Brands have an ongoing engagement problem. No matter how much data they use or how targeted they go, competition is fierce, consumer attention is saturated, and all usage comes at the expense of time spent elsewhere. With the ubiquity of advertising, brand choices are as much a personal statement by the consumer to their peers as a testament to trust and loyalty in a company. Brand engagement – allowing consumers to collaborate with, own, and feel at home amidst the community of their fellow brand devotees – has enabled a new type of audience community that can survive market hardships and ensure lower levels of churn.

Companies and brands mentioned in this report:   Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Fortnite, The Mandalorian, Marshmello, NBCUniversal, Netflix, Peacock, Rick and Morty, Star Wars, Twitch, Un:hurd, Universal Music Group, The Witcher, YouTube