06.12.23
National Research Group (NRG) has released The Fandom 50—a list of the top 50 brands in its new NRG Fandex, which measures data conducted through a comprehensive study of 12,500 US consumers.
According to the study, household goods was one of the top 5 brand categories with the strongest Fandex Scores. The category followed technology, entertainment & media and social media, and topped food. Brand categories that were included in the overall study but absent from the top 50 list included travel, automotive, fitness, luxury and alcohol.
Technology brands dominated the top of the Fandom 50 list, with Google (1), Apple (3), Android (6), and Samsung (9) all placing in the top 10. Amazon (2) and YouTube (4) rounded out the top five, along with Dawn, P&G’s dish brand, which NRG says “far outpaced the rest of the household brands” that were well-represented on the list.
The Fandom 50 ranking is based on Fandex Scores, which are a composite of three pillars: action (engagement and first choice in category), alignment (passion and personal relevance) and mplification (advocacy and buzz), according to NRG.
2. Amazon (Retail)
3. Apple (Tech)
4. YouTube (Social Media)
5. Dawn (Household)
6. Android (Tech)
7. Netflix (Entertainment)
8. Walmart (Retail)
9. Samsung (Tech)
10. Coca-Cola (Beverage)
11. TikTok (Social Media)
12. Visa (Finance)
13. Microsoft (Tech)
14. Disney (Entertainment)
15. NFL (Sports)
16. PayPal (Finance)
17. Chick-Fil-A (QSR/Fast Casual)
18. Febreze (Household)
19. Starbucks (QSR/Fast Casual)
20. Marvel (Entertainment)
21. Facebook (Social Media)
22. Nintendo (Entertainment)
23. Instagram (Social Media)
24. Spotify (Entertainment)
25. Clorox (Household)
26. Dove (Beauty/Personal)
27. Nike (Apparel)
28. Crest (Beauty/Personal)
29. PlayStation (Entertainment)
30. Lysol (Household)
31. Target (Retail)
32. Gatorade (Beverage)
33. Bounty (Household)
34. Pepsi (Beverage)
35. McDonald's (QSR/Fast Casual)
36. Tide (Household)
37. Keurig (Consumer Goods)
38. NBA (Sports)
39. Kraft (Food)
40. Rare Beauty (Beauty/Personal)
41. Snapchat (Social Media)
42. Heinz (Food)
43. Colgate (Beauty/Personal)
44. Verizon (Telecom)
45. Kellogg's (Food)
46. Mr. Clean (Household)
47. Pinterest (Social Media)
48. Adidas (Apparel)
49. Fenty Beauty (Beauty/Personal)
50. MLB (Sports)
Superfans are the vital force behind brand success, contends NRG. Not only are they advocates, they are also part of a larger community that surrounds the brand and their loyalty is strong enough to withstand organizational missteps along the way, according to the company.
"The Fandom 50 highlights brands that have the most powerful fandom," said Fotoulla Damaskos, EVP, Brand Strategy and Innovation, NRG, which is part of Stagwell. "From tech giants leading innovation, to platforms and companies that connect people, to reliable household products, each brand on the Fandom 50 uniquely delivers on the components that culminate in brand fandom. These are brands that are committed to continually innovating and evolving in ways that surprise and delight customers, and they rally behind a mission that consumers identify with, creating a community that connects people with like minds and interests."
Avid brand fandom is strongest among millennials, who are superfans of nearly twice as many brands as Boomers, and of 19% more brands than Gen Z, according to the report. Brand fans are 3.5x more likely to be vocal advocates for a brand. Further, brand fans are 3x more likely to stick with a brand even if it does something they don't like.
"Building an engaged and loyal fanbase has never been more important for brands who want to stand out and drive success on all metrics," said Ryan Linder, EVP, global chief marketing officer, Stagwell. "Understanding how to build and activate your brand fans is critical, as is having a reliable and data-backed way to measure that fandom year over year. The brands on the Fandom 50 are knocking it out of the park and the insights from this research provide an incredible tool for brands ready to take their fandom to the next level."
Brands identified as leading on momentum but not yet in the Fandom 50 included Method and Mrs. Meyers, both of which are owned by SC Johnson.
According to the study, household goods was one of the top 5 brand categories with the strongest Fandex Scores. The category followed technology, entertainment & media and social media, and topped food. Brand categories that were included in the overall study but absent from the top 50 list included travel, automotive, fitness, luxury and alcohol.
