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An exploratory investigation of the characteristics of consumer fanaticism

Article in Qualitative Market Research · January 2006
DOI: 10.1108/13522750610640558

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An exploratory investigation of the Consumer

fanaticism
characteristics of consumer
fanaticism
51
Scott Thorne
Southeast Missouri State University, Cape Girardeau, Missouri, USA, and
Gordon C. Bruner
Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois, USA

Abstract
Purpose – The purpose is to examine the behaviors of consumers engaged in fan activity and
determine if there are attitudinal and behavioral characteristics common across the differing fan
subcultures.
Design/methodology/approach – The characteristics affecting fan behavior are examined through the
literature and a series of structured interviews with fans which are then evaluated for the presence or
lack of the sought for characteristics of fanaticism.
Findings – The research indicates that there are certain common characteristics to be found in fans
interested in different topics and that these characteristics influence the behaviors of those involved
in fan behavior.
Research limitations/implications – Given the prevalence of fan influences in popular and
consumptive culture, opportunity exists for research beyond the exploratory work done here
including larger interview populations from a greater number of fan subcultures.
Practical implications – Marketing professionals may use the identified characteristics as a guide in
marketing popular culture to those markets best attuned to accept and embrace it.
Originality/value – This paper provides exploratory research in an area of popular culture that has
previously been examined as categories of fans, rather than as an inclusive subculture of fanaticism.
Keywords Consumer behaviour, Qualitative research, Popular culture
Paper type Research paper

Introduction
Captain James T. Kirk. Michael Jordan. Frank Sinatra. As the mass media has grown
more pervasive throughout our culture, these people and their activities have become
as familiar to us as our own families. Indeed, for many within today’s culture, they
have become part of the family (Harrington and Bielby, 1995, p. 14). As both
fictional and real celebrities become more an everyday part of our culture, what starts
as a passing interest in a person or subject often grows over time into an intense level
of fascination with the area of interest. We become fans.
In scholarly marketing, little research had been performed on fanaticism and its
expression as an aspect of consumer behavior. While some work has been done
regarding theoretical analyses of fan behavior (Hunt et al., 1999; Pimentel and Qualitative Market Research: An
International Journal
Reynolds, 2004), there has been no known rigorous study to determine what Vol. 9 No. 1, 2006 pp. 51-72 q
characteristics are held in common by most fans. A study of fandom is appropriate Emerald Group Publishing Limited
1352-2752 DOI
due to the importance of entertainment in American culture, particularly given the 10.1108/13522750610640558
tendency of many American consumers to develop a fanaticism towards entertainers
 Consumer
fanaticism
and to select consumption as one avenue through which they express this
fanaticism. The economic impact upon society of this expression is
significant. As an object of consumer fanaticism, basketball player LeBron
James is estimated to have generated over $100 million in revenues in one
year through ticket and apparel sales for his team and the NBA (Rovell,
2004). Arnould and Thompson (2005) have coined the term “consumer
culture” for this sociocultural aspect of consumption and cite this particular
52 aspect of fanaticism as one that that has seen significant study during the past two
decades, though not as a formal field of research nor focused on fan behavior
specifically.
With a relatively unstudied field such as consumer fanaticism, it is
important to start the scientific investigation with a confirmation of what is
commonly believed to be true, rather than falling into the trap of just
accepting as a given what everyone thinks to be true. Therefore, the first
purpose of this paper is to provide some definitions and conceptual structure
upon which a scientific discussion can be based. The second purpose is to
examine a base set of constructs that have been proposed as drivers of
consumer fanaticism. These constructs are then examined using qualitative
techniques utilized in past consumer research of similar topics (Hirschman,
1992; Belk and Costa, 1998).

Literature review
The literature in the field has generally focused on fan behavior as it expresses
itself through obsessive or compulsive activities, actions that are viewed here
as characteristic of only a subset of fans (latter referred to as the dysfunctional
fan). In contrast, there have been few scholarly studies of fanaticism as a
normal, everyday cultural or social phenomenon (Hunt et al., 1999; Jenson,
1992; Lewis, 1992, p. 1; Pimentel and Reynolds, 2004) and these have
focused on specific genres of fandom, rather than examining it as a cultural
phenomenon (Aiken and Campbell, 2005; Bahk, 2000; Capella, 2002;
Kozinets, 2001; Laverie and Arnett, 2000). Most of the research that has been
conducted has been anecdotal in nature, focusing on activities of members of
a fan culture and deriving conclusions from personal, non-scientific
observations (Bacon-Smith, 1992; Belk and Costa, 1998; Fine, 1983;
Kozinets, 2002). As a rule, researchers have talked to members of a fan group,
then participated in and/or observed activities characteristic of the deeper
levels of fanaticism within that group (Kozinets, 2001; Belk and Costa, 1998)
or identified constructs to explain and codify fan behavior, but with no
research supporting the hypotheses (Hunt et al., 1999; Pimentel and Reynolds,
2004).
Before the background can be discussed, some critical terms need to be
defined in order to give the inquiry scientific clarity (Table I). To begin with,
a fan is viewed here to be a person with enduring involvement with some
subject or object, often a celebrity, a sport, TV show, etc. It is not usually used
to refer to products in the typical marketing sense though products related to
the object of fascination could certainly be of interest to fans as will be
QMRIJ
9,1
discussed later[1]. Along with this, fanaticism is defined as the degree of
intensity to which one is a fan, with the level of involvement varying from low
to high intensity. Although the term is often used negatively, this research
applies it neutrally. Fandom refers to a subculture of like-minded people,
typified by a feeling of closeness to others with the same interest and sharing a
subject-specific jargon. Primary materials refer to the original subject or area
of the fan’s interest. Examples include the New York Yankees, Elvis Presley,
and the X-Files. Without the existence of
Term Definition

