Dan van Vorsselen, CX Lead, TRA, and Laura Mulcahy, Head of Cultural Practice, TRA
Fandoms are coveted opportunities for marketers. Fans are deeply engaged audiences; they are loyal ambassadors who are engaged long-term. In this third article for AdNews, as part of a series inspired by fandoms (see our article on sports here and music here), we explore how brands can leverage suspense and intrigue to build longer-lasting engagement.
Cliff-hangers and product announcements create anticipation, a psychological thrill that heightens emotional investment. They keep audiences engaged and hooked on the expectation of future payoffs. Unresolved cliffhangers, however, can damage trust. For brands to maintain loyalty, they must balance suspense and deliver on promises.
It's a strategy we can adopt from successful fandoms. Strategically planned releases, accompanied by interactive content and clever use of social media create anticipation. Limited time offers build hype and urgency, deepening audience investment, and, despite the rise of online shopping, product drops commonly create queues in front of stores. To do this well, brands need to adapt to changing consumption habits. We have shorter attention spans and value instant gratification – both are crucial for maintaining excitement.
Bridgerton and TV binge culture
Netflix has built a reputation as a streaming icon and pioneer of binge culture – it's a platform known for releasing entire seasons all at once. Despite this, the platform recently released Bridgerton, one of the most popular Netflix series of all time, in two parts. Fans of the show had to wait a month for half of the episodes to drop. For a platform that’s famed for releasing entire seasons at once, it's an unusual but tactical decision – one that demonstrates a deep understanding of the value of anticipation.
While binge-watching appeals to the desire for instant rewards, consumer behaviour is more nuanced. Netflix customers consume content in different ways – not everyone wants their favourite series to drop every episode at once. The Bridgerton model maintains high fan engagement by creating a promise, engineering suspense and meeting expectations. It sustains excitement for the show and fosters community.
What’s the next best thing about watching a series? Talking about watching it. We’re humans, we want to connect. Watching series in isolation just isn’t as fun. Periodic episode releases give us time to establish common ground with others, without having to worry about spoilers. By splitting the series in two, Netflix have introduced a synchronised moment that allows fans to discuss their reactions and opinions. For brands, it's a lesson in leveraging the thrill of waiting – with an eye to building community. It’s about giving just enough to create a hook and generate conversation, while still creating suspense. A balance between promise, expectation and delivery.
Hacking the psychology of waiting
The successful, strategic release of Bridgerton is a lesson for brands on how to foster stronger emotional connections with audiences while still meeting their expectations. It’s not just about the wait itself, but the elements that supercharge suspense – scarcity and shared experience. To do this well, brands need to know what will delight customers during the experience of waiting.
Strategically planned releases and limited offers, for example, can deepen customers investment in a product. Done well, they build hype, scarcity and urgency. To leverage the shared experience of these releases, brands can create interactive content that encourages two-way conversations with customers. Giving customers a voice will build suspense more organically, resulting in excitement through the opportunity for organic connection in the comments section.
In-person drops provide a tangible sense of anticipation and connection that digital experiences can’t replicate. They also create queues, a physical manifestation of social proof – the idea that people copy other group behaviour and actions because they think it's right. Queues physically group like-minded customers together in person, fostering a sense of belonging that reinforces brand loyalty and creates intimacy with a brand. Whether it’s for the latest Apple product or a cult horror movie, queuing can become a useful part of a brand’s experience.
Queues showcase a brands value. That value is amplified through unexpected moments and product experiences, interactive activities and exclusive previews. Seeing it broadcast on social media creates a sense of FOMO. Stitching the art of waiting into the overall brand narrative as an additional touch point reinforces brand perception and builds engagement.
Don’t create hype for hype’s sake
To execute these ideas successfully brands must balance anticipation with delivery. Genuine engagement and community connection are key – fake queues and artificial shortages may generate buzz but can damage long-term brand trust.
Supreme, for instance, was the poster child of street hype culture. It was born of the NYC skate scene by founder James Jebbia in 1994. Lines trailed around their stores when new collaborations and product drops launched. As the brand grew, however, it moved away from its roots and became a symbol of consumerist culture – straying from the NY neighbourhoods the brand grew from. In 2020, it was brought for 2.1 billion. This year, it was sold for 1.5 billion, with business commentators reporting its lacklustre performance.
Hype for hypes sake can leave consumers with a bad taste in their mouth. People might be happy to line up for $20 croissants during a cost-of-living crisis, but $2000 hoodies? Not so much. To remain worth it, the excitement of waiting needs an element of uniqueness and speciality – it can’t rely on repeating the same products and tactics again and again.
Ultimately, brands that integrate suspense in a way that adapts to changing consumption habits and leverages shared experience can build longer-lasting engagement and foster stronger emotional connections. As consumption habits evolve, these strategies must be adapted to maintain excitement. While anticipation drives engagement, brands must deliver on promises to maintain trust – genuine engagement and meeting customer expectations are essential to sustain loyalty. In other words, the pay-off needs to deliver on the wait.