Brands, Fans, and Exchanges

Although fandom has a rich history within pop culture, it is difficult to know what constitutes a fandom, what differentiates fandoms from similar phenomena as well as what different types of fandoms exist and how fandoms are formed and maintained. In this chapter, the authors define fandom and the related member actions that create and maintain fandoms, as well as delineate the concept from the similar fan-brand communities of transactional brand communities, social brand communities and brand publics. A typology for fan-brand communities is presented with two dimensions: 1) motivation for engagement; and 2) social status and relationship type. This typology can help guide researchers, brands, and marketers in effectively managing different subcultures of fans. This chapter may be used as a starting point for further understanding of fan-brand community-based relationships.