How to Tap into Emotional Loyalty to Build a Valuable Data Asset
Turning customers into fans of brands - the kind who proudly wear your logo, rave about your products, and defend you like family - isn’t just about engagement; it’s a full-blown journey.
The line between mere spectator and superfan goes beyond allegiance - it’s identity. These fans don’t just buy your products; they make your brand part of who they are. It’s the emotional fulfillment, identity, and a sense of belonging to something even bigger.
And this level of passion isn’t limited to just sports. It applies to superfans of entertainers, fashion brands, technology companies, hobbies, and interests - essentially anything that draws in massive, passionate crowds, large enough to fill concert halls, convention centers, and digital platforms worldwide.
The pursuit of “fandom” is worth it. Avid sports fans in America shell out more than $20 billion annually on everything sports-related, from game tickets, jerseys, gear, and even those foam fingers. In fact, they’re responsible for 6 out of every 10 dollars spent on game tickets alone.
Brands and organizations worldwide are tapping into the passion of loyal fanatics and uncovering a goldmine of data that goes beyond traditional engagement metrics. Insights from this body of data-driven customer knowledge is reshaping the game, turning every cheer and jersey purchase into a story of profound connection.
So how can your brand capitalize on this trend?
Why “fanatical” data matters
One way to connect with fans is by creating emotional attachments through sports championships, groundbreaking performances, relatable stories, a coveted status, or shared hobbies. Brands and creators build lasting, personal bonds by creating meaningful experiences rooted in triumph, creativity, or community.
Now, imagine fueling that connection with the power of data. Josh Walker, Co-Founder and CEO of Sports Innovation Lab, says data collaboration—where organizations share and analyze fan data to better understand behavior—acts as a force multiplier.
Data collaboration acts as a force multiplier to create emotional brand attachments.
Unlocking the full potential of fan engagement requires more than just surface-level insights. By leveraging complex fan intelligence, brands and organizations can enhance personalized experiences, boost engagement, and drive innovation—all while accelerating revenue growth.
We talked with IC Group, a firm that is transforming the fan experience through digital promotions, contests, and sweepstakes, about these trends. “By pooling data, organizations can gain a more comprehensive understanding of what drives fan loyalty, spending habits, and emotional connections,” says Jill Goldworn, SVP Sales at IC Group . Access to better data allows for tailored content, offers, and interactions that connect more deeply with individual fans. Jill Goldworn said, “We have seen promotions drive 5X more participation and up to 3X higher conversion rates. When the experience feels personal, fans respond.”
Data enables organizations to create more compelling and relevant experiences that matter to fans of brands
Enhanced insights lead to more effective marketing, sponsorship strategies, and product offerings, ultimately driving higher sales. The end goal is to create a more connected, satisfying, and profitable relationship between fans and organizations, using the data acquired as a powerful tool to achieve these outcomes.
Competitive obstacles
Professional sports teams tend to avoid sharing data with their league offices, fearing it could dilute their competitive edge. Each team typically operates its own distinct data collection methods and systems differently, which limits their understanding of the broader market. To fully capture a holistic view of a “league fan” - not just a “team fan” and maximize fandom, a solution must be found.
The challenge lies in getting the attention of fans on both sides of the court. For example,
- In sports: teams and leagues can share data to see how fans connect—whether at games, on social media, or through merchandise.
- In entertainment: studios and streaming platforms can work together to track how fans enjoy content across devices and formats.
- In retail: brands can team up with payment systems or loyalty programs to understand buying habits and preferences.
According to a McKinsey report, marketing ROI can increase 15-20% and boost customer satisfaction by 10-15% by leveraging consumer data. “This is because shared data enables hyper-personalized experiences, such as tailored recommendations, targeted offers, and timely engagement strategies,” says Jay Miles, the SVP Marketing at IC Group.
