SAN FRANCISCO – In time for Comic-Con International: San Diego, one of the world’s largest gatherings celebrating the Superfan, Wikia, the social universe of fandom and the ultimate source for powerful and relevant pop culture expertise, has launched the platform’s “Superfan Study.”
In a two-year study and surveying over 100,000 actual fans from the vast community of 120 million, Wikia has packaged this valuable insight into nine Superfan personality profiles, bringing today’s Superfan to life for marketers.
A comprehensive psychographic study deconstructed the motivations and characteristics of fandom to illuminate key insights into the mind of the Superfan. These insights represent the whole fan in order to inform marketing strategy: brand positioning, creative development and advertising. Advertisers are able to reach Wikia Superfans through targeting across web and mobile, as well as through direct, custom collaborations in the Wikia Fan Studio™ launched earlier this year.
According to U.S. comScore data (February 2014), Wikia’s fan base is more dedicated, influential and valuable than other social platforms in a variety of instances – Wikia fans are 71% more likely to play video games for over 20 hours per week (compared to Facebook’s -1%, YouTube’s 8% and Twitter’s 17%); Wikia fans are 106% more likely to consume over five movies in theaters in the past month (compared to Facebook’s 17%, YouTube’s 35% and Twitter’s 66%); Wikia fans are 201% more likely to have spent over $200 on online music in the past six months (compared to Facebook’s 42%, YouTube’s 43% and Twitter’s 67%).
“We’ve provided marketers a way to understand a living, breathing dimension of their brand,” stated Jennifer Betka, Wikia SVP of Marketing. “The Superfan profiles give amazing insight into influential citizens who choose to collaborate with hundreds of others – sharing what they know and love in the form of a complete and dynamic chronicle – for the benefit of millions.”
Done in conjunction with UK-based research firm Visual DNA, which specializes in emotive segmentation and audience targeting, Wikia was able to break down the passionate personalities and motivational characteristics of each.
“Wikia’s engaged and passionate fan base was the perfect match for our methodology,” stated Jacob Wright, Head of Strategy at VisualDNA. “We scientifically analyze personality using images associated with particular personality types and emotions. Using these methods we were able to help Wikia understand the various types of Superfan on a much deeper level.”
The nine Wikia Superfan profiles and their personality breakdown include:
Game Heroes: “Achievement Unlocked”
Game Heroes are problem solvers who can lose hours diving into a challenge. Whether completing quests in an epic adventure or unlocking items in an addictive mobile game, Game Heroes are most at home with a controller in their hand and a high score to beat.
Digital DNA: “Tech Runs In My Veins”
Digital DNA-ers feel most at home with a device in hand. As huge fans of the sci-fi, horror, and action genres, Digital DNA-ers swell with geek pride, flaunting their analytical prowess and tech-savvy expertise.
Social Entertainers: “The Epicenter Of Every Social Circle”
Social Entertainers live an active, hyper-connected lifestyle and are always the center of their large group of friends. They’re outgoing, expressive, and have a wide range of interests, including health and fitness, travel, beauty and fashion, and keeping up with their favorite reality TV shows.
Culture Casters: “Inspiration Is My Playlist”
Naturally energetic and focused, Culture Casters have a distinct appreciation for talented artists and are musically motivated. They are also sports junkies and hold a high appreciation for technology and engineering, especially when it comes to cars, which they could talk about for hours.
Inquisitive Minds: “The Book Is Always Better Than The Movie”
Inquisitive Minds are charged by their active imagination and creative nature. They are happiest with their nose in a book, and you’ll find them perusing the local bookstore, taking in a gallery opening, gaming socially, or following their favorite comic book hero’s latest quest.
Influence-Hers: “Balance Is Not Found. It’s Created.”
The Influencer-Her is a Jill-of-all-trades, valuing balance as she juggles her personal goals and family life. Her mornings are a whirlwind of packing lunches and driving carpools, but she finds her center through everyday yoga, art projects, and uses tablets and mobile devices for staying connected to family and friends.
Fan Girl: “Keep Calm And Fangirl On”
The Fan Girl is inspired by learning and creative self-expression. She discovers herself through the stories and characters in her favorite movies, books, games, and TV shows. Follow her on social media to keep up with the latest fashion trends, and try not to smile at the emojis she just texted you.
GenZ: “The Next Generation of Curators”
Gen Z-ers have only known a world filled with technology, and give us a glimpse into the potential power of our connected communities. They strongly value customizable experiences and their heroes, which are found in the movies, TV shows, music, and video games they voraciously consume.
Pop Classic: “Once A Fan, Always A Fan”
Pop Classics grew up worshipping their heroes on the silver screen, collecting comics, and were the first generation to lose an afternoon playing Pong on their Atari. More established in life, they are now free to pursue other interests such as finance, cars, travel, and health.
Brand marketers agree that the profiles and data related make it easy to target and engage the most relevant audience. Dirk Herbert, head of strategy and planning at FCB San Francisco and seasoned brand executive, discusses the importance of engaging today’s Superfan and his thoughts on the Wikia Superfan Study in a video interview with Jennifer Betka.
About the methodology:
Over 100,000 Wikia fans participated in a visual study intended to showcase their wide array of passionate personalities and motivational characteristics when engaging in our communities. The study was fielded in two waves from 2012-2014, resulting in a set of distinct audience segments, each of them uniquely targetable, enabling marketers to reach the most relevant audiences for their campaigns.
