Fandom Marketing and Experiential Trends: The Enabler Strategy
It is officially 2026. If we look back at the marketing landscape of the last 12 months, one hard truth becomes clear: “Fandom marketing” is on the rise.
Nobody is loyal to a bank because they have a nice logo. Nobody loves a hotel chain just because the pillows are soft. But people are loyal to their fandoms. They are obsessively, irrationally, financially loyal to the artists, gamers, and teams they love.
In 2025, the smartest Functional Brands (those essential pillars of daily life like banking, hospitality, and insurance) stopped trying to be the “Main Character.” They realised they didn’t need to compete with the culture; they just needed to fund it.
We call this the Enabler Strategy. Here is what we learned from the “Fandom Economy” of 2025, and why the most successful essential brands are the ones that simply footed the bill for the fun.
The “Enabler” Model: Be the Ticket, Not the Show
For years, utility-driven brands fell into the trap of thinking they needed to create their own culture. They launched branded podcasts nobody listened to and hosted branded festivals nobody wanted to attend.
2025 was the year the Service Sector finally accepted its true power. They realised: I am not the destination. I am the vehicle.
They stopped building audiences and started “renting” existing fandoms by becoming the infrastructure that makes the fandom possible.
American Express have mastered the “Enabler” role, turning their credit cards into essential keys that unlock presale access for major tours. (Source: Hollywood Bowl on Instagram)
The Bank as the Bouncer
The Brand: Capital One / American Express
The Fandom: Music Superfans (The “Eras” Demographic)
The Strategy: In 2023-2024, the “Eras Tour” phenomenon proved that access was the ultimate currency. By 2025, financial institutions went all-in on this model. They stopped marketing “low interest rates” and started marketing “presale codes.”
Why It Worked: For an essential industry like banking, this is the perfect pivot. A fan doesn’t sign up for a credit card because they have a passion for finance; they sign up because they love the artist, and the card is the only key that unlocks the door. The bank becomes the hero not by performing, but by being the “Enabler” that gets the fan into the room.
Red Bull doesn’t just sponsor the player; they build the arena. By funding the stage for legends like Faker, they transition from “advertiser” to “essential infrastructure” of the sport. (Source: redbullgaming on Instagram)
The “Red Bull” Blueprint
The Brand: Red Bull
The Fandom: Gaming & Niche Sports
The Strategy: We have to give credit to the OGs. Red Bull has been doing this for decades, but in 2025, we saw this model go mainstream across non-FMCG sectors. Red Bull doesn’t just slap a logo on a gaming tournament; they are the tournament. They built the training centres; they funded the documentaries.
Why It Worked: Red Bull proved that if you fund the infrastructure of a subculture, the community doesn’t see you as an advertiser; they see you as a patron. In 2025, insurance companies mimicked this by sponsoring e-sports teams, not just with jersey patches, but by funding “gaming houses” and content creation studios. They recognised that to win the loyalty of Gen Z, you don’t sell them insurance; you fund their entertainment.
Marriott Bonvoy transformed their loyalty program into an experience engine. It’s about the trackside access to the F1 circuit that turns a standard trip into a status symbol. (Source: marriottbonvoy on Instagram)
The Hotel as the Backstage Pass
The Brand: Marriott Bonvoy
The Fandom: Experience Chasers (Travel & Live Events)
The Strategy: Hotel loyalty programs used to be boring: “Stay 10 nights, get 1 free.” In 2025, Marriott flipped the script with their “Moments” platform. They stopped selling “sleep” and started selling “access.” They bought up luxury suites at Formula 1 races, NFL Super Bowls, and sold-out concerts, allowing members to bid on these experiences using points.
Why It Worked: It gamified the mundane. A business traveller staying at an airport hotel for a boring Tuesday conference isn’t just earning points for a free night anymore; they are earning points toward a Meet & Greet with their favourite band. By turning “boring” travel points into a currency for “once-in-a-lifetime” fandom moments, they made the functional act of booking a hotel feel emotionally high-stakes.
The 2026 Playbook: How to Rent a Fandom
If you are managing an “Essential” or service-based brand in 2026, the lesson from last year is simple: know your place. You don’t need to be “cool” in the traditional sense; you just need to be useful to the people who are cool. The strategy starts by identifying the barrier stopping your target audience from enjoying their passion, whether that is cost, access, or logistics, and then actively removing that friction. Don’t just sponsor the event; solve the problem by providing the free shuttle, the charging station, or the presale code, and finally, have the discipline to step back and put your logo on the ticket, not the stage.