But data collaboration is often hindered by consumer privacy concerns and regulatory challenges. A common roadblock is the internal pushback from legal and compliance teams as one executive might say, “Our legal team will never let us share our first-party data!” This reluctance stems from valid concerns about data misuse, breaches, or non-compliance with privacy laws.
Brands must navigate through strict guidelines with laws like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in Europe and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) in the U.S., on how they collect, store, and share the data.
Activating Large Fan Groups
IC Group works with its partners to maximize fan engagement while meeting regulatory standards.
Hockey Canada and the World Junior Hockey Tournament
In a partnership with Hockey Canada and the World Junior Hockey Tournament, IC Group’s Fannex platform was employed to gain a better understanding of those attending the events.
Event-based mobile apps and in-venue gamification encouraged real-time fan interaction, unlocked deeper insights into the fan base, and created winning results:
- 50 %+ registration rate, with 61% opting into future communication
- 15% of attendees participated in interactive games like “Check-In to Win,” “Game Predictor,” trivia, photo sharing, and animated games
- 7 %+ clicked through to buy merchandise during the event—real-time conversion, not passive interest.
- 4+ minutes average game time per user
This campaign illustrated multiple areas of benefit for Hockey Canada:
Easy Adoption Increases Participation
Joining the experience was simple and easy to understand. Fans only needed to scan a QR code bringing the audience into the event game center. With minimal setup required, teams can activate fans within hours of licensing the platform. Kemal Leslie, SVP of Fannex, said, “Our goal is to make fan engagement effortless and fast. For example, the Orlando Magic went live just four hours after they licensed our platform. The ability to launch quickly and adjust in real time gives partners both flexibility and immediate impact.” A live analytics dashboard provided immediate insights and helped steer the execution of the experience by production teams.
Data Flexibility Increases Participation
The approach allowed fans to participate, whether they provided personal information or not. While Fans were offered an improved experience with registration, the fans were left in control. The result was higher than expected overall participation and adoption.
Real Time Tech Improves FX (Fan Experience)
IC Group technology supporting the campaign allowed the event producer to control and adapt experiences with the audience in real time as part of the event. For example, Fans could respond to a trivia game synchronized between mobile phones and venue screens while a host walked the audience through the game.
AI Powers Fan Understanding
The data collected from interaction with 40,000+ end unique users offered a rich resource from which to launch valuable AI-based study. It also helped form multiple strategic and relevant communication plans in event follow-up, catering to each targeted brand customer.
Microsoft Bing Sweepstakes
IC Group has worked to activate another type of fan base, the enormous population of Microsoft Bing search engine users. With characteristics similar to other “fanatics” with passion for sports or entertainment, Microsoft identified tremendous potential for engagement with its user group.
The result was the Microsoft Bing sweepstakes, which offered $1 million in prize money to participating users. This campaign launched across five countries— the U.S., Canada, the U.K., France, and Germany— and was fully compliant in each market, with adjustments made to meet local languages and legal requirements.
The sweepstakes featured one grand prize of $1 million and ten $10,000 prizes, with two winners selected from each participating country. The primary objective was to drive engagement among Microsoft Rewards users by encouraging them to complete various activities to earn entries. Key customer behaviors that aligned with Bing’s core KPIs were:
- Downloading Bing Mobile
- Changing the mobile default browser to Bing
- Installing the Edge mobile browser
- Downloading the Microsoft Rewards Extension to a PC browser
These were just a few of the many actions users could take to participate. This video shows how the $1 million grand prize, awarded to Ron G. from Maine, became a heartwarming story of life-changing impact.
Embracing the Diversity of Fans
Fan groups are diverse and an arena full of individuals is composed of differing interests, behaviors, and emotional connections. If the right methods are used, the impact of engaging fans in the stands can go far beyond a single event, brand or organization.
IC Group understands how to engage large fan groups in dynamic settings and with real time impact. Marshalling the attention of thousands of consumers and creating personalized experiences that strengthen fan loyalty is more than a game plan drawn on a whiteboard, it’s a reality that can be executed on the field today.