Fan A person with a overwhelming liking or interest in a particular person,

group, trend, artwork or idea. Behavior is typically viewed by others as
unusual or unconventional but does not violate prevailing social norms
Fanatic A person with a overwhelming liking or interest in a particular person, group,

trend, artwork or idea that exhibits extreme behavior viewed by others as

dysfunctional and violating social conventions
53
A subculture composed of like minded fans, typified by a feeling of closeness
Fandom to others with the shared interest
The level of investment one has in the liking or interest of a particular
Fanaticism person, group, trend, artwork or idea. Used in a neutral context in this
research The original particular person, group, trend, artwork or idea that is
Primary materials the focus of the fan’s interest
Materials that relate to or are derived from the primary materials. These
Secondary materials materials may or may not be officially approved by the producer or source of
the primary materials Table I. Definitio
of term

these source materials, a concurrent fandom could not develop. Secondary

materials refer to items created to satisfy fan interest that cannot be satiated by
the primary materials alone. Secondary materials would include such items as
a baseball autographed by members of the New York Yankees, a collector’s
plate featuring Elvis and Graceland, and a magazine focusing on the actors
appearing in the X-Files. An important characteristic of secondary materials is
that they are often produced long after production of the primary materials has
ended. Elvis Presley is long dead and the X-Files series only exists in reruns
but new secondary material inspired by and related to each appears on a
regular basis.

Characteristics of fanaticism
Anecdotal evidence from the work of Fine (1983), Kozinets (2001) and Belk
and Costa (1998), among others, suggested the presence of a set of
characteristics common to fans across different areas of fanaticism.
Specifically, the available literature strongly indicates the existence of four
characteristics driving fan behavior and these are discussed below.
 Consumer
fanaticism
Internal involvement
A primary observation that has been made about fans is that they focus their
time, energy, and resources intently on a specific area of interest. They derive
pleasure from the area of interest and do not appear to be especially bothered
if friends and family do not (Dickerson and Gentry, 1983; Kozinets, 2002).
Further, as might be expected, fans express more involvement with their area
of interest than would be expected of the non-fan (Aiken and Campbell, 2005;
Belk and Costa, 1998; Harrington and Bielby, 1995, p. 9; Melnick and
Wamm, 2004). Fans usually have a strong enough interest that small to major
changes in their lifestyles are made to accommodate devotion to the focal
object. For example, a football fan will re-structure weekly activities so that
they do not interfere with watching Monday Night Football. This desire is
often a cyclic emotion that the fan finds pleasurable and increases the fan’s
desire to continue to participate in fan activities (Belk et al., 2003).
Additionally,the fan willoften self-identify as a fan (Bacon-Smith,
1992,p.68; Kozinets, 1997). While fans at lower levels of involvement may
hesitantly identify themselves as a fan, possibly fearing the stigma of
fanaticism from non-fan family and acquaintances (Kozinets, 1998, 2002, p.
13), those with high levels of involvement will readily and eagerly identify
themselves as one (Bacon-Smith, 1992, p. 68; Kozinets, 1997, 2001).
Therefore, it is proposed that:

54
H1. Internal involvement is a common characteristic of fans.

Desire for external involvement

Fans also are motivated to demonstrate their involvement with the area of
interest through certain behaviors (Dickerson and Gentry, 1983). The fan’s
desire for external involvement manifests itself in many different ways
depending upon the genre. The fan may choose to spend time reading about
the material (Harrington and Bielby, 1995, p. 12), attending presentations or
events (Aiken and Campbell, 2005; Harrington and Bielby, 1995, p. 44;
Melnick and Wamm, 2004), posting to the internet (Kozinets, 2001, 2002), or
attending conventions (Bacon-Smith, 1992, p. 8; Shatner and Kreski, 1999, p.
38). Activities can range from relatively mild expressions of desire for
involvement, such as wanting to purchase a magazine from a newsstand to
catch up on team statistics (Madrigal, 1995; Dimmock and Grove, 2005) to
intense expressions such as wishing to spend a weekend dressed up and
reenacting the activities of a mountain-man of a century and a half ago (Belk,
1995). Therefore, the following proposal is made:
H2. Desire for external involvement is a common characteristic of fans.

Wish to acquire
Fans tend to express a strong desire to possess material objects related to the
area of interest and, like many individuals, choose to use consumption as a
QMRIJ
9,1
means of expressing themselves (Arnould and Thompson, 2005). There are
several reasons for this motivation. Fans may desire to use the physical item
as a link to a pleasurable event experienced during fan activities (Adelman,
1985; Adler and Zengotita, 1987; Grayson and Shulman, 2000; Winnicott,
1971, p. 72), to express membership in a shared community (Algesheimer et
al., 2005), or to express a total control of their life in this specific area (Belk,
1995, p. 55). Fans also seek to possess items because of the thrill of the hunt
(Belk, 1995, p. 93), to feel the pleasure gained from possessing an item that
others do not (Bacon-Smith, 1992, p. 44; Shatner and Kreski, 1999, p. 178), or
to experience a reality that differs significantly from the norm (Kozinets,
2001, 2002).
Often, the fan cannot explain why an item is found desirable (Arthur, 1994;
O’Guinn and Faber, 1989). Belk et al. (2003) notes that fans often found the
feeling of desire to be desirable in itself. In other words, fans seem to derive as
much pleasure from wishing and planning to acquire an item as they do from
the actual possession of the item. Hebdige (1979, p. 113) found that fans often
desire to involve themselves in the creation of the primary material, such as a
fan of Star Trek wanting to act in an episode of the series or a basketball fan
wanting to buy memorabilia from a favored team to facilitate the imagination
of being out on the court with them. Finding these things impossible to do,
fans will choose instead to acquire a related item as a substitute. By acquiring
the item, fans find it easier to subjectively draw closer to the area of interest.
Magee (1994) found that subjects often perceived themselves in terms of the
act of acquisition and that it formed an important part of their self-perception.
Much as typical consumers may define themselves in terms of what they own
(flashy cars, unique homes, high-tech devices), fans define themselves in
terms of items related to their area of interest (Algesheimer et al., 2005; Belk
and Costa, 1998; Kozinets, 2002).
If an item is viewed as desirable enough and the level of intensity deep enough,
some fans have been known to forego food and shelter and spend money budgeted for
those necessities on purchasing the item instead (Belk, 1995, p. 62; Kozinets, 1997, 2001;
Shatner and Kreski, 1999, p. 187). At even deeper levels of intensity, the fan
may create a “shrine” to the object of interest by devoting a location within the residence for the
accumulated items (Plates 1 and 2). Visitors are often encouraged to visit the shrine and admire the
items on display while the fan explains the significance of each item. Such shrines include collections
of autographed baseballs and other sports memorabilia or walls hung with fan-created artwork
picturing the Star Trek characters (Algesheimer et al., 2005; Belk et al., 1989; Harrington and Bielby,
1995, p. 51; Luttwak, 1999; Pustz, 2000, p. 139; Kozinets, 2001). Therefore, the following is
proposed:
H3. The wish to acquire objects related to the area of interest is a
characteristic of fans.

