The Power of Authenticity in Fan-First Engagement

For directtoconsumer products and services it39s best to start by examining a category that no one can live without food For Grubhub and sister brand Seamless brand love and efficacy are vital to driving the halfmillion orders they serve daily said Jessica Burns the company39s vice president of brand marketing and creativeBuilding authentic emotional connections with its consumers starts with the simple brand value of delivering food quickly while it39s still hot Burns noted Another way to help drive brand love she said is to connect with consumers through their other passions for example one Grubhub promotion offered free delivery to Twitch Prime users gamers do lover to order out after all Another is Grubhub39s partnership with No Kid Hungry which raised 11 million to fight childhood hungerBurns isn39t the only DTC professional who believes in building bonds with consumers Pretty Little Liars actress and Bamp233is Travel founder Shay Mitchell is capitalizing on interactivity to connect with customers when it comes to her travel brand In particular she leverages social media amp8212 especially Instagram which yields 80 percent of her brand39s traffic amp8212 to engage with her audience Everything from color swatch polls to retweeting consumers who record their product experiences helps to create transparent and authentic bonds between brand and audience quotFor us getting that feedback using social mediaamp8230has made it a lot easierquot Mitchell says quotEverything is out there for everyone to see amp8212 the good and the badquotLike their DTC counterparts content providers are working diligently to build authentic connections with engaged consumers Condamp232 Nast Entertainment president Oren Katzeff is firm on ensuring that all content amp8212 whether print digital or video amp8212 is conveyed with a genuine voice quotPeople really hate inauthenticityquot he said quotThey know when content feels like an adquotKatzeff explained that his company uses a flywheel approach ie attract engage delight to drive viewership and subscriptions And while Condamp232 Nast ensures that users are always seeing articles and videos most relevant to them the company keeps prospective viewers in mind as well quotWe want content that is very core to the fansquot Katzeff explains quotbut in terms of capturing new fans we need to cast a wider netquotSome streaming platforms are also focusing on authenticity and listening to their viewers39 voices George Barrios copresident of WWE backed this by declaring quotThe more authentic the voice the more powerful and resonant the contentquot He went on to explain how the pro wrestling organization39s topoffunnel focus has been on tailoring content to fit each platform and therefore each fan39s needs This gives consumers the freedom to customize their experience based on their level of brand affinity quotEach medium has a slightly different audience or sensibilityquot he explained for example its AVOD platform is designed to reach fans on an individual levelWarnerMedia39s HBO Max despite its mass appeal takes this further by connecting with audiences that have niche interests It39s a point that executive vice president and chief strategy officer Sean Kisker emphasized during the panel He also touched on how other niche fantargeted streaming platforms within WarnerMedia such as Japanese anime streaming site Crunchyroll and Rooster Teeth a hub for nerdy liveaction and animated shorts are quota part of users39 identitiesquotKisker made it clear that brands are able to build powerful bonds by genuinely listening to fans quotIf consumers like what you doamp8230 if they feel you39re authentic with them they will run through a wall for youquotClick the social buttons to share this story with your friends and colleaguesThe opinions and points of view expressed in this content are exclusively the views of the author andor subjects and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet Inc management or associated writers

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The Power of Authenticity in Fan-First Engagement

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Hayley Virgil

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