There’s audience engagement, and then there’s fandom—people who connect passionately with a brand. But how do companies create breakthrough experiences and stories to reach them? Meredith Mazzilli, editor at The Information, facilitated a discussion with three marketers with deep expertise in this arena:

Alison Levin, vice president, global media revenue, Roku
Val Kaplan, global senior vice president, head of consumer marketing, Pluto TV
Courtney Larson, head of brand marketing, Doritos, PepsiCo

How Do You Know Where to Start?

“First, we ask if we have the authenticity to be in a space. Then, can we walk, run or sprint forward?” said Courtney Larson, head of brand marketing at Doritos. She recommends looking at your brand history and brand voice, and then seeing if it makes sense to enter a space. Also, involve public relations and the legal department early. Think about your objectives. Then build systems and processes into the ecosystem.

“Being purposeful about who you want to reach, and how, is key,” said Alison Levin, vice president of global media revenue for Roku. She also advises that you ensure you are connecting with your fans in a way they will appreciate. Finally, test and learn as you go.

“Know the platform” said Val Kaplan, global senior vice president and head of consumer marketing for Pluto TV. “People don’t hate marketing. People hate bad marketing.” She pointed out that it’s critical to be true to your brand and make sure the platform you’re showing up on adds value for your audience.

Go Where Audiences Are Already Highly Engaged

“Today we see shows about shows and podcasts about shows,” said Levin. “Fandom has exploded as the programming gets better.” Roku is taking that fandom to the next level, helping consumers know where and how to get the shows they love, and bringing the marketer into that experience in new and innovative ways.

Pluto TV’s Kaplan thinks about fandom in two ways. “One is to meet audiences where they live to tap into pre-existing fandoms.” Then her team makes sure they’re not just participating in the conversation but driving and enhancing it. For example, there’s a Reddit group still talking about “The Sopranos.” She sees that as an opportunity. “The second is how do we transfer the love and passion for the content to love and passion for our brand? We leverage those emotional connections to enhance the experience.”

Larson takes the concept even further. Last year, Doritos partnered with videogame livestreaming company Twitch. They created a Doritos Land called Tribal Island in a popular videogame. The idea embraced their brand platform of leaning into the power of the triangle - the snack’s iconic shape - as a change agent. “That allows us to tell stories that make the product more emotional,” said Larson. “Then we pushed beyond that and created a Doritos Island in real life at TwitchCon in Vegas! Fans loved it.”

Remember the Importance of Authenticity

“We think a lot about how to engage authentically in the places where fans are talking about our brand,” said Larson. “How do we start to engage with the story at the right moment? Do we have the brand iconicity? Do we have the credibility? Is this a place where we should play both short and long term?”

For Pluto TV, the team considers how to make sure they’re participating in conversations where they have a right to play and value to add. “We look at how to scale while simultaneously making those deep authentic connections,” said Kaplan.

Be Open to New Opportunities

“During the pandemic, everyone was cooking at home more. Fans were starting to use Doritos and Flamin’ Hot Cheetos in more ways,” said Larson. She saw influencers and creators leveraging the product. Doritos thought about how to use that culinary fandom with its partners. Out of that process, one customer created an exclusive flavor that launched in store. “Stay close to the consumer,” she said. “See how their behavior and stories are changing, especially with creators and influencers. Ask how you can partner to create unique experiences.”

“Be open to opportunities that evolve organically,” said Levin. She gave an example: Roku created a screensaver that surprisingly went viral. Fans started tweeting about it like crazy. They created T-shirts that read, “Good girls go to heaven, bad girls go to Roku City.” So Roku renamed the screensaver Roku City, and it became a phenomenon. “We invited brands to open locations in Roku City. It’s been interesting to lean into fandom, to get viewers excited about our platform and bring brands along for the ride.”