Desire for social interaction

With technology bringing many distant objects into our private homes and
bedrooms, fans may initially develop their appreciation for the object in
 Consumer
fanaticism
relative isolation and come to believe that no one else shares the same
fascination as they do. However, the desire for interaction with others of like
interest is likely to be strong (Dimmock and Grove, 2005; Melnick and
Wamm, 2004). The discussion of the area of interest with friends, family, and
casual acquaintances who are not fans often proves unfulfilling, as they fail to
approach the subject with the same level of intensity as fans do. The isolated
fan is often surprised not only to find that there are other fans but also, in fact,
a social network of fans probably exists (Kozinets, 1997, 2001; Oliver, 1999).
Interaction can manifest itself in many different forms. For convenience,
many fans choose to interact with other fans through casual conversation, e-
mail, chat rooms, and electronic mailing lists (Harrington and Bielby, 1995, p.
44; Kozinets, 2002). In other cases, only through face-to-face meetings such
as fan club meetings and organized conventions can fans satisfy their desire
for interaction with others (Algesheimer et al., 2005; Harrington and Bielby,
1995, p. 45; Kozinets, 2001). Based on this, it is proposed that:
H4. The desire for interaction with others of like interests is a characteristic of
fans.

Typology of fan characteristics

All fans do not participate in fan activities with the same level of intensity.
Observers have described fans as being grouped based on their varying
degrees of fanaticism. A synthesis of previous groupings of intensity of
fanaticism are proposed here (Dimmock and Grove, 2005; Hunt et al., 1999;
Zellner, 1995) and are referred to as dilettante, dedicated, devoted and
dysfunctional.
QMRIJ
9,1

56

Plate 1. Godzilla
movies fan
shrine showing
autographed
photos and toys
 Consumer
fanaticism
57

Plate 2.
Star Wars fan
shrine showing
autographed
photos

At the dilettante level of intensity, the fan has only a casual involvement with
the primary source materials. This involvement is typified by casual viewing of television programs
(Harrington and Bielby, 1995, p. 18), reading of articles related to the area of interest (Grossberg,
1992), and increased enthusiasm when others are also enthused (Hunt et al., 1999; Dimmock and
Grove, 2005). This involvement may be first stimulated by exposure to media-related properties or by
QMRIJ
9,1
the enthusiasms of others, 58 which then imprint themselves upon the neophyte fan. Without
additional stimulation or the guidance of a more experienced fan, this dilettante
fan may lose interest in the object. With additional stimulation or guidance, the fan may remain at this
level or, instead, process the stimuli textual materials more thoroughly and progress further into
deeper levels of fanaticism (Bacon-Smith, 1992, p. 13; Hunt et al., 1999; Kozinets, 1998; Madrigal,
1995).
The vast majority of fans never involve themselves in fandom beyond the
lower levels, typified by the person who watches Star Trek when it comes on
or catches the afternoon game on TV but is not unduly disturbed if it is
missed. They have a casual interest in the topic but are not yet sufficiently
motivated to expand on that interest (Harrington and Bielby, 1995, p. 12; Hunt
et al., 1999).
At deeper levels of involvement, the dedicated fan actively adjusts his/her
lifestyle to watch a program, collects items related to the area of interest or
attends conventions devoted to the topic. At this level, the fan actively seeks
out others with the same interest for conversation and interaction (Bacon-
Smith, 1992, p. 13; Belk and Stoli, 1992; Kozinets, 2001).
As the deeper levels of involvement are reached, devoted fans make major
changes to their lifestyles in order to actively pursue the area of interest. Much
of the fan’s free time is devoted to expanding involvement in the area of
interest. The fan may devote sections of their homes to showcasing the object
of fascination, attend conventions focusing on the subject, and ultimately
endeavor to become recognized as an expert on the area of involvement
(Bacon-Smith, 1992, pp. 13-14; Kozinets, 2002).
At the deepest levels of involvement, thought to be experienced by an
extremely small percentage of all fans, so involved are fans with the subject of
interest that they engage in antisocial activities and may even estrange
themselves from family. This dysfunctional level of fanaticism may include
behaviors such as violence, hysteria, and stalking, activities not characteristic
of the other three levels (Forward and Buck, 1991, p. 7; Ingham, 1978; Lee,
1985). In some instances, it is this level of involvement that is in mind when
the popular media refers to a “fan” (Crouse, 1993a, b). With this in mind, the
following proposal is made:
H5. There are several groups of fans that can be differentiated by the
intensity level of their fanaticism.
The literature reviewed above has led to four our basic characteristics being
proposed as characteristics held in common by fans. In addition, fans are
thought to be identifiable by their level of involvement. The means by which
those hypotheses were investigated are discussed in the next section.

