Recently, Rhonda posted a blog about the different levels of fandom. While a number of people commented on whether or not they fit into specific categories, they didn’t really question the idea that there are different types or levels of fans. I think, then, it is safe to say that we are all in agreement that there are some “fans” who like one or two songs or albums. Then, there are fans who would go see Duran live if they came to their home city and are free that night. Still, others long to see them whenever and wherever. Of course, there are also people who aren’t fans but could be. It seems to me that there is a lot of attention on getting those could be but aren’t fans to be fans by all artists, not just Duran Duran. I obviously understand why. If one’s fanbase is 1 million people, then, an artist could hope that 1 million albums would be sold. Heck, maybe you try to get a few more than a million by putting together different packages so that some within the fanbase buy more than one copy each. Yet, of course, if an artist can get 20,000 new fans, then they might be able to sell 20,000 more copies. Thus, it makes sense to try and increase one’s fanbase. Will those 20,000 new fans be at a level of fandom that they might buy even more than one copy like those of us who are hardcore would? Probably not but they could be. After all, we (hardcore fans) were once just like those new fans who liked a couple of songs enough to pay more attention and buy an album.
How does one’s fandom increase from a casual fan status to a more serious fan? It seems to me that there are two big ways that one’s casual fan status becomes serious. One way one’s fandom increases is to feel a greater connection with whomever/whatever one is a fan of. For example, I have had a number of people in my world be those casual fans of Duran until they saw Duran live. Then, they were hooked! Thus, having that 2 hour experience with the band increased their fandom. The problem here, though, is not everyone is going to have that experience with the band. Maybe you live in places where the band doesn’t tour or your seats are so bad that you don’t get the same connection as someone in the first 10 rows. Maybe it is during downtime when there aren’t concerts, albums, songs or interviews to pay attention to. So how else could one’s fandom increase or be reinforced? It seems to me that one big way is by establishing those connections with other fans.
Whenever I’m around other fans, I feel most like a Duranie. I can’t be the only one who has this experience. When I am talking about Duran and sharing stories, I can’t think about anything else BUT Duran. What happens typically after I have been around other fans is I either scream my lungs out at a show or I find myself shopping for all things Duran. I find myself talking about Duran and sharing songs and videos on all social networking sites I can find. This, of course, encourages others to be fans or fans at a deeper level. It is a cascading effect. I would also argue that the connections made between fans might also be longer lasting and could ensure that one’s fandom is never too far removed. This is what happened to me just this week. After I returned, some of the first messages I responded to were from Rhonda and guess what the focus was about many of them? That’s right. Duran Duran. My hiatus from Duranland couldn’t last. She made sure of it. Other fans/friends did the same.
This is why, I think any artist, any band should encourage fans to reach out and connect with other fans. Fan meetups and fan conventions should be encouraged for they know and understand that the relationships between fans increase people’s fandom and works to keep people in the fandom. This is the means to make those casual fans into more serious fans and as a means of keeping everyone as serious fans even during downtimes or breaks. In this way, the fans would be doing just as much work as an advertisement or an interview by increasing people’s fandom and keeping them. Sounds like a sure win to me.
-A
I would like to follow up this blog with saying that bands are truly missing a key point here – it's not just reaching out to FANS, it's reaching out to fans and having a goal of making those casual fans (people who might go to a single concert when it's convenient) into more of a hardcore fan who goes to many shows, buys an increased amount of product, etc. It's not enough to get someone to click “Like” on Facebook or “Follow” on Twitter. It's about continually creating that sense of community, it's about fostering relationships or at least offering OPPORTUNITIES for those connections to be made. This does NOT mean to set a band member up with a Facebook account or a Twitter account and think they're done. It's about that word – COMMUNITY. Not many bands actually understand what that means. Maybe it's because from their point of view, the only thing that matters is the transactional relationship. Maybe it's because for the band(s), they figure the fans handle getting to know one another themselves. This is where I think they are wrong.
A band SHOULD be helping to foster that relationship, and it doesn't mean any/every band themselves needs to personally be at every event. It means supporting those who are making the effort – the small things count – and whether a band believes this or not, it makes a difference. Even if it's agreeing to re-tweet the news of an upcoming fan get together or posting the info on Facebook, that effort is seen by all fans. It shows that a band WANTS their fans to connect. That's key.
When I've gone on vacation with my family, I check my email, my facebook and of course the blog. Why? It's not because I want to see if John, Roger, Simon, Dom and now even NICK has tweeted or posted. It's because I want to see what my friends are up to. Who are those friends? The largest share are people I've met as a result of being a Duran Duran fan. What do we typically talk about? Duran Duran (among other things). Would I keep going to shows without those friends? At this point? Maybe sometimes, but truthfully it wouldn't interest me nearly as much.
If that doesn't drive our point home, nothing will.
-R
I became a fan with the first song of theirs' I heard on the radio. When I was in Middle School, I knew a girl who was also a fan, and we were good friends, for a while. Then the next year she had turned away from the band, because they were “So last year”. I could not understand this, for once I like a band/artist I do not stop liking them just because I have found new artists to like, I just add them to the ever growing list of artists that I am loyal to. Not many of my current friends are Duranies, and they think that I am obsessed, because I talk about them a lot, and I moved from OKC to Tulsa last year so I could go to their concert. But what they do not realize is that, the person I was living with was draining me of my personal resources, and that if I had stayed with him, I would never have been able to save up the money to go to the concert, and I had been wanting to see Duran Duran in concert since1983. This being the first chance I had ever had to see them, I was not going to miss the opportunity, no matter what I had to go through, so I moved. The concert provided the motivation I needed to get out of a bad situation. But like I said my friends think that I am obsessed because I did this. They are like no other band, their music has no equal, these wonderful British gentlemen have changed the world, by changing the way we listen to, and think about music. They truly care about their fans, and appreciate our dedication, because they know that without us they would not be where they are now. So I ask how could I not be a devout fan to a band of such talented, considerate, caring, gentlemen, who go out of their way to please their fans??? How could I not have the utmost respect for these men who have worked so hard, for so long to make so many people happy, simply by sharing their music with the world??? Since the concert I have been trying to meet more of my fellow Duranies, for I feel like they understand my devotion better than my friends, and from what I have been reading, and seeing online, I am not as obsessed as my friends think I am. But I am proud to be a Duranie, and if they don't like it they can kiss me where the “New Moon On Monday” don't shine!!!
PS: Duran Duran made all the trouble, and pain I went through to
move worth it! ! ! ! The concert was amazing, and I still get concert
afterglow every time I listen to my copy of “All You Need Is Now” on CD.
Thank You Duran Duran
For me, the levels of fandom evolved as follows: 1) hear and like the first single on the radio; 2) hear and like the second single, prompting me to buy the tape/CD; 3) like the non-singles on the tape and CD enough to go buy the other albums I didn't have 4) buy the next album on the day it comes out 5) see them live 6) stay with them through lineup changes and a decline in popularity 7) spend God knows how much money on rarities/bootlegs/b-sides 8) go online daily (pun intended) to read about/comment on them 9) realize that I didn't have to spend all that money on b-sides and rarities when most of them came out via officially released “box sets”…or maybe that step was earlier…anyway..