This week, Walkers became the latest brand to embrace its superfans by bringing back the Worcester Sauce flavour which had been axed in 2023. Whether this was just a well-publicised marketing stunt remains to be seen, after all, it would not have discontinued the flavour if they were selling well.
However, wherever you turn, superfans appear to be coming out of the woodwork. Decision Marketing quizzes industry experts on the benefits – and potential pitfalls – of bringing these obsessive brand advocates on board.
For Sparks Global chief marketing officer Kristy Elisano superfans are the heartbeat of a brand’s identity, embodying its values and amplifying its message with passion and authenticity.
She adds: “Their enthusiasm fuels word-of-mouth influence, often surpassing the impact of traditional advertising. By offering exclusive experiences, personalised touches, and opportunities for collaboration or co-creation, brands can deepen the connection with superfans, fostering a sense of belonging and ownership that transforms loyalty into lasting advocacy.”
Meanwhile Lippincott US senior partner Chris Ciompi maintains that superfans have a direct impact on brand identity. Unlike traditional advertising, they expand the power for others to connect by actively enhancing the ability for a brand to form meaningful connections and to contribute to conversations around how a brand helps its customers make progress in their lives in ways they otherwise couldn’t.
Ciompi explains: “As part of Lippincott’s annual brand research surveying over 11,000 consumers on more than 800 brands, we found that consumers aged 18-35 more frequently say their friends love the brands they, themselves, are users of.
“And that this same group of younger consumers prefer brands that are well-liked by the important people in their lives. It’s clear there’s an opportunity for brands to cultivate relationships with these superfans and to enlist their help to promote brands within their own, often extensive, circles.
“How? Focus on ensuring superfans would say two statements about them without hesitation: ‘I love this brand’, and, ‘this brand helps me make progress in my life’. The brands that not only make good on their promised experiences, but also put their customers effortlessly in control and are easier to use than competitors – those are the brands that superfans will continue to adore and use.”
Over at Saffron Brand Consultants, senior strategist Maria Antonia Dolman is another superfan fan, believing their genuine loyalty adds authenticity and credibility to a brand, making their advocacy far more persuasive than traditional marketing. This organic influence can transform casual observers into customers, creating a ripple effect of growing fandom, she claims.
Dolman adds: “Relationships between brands and their fans must go beyond transactions. Superfans crave experiences that make them feel involved, they want relatable stories that inspire joy, nostalgia and excitement. It’s about creating a universe where superfans want to belong. To achieve this, brands must deliver on their promises by crafting memorable experiences built on six key areas: emotion, attention, storytelling, involvement, repetition and consistency. When superfans feel like part of a brand’s journey, they become its strongest ambassadors, driving long-term loyalty and advocacy.”
And Jungle Media managing director Siobhan McDade concurs: “It may already be a buzzword of 2025 but for good reason, co-creation gives brands the opportunity to actively involve and listen to their most loyal customers (superfans) in everything from product development to content creation in order to improve, test and tailor outputs.
“Though the ways of spreading word of mouth about a brand have shifted in recent years, the power of this as a marketing tool has not, with around 88% of consumers globally trusting customer recommendations.
“Superfans are key to unlocking this tool as they act as an extension of a brands’ marketing team – they are the ones sharing with friends, colleagues and the world online about your brand. So building a strong community who repeat purchases and shout about your brand for you can equals free marketing.”
But how can brands cultivate relationships with superfans to ensure long-term loyalty?
McDade continues: “Brands need to find their niche that they can build an already passionate community around, they need to stay relevant and be in culture via social and trends to reach cult status and they need to harness audiences on platforms that allow for two-way dialogue and co-creation to happen.
“The biggest faux pas brands must remember though is a relationship with a superfan can’t be one dimensional. Brands need to give back through exclusivity, rewards, access, understand what superfans adore, enable this passion, and then add value for them, so they can add value for you.”
However, Coley Porter Bell chief executive Vicky Bullen warns that while superfans can champion new launches, share good experiences and build genuine word-of-mouth recommendations, problems can arise if you need to rebrand or redesign.
Bullen explains: “This cohort is likely to baulk at changes to ‘their brand’ – and be very vocal about it – so brands must strategise how they might make superfans part of the process and how to communicate any changes so that they feel in the know rather than ambushed.”
Nevertheless, Imagination creative strategist Esther Scriven reckons that in today’s authenticity-driven landscape, listening to and acting on superfans’ feedback is key to building a brand that truly resonates with your audience.
She concludes: “What makes superfan communities unique is that they embody the contrasting human desires for both belonging and individuality. By tapping into these desires through impactful and engaging co-creation experiences, brands can build deeper connections and foster lasting relationships. By giving audiences an active role in your brand’s story you can transform them into lifelong champions who not only amplify your message but strengthen your identity.”
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