Superfans

"Want to create a brand that will stand the test of time? Want to build a business that will last, one made to withstand the onslaught of competition, the whims of algorithmic changes, and the unscrupulous efforts of trolls and hackers? The key isn't the best technology, the diverse revenue stream, or the biggest marketing budget. The key is people. If you want to build a business and brand that can't be foiled, you need to cultivate aficionados who will sing your praises, have your back when things get tough, and buy everything you create. You need superfans"--Dust jacket flap

A Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist pulls back the curtain on the extraordinary inner lives of America’s most obsessive sports fans. There are fans, and then there are fanatics. In this wondrously immersive look at American sports fandom, George Dohrmann travels the country to find out what distinguishes an ordinary, everyday enthusiast from that special breed of supporter known as the superfan. In Minnesota, Dohrmann meets newly minted generals of the Viking World Order, a Minnesota Vikings affinity group organized along military lines. In Oregon, he shares a few beers with a determined soccer fan who amassed—almost singlehandedly—a four-thousand-strong cheering section for the fledgling Portland Timbers. In Illinois, he talks with the parents of a five-year-old boy whose intense hatred of Tom Brady went viral on YouTube. Through these and other intimate profiles, Dohrmann shows us the human faces behind the colored face paint, the real people inside the elaborate costumes who prowl the stands and parking lots at stadiums from coast to coast. In addition to the fans themselves, Dohrmann also talks with the experts who study them. He uses the latest thinking in sports psychology—some of it learned during a spirited round of miniature golf with a group of professors at the annual Sports Psychology Forum—to unravel the answers to such burning questions as: How does fandom begin? What are its effects on everyday life? When does it go too far? For everyone who’s ever body-painted their torso with the team colors of their alma mater before heading off to a sports bar—or even just screamed at their television during the NBA Finals—Superfans offers an entertaining and insightful exploration of the many ways human beings find meaning in something bigger than themselves. Featuring photos of the Rally Banana, Timber Jim, the officers of the Viking World Order, a pair of Kentucky Wildcats tattoos, a Kevin Durant jersey torched by a jilted fan, and more. Plus analysis of the . . . Arizona State Sun Devils • Chicago Bears • Dallas Cowboys • Green Bay Packers • Indianapolis Colts • Milwaukee Brewers • Nebraska Cornhuskers • New England Patriots • Oklahoma City Thunder • Philadelphia Eagles • San Diego State Aztecs • Seattle Seahawks “Well reported and meticulously researched . . . Dohrmann is a respected, diligent sportswriter and has been so for years—you don’t get Pulitzers for message-board posts.”—The Wall Street Journal

From the author of Let's Get Digital and Amazon Decoded, this book will change how you think about marketing. Strangers to Superfans puts you in the shoes of your Ideal Readers, and forces you to view your marketing from their perspective. *Learn the five stages in the Reader Journey. *Identify where your blockages are and how to fix them. *Optimize each stage to increase conversion. *Boost sales by making the process more frictionless. *Build an army of passionate readers who do the selling for you. It's not enough to know who your Ideal Readers are, you also need to imagine how they feel when a recommendation email arrives containing your cover. You must figure out why they hesitated before clicking the Buy button. And it's crucial to determine why they liked your book enough to finish it... but not sufficiently to recommend it to their friends. The Reader Journey is a new marketing paradigm that maps out the journey your Ideal Readers take in their transformation from strangers to superfans.

Winning the title of "WrestleManiac" sounds pretty awesome, especially for a twelve-year-old die-hard WWE fan. The WrestleManiac gets the opportunity of a lifetime: the chance to carry the defending champ's belt at WrestleMania, not to mention a trip to the event and the possibility of meeting the champ! Problem is, first you have to win a nationwide competition, and WWE fans can be kind of . . . competitive! Read along as one kid does whatever it takes to win the title of WrestleManiac, even if it means bodyslamming the competition!

