In today’s hyper-connected market, a brand’s most powerful asset isn’t its advertising budget – it’s its brand fans. These are the customers who truly love your brand: they buy consistently, sing its praises to anyone who'll listen, and even rally behind it in tough times. Picture this – an old Aussie chocolate bar is discontinued, and thousands of devotees band together on Facebook, gathering 55,000+ supporters to demand its return. The result? A local manufacturer revives the Polly Waffle bar, purely because fan passion made it impossible to ignore. That’s the power of brand fans at work. This story-driven exploration will unpack what brand fans are, why they matter for Australian brands, and how to cultivate them through brand advocacy, emotional branding, and savvy use of consumer insights and brand tracking.

What Are Brand Fans and Why They Matter

Brand fans (also known as brand advocates or superfans) are more than repeat customers – they’re enthusiastic ambassadors who actively promote a brand out of genuine love. They might be the shopper who only wears a particular local fashion label and persuades friends to do the same, or the coffee lover who insists everyone try their favourite Aussie roaster. The goal for any brand is to entice your customer base to become loyal advocates who come back again and again and rave about your brand to others. These fans are gold for marketers because they amplify your reach and credibility in ways traditional ads simply can’t.

Consider the influence of personal recommendations: 92% of individuals trust word-of-mouth recommendations from friends and family over any form of advertising. In fact, people are 4 times more likely to buy when referred by a friend. This trust translates into tangible results – research shows earned media (like peer recommendations and organic buzz) drives 4× higher brand lift than paid media. In other words, when excited customers talk about your brand, others listen. These advocates not only bring in new business, they often embody the brand’s ethos, effectively acting as an extension of your brand.

For Australian companies, nurturing brand fans can be a game-changer. In an era when one in three Australians uses social networks to research products, positive chatter from passionate fans on Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok can dramatically sway consumer perceptions. And unlike fleeting ad impressions, fan-driven advocacy tends to be persistent and heartfelt. It’s not just about loyalty in the traditional sense (buying again); it’s about advocacy – the kind of customer advocacy where your happiest customers proactively champion you to others. These fans elevate your brand beyond transactions, building a community and buzz that money can’t easily buy.

Emotional Branding and Consumer Loyalty

So, what turns an ordinary satisfied customer into an ardent brand fan? Often, it’s an emotional spark. Emotional branding – connecting with consumers on feelings, values, and identity – is the secret sauce behind many fan-fuelled brands. Logic might drive purchases, but emotion drives loyalty. When consumers feel a brand reflects who they are or what they care about, they stick with it and shout about it from the rooftops.

Australian consumers are no exception – they gravitate to brands that resonate with their values and lifestyle. A striking 83% of millennials (a key demographic for many brands) say they want companies’ values to align with their own. This trend is evident in the rise of conscious consumerism: people will boycott brands that clash with their beliefs and passionately support those that mirror their ideals. In short, brand values and purpose matter – and getting it right can create fans for life.

Marketing science backs this up. According to social identity theory, individuals define themselves through the groups (and brands) they associate with. If your brand helps consumers express their identity or belong to a “tribe,” it forges a powerful bond. A brand aligned with someone’s self-image – whether it’s eco-warrior, proud Aussie battler, or innovator – will inspire deeper loyalty because supporting that brand feels like supporting oneself. Self-congruity in branding (when your brand personality matches your audience’s self-perception) can significantly strengthen this emotional connection.

Emotional branding in practice means tapping into feelings like trust, joy, nostalgia, or pride. It’s about storytelling and authenticity. When done right, emotional connections build “loyal communities” of consumers who champion the brand at every opportunity. Think of it as moving customers up the loyalty ladder – from being merely satisfied buyers to brand fans who love your story, not just your product. These emotional bonds create what one Australian brand consultancy calls “deep, lasting brand loyalty” – the kind that not only keeps customers coming back, but also motivates them to advocate for the brand.

Australia has its fair share of big-name brands with fanatical followings (Qantas or Vegemite, anyone?), but some of the most illuminating examples are smaller, homegrown brands that have cultivated devoted fan bases. Let’s look at a few unique Australian brands – beyond the usual suspects – that turned customers into passionate advocates:

Frank Body: Brewing a Cult Following with Quirky Authenticity

A few years ago, a Melbourne-based skincare startup called Frank Body set out with a humble coffee scrub and a cheeky personality. Fast forward, and Frank Body built a huge community of brand fans through savvy social media and authentic engagement. The brand’s playful voice and focus on real customer stories sparked an Instagram sensation. Frank Body amassed over 800,000 Instagram followers by using quirky, irreverent language and encouraging user-generated content via the hashtag #frankeffect, which has over 50,000 customer posts sharing love for the product. By engaging consumers in a fun, two-way conversation, Frank Body made customers feel like friends. Fans proudly posted their Frank Body routines, essentially doing the marketing for free. This grass-roots advocacy helped a once-niche brand become a global name in skincare, proving that a relatable brand personality and community-building can turn customers into die-hard promoters. When loyal advocates feel included in a brand’s journey, they repay it with genuine praise and continuous purchases.