Methodology
Owing to the lack of previous empirical research, it was considered premature
to begin an examination of fans using a quantitative research technique such
as a formal survey questionnaire. Instead, this study employed a qualitative
method to investigate the hypotheses. A great concern was how to interview a
 Consumer
fanaticism
set of people who would exhibit a wide range of values on the constructs of
interest. Although it was assumed that it would be easy to find dilettante fans,
the challenge would be in finding dedicated and devoted fans. Given this, it
was decided that the best way to find those types of fans would be to go to
events that cater to them. Thus, the focus of this exploratory study
was on going to places where avid fans would gather and engage in fan-related 59 activities.
To accomplish this, interviews were conducted with 88 members from
three separate fan genres. A total of 25 members from Star Trek fandom and
28 members from science fiction fandom were interviewed at a science fiction
convention. Thirty-five fans of “gaming” were interviewed during the course
of a game convention or at a game store. (In this context, gaming is used to
refer to fans of role-playing games such as Dungeons and Dragons and
boardgames such as Axis and Allies.) A list of questions directly related to the
research hypotheses was used as a guide for the interviews (Appendix).
Prior to starting the research, locations were evaluated regarding their
feasibility for granting access to fans from different areas of interest. A set of
potential locations was
selectedthat,itwasfelt,wouldprovideeasyaccesstofansfromthreedifferentareas.It
was decidedthat conventionsfocused onparticularareas ofinterestwould
provide the greatest access to fans at deep stages of internal and external
involvement, while also allowing access to fansof lower levelsofinvolvement
inthe form offamily members and significant others whohaveaccompanied the
fan but donot sharethe same level of involvement. Fans were interviewed at
conventions in Kansas City, MO, Ft. Wayne, IN, Memphis TN, and
Carbondale, IL over a three month period. Then, subjects were approached by
the interviewer at each of the venues, informed about the nature of the
research and asked if they would be willing to participate. The majority of
those approached (approximately 80 percent) agreed to the interview and
allowing it to be recorded. The interviews were conducted in the quieter but
not secluded area of the venue, since, due to the hypothesized desire of fans to
interact with others, it would be easier to recruit other subjects if they could
observe, but not participate in, the interview process. A demographic
breakdown of respondents is shown in Table II. The structure of each
interview was guided by the list of questions shown in the Appendix.
The researcher then used three judges to evaluate the recordings and to
determine whether the interviews offered sufficient support for each of the
hypothesized relationships. The researcher explained to the judges the purpose
of the research and the criteria with which they were to evaluate the interviews
(Appendix). The judges were encouraged to ask questions about the research
and their duties, since it was very important for the judges to be clear
regarding their activities. Then, as Wolcott (1990, p. 127) recommends, the
judges were given access to the primary interview recordings as well as
transcribed copies of the interview. They were encouraged to approach the
material without preconceptions and the researcher did not influence their
work. Judges are typically considered capable a priori of producing reliable
judgments if the work is clearly explained to them (Cohen, 1960).
 Sex Male 42 82

Female 9 18

QMRIJ Marital status Single 29 57

9,1 Married 17 35

8
60 Age Divorced/widowed
18-25
5
6 12
26-40 24 4
41-60 18 7
Education 3 3
Over 60
High school 11 5
Some college 13 6
College graduate 17 2
Employment Graduate school 8 2
Table II. Post-graduate work 2 25
Survey respondent Full-time 34 33
demographics 9 1
Part-time
8 6
Unemployed/retired
4
67
18
15
The interviews were evaluated by procedures recommended by Ragin
(1987, p. 143) and Schofield (1990). Each judge independently listened to and
evaluated all of the interview session results regarding how well the questions
listed in the Appendix were
Numbers Percentage

answered. Each judge quantified the presence or absence of each of the

hypothesized characteristics or behaviors on a scale of 1-10, with 1 indicting
“no presence” and 10 indicating “strong presence”. Interjudge reliability was
measured by the degree of correlation found between the judges’ reports.

Results
The judges’ evaluations are summarized in Table III. With reference to H1, it
was expected that fans would express strong internal involvement with the
area of interest. The judges’ evaluations for this hypothesis averaged 6.68
which indicated strong support for the hypothesis. Interviews with the subjects
served to confirm that an important factor in the psychological make-up of the
fan is self-identification as a fan. For example, Stan, a science fiction fan in
his mid-1930s and a professional makeup artist, had this to say when asked
why he was a fan:
It takes me out of the ordinary. It gives me something to imagine, a vision that I can
enjoy. Puts a smile on my face, it never fails to do that. As long I keep enjoying it, I
am going to keep being a fan.
Characteristic Min. Max. Mean Standard deviation

Internal 4 8 6.68 0.65

 Consumer
fanaticism
External 3 9 6.61 0.91

Interaction with others 2.7 9 6.79 1.08

Wish to acquire 2 9 6.42 1.25

Level of intensity 3 8 6.16 0.89

Table III. Note: The figures given refer to the average of the responses from the subjects as evaluated by the
Interview evaluation judges of how strong was the presence of that characteristic in the fan interview as determined by
results each judge

The importance of the ever-changing nature of the area of interest for the fan is
also reflected in the comments from Roger, another gaming fan in his mid-1930s
who has been a fan for over ten years:
They keep coming out with cool games. There’s always something new like clockwork
they come out with that keeps my interest. It gets me totally fanatical about games.

Similar comments were made by fans of the other genres studied:

I do enjoy most types of science fiction that deal with primarily exploratory
finding. Not necessarily the political end [of science fiction writing]. I just like
getting out and finding out what’s out there. (Terry, 43, Star Trek fan).

