Dentsu expands fandom platform to global markets

The platform’s outputs are intended to support brand strategy, partnership planning, creative development and cross-market decision-making

Dentsu Sports & Entertainment has launched its Fandom Intelligence platform globally, extending a research and strategy tool that has operated in Japan since 2020 to clients in the United States, the United Kingdom, India and the Greater China market.

The platform combines proprietary audience research with entertainment strategy to help brands identify, evaluate and develop partnerships with entertainment properties and fan communities.

Tool aims to guide partnership decisions

Fandom Intelligence is designed to help brands answer key questions around intellectual property (IP) partnerships, including which entertainment properties best align with target audiences, which fan communities offer the strongest engagement opportunities and how partnerships can evolve over time.

The platform’s outputs are intended to support brand strategy, partnership planning, creative development and cross-market decision-making.

Research covers more than 21,000 consumers

The global expansion is supported by dentsu’s annual Fandom Intelligence Study, which surveyed 21,139 consumers across the United States, the United Kingdom, India and the Greater China market.

The research measured awareness, favourability, viewership and purchase intent across approximately 200 entertainment properties spanning anime, gaming, film, television, sports, music and creator-led content.

Survey findings were combined with dentsu’s existing audience data to provide deeper consumer profiling and market analysis.

Entertainment partnerships outperform sports

According to the study, entertainment properties generate stronger purchasing behaviour than many sports partnerships.

The research found that fan communities linked to entertainment IP can convert consumers into buyers at rates between two and four times higher than major sports teams and events.

Categories including superhero franchises, action-adventure series, children's animation and character brands showed particularly strong performance.

Examples cited in the research include Spider-Man, Superman, Star Wars, Harry Potter, Toy Story, Bluey, Paw Patrol, Snoopy, Mickey Mouse and Hello Kitty.

Anime gains influence among younger audiences

The study also highlights the growing influence of Japanese entertainment properties internationally.

Among Generation Z consumers in the United States, anime was found to rank alongside the NFL in cultural relevance and outperform major live-action film categories.

In Taiwan, anime emerged as the most culturally relevant entertainment category among adults, according to the research.

Streaming content shows strong results

Streaming franchises also performed strongly in the analysis.

Properties including Stranger Things, Wednesday and Emily in Paris recorded results approximately 30 per cent higher than the average across all entertainment properties measured.

The study attributes this performance to a combination of high awareness, favourable audience perceptions and repeated engagement opportunities through episodic content.

Platform expands beyond Japan

The platform was developed within dentsu’s Entertainment Business Center in Tokyo, which manages more than 100 brand and IP collaborations annually and invests in more than 60 anime titles.

While the Tokyo team will continue to lead expertise in Japanese IP, local teams in New York, London, Mumbai and Shanghai will support clients in their respective markets.

Dentsu highlights value of fandom data

Yoshi Nakano, General Manager of the Entertainment Business Center at dentsu: "Since 2020, Fandom Intelligence has given our teams in Japan an unfair advantage in IP partnership planning, and that advantage is now available to global brands. The expansion is not simply an export of Japanese data. We have built new data sets in each of the launch markets and combined them with our long-standing fandom expertise. The result is a single global platform that helps brands invest in the partnerships most likely to generate sustained fan value, and avoid those that will not."

The company said the platform responds to increasing demand from brands seeking evidence-based approaches to entertainment partnerships as investment in IP collaborations continues to grow.

Fandom seen as predictor of brand growth

Yoshiki Ishihara, Chief New Ventures Officer at dentsu: "We believe that marketing success comes from identifying where cultural momentum is being created and turning that passion into sustainable brand growth. Today, fandom has become one of the most reliable predictors of long-term brand value, providing a powerful foundation for more effective investments that meet our clients’ evolving expectations.

By bringing Fandom Intelligence to markets around the world, dentsu will be able to deliver high-quality strategic planning across a broader range of markets and better address growing client demand. What sets us apart is the combination of years of behavioral data accumulated through IP collaborations and new fandom research conducted across markets worldwide."

Fandom Intelligence is now available to dentsu clients across all newly launched markets.

www.dentsu.com

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