In a world saturated with content and shrinking consumer attention spans, brands are running out of runway. But a new report from culture-first agency Snack Drawer argues that the future of brand loyalty and growth doesn’t lie in traditional advertising; it lies in fandom.
Released this week, Fandomination! A Brand Growth Playbook in a Culture-Driven World reveals that fandom is no longer niche; it’s mainstream. According to a nationally representative YouGov study commissioned by Snack Drawer, 3 in 5 Australians consider themselves fans, and a third say their fandom forms a core part of their identity. Among Gen Z, that figure climbs to 75 per cent.
B&T spoke with Hannah McElhinney, chief creator and co-founder at Snack Drawer and Jamie Searle, CEO and co-founder, to unpack this world of mainstream fandom and the opportunities it presents for brands.
“Fandoms aren’t a niche, private pursuit anymore, they are culture,” said Hannah McElhinney, chief creator and co-founder at Snack Drawer. “Brands that invest in building and sustaining the fandoms around their brand will win against the tide of attention decay”.
The Antidote to Attention Decay
Snack Drawer’s report lands amid a backdrop of rising concern among marketers about attention decay, the phenomenon of ever-shorter engagement spans in a noisy digital environment. As McElhinney explained, “What we know is that fandom does. It goes against that tide of attention decay, fandom drives really active attention.”
“Three-quarters of fans are actively engaging with their fandom on social media,” she said. “That deepened engagement puts a buffer between the constant scroll. It makes it easier to capture attention when you do decide to put out content.”
The findings show that fandom is no longer just the domain of entertainment or sports. Australians identify as fans of everything from skincare to cars, with 76 per cent into entertainment, 48 per cent sports, 38 per cent food, 38 per cent tech, 35 per cent fashion and beauty, and 28 per cent consumer goods. And it translates into behaviour: nearly half of Gen Z say they’ll buy from a beloved brand even if they don’t need the product, and 1 in 5 Australians spend over $500 a year on fandom-related purchases.
But tapping into this potential isn’t about one-off stunts or viral content. According to Searle, it’s about understanding what fandom really is.
“Fandom is identity, belonging and emotional investment – everything brands need but can’t achieve through advertising alone,” said Searle. “As media fragments and audiences scatter, fandom gives brands a way to anchor themselves to something meaningful – a shared passion people rally behind.”
Introducing the Fandom Tornado
At the heart of the playbook is Snack Drawer’s “Fandom Tornado”, a model that maps fan behaviour across five tiers, from casual observers at the outer edges to passionate identity-driven fans at the centre.
“Fandoms function very similarly to a supercell tornado,” McElhinney explained. “Those core fans are deep in the eye of the storm, they’re generating memes, fan art, commentary and critique. But you also need the fans at the edge, the ones in it for the hype or who engage occasionally. A healthy fandom needs all of them”.
The model is paired with a set of “Five Laws of Fandom,” each designed to help brands better understand, build, and sustain fan communities.
The Five Laws of Fandom
According to McElhinney, a brands most passionate fans are the most critical. “60% of fans who leave comments like ‘you’ve lost it’ or ‘you’re not what you used to be’ still identify as fans. The mistake brands make is reacting too fast and pulling back”.
Instead, she said, “Marketers should welcome critique, not fear it, and know the difference between criticism and disrespect. What makes fans walk away isn’t disagreement, it’s disrespect”.
The updraft of fandom, McElhinney said, is fan-made media. “Brands should celebrate and amplify that – from memes and remixes to product hacks. That’s where your fandom comes alive,” she explained.
The key, McElhinney explained, is not force-feeding the narrative, co-opting fan language and pushing their own storytelling. “This suffocates the natural momentum. Let the fans lead – you’re not the main character.”
“Rituals anchor fandoms,” McElhinney said. “Think the Bunnings sausage sizzle, the IKEA flatpack challenge, or Adore Beauty’s free Tim Tam in every order. Rituals create moments of cultural meaning.”
She added that it’s okay to create “a little friction” in the experience. “We’ve always been told to simplify and please – but actually, if you make people work for it, they’ll value it more. Just don’t disrespect them,” she warned.
“Fandom lives in the niche,” said McElhinney. “Brands that try to water everything down for broad appeal end up with forgettable content. When you make niche references or speak to specific fan behaviours, your core community feels seen – and they’ll do the work of bringing others in.”
No Fans? Think Again.
For marketers unsure whether fandom applies to their category, Searle had a simple message: “If fandom is mainstream, your brand probably already has fans. You just haven’t looked closely enough.”
“If you care about loyalty, advocacy, and brand relevance, fandom gives you a new path to get there,” he said. “It’s not about chasing trends. It’s about anchoring yourself to something people already care about”.
Snack Drawer’s Fandomination! report, complete with the Fandom Tornado model and five fandom laws, is available now at snackdrawer.com.
