
they’re certainly not with out their pitfalls. In fact, the cultural
stereotypes generated by fans can end up actively turning
consumers away from a company. The problem being, that
unfortunately brands can’t always control the direction that a
fan following takes and once the ball starts rolling down that
hill, companies can end up spending big bucks trying to rein
it in again!
We can probably all think of some examples where brands
have become associated with fans in a way that ultimately
detracts from the message they are trying to convey. Sometimes
advertisers can work hard to turn those stereotypes around.
Burberry makes a nice case in point with its recent rebranding
effort to cast off its unwitting association with ‘chav’ culture.
However, the likes of Abercrombie & Fitch, who famously
caused public uproar by deliberately restricting its clothing
sizes so ‘fat people’ couldn’t shop in its stores, makes for a
classic example of a failed attempt to manipulate a brand
fandom.
Lets take a closer look at some cases of fandoms gone
wrong…
The Cult of Apple:
Cast you mind back about 10 years or so to when Apple was
still a relatively little fish in a big pond, trying to compete with
the corporate tech giants and show the world that computers
could actually be ‘cool’. The early “Get a Mac” switcher ads
were genius. Deliberately cultivating a Mac vs. PC battle and
personifying the typical PC user as an outdated unfashionable
businessman lagging behind the times, whilst the hip young
Mac user showed the world that computing didn’t have to be
complicated.
The campaign was a marvel of simplicity, no special effects
or fancy graphics, just a clean white space, 2 characters and
one question… which one are you? It was
clever because it was one of the first ads of its
kind to so deliberately perpetuate the notion
that consumers are defined by the technology
they choose. It wasn’t just saying something
about the Mac but about the Mac ‘user’.
Apple became one of the most striking
examples of extreme brand fandom we’ve
ever seen. In the BBC’s documentary, Secrets
of Super Brands, Apple Stores were actually
likened to cathedrals. Fans flocked to their
doors, eager to be the first to get their hands
on the latest new product, sometimes camping
outside for days in anticipation. However, in
recent years the Apple fandom has become a
source for industry mocking, with the concept
of the ‘Mac enthusiast’, giving rise to a string
of jokes and comedy spoofs, (Sh*t Apple
Fanatics Say sums up most of the stereotypes nicely).
The problem was that Apple marketed itself around the idea
that consumers were joining a club of people who think a
little different. But with increasing competition from its rivals,
it’s clear that Apple can no longer get by on the ‘Mac user
Ideal’.
Over time we’ve seen the tech giant become a target of
ridicule from other brands. Recently Samsung took a cheeky
swipe at the iPhone in its ad for the Galaxy S4 (pictured);
Nokia mocked the Apple Vs. Samsung Rivalry in its Lumia 920
Phone ad; and Microsoft finally turned the tables with a series
of videos parodying Apple’s earlier ‘Get a Mac’ campaign by
comparing the iPad to the Windows tablet. Only instead of
personifying the operating systems with comedians, Microsoft
backed up its claims with a clear demonstration of the features
the iPad is lacking.
The fandom that once worked in the brand’s favour is now
working against it, dividing public opinion and alienating
it from a demographic of consumers who view the ‘cult’ of
Apple followers as a joke. It’s pretty obvious that just being
‘cool’ isn’t going to cut it anymore and Apple is going to
have to step up its game with some hard facts and figures if
it wants to maintain its fanbase.