I think it is like what Robert Kennedy said. I am not quite sure how that saying
went but it was sort of like I would like to see the world as it should be. I don’t like
apocalypse books. I like the stuff that has inspiration. I like allegories. I like things
where I learn something, stuff that makes you feel good. I am a Department of
Human Services counselor and so I deal with very grim situations all week. When I
get home I want to read something or look at something that is going to make me
feel better (Ruth, 58, science fiction fan).

... most of the time I just like the fantasy and a lot of the time I like to get away
from the real world. I like to fantasize what it would be like to be with Star Trek.
To be on one of the star ships. I just like to get away (Randy, age 48, Star Trek fan).

I started in the beginning and science fiction is only fiction until it becomes fact.
Given enough time and if we don’t destroy the world, that which is fiction now will
eventually become fact. I have already been alive long enough to see those things
in the 1960s that were just theories now turn fact. One of the simplest things is that
we now have touch screen. No-one would have thought that possible in the 1950s
and 1960s. It can all be developed and I know it will be developed here. We should
all be fans of science fiction. (Carl, 62, science fiction fan).
The interviews indicate that fans become and stay fans because of their
interest in the area of involvement, and a common belief that their particular
area of interest provides something better than what they would have without
it. As was noted earlier, the fan is very likely to express strong interest in the
area of interest and is quite willing, even eager, to do so.
QMRIJ
9,1
H2 stated that fans express a strong desire for external involvement. In
other words, fans are very likely to say they want to engage in certain fan-
related behaviors. The judges’ evaluations of the interviews for the presence
of external involvement averaged 6.61, indicating strong support for the
hypothesis.
Interview subjects consistently indicated that they spend several hours a
week talking with friends about their area of interest, visited multiple web
sites a week, collecting items related to the area of interest, and reading books
and magazines related to the subject.
Ninety-nine percent of my friends are gamers, it is basically one big connected
group. You meet a gamer, you play with his friends, his friends play with your
friends. It’s a great way to network and make new friends. I actually don’t have any
non-gamer friends ... Read about three magazines a week but the only one I buy on
a regular basis is White Dwarf. But I also read Dragon, Games Unplugged, sneak a
peek at Dungeon once in a while. And InQuest, I take a look at just for the
advertisements, see what new is coming out ... the total hours of gaming a week say
between ten to fifteen hours. (Dan age 32, gaming fan).
[I’ve been a fan of Star Trek] basically ever since I was old enough to look at
television and understand what it was ... I have got a dictionary on Star Trek and I
like to read that. A lot of the terms they use on Star Trek, I really don’t know what
they mean and a lot of times I have to refer back to my book to give me an
understanding of what they’re talking about (Randy age 48, Star Trek fan).

Subjects said that they tended to spend a significant amount of time engaging
62
in activities that demonstrate their external involvement in the area of
interest. Time spent ranged from an hour or two per week to 40 þ hours a week, equivalent to time
spent at a full time job.
I play D&D [Dungeons and Dragons] mainly. I also play science fiction role
playing games and old board games as well. (I usually spend) about 10 to 20 hours
a week (Ted, gaming fan age 54).

I will spend six to eight hours per week depending on whether friends get together
or don’t get together. Admittedly, there is a certain profession function to the
gaming but I get together and game with my friends primarily for fun (Kevin,
profession gaming editor and gaming fan, age 37).

H3 proposed that the desire to acquire materials related to the object of

fascination is a common characteristic of fans. They are expected to be highly
interested in buying and owning items related to the area of interest due to the
satisfaction they receive from having the items near them. The judges’
evaluations of the interviews for this characteristics averaged 6.79, indicating
evidence of the presence of this characteristic among the interviewees.
John, a 34 year old gaming fan, takes pride in the size of his collection:
Oh, I have a huge collection of gaming books and books related to gaming.
Hundreds of books, actually, two hundred, three hundred. I’ve never tried to
actually count them.
 Consumer
fanaticism
Alan, a science fiction fan in his mid-1940s who is also a professional actor in
science fiction movies, also collects items related to the field:
I’ve got a whole bunch of stuff from my own collection from Babylon 5 and a few
things from Star Trek. Mainly what I have stayed involved with. I have some other
science fiction related collectables. I get my own personal enjoyment from them ...
I have never seen anything that I said Wow, I wish I had that, but “Boy, that would
be nice”, yes.

Star Trek and science fiction fans in general showed similar amounts of
satisfaction in acquiring items related to the area of interest. They also
expressed admiration and/or envy of those fans who acquired more items
related to the area of interest than they themselves had:
On occasion, yes, I will admit to it. I have had a twinge of envy coming in (to
someone else’s collection) and I have said “How can I get one of those?”
(Katherine, science fiction fan, age 28).

There’s a gentleman in Columbus, Georgia who has three rooms of his home
dedicated to Star Trek. He is the collector’s collector. There are items in his
collection that I would just love to have but he is not willing to part with them. He
doesn’t have that much that he wants to really part with (John, Star Trek fan, age
39).
The dedicated or devoted fan typically does not see anything strange in this
level of acquisitiveness. What might be seen as abnormal quantities of
material by the non-fan is viewed as commonplace by the fan:
[My collection] is comparable to most of the gamers I know who are total fanatics.
I have a couple hundred games, to most people that is pretty bizarre. That many
games, most people have monopoly and life and that’s it. But in my little group,
one hundred games is pretty

weak (Tyler, gaming fan, age 22).

