Discover 3 ways to harness the power of brand fans to fuel advocacy

We've explored the intersection of technology and marketing psychology to identify what resonates with consumers and triggers their decision-making. What about the compelling brand opportunities and universal insights to be gained at the intersection of consumer loyalty and sports fandom?

At a recent speaking engagement in partnership with the Digital Commerce Alliance, loyalty pros from Augeo and the National Basketball Association joined forces for an engaging discussion on the power of engagement—including how to tailor your loyalty strategy to create culture through fan experiences. We explored how to activate consumers through disruptive technology, personalization and community.

Catch up on the highlights of our conversation and discover 3 ways your organization can best harness the power of brand fans.

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Do you have brand fans—and why should you care?

If you’re wondering what defines a superfan or whether your brand has any, you’re not alone. We asked our virtual attendees: Does your brand have superfans? While 58% of respondents were confident in the status of their brand's fans (with 42% responding yes and 16% responding no), the remaining 42% were unsure. At Augeo, we define superfans as highly engaged consumers who exhibit significant brand affinity—the pinnacle of lasting loyalty that is essential for sustained organizational growth.

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Across industries including the world of sports fandom, fans can be segmented by archetype—a means of gauging engagement and pinpointing which brand fans have the potential to create lasting impact throughout your community of consumers.

So, how can you identify and harness the power of your brand fans? It all boils down to data, personalization and community:

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1. Elevate your strategy through a robust data architecture

When it comes to loyalty marketing and developing an engaged fan base, the strategies of brands across sectors will undoubtedly differ. However, there are also commonalities to capitalize on. At the heart of any successful program is rich, accurate data—the lifeblood of all brands. A well-constructed data architecture is the ultimate foundation for creating personalized experiences and a connected community of consumers, providing near-limitless potential when used effectively.

Data empowers brands to be laser-focused on how to best create and provide individualized value to consumers, and data-driven marketing enables industry leaders to maximize their market growth while elevating the consumer experience. The right data also makes it easy to identify your superfans and leverage their enthusiasm in a way that feels both respectful and authentic to all involved.

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2. Engage consumers through personalized experiences

As a global leader in enterprise engagement and loyalty platforms, our mission is inspiring people to achieve more—one interaction, transaction and experience at a time. We believe every interaction, transaction and experience should be personalized to provide the most value to all consumers, a notion that is especially true when it comes to brand fans. But not all fans are created equal—neither in the sports arena nor the consumer landscape.

Looking through the lens of loyalty and engagement programs, tiered levels provide an elegant solution for audience segmentation. By segmenting fan groups, you ensure both new and seasoned fans enjoy a rewarding and engaging program experience. For example, many reward programs use points to translate brand love into a currency. Without an intentional segmentation strategy in place, what’s to prevent seasoned fans from stockpiling that virtual currency and effectively blocking newer users from access to the same experiences or rewards?

Segmentation also provides ample opportunity for advanced personalization, supported by the robust data architecture. Overall, organizations should aim to innovate and engage in a way that attracts new fans without alienating their core base—a delicate balancing act made effortless with the right platform technology.

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3. Engender loyalty through a connected community

During our event, we asked our audience to respond to a second poll question: Do you think the loyalty landscape has changed in the past two years? The answer was clear. A resounding 90% of respondents believe it has. More than ever and in light of the pandemic, organizations are striving to win back consumers at all costs—which poses unique challenges for incumbent brands. Creating a connected community is a significant brand differentiator and essential proponent of lasting loyalty.

Where do you start? It's important to foster a deep sense of belonging for all consumers in a way that is human and personable. Augeo's proprietary engagement and experience platform technology provides a powerful suite of integrated connectivity tools to hundreds of clients—including more than 70 Fortune 500 enterprises. Supported by real-time dashboard reporting, these tools enable brands to connect users, encourage social dialogue, align interests and create networks of opportunity throughout their community.

In addition to rewarding desired fan behaviors such as purchasing behaviors or advocacy, our approach to loyalty and engagement platforms includes digital or in-person experiences—to expand or extend engagement through gamification and deepened connections. Short-form, gamified digital content continues to create an online-to-offline presence as in-person events return, providing hybrid opportunities to engage diverse audiences.

A connected community also provides brands with the unique opportunity to cross-pollinate superfans and newer users, enabling those most enthusiastic of brand fans to act as influencers to further drive engagement throughout your base.

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No matter your brand, business or base, identifying and leveraging the power of your superfans through data, personalization and community is essential to generating lasting loyalty and propelling your organizational growth. It all comes down to individual benefits, group dynamics and shared values.

‍Contact us to learn more about how Augeo can help your enterprise elevate engagement, foster loyalty and maximize brand affinity through our flexible and scalable platform technology.