A new report outlining how brands must move from audiences to participants to survive cultural fragmentation
NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, March 18, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — SoHo Experiential, a leading independent experiential marketing agency, has partnered again with SOON Future Studies, a global foresight and cultural intelligence firm, to release Brands Built for Fandom. The report examines how brands must shift from transactional engagement to participatory community-building if they expect loyalty to endure in today’s fractured culture.
As audiences become more selective with their attention and more protective of their identity, traditional loyalty systems are breaking down. In the United States, reported brand loyalty has dropped from 76% to 49%, a 27-point decline that reflects a sharp erosion in the systems brands once relied on for sustained growth (HubSpot, 2024).
What replaces it is not louder marketing. It is fandom.
“We’re not in a fandom boom, we’re in an institutional failure,” said Reece Hobbins, Culture Futures Director at SOON Future Studies. “As trust in media, brands, and organizations erodes, fandom has stepped in to do the work of belonging. What brands are experiencing isn’t increased enthusiasm. It’s increased expectation.”
Grounded in cultural research, behavioral data, and real-world brand signals, Brands Built for Fandom argues that the broadcast era is over. Reach no longer compounds on its own. Participation does.
SXSW Debut: Brands Built for Fandom
The report outlines three structural shifts brands must make:
From Audience to Participation
Impressions do not predict devotion. Co-authorship does. Brands must design systems where fans contribute, create, and influence outcomes — not simply consume.
From Campaigns to Continuity
Hype spikes fade under compression. What endures is rhythm: repeatable structures, seasonal arcs, and long-term community infrastructure.
From Extraction to Reciprocity
Fandom mechanics are powerful. Used extractively, they create cult dynamics. Used regeneratively, they create culture that compounds.
“The most powerful brands don’t just leverage fandom. They build environments people choose to inhabit,” said John Millward, Partner, Chief Creative & Growth Officer at SoHo Experiential. “That means designing participation with real stakes, measuring community health instead of vanity metrics, and committing to continuity beyond a quarterly cycle.”
The report provides a diagnostic framework to help organizations assess whether fandom is right for them, and if so, how to build it responsibly. It challenges brands to answer:
Does your product warrant devotion?
Can you commit to continuity over 3–5 years?
Is your business model regenerative or extractive?
Can you tolerate public co-authorship and criticism?
If the answer is no, the report argues loyalty mechanics may still be valuable. But fandom is not.
Brands Built for Fandom will debut at SXSW 2026 in Austin, TX, where John Millward and Reece Hobbins will host a session on March 18 at 1:00pm EST exploring how brands can build self-animating communities instead of short-term engagement spikes.
For more information on the session, visit here.
For those unable to attend SXSW, the findings can be shared through private briefings and presentations. To request a briefing or learn more, contact Anne Woodard at Anne.Woodard@sohoexp.com.
Industry Perspectives
Insights informing Brands Built for Fandom draw from leaders across brand, culture, and experiential strategy, offering a cross-industry view of how loyalty is being redefined through experience. Contributors include:
Ed Kull, Vice President and Director of Athletics at St. John’s University, a seasoned athletic administrator and fundraiser who has guided the Red Storm program’s growth and success while driving revenue, engagement, and competitive performance.
Jason Alan Snyder, Founder of Artists & Robots, and globally recognized futurist, inventor, and technology executive specializing in artificial intelligence, spatial computing, and human-data interfaces.
Peter Jack, Head of Precincts at Tennis Australia, the architect behind the Australian Open’s “worlds” strategy across Melbourne Park’s 65-acre precinct, where 1.37 million fans experience one of the most design-led live events in world sport, projected to generate $700 million in 2026.
Fandom Scorecard
Alongside the report, SOON has launched the Future of Fandom Scorecard – a free, interactive diagnostic tool that gives any brand a personalized fandom score in approximately 10 minutes. Grounded in the same research framework, the Scorecard analyzes a brand across four pillars – Identity, Participation, Ethics and Durability – combining company-specific answers with a live web scan to produce a tailored scorecard, strategic gaps, specific next moves, and signals to watch. It is designed for brand leaders, CMOs, and strategists who want to move beyond the research and understand precisely where their brand stands – and what to do next.
Curious how your brand scores? Get your free Future of Fandom Scorecard and find out exactly where you stand HERE.
About SoHo Experiential
SoHo Experiential is an independent, full-service experiential marketing agency based in New York City. For over 20 years, SoHo has partnered with leading brands to create meaningful, culture-driven experiences that deepen connections and build lasting relevance. The agency blends insight, creativity, and execution to design brand moments that people remember, share, and return to.
Learn more at www.sohoexp.com.
About SOON Future Studies
SOON Future Studies is a global foresight and cultural intelligence engine helping organizations navigate what’s next. Its AI-powered platform, SOON Future Intelligence, surfaces cultural signals, tracks competitive forces and market movements, and turns them into clear strategic advantage for leadership teams shaping the near future.
Learn more at www.soonfutures.com
Jay Kolbe
Impact Partners
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Topic / Business & Economy, Topic / Culture, Society & Lifestyle, Topic / Amusement, Gaming & Casino, Topic / Conferences & Trade Fairs, Topic / Media, Advertising & PR, Country / United States, State / New York
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