I have a gaming collection. I’m probably within the top three. I have probably the
third largest [collection] of my friends. [I spend] maybe about two hundred dollars
[per month on gaming]. That’s about twenty percent of my income (James, gaming
fan, age 29).
The acquisitiveness characteristic is also influenced by the availability of
items related to the area of interest. The more readily available an item is, the
less interest it has for the fan:
I have a whole lot of stuff. This may sound strange but very little of it is what I
have created. Because if I can create it I don’t see much of a reason to hold onto it.
Stuff that other people have done that I have found quite amusing that I would like
to have is ninety five percent of my collection (Stan, science fiction fan and
professional science fiction makeup artist, age 37).
While easy access to an item lessens the desire for it, the level of desire for
items related to the area of interest is still significantly high among fans.
QMRIJ
9,1
H4 stated that fans have a desire for interaction with others of like
fascination. Characteristically, the fan greatly enjoys discussing the area of
interest with others, even with those who do not possess the same level of
fascination with the subject. The judges’ evaluations of the interview
responses averaged 6.42, again showing support for the hypothesis.
Because a lot of times when I talk to people about Star Trek, they think I am a
fanatic. It feels good to talk to someone that is really interested in what you are
interested in (Randy, age 48, Star Trek fan).

John, the Star Trek fan quoted earlier, takes pleasure in answering questions about his
collection when he shows it off at a Star Trek convention:
It makes me fell pretty good [when someone asks about his collection] because I
am doing a service to be showing the Batl’eths [Klingon weapons]. There are still
quite a few fans out here who are genuinely interested in searching for that one of a
kind item and if there are not able to find it here or elsewhere, somebody
somewhere has the item that somebody else is looking for. The benefit I get from
attending the con and the events that I do is I can look and if anyone is looking for
a particular item I can tell them where I found it.

Matt, a long time Star Trek fan, also enjoys the feeling of “giving back” to the community
that he is a part of:
I enjoy doing the events, summits and cons primarily. I am not into the summits as
just an attendee, I am also the DJ. I provide the sound system and music for those
that wish to participate in the Saturday night dance. Because they need a sound
system for free, I attend primarily for that purpose, but I do have the enjoyment of
events in general. I have traveled to several [conventions] this year alone. I
attended the fall summit in Cleveland, Ohio, my home summit in Mobile, Alabama
and attended the MidSouthCon earlier this year and this one here. And I do other
cons that I am invited for those.
This desire to give back is also reflected in comments by Alan, the actor
mentioned earlier: I attend every event that is made available. If I can add anything
to it, I will stick my head in
64 and see what movies are playing, you know, see if I can relate to them. I will go to the dances,
I will go to the banquets, if there are room parties, if there are masquerades, sometimes
I will MC for them. I will take part in every convention activity that I can add something to.
As is evident in several of these quotes, fans tend to count a high percentage
of other fans among their friends. David, a gaming fan in his mid-1920s
estimates that 80 percent of his friends are also gaming fans, while Matt, the
Star Trek fan, says that “pretty much” all of his friends are also Star Trek fans.
Sara, a gaming fan, got involved through marriage, and now counts her
husband’s friends, “who were all geeks”, as among the 70 percent of her
friends that are also gaming fans, while James, another gaming fan that spends
25 þ hours a week involved in gaming, says that 95 percent of his
acquaintances are gaming fans. This strongly lends support to the hypothesis
that fans greatly enjoy interacting with others relevant to their area of interest.
 Consumer
fanaticism
Finally, H5 stated that there were different levels of fandom, differentiated
by the intensity of the fanaticism shown by the fans. The judge’s evaluation of
the interviews supported this hypothesis as well, with a mean of 6.16.
In addition, most of the subjects’ answers recognized the existence of the
other levels and were able to identify themselves regarding level of intensity
of fanaticism as compared to other fans.
For example, Don, a 35 year old gaming fan, identified himself as a strong
gaming fan but readily acknowledged that “there are a couple that are bigger
fans than I am”. When asked about others in his area that were bigger fans
than he was, Jamie, a 40 year old gaming fan, replied, “If there are, I do not
know them.” However, Alan, the professional actor and science fiction fan,
says that “there are people I know that are much larger, much more dedicated
science fiction fans over myself. My brother, for example, he is also my
friend, is very much more a science fiction fan and has been for a very long
time.”
Fans may, however, perceive themselves at different levels of fanaticism
than others do. John, the Star Trek fan who enjoys showing off his collection
of props and traveling to conventions, does not view himself as a highly
involved fan, saying, “There are lots of others that I associate with that are
bigger fans than I am.” Stan, the make up artist, shares the same viewpoint:
I know people that are tremendously huge fans, leave me in the dust. My collection
of science fiction items pales in comparison to some other people.
An external evaluator might view both of these men as having a high level of
intensity of fanaticism, however, they view other fans as having even greater
levels of intensity. It is also possible to move through various levels of
intensity. Sara comments that:
I didn’t know this world existed until I met him [her future husband]. I was brought
into it by marriage. Just beginning to become a fan. I am kind of learning by
osmosis. We spend a lot of time talking about gaming, two or three hours [a week].
Coming to the convention has become our little vacation time of the year, we come
and enjoy it and stay at the hotel so we don’t have to run around much. We are right
where we need to be.
Without realizing it, Sara has moved from being a non-fan through a low stage
of involvement into what she perceived as a much deeper level of fanaticism.
An independent observer would likely view her, due to her level of
involvement in her area of interest, as having moved beyond the dedicated
stage to solidly within the
devoted stage. Although they may perceive themselves as being within different levels

of involvement from how others would view them, the evidence indicates the presence of
multiple levels of fanaticism that are differentiated by the intensity of involvement.

