Hello Presents Fanverse! - The Food Connection

Jul. 03, 2024

In recent years, fandom culture has gradually evolved from a subculture to a powerful engagement tool that goes beyond communities' passion for artists, musicians, and entertainers.

Hello has launched the Hello, Fanverse! format with the goal of analyzing fandom phenomena in specific interest areas, providing insights and strategies for engaging target communities. 

The first episode explored the impact of Fandom Culture in the Italian food scene. 

Hello's research team produced a white paper, supported by technical partner Gruppo Bilendi, an European leader in market research data collection, who conducted a survey of 1000 users across Italy. Media partner Chef In Camicia, a Food Experience Media outlet, engaged its community to gather insights on fan interaction. The white paper was further bolstered by insights from the focus groups organized by Hello, delving deeper into the key findings from the quantitative research.

The white paper was unveiled at a launch event on June 11th at Hello's offices, concluding with a roundtable discussion featuring industry KOLs and digital world experts: Erica Giagnorio, Social Media & Brand Manager of Chef in Camicia, Jacopo Ierussi, Founder of Assoinfluencer, and Sarah Marìa Dalla Pozza and Christian Calia from Italians Mad About Food. 

Globally, fandoms, which originated with the advent of printing, are now increasingly influential in pop culture. The digital age has amplified their impact, making interactions more immediate and global, actively influencing brand strategies. Social media has also facilitated the rise of "fluid fans," who engage dynamically with their passions than in the past.

Fluid fans embody today's fandom scene, where everyone is a fan of everything, every day. When considering their audience, brands must recognize this crossover phenomenon, as confirmed by Chef In Camicia:

Erica Giagnorio, Social Media & Brand Manager of Chef in Camicia noted:

"Our average follower has a strong passion for music (56% of our community is interested in music-related content) and travel (45% are likely to engage with travel content)."

 

Regarding Italy-specific focus, Italians are passionate, with hearts beating for music (64%), the thrill of travel (64%), cinema magic (55%), culinary delights (54%), and sports excitement (46%). Among these passions, cuisine reigns supreme, almost by birthright. For 11%, it's a primary obsession, and for 28%, it ranks among their top three interests. This passion for food is unsurprising, deeply rooted in Italian culture.

Instagram has become the hub for the food community, with 79% of users following food creators and 74% following chefs, surpassing Facebook. TikTok is equally influential, with 64% of Italian users passionate about cooking and 60% purchasing food products seen on the platform. On TikTok, step-by-step recipes (36%), dessert ideas (36%), healthy recipes (35%), and food product reviews (21%) are particularly appreciated. Niche platforms like Discord and Telegram also provide spaces for in-depth exploration and aggregation of fandoms, with Telegram being the most used in Italy outside the Meta ecosystem (48%). 

Aziza Ibrahim Ahmed, Research and Insights Director at Hello said:

"Our proprietary research has allowed us to better understand the dynamics and drivers of fandoms. In a context where fans move fluidly across channels, it's important for brands to strategically oversee various social platforms, addressing different needs. While Instagram and TikTok inspire and educate, platforms like Discord and Telegram foster deeper connections, creating an authentic sense of community."

 

Fans are open to brand involvement, as long as the activities are authentic and the brands have sustained fandom over time. Here are the five key actions identified by Hello to develop meaningful relationships with fandoms: 

• Treating fans as part of a fandom, fostering deeper emotional connections and brand loyalty.
• Engaging in fan gathering places, joining conversations, and providing content that enriches fan experiences.
• Recognizing the diversity of fan passions, creating content and experiences that resonate with the various facets of their lives.
• Co-creating with creators and fans, collaborating with influencers to meaningfully engage the community.
• Offering engaging experiences, creating immersive events that allow fans to deeply connect with food culture.

Cristina Urban, Strategy Director at Hello said:

"Over time, each fandom develops its own unique culture. This culture includes traditions, values, and specific languages shared by community members. Understanding these distinctive elements can help a brand authentically connect with a fandom, creating lasting and meaningful relationships that mutually benefit."

 

Sara de Mattia, Managing Director at Hello concluded: 

"The Hello! Fanverse format aims to help brands understand that fandoms represent a valuable resource for developing communication strategies, fostering deep and authentic connections between brands and people. Players who recognize and value the potential of fandoms can benefit from greater customer loyalty, widespread dissemination of their message, and relevant insights, promoting continuous and meaningful interaction with their audience. We are very pleased with this initial event, made possible thanks to the significant contributions of the Hello team and the involved partners."