In recent years, alongside acquiring new customers, improving the "LTV (Life Time Value)" of existing customers has become increasingly important. Against this backdrop, more companies are focusing their efforts on acquiring and nurturing "fans," who can be considered the ultimate customers.
However, fans don't grow easily through "natural cultivation." By identifying the seeds of fans and consciously "nurturing" them, companies can increase the number of passionate fans who become co-creation partners supporting the company or brand.
This is where " Fan Farming CX" comes in – a solution focused precisely on cultivating fans. We interviewed Akiko Hirota, Senior Planner at Dentsu Digital Inc.'s CX Strategy Planning Division, about "Fan Farming CX," which transforms customer experiences through thorough research to cultivate new fans. In Part 1, we asked how to find the seeds of fans and how to nurture them.
Nurturing "Potential Fans" Who May Become Fans in the Future
Q. First, could you explain what "Fan Farming CX" is? What kind of solution is it?
Akiko Hirota, Dentsu Digital Inc.
Hirota: "Fan Farming CX" is a solution that not only values existing fans but also looks to identify and nurture "potential fans" – people who could become fans in the future.
Traditional fan marketing often focused heavily on existing fans. However, not all companies or brands have a large fan base, and simply valuing existing fans won't broaden your reach. That's why "Fan Farming CX" is about identifying people who have the potential to become fans and nurturing them into passionate fans by providing the right experiences. We provide end-to-end support, not just in building the strategy, but also in creating the mechanisms to nurture these fans.
Q. What exactly are "potential fans"?
Hirota: Dentsu Digital Inc. and the Dentsu Group have long advocated the "Dual Funnel Solution." This solution unifies and coordinates responses to the two key challenges companies face: "acquiring new customers" and "nurturing existing customers," thereby improving marketing ROI (Return on Investment).
Traditional marketing primarily focused on the "customer acquisition phase" on the left side of the diagram, using methods like advertising to increase "awareness" and "interest/engagement," ultimately driving "purchases." However, in recent years, the importance of the right side of the diagram—covering "repeat business" and "upselling/cross-selling"—has grown significantly. The "potential fans" mentioned earlier belong to the left side of this diagram. The approach involves identifying individuals among those who are not yet customers but show potential to become fans. It then involves introducing them to the brand at the right moment and providing trigger experiences that foster their enthusiasm.
Q. For what specific challenges is this "Fan Farming CX" approach particularly well-suited? Are there certain types of companies you would recommend it to?
Hirota: We aim to serve a wide range of clients on a case-by-case basis. For clients focused on the right side of the diagram—those wanting to build a community of existing fans or implement CRM (Customer Relationship Management)—we can provide direct support in that area.
On the other hand, investing solely in existing fans can lead to a narrowing base or an inability to build a solid foundation. For companies facing challenges in nurturing customers or seeking to attract new fans, we propose strategies to increase high-quality new fans.
Finding fans with high "emotional love" is the first step in research.
Q. While we use the term "fan," I imagine its definition varies by company or brand. Are there key points in defining a fan?
Hirota: Indeed, "fan" is an abstract term open to broad interpretation. For us, a "fan" isn't just someone who buys a lot of products, but someone with a high level of "emotional love." This includes people who deeply resonate with the philosophy a company or brand represents, or who have a deep understanding of its worldview and history. Personally, I don't believe it can be measured solely by numbers like NPS (Net Promoter Score: a metric for customer loyalty).
Furthermore, the type of fans companies wish to cultivate varies. For instance, some companies want fans who act as advocates, spreading value beyond the confines of social media to the wider world. Others seek value co-creation partners, involving fans more deeply, even in product development. Since fans can play diverse roles, the fundamental prerequisite is defining the specific role you want them to fulfill and identifying the type of fans your brand aims to cultivate.
Q. To engage with fans, you first need to understand them, right? How do you identify core fans? What kind of research do you conduct for that?
Hirota: The methodology itself isn't particularly unique. We often find fans through standard quantitative and qualitative research. For clients with an existing member base, we sometimes link quantitative surveys to that database. First, we use quantitative research to get an overview of the company's fan power. We then filter the fans identified through that survey and conduct qualitative research.
However, even when conducting qualitative research, we often implement it with unique approaches. We call it a "simulated fan meeting." For example, we have the client's representative participate as a moderator and listen to fan voices through dialogue.
Q. Gathering fan opinions like this will naturally yield diverse voices. What types of fan voices do you particularly prioritize?
Hirota: This varies by company and brand. The crucial task is to accurately identify, through diverse research and information gathering, exactly what kind of fans they truly want to engage with. This process first enhances our resolution of the fan base.
Even in quantitative surveys, we meticulously read through every single free-response answer. We then analyze the episodes of product ownership, the quality and depth of the ownership experience. We recognize those who can articulate a rich ownership experience as exceptional fans we particularly want to engage with early on.
For a project focused on value co-creation and community building for a company, we meticulously conducted research and workshops over about a year and a half to define the criteria for fans who would become co-creation partners. Following this process, we found fans who resonated deeply with the company's philosophy and who understood and valued the company's essence more profoundly than even its own employees. The company sought "genuine feedback on management policies and corporate activities" and "insights from a shareholder-like perspective to improve the business." Through this process, we successfully identified fans with whom we could establish a genuine connection.
Thorough research reveals the moment when the seeds of fandom take root
Q. How do you identify these "potential fans" who could become fans through such dialogues?
Hirota: This is the painstaking part. When researching existing fans, we meticulously trace their journey to becoming fans. Where did their foundational experience with the brand occur? How did they first encounter it? At what point did they start taking notice? What was the trigger moment when they felt "I'm a fan"? What emotional response was evoked then? What consumer insights lay behind it? We listen to each step of that journey.
As we trend these findings, patterns emerge: "Ah, this is the trigger moment," or "Right before this, there's a moment when the seeds of fandom are planted." From there, we intentionally design experiential stimuli for the target audience and build a system to invest marketing resources effectively at those points.
Q. Recently, many companies can gather fan voices from social media and customer data. As a preliminary step before consulting a professional like you, Hirota-san, do you have any advice for listening to these fan voices?
Hirota: First, I think it's crucial to identify your most passionate fans. Regardless of the data source, pinpoint those deeply devoted fans who truly love your brand. By listening to their voices first, you'll uncover a steadfast guiding principle.
Mr. Hirota explains that thoroughly researching passionate fans reveals the optimal timing for them to become fans. By providing appropriate experiential stimuli to these identified targets, new fans are cultivated. In Part 2, we'll explore what types of products and phases benefit most from "Fan Farming CX."
Joined Dentsu Inc. in 2011. Since joining, has been responsible for strategic planning across a wide range of areas, including brand development, new product/service development, and integrated communications. Has also been involved in supporting the development of multiple hit products. Seconded to Dentsu Digital Inc. in January 2020. Since then, has driven the development of proprietary consulting frameworks, conceiving and advocating solutions such as 'Fu-man insight lab®︎', 'Social Pain Compass', and 'Fan Farming CX'. While systematizing these as solutions, has led the implementation of customized solutions tailored to each company's specific challenges.