Discussion
This study has attempted to find empirical support for some characteristics
that have been speculated to be common to fans across genres. Past studies
QMRIJ
9,1
have emphasized fanaticism as demonstrated either through extreme activities
and behavior or focused on one specific area. None has examined the
importance of key internal characteristics and their relationships to the level of
fanaticism present, nor how self-reported fanaticism is related to fan behavior.
The hypotheses investigated over the course of the series of interviews
presupposed that four variables were characteristics of fanaticism and that
multiple levels of fanaticism exist among fans within a fan subculture. The
interview results served to confirm the hypotheses, indicating that the stated
characteristics do appear strongly in fans.
Given the nature of this study, a few factors may have impacted the
conclusions. The respondents were contacted at places catering to their
particular interests with the consequence that the sample did not represent the
full variation in fanaticism that exists in the population. However, as an
exploratory study, the primary purpose was to determine if evidence of these
relationships could be found in the most likely portion of the population.
This study has attempted to identify several characteristics that might be
common to fans across genres. While past studies have emphasized fanaticism
as demonstrated through extreme activities and behavior or focused on
individual genres, this study shows that there are common characteristics
across several different genres of fans and that these characteristics are neither
extreme nor aberrant.
The overall results of the interviews confirmed all five of the hypotheses
tested. First, fans showed a very strong desire for internal involvement (H1).
They exhibit a strong propensity to self identify as a members of fan
subcultures. This characteristic is the most important of the four as, without
the desire for internal involvement (seeing oneself as a fan), the presence of
the other characteristics would have little import.
The research also strongly supported H2. Those identifying themselves as
fans tended to state a strong desire to be involved in fan-related activities. Not
surprisingly, subjects from all three-fan groups considered such activities as
highly significant in development of themselves as fans. Fans are motivated to
involve themselves externally with the area of interest through such activities
as posting to web sites, attending conventions or club meetings, or researching
the areas of interest.
The research also indicates that the wish to acquire genre-related material
objects is strong in fans of various genres (H3). They exhibit a very high
interest in acquiring items such as autographs, photographs and related
memorabilia. At the high end, fans also may create displays or shrines
featuring the items acquired. These displays will often become a focal point of
the fan’s home and are often the first thing shown by the fan to visitors.
Similarly, other fans that have heard of the display will travel to the fan’s
home to see it.
The fan is also highly likely to interact with others regarding the area of
interest as the interview results indicate (H4). Fans will often spend hours
discussing their area of
 Consumer
fanaticism
66 interest with other fans or even non-fans. Displays of items are often used as a focal
point within the home or other space and serve as a conversation starter for the
fan, allowing the opportunity to both display the items acquired and talk about them with others. The
fan also seeks interaction with others of like mind through joining clubs or attending conventions
devoted to the area of interest. Not only does this activity satisfy the desire for interaction with others,
but it also demonstrates the fan’s desire for external involvement.
As was indicated in earlier parts of this work, the number of those who
self-identify as fans and participate in fan activities appears to have grown
increasingly larger over time. This fact, therefore, makes several of the
conclusions contained within this study useful to marketing practitioners,
especially as it relates to the field of consumer behavior.
H3 indicates that fans have a strong wish to acquire items and information
related to their area of interest. This suggests that, as different areas of interest
become objects of fan involvement, managers can anticipate interest in items
related to the object. Likewise, when an area of interest is not the subject of
intense fan involvement, managers can expect a commensurate drop in sales
of items related to that area. This is reflected in the Pokemon fad of the late
1990s. At the height of fan involvement, single cards sold regularly for $20-50
apiece. As fan involvement lessened, so did the prices fans were willing to pay
for cards. Still, the remaining devoted fans willingly paid significantly higher
prices for cards than a non-fan or a fan with less involvement would consider
reasonable.
H4, the desire for interaction with others, has the most significant
implications for managers. This characteristic indicates that marketing trends
such as viral marketing, where one-to-one communication is vital (Wilson,
2000), personal appearances, and message boards, and tribal intelligence,
which considers the effect of others on consumer decision making (Masi,
2005) would be expected to have a significantly higher success rate among
fans than they would among the general population. Owing to their desire to
interact with one another and the communication structures set up among fans
of a particular area of interest, information about goods and services focused
or related to the fan – genre will quickly disseminate throughout the fan
community. In recent years, it has become almost mandatory for producers of
primary materials to create a corresponding web site. Often, methods are
provided on the site for fans to interact with both the producers of the material
and each other. However, fans often desire more interaction and external
involvement than is provided for by the official site and create their own
discussion groups, bulletin boards, chatrooms and web sites, allowing them to
develop secondary material and share it with others.
For example, fans of the novel The Lord of the Rings were concerned that
the movie version of the work would differ significantly from the primary
material and were predisposed to view the movie negatively. Universal
Studios, distributor of the movie, contributed to the antipathy by attempting to
eliminate fan discussion and creation of secondary material related to the
movie (Gates and Gordon, 2001). However, the film’s marketers soon realized
it was better to cultivate the fan subculture than to shut it out. Fan opinion
leaders were cultivated with promotional material carefully released under the
QMRIJ
9,1
studio’s control, rather than haphazardly by individual fans. Fans contributed
to the movie’s official web site (Lordofftherings.com as well as creating
unofficial sites (TheOneRing.net). As a result, the studio was thus able to
reduce the potential negative
feelings toward the movie and instead encourage positive feedback and great 67 anticipation of the
movie within the fan culture.
H5 indicates that messages targeted towards fans will need to take into
consideration the level of intensity of fanaticism possessed by the fans
targeted. Fans at these deeper levels will have the knowledge necessary to
interpret a message more fully than those that have just entered the fan
subculture and may respond differently. For example, Star Trek fans with a
deep intensity of involvement in the Star Trek subculture may respond
differently to a message featuring the Kathryn Janeway character from Star
Trek: Voyager, than would a fan with a lower level of involvement. The fan
with deeper involvement would certainly be aware of the mild antipathy felt
by many long time Star Trek fans towards the series, while a fan with lower
levels of involvement may be unaware of this feeling (Kozinets, 2002).
Similarly, marketing messages with subtle content can be easily missed or
misunderstood by fans with low levels of involvement but will be readily
understood by more involved fans.
Finally, H2 offers useful insights for the manager. As the fan becomes more
immersed in the subculture, the deepening level of involvement is expressed
in somewhat predictable behavior. Therefore, managers dealing with a rapidly
growing area of fanaticism will find it lucrative to capitalize on this by either
developing secondary materials for fans or co-opting fan created activities and
materials. Such actions will serve to reinforce the fan’s level of involvement
and, therefore, maintain the fan’s self-identification as a fan. The producers of
the film, The Blair Witch Project, which released in 1999, developed an entire
background and history leading up to the events of the movie. They then
disseminated this information through various media including a web site,
television special, articles and books. As fan interest increased, more items
related to the background were “found” and released to the fans. The movie
enjoyed huge opening grosses and a return on the costs of making the movie
well in excess of 500 percent. Fan interest continued to increase after the
release of the movie, with fans visiting the Maryland location where “Blair
Witch” was filmed. Fans with strong internal involvement in the film even
asked local residents about the events depicted in the film, as if the events had
truly happened.
However, Blair Witch II: Book of Shadows, which released the following
year, failed because the same fans did not embrace it as they had the original,
viewing the sequel and the marketing as “artificial” rather than “real”
(Guthman, 2000). Producers again developed an elaborate backstory for the
film, complete with web site, articles and books. However, this time the
planned marketing for the film called for the treatment of fans as passive
observers, rather than active participants in the creation of the mythology
surrounding the film. Aware of this, the directors of the original film opted not
 Consumer
fanaticism
to have anything to do with the sequel, which eschewed the documentary
format of the first film, opting instead for a less intimate, more objective
treatment that utilized the standard motifs of the modern-day horror film. Blair
Witch II also did not take the developed subculture as seriously as did the
original film and was even viewed by many members of the subculture as a
mocking of fans of the original movie. Fans may not mind the mocking of
their interests by other like-minded fans but they do not approve of mocking
directed at them by those outside the subculture (Kozinets, 2001). Abandoning
the mock documentary approach of the original film and adopting more of the
trappings of the modern horror film removed much of what was perceived as
special by fans of the original movie. As a result, the ticket sales for Blair
Witch II were
68 10 percent of the ticket sales of the original movie.
If the sequel had been released as another mock documentary focusing on an
investigation of what had happened to the characters in the original film, fans
of the original film would have appreciated the consistency of the approach
and might have accepted it as more than just an attempt to cash in or the
success of the original and seen it as an acceptable addition to the Blair Witch
mythos. Instead, development of a thriving fan culture based around the
movie, such as that which exists for Star Trek or the Los Angeles Lakers, was
stunted.
Because of the pervasiveness of fanaticism in modern society and its
economic impact, the field is ripe with additional research opportunities. The
interviews provide fodder for scale items that can be developed in future
studies. The scales can enable measurement of these constructs to be
conducted more objectively, with a greater level of precision and validity.
An obvious opportunity for sociologists and consumer behaviorists is to
rigorously test in quantitative studies the hypotheses advanced here from the
literature and supported by the interviews. Ideally, such research would
employ large, nationally representative samples that cover a wide variety of
genres such as sports, soap operas, music, and celebrities. A second track of
research would involve study of the means by which fanaticism is
extinguished. Several authors, most notably Hunt et al. (1999), have noted that
there appears to be a process by which fans exit fandom but no scholarly
research has been conducted to examine it. Finally, a track of research
probably of most interest to marketers and economists, would be determining
more clearly the economic effects of the various levels of fanaticism and
under what conditions fans are willing to spend money in support of it. As
inferred earlier with regard to Blair Witch Project I and II, the economic impact
of fans can very greatly but the potential exists for a considerable return on
investment when handled correctly.