Ever wonder where your concert ticket money goes or what happens when you stream your favorite song on Spotify? Heard about the Music Modernization Act but not sure what it means? In Superfans: Power, Technology, and Money in the Music Industry, concert fanatic Emily Gumbulevich dives straight into the mysteries of the music industry. Despite touring and releasing music, many successful artists still have to work a day job to stay afloat. However, fans have more say in the music industry than ever, and it is up to these fans to contribute to building a new industry that puts the power (and money) back in artists' hands. In these pages, you'll discover: how and why the music industry is changing how Taylor Swift has used social media to challenge the status quo of the "old" music industry why seemingly successful artists like DREAMDIVE still have to work side jobs to pay the rent If you are a music lover looking to support your favorite artists or understand the music industry, then this book is for you.

The Routledge Companion to the Contemporary Musical is dedicated to the musical’s evolving relationship to American culture in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. In the past decade-and-a-half, international scholars from an ever-widening number of disciplines and specializations have been actively contributing to the interdisciplinary field of musical theater studies. Musicals have served not only to mirror the sociopolitical, economic, and cultural tenor of the times, but have helped shape and influence it, in America and across the globe: a genre that may seem, at first glance, light-hearted and escapist serves also as a bold commentary on society. Forty-four essays examine the contemporary musical as an ever-shifting product of an ever-changing culture. This volume sheds new light on the American musical as a thriving, contemporary performing arts genre, one that could have died out in the post-Tin Pan Alley era but instead has managed to remain culturally viable and influential, in part by newly embracing a series of complex contradictions. At present, the American musical is a live, localized, old-fashioned genre that has simultaneously developed into an increasingly globalized, tech-savvy, intensely mediated mass entertainment form. Similarly, as it has become increasingly international in its scope and appeal, the stage musical has also become more firmly rooted to Broadway—the idea, if not the place—and thus branded as a quintessentially American entertainment.

The premier reference for making Chicago Bulls fandom a lifestyle instead of just a sports preference, this collection of essential team knowledge and Bulls-related activities distills the past 50 years of NBA basketball into a fun checklist that will appeal to fans of any age. It's one thing to have been to the United Center and rooted for Derrick Rose, to relish highlights of a young Michael Jordan, or even to know that all six championship teams were led by Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Coach Phil Jackson. But it is a whole other level of fan commitment to know who Benny the Bull is named after, which player once grabbed 37 rebounds in a single game, and how the Bulls missed out on Magic Johnson in the draft. These facts and trivia--as well as important dates, player nicknames, key jersey numbers through history, and even the best places to eat before or after a game--are included in this resource that will enlighten new fans and initiate them into proper Bulls fandom, or remind die-hard fans why theirs is the team to follow year after year.

In the dynamic digital-first world of publishing, succeeding as an author requires more than just writing talent. You need to embrace business skills, marketing savvy and an entrepreneurial drive to stand out. Author Rae A. Stonehouse offers a motivational yet practical guide that shows writers how to unleash their inner authorpreneur and launch a financially sustainable and creatively rewarding literary career. Within the pages of Unleash Your Inner Authorpreneur: DIY Marketing Strategies Writers Need Today, you'll discover the frameworks, strategies and actionable steps essential for establishing yourself as a thriving author brand. Learn how to conduct competitive analysis, identify your target audience, optimize online visibility, convert readers into buyers, collaborate with influencers and adapt to industry trends. Equip yourself with the well-rounded proficiencies needed to create engaging content, stimulate online discussions, maximize advertising returns, diversify income and ascend both the creative and business facets of your authorial pursuits. Guideposts include optimizing your online platform, leveraging email marketing, analyzing metrics, monetizing through multimedia and ultimately constructing the foundation for long term authorial success. This empowering and intensely practical playbook aims to help determined writers supersede barriers, fulfill their potential and boldly ascend to new heights of literary excellence. Follow these principles persistently, gather feedback, take calculated risks - before you know it, your authorpreneurial talents will unfold, connecting your stories with eager readers worldwide while you reap the financial rewards. The time has come to spread your wings and pursue your true calling. With this book as your guide, you now hold the map to realizing your ambitious author dreams.