Decoding the "Era of Fans" Strategy: Advising Organizations to Focus on Creating Exceptional Experiences to Capture Long-Term Customer Loyalty.

The marketing world is transitioning to the "Era of Fans." Social media follower counts are no longer the sole measure of success. Modern brands must urgently adapt their strategies, driven by the Peak-End Rule and building a brand with a heart. Organizations are advised to engage younger generations through Reverse Mentoring, emphasizing that the "fan base" is the most valuable asset for achieving sustainable growth in the future.

พฤษภาคม 28 2569 Mr. Thana Thierachariya, former executive, marketing expert, and co-founder of HOW (House of Wisdom). Speaking at the Thailand Next: The Successor seminar, "Connecting Generations, Building the Future," organized by Prachachat Business, on the topic "From Eyeballs to Onlyfans: Connecting Generations, from the Advertising Era to the Fan Era," he said that the business sector is currently entering a new era... "The Era of Fans" This is a time when brand success no longer depends on the number of social media followers, but on the ability to create “brand fans” who are willing to support, share, and build long-term brand loyalty.

The marketing world has undergone a transition from... "The Advertising Era" Large organizations benefit from massive advertising and media buying budgets, leading to... "The social media era" Brands competed to build their follower counts before evolving into... "The Era of Fans" Having just a few hundred or a thousand fans can generate more business value than having a large number of followers who lack brand engagement.

A key factor is the change in algorithms on digital platforms. This has led to a continuous decline in organic reach, meaning that the number of followers is no longer a reliable indicator of marketing success as it once was. While the "fan" group plays a crucial role in supporting brands through recommendations, word-of-mouth, and awareness building, without the need for additional media budgets.

สำหรับ The role of the "rating system". This has become the new standard for the service and retail sectors, where consumers today often use review scores as a key factor in their purchasing decisions. A rating of 4.5 stars or higher, or 9 out of 10, has become the minimum standard consumers expect. While a brand may receive only a mid-range rating, reflecting acceptable quality, it's insufficient to create a positive impression or convert customers into loyal brand fans.

Furthermore, building a fan base is linked to the Net Promoter Score (NPS) concept, which reflects the level of customer willingness to recommend a brand to others. Organizations need to design experiences that consistently elicit customer ratings of 9 or 10.

From a branding perspective. Mr. Thanarat stated that "branding" today does not simply refer to a trademark or marketing communication, but rather to the "feeling" and "experience" that consumers have. In an environment filled with information and content competition, if a brand cannot create a connection with consumers, it will be difficult to differentiate itself and achieve long-term memorability.

A key strategy for building a brand's fanbase is... คือ Creating an experience that exceeds expectations, rather than providing standard service. As a case study, Maguro, a Japanese restaurant, demonstrates how they study the standards of their competitors in the area before developing a superior customer experience at every touchpoint to create a lasting impression that exceeds expectations.

Meanwhile, the concept of the "Peak-End Rule" was also discussed, explaining that consumers tend to remember experiences from the "best moments" and the "final" of a service rather than the details along the way. The example of Disney was cited, where even when customers faced long queues or high costs, they still received a high level of satisfaction from the key moments and atmosphere at the end of the day, such as fireworks displays and parades.

ในทางก ลับกัน Many hotels often miss the opportunity to create a positive final impression through slow or complicated check-out processes, even though this is a crucial touchpoint that significantly impacts customer perception.

Mr. Thana discussed the concept of "Humanized Brand," which involves making a brand more human through communication, storytelling, and creating an approachable identity. He believes that touch points generated by an organization's employees play a crucial role in building loyalty between the brand and consumers.

Furthermore, creating a positive customer experience requires empowering employees to make quick decisions and solve problems. A case study of the Ritz-Carlton hotel shows how it allows employees at all levels to use budgets to solve customer issues immediately, without going through complex approval processes.

The proposal suggests that organizations shift their performance measurement approach from focusing solely on sales or financial results to evaluating "customer satisfaction" more extensively, as customer feelings and experiences will become key factors in achieving sustainable long-term growth.

The role of younger consumers, especially Gen Z, is influential in shaping modern brand direction. It is recommended that organizations embrace the concept of Reverse Mentoring to allow older executives or personnel to learn about the behavior, language, and communication styles of younger generations, which differ significantly from the past.

Examples of Thai brands such as "Yud Plao," Gentle Woman, MizuMi, La Glace, and Maison Keep were cited, highlighting their ability to build a strong and loyal fan base.

"Business competition in today's era is no longer measured solely by the quality of products and services, but also by the ability to build long-term relationships with consumers. Ultimately, a 'brand fan base' will become an organization's most important asset in the future." Mr. Thana said.

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