Summary
This study represents an attempt to identify a set of common characteristics
among fans through qualitative research. A total of 88 interviews with fans
from three fan subcultures identified four characteristics common among
QMRIJ
9,1
those interviewed: internal involvement, external involvement, a desire for
interaction with others, and a wish to acquire source related material.
Marketing practitioners can use these characteristics as an aid in marketing
goods and services targeted towards fans due to its pervasiveness in our
society and the impact it has on the economy, the time is ripe for social
researchers to shed some much needed light on the phenomenon of fan
culture.

Note
1. Several descriptive terms are used in the course of this article. The presentation of
these definitions serves to provide some formality and structure to the language of
the field, helping to make its examination more scientific.
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Appendix. Questions asked during interview sessions

Judges, a positive answer to a question indicated the presence of the noted
characteristics and should be considered a reference to that characteristic when
completing the interview evaluation form. Be sure to also take into consideration the
strength and intensity of their response when completing the evaluation form. Internal
involvement
How passionate about ________ are you?
Would you consider yourself an expert on _________________?
How much time do you spend studying _______?
Do you think you are one of the biggest fans of _____ around?
External involvement
Do you read magazines related to ______________?
Do you visit web sites related to ______________?
Do others ask your opinion on _________________?
If you can’t find (the primary materials), what do you do?

72 Do other fans read more about _____ than you?

Do you like going to _____ events?
Desire for interaction with others of like interest
How many of your friends are involved with _____________?
How much time do you spend talking about _______________ with others?
Do you email or “chat” with others regarding ______________?
Do you like going to conventions?
QMRIJ
9,1
Wish to acquire
How much stuff related to __________ do you have?
What was the last item related to ___________ that you acquired?
What do you want to get next that relates to ________________?
What things do you collect related to ______________?
If you can not find (primary materials), do you buy (secondary and tertiary
materials)?
Approximately how much per month would you say that you spend on _____?
What percentage of your income would you say that you spend on ____?

Corresponding author
Scott Thorne can be contacted at sthorne@semo.edu

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