Ignite Marketing: How to Turn Customers into Lifelong Fans with David Meerman Scott | Ep302

David Meerman Scott (0:00)

So, that's why I've been focused so strongly on this idea of fandoms, so strongly on the contrarian view that when the whole world is making artificial stuff, you can stand out if you have a genuine human connection, if you're really, truly engaging on a human-to-human level. And that can be digital. There can still be a human-to-human connection digitally. We're doing that right now.

Brian Bell (1:06)

He's the author of dozens of books and has sold close to a million copies in 30 languages, including the new rules of marketing PR and the Wall Street Journal's bestseller Fanocracy. Thanks for coming back on, David.

David Meerman Scott (1:16)

So good to be here, Brian. How are you doing?

Brian Bell (1:18)

I'm good. It's good to see you.

And for folks that don't know, David was my book coach for my book that just launched. But today we're going to be talking about his new book. So tell us about that, David.

David Meerman Scott (1:29)

Yeah, it's called The Fandom Playbook. And I've been talking about fandom now for several decades. And I've written a number of books that are related to fandom. The New Rules of Marketing and PR has a bit about fandom in it. However, Marketing Lessons from The Grateful Dead, I'm focused all on that one band and its fandom. Marketing the Moon is about the Apollo Lunar program and how we, we meaning the NASA and American people made fans of the astronauts. And then a book called Fanocracy, which you know, came out in 2020 That's a Wall Street Journal bestseller. And the new book is called The Fandom Playbook. I wrote it because so many people said to me, I love your ideas about growing fans. How specifically do I do it? So it is a playbook on how to grow fans.

Brian Bell (2:16)

What is like a common, if you look out, I mean, this is very much a startup podcast, right?

David Meerman Scott (2:21)

Yeah.

Brian Bell (2:22)

What do you think founders get wrong about growing their fandom?

David Meerman Scott (2:25)

Yeah, and I love, I love, love the idea that we're talking to founders here. I have an advisor, a number of different early stage startups, have done some early stage startups myself. I have lots of friends in this ecosystem. As you know, I'm an LP in a couple of funds, including yours. Thank you very much. So I love this ecosystem.

By far, hands down, number one, biggest mistake I see is founders focus way too much on their product and service, the product or service they're trying to sell. And they just try to ram it down people's throats, buy my product, buy my product, buy my product. And yeah, eventually you want someone to buy your product, I get that. But if you lead with that, it's a tough slot.

Brian Bell (3:09)

So what is creating fans look like versus creating, I don't know, followers? What's the difference?

David Meerman Scott (3:17)

I like to come at it from the perspective of neuroscience.

So, you know, we humans are hardwired in our brains, going back tens of thousands of years to be safe and comfortable in our tribe of like-minded people. And that's actually a survival technique going back thousands and thousands of generations because, you know, cavemen by the fire, if you're with your tribe, you're safe and comfortable. If you venture out, there's danger. And that actually plays into the idea of fandom because if you're in a, let's say you're in a football stadium or baseball stadium and you're rooting for your team, you're with like-minded fans, you're safe, you're comfortable, you're with your tribe. And the same thing is true with any fandom. And so that's different than just followers or different than just customers because you're actually activating people's brains in this deep, deep, deep need that we all have to be part of this tribe. So the broad idea of fandom is how can you, in your organization, as you're promoting your startup or whatever business you're in, can you create a tribe of like-minded people? Now that's, I said earlier the biggest mistake I see is around products and services. It's not to say it's around your product or service. Perhaps it's around something related to it or the problem related to the problem that you solve for your products and services. But that's the basic idea of what it's about.

It's tapping into neuroscience.

Brian Bell (5:01)

This came out of a conversation in a car with your daughter. Tell us about the origin story.

David Meerman Scott (5:05)

Well, the origin story to my book Fanocracy, which came out in 2020 was that it was actually, it was in the car. I had written a couple of books, Marketing Lessons from the Grateful Dead and Marketing the Moon, that were related to fandom. Back in, it would have been 2018, I was with my daughter. At the time, she was just finishing up university. She went to Columbia for a neuroscience degree, funny enough, and just beginning medical school. She went to Boston University Medical School. We were talking about what we're a fan of.