New research identifies the factors that can move consumers from awareness and transactions toadvocacy and lasting brand connection
NEW YORK, NY, <a href="https://comicvibe.com/prehistoric-farm-codes-october-2026/” title=”Prehistoric Farm codes October 2026″>October 15, 2026 — Fandom has long been recognized as a powerful force in culture. Now, new commissioned research from Omnicom Media Partner Intelligence and global music video network Vevo introduces a way for brands to measure its value and identify the strategies that can turn consumers’ existing passions into fandom for brands.
The partners have developed a customBrand Fandom metric that measures the strength of consumers’ emotional connection to a brand through four behaviors and perceptions: their intent to talk about the brand, whether they see it as standing out from competitors, whether they are proud to own or buy it, and their intent to recommend it to others.
The research[1]finds a strong relationship between Brand Fandom and the qualities marketers are looking to build. As Brand Fandom increases, brands are more likely to be perceived as culturally relevant and trustworthy, while consumers with stronger brand fandom are also more likely to say they would pay more for the brand.
“The opportunity for brands isn’t to manufacture fandom, but to understand where passion already exists and find meaningful ways to become part of it,” saidKara Manatt, EVP, Intelligence Solutions, Omnicom Media. “Music gives marketers a powerful entry point because the connection between artists and fans is already deeply established. By showing up in those experiences authentically, brands can turn that existing affinity into fandom of their own.”
Music provides a powerful pathway to brand fandom
The study identifies music as a particularly potent environment for brands seeking to build fandom, building on Vevo’s research showing that music has the highest proportion of super fans among the entertainment categories examined. Forty percent of music fans qualify as super fans, compared with 36% of sports fans, 31% of gaming fans, 28% of movie fans and 24% of TV fans. Music fandom is deeply tied to identity: 92% of music fans say music is core to who they are, while 62% say music has become a bigger part of their identity since they first became a fan.
That passion also translates into commercial potential. Seventy-three percent of adult Gen Z music fans say advertising using music they like makes them more likely to consider or purchase a brand. The figure is 75% among Millennials, 53% among Gen X and 47% among Boomers.
The research tested how various content alignment strategies affect Brand Fandom, revealing three ways brands can participate in existing fandoms and transform them into meaningful connections of their own.
Contextual strategy: Simply placing advertising alongside music video content generated a7-point increase in perceptions that the brand is part of the artist’s fan community. Seventy-four percent of people also say they think more favorably of brands that advertise around their favorite music videos. Among consumers who had not previously purchased the brand, music adjacency produced a+13-point increase in the perception that the brand is one they are proud to buy or own, compared with a 5-point increase for standard ads adjacent to general content.
Integrated strategy: Combining music in the advertising with adjacency to music video content increased perceptions of authenticity and cultural relevance. In the study, authenticity generated a6-point increase, compared with a 1-point increase for ads without a music strategy, while perceptions of cultural relevance increased by 5 points, compared with no delta for ads without a music strategy. Among consumers who had not previously purchased the brand, the strategy also increased perceptions that the brand stands out and that they would pay more for it.
Fan precision strategy: Partnering with artists and aligning advertising with their music videos generated a9-point increase in brand recommendation, compared with a 4-point increase for ads without a music strategy adjacent to general content. Among people who had not previously purchased the brand, the strategy delivered a14-point increase in purchase intent, compared with a 5-point increase for ads without a music strategy adjacent to general content. The impact on Brand Fandom was strongest among Gen Z and Millennials, with an 8-point increase for both generations.
“Fandom is built on something brands can’t simply buy: a genuine emotional connection between people and the things they love,” saidLaura Vanison, VP, Research & Measurement, Vevo. “Our research shows that brands can earn a place in those communities when they understand the culture, context and creators that matter to fans. Music gives brands the opportunity to move beyond being seen to becoming something people actively want to talk about, recommend and be part of.”
The findings suggest that the value of fandom is not simply its ability to generate attention. It can help brands build the qualities that underpin stronger relationships, from trust and cultural relevance to differentiation, advocacy and willingness to pay.
[1] Methodology: The study used controlled experimental testing across the US, UK and Australia, measuring 7,196 exposures among adults aged 18+ who use YouTube weekly and are interested in music. Participants were randomized into test and control cells and exposed to content of their choice with appropriate pre-roll advertising before completing a post-exposure survey. The research tested contextual, integrated and fan precision music strategies across multiple verticals.