Technology brands dominated the top of the Fandom 50 list, with Google (1), Apple (3), Android (6), and Samsung (9) all placing in the top 10. Amazon (2) and YouTube (4) rounded out the top five, along with Dawn, P&G’s dish brand, which NRG says “far outpaced the rest of the household brands” that were well-represented on the list.
The Fandom 50 ranking is based on Fandex Scores, which are a composite of three pillars: action (engagement and first choice in category), alignment (passion and personal relevance) and mplification (advocacy and buzz), according to NRG.
The Fandom 50 List:
1. Google (Tech)2. Amazon (Retail)
3. Apple (Tech)
4. YouTube (Social Media)
5. Dawn (Household)
6. Android (Tech)
7. Netflix (Entertainment)
8. Walmart (Retail)
9. Samsung (Tech)
10. Coca-Cola (Beverage)
11. TikTok (Social Media)
12. Visa (Finance)
13. Microsoft (Tech)
14. Disney (Entertainment)
15. NFL (Sports)
16. PayPal (Finance)
17. Chick-Fil-A (QSR/Fast Casual)
18. Febreze (Household)
19. Starbucks (QSR/Fast Casual)
20. Marvel (Entertainment)
21. Facebook (Social Media)
22. Nintendo (Entertainment)
23. Instagram (Social Media)
24. Spotify (Entertainment)
25. Clorox (Household)
26. Dove (Beauty/Personal)
27. Nike (Apparel)
28. Crest (Beauty/Personal)
29. PlayStation (Entertainment)
30. Lysol (Household)
31. Target (Retail)
32. Gatorade (Beverage)
33. Bounty (Household)
34. Pepsi (Beverage)
35. McDonald's (QSR/Fast Casual)
36. Tide (Household)
37. Keurig (Consumer Goods)
38. NBA (Sports)
39. Kraft (Food)
40. Rare Beauty (Beauty/Personal)
41. Snapchat (Social Media)
42. Heinz (Food)
43. Colgate (Beauty/Personal)
44. Verizon (Telecom)
45. Kellogg's (Food)
46. Mr. Clean (Household)
47. Pinterest (Social Media)
48. Adidas (Apparel)
49. Fenty Beauty (Beauty/Personal)
50. MLB (Sports)
Of Fans and Superfans: Study
According to NRG, 73% of US adults consider themselves a superfan of at least one brand.Superfans are the vital force behind brand success, contends NRG. Not only are they advocates, they are also part of a larger community that surrounds the brand and their loyalty is strong enough to withstand organizational missteps along the way, according to the company.
"The Fandom 50 highlights brands that have the most powerful fandom," said Fotoulla Damaskos, EVP, Brand Strategy and Innovation, NRG, which is part of Stagwell. "From tech giants leading innovation, to platforms and companies that connect people, to reliable household products, each brand on the Fandom 50 uniquely delivers on the components that culminate in brand fandom. These are brands that are committed to continually innovating and evolving in ways that surprise and delight customers, and they rally behind a mission that consumers identify with, creating a community that connects people with like minds and interests."
Avid brand fandom is strongest among millennials, who are superfans of nearly twice as many brands as Boomers, and of 19% more brands than Gen Z, according to the report. Brand fans are 3.5x more likely to be vocal advocates for a brand. Further, brand fans are 3x more likely to stick with a brand even if it does something they don't like.
"Building an engaged and loyal fanbase has never been more important for brands who want to stand out and drive success on all metrics," said Ryan Linder, EVP, global chief marketing officer, Stagwell. "Understanding how to build and activate your brand fans is critical, as is having a reliable and data-backed way to measure that fandom year over year. The brands on the Fandom 50 are knocking it out of the park and the insights from this research provide an incredible tool for brands ready to take their fandom to the next level."
Household Care Brands with 'Momentum'
The research also revealed that the most dominant path to brand fandom starts with momentum, which is driven by a brand's commitment to continuous evolution, clear future vision, and innovation. Brands that harness the "power of momentum" and leverage the right ingredients of fandom—community, belonging, relevance and identity—have the power to be the future leaders on the brand fandom list, according to the company.Brands identified as leading on momentum but not yet in the Fandom 50 included Method and Mrs. Meyers, both of which are owned by SC Johnson.