Black Milk Clothing: From Niche Fashion to Fanatical “Sharkies”

Brisbane-born Black Milk Clothing started as an indie leggings brand and ended up creating one of the most fervent brand fan communities Australia has seen. In the early 2010s, Black Milk’s bold, quirky apparel (think galaxy-print leggings and geek-chic dresses) attracted a small cult following online – which soon exploded into a phenomenon. Demand for new styles spiked so wildly that the brand only released products in limited “drops” that would sell out within minutes. Customers weren’t just buying; they were counting down to product launches. Black Milk’s fandom grew so intense that founder James Lillis gave fans a nickname: the “Sharkies,” because of “how quickly and ferociously they devoured (or nommed, according to fans) the company’s products”. These fans formed communities, organised meet-ups in their Black Milk outfits, and flooded social media with unsolicited testimonials. Black Milk fed this enthusiasm by treating fans like insiders – teasing designs on Facebook, showcasing fan photos, and speaking in the community’s tongue-in-cheek lingo. The result was a cult brand loyalty far beyond any single purchase: Sharkies would snap up anything Black Milk released and excitedly recruit new members into the “school.” This case shows how understanding your most passionate customers (and even playfully naming them) can create a self-perpetuating advocacy engine.

Polly Waffle: Nostalgia, Community & a Brand’s Revival

Sometimes, brand fandom isn’t about a flashy social campaign or a trendy startup – it can stem from sheer nostalgia and community spirit. The case of Polly Waffle, a classic Australian chocolate bar, shows the extraordinary lengths to which fans will go for a brand they love. Polly Waffle was a marshmallow-filled chocolate bar beloved by generations of Aussies. When production stopped in 2009, most assumed it was gone for good. But its fans never forgot. Years later, a grassroots Facebook group of Polly Waffle aficionados swelled with tens of thousands of members sharing memories and rallying for a comeback. This nostalgic fandom culminated in a coordinated social media campaign. The movement garnered 55,000 Facebook likes from supporters – a massive show of demand. Their message was loud and clear: Bring back Polly Waffle! In 2019, Adelaide confectioner Robern Menz heeded the call. The company acquired the rights from Nestlé and announced it would revive Polly Waffle, explicitly crediting the fan campaign for sparking the decision. Interestingly, an attempt by another company to imitate the product earlier had failed to win over loyalists – without the authentic Polly Waffle name and recipe, fans weren’t satisfied. This underscores the importance of brand authenticity in fan relationships. For the Polly Waffle faithful, nothing less than the real brand would do. Thanks to their persistence (and savvy understanding of the power of collective voice), Australians will soon be able to enjoy their cherished treat again. It’s a heartwarming lesson: when you cultivate genuine affection for your brand, fans might just move mountains (or convince manufacturers) for you.

From quirky engagement to values-driven connection to nostalgic legacy, the common thread is that these brands won consumers’ hearts, not just their wallets. Their “fan tribes” drive brand advocacy in the market, giving these brands outsized influence relative to their size. For marketing leaders, these stories demonstrate that brand loyalty in Australia isn’t reserved for the big players; it can be built by any brand that knows how to forge real connections and community with its customers.

Cultivating Brand Fans: Strategies and Insights for Australian Brands

How can your brand inspire such devotion? Building a base of brand fans doesn’t happen by accident – it’s a strategic endeavour grounded in understanding your customers and delivering exceptional value (both functional and emotional). Here are key strategies, backed by consumer insights and expert perspectives, to cultivate brand fans in line with the work we do at Brand Health:

• Dive Deep into Consumer Insights: Know thy audience. Use consumer insights to find out what really makes your customers tick. What do they love about your brand? What values do they hold? Whether you partner with a research firm or run in-house polls, these insights help you tailor your brand to better meet emotional and practical needs. For example, you might discover your core customers value sustainability highly – insight that could inform both your marketing and product development to strengthen that emotional bond. Engaging in regular brand health tracking will also let you measure changes in perception and loyalty over time.
• Forge an Emotional Connection: To turn customers into fans, aim for the heart. Develop a clear brand story and purpose that resonates with your target audience’s values and identity. Australian consumers respond strongly to authenticity and social values. Are you championing a cause, celebrating local culture, or inspiring a lifestyle? Communicate that consistently. If your brand can authentically say, “we stand for the same things you do,” you’ll trigger the emotions that drive loyalty – be it trust, joy, pride, or a sense of belonging. Emotional branding tactics include sharing customer success stories, highlighting your brand’s origin story or mission, and using imagery and language that evoke the desired feelings. The payoff for emotional honesty is huge: brands that intentionally engage emotional drivers create deep loyalty and a community of fans who will champion them at every turn. Remember, a brand that makes people feel something is a brand they’ll stick with.
• Encourage Advocacy and Community: Give your happiest customers platforms and incentives to voice their love. This can be as simple as running a branded hashtag campaign (like Frank Body’s #frankeffect) to gather user-generated content, or creating a VIP Facebook group for loyal customers to share tips and sneak peeks. Recognise and reward your brand fans – spotlight their stories in your content, send exclusive offers or merch, and consider referral or loyalty programs that acknowledge their contributions. When people feel appreciated by a brand, their advocacy often intensifies. Plus, word-of-mouth will spread naturally if you wow customers at every turn. Make it easy for fans to refer friends (referral links, “tell-a-mate” discounts, etc.), because a friend’s recommendation is marketing gold. Keep in mind that online businesses can attribute as much as 60% of sales to referrals from advocates and super fans, and those new customers come in primed to be loyal themselves (referred customers are statistically more likely to stay with the brand). Fostering a community – whether online or offline – also builds camaraderie among fans. Brand fandom often thrives on a sense of belonging; if you can facilitate fans connecting with each other (think meet-ups, forums, or events), you strengthen their bond to your brand and expand their collective influence.
• Deliver Consistent Quality and Service: None of the feel-good branding stuff works if your product or service doesn’t meet expectations. Brand fans are born from great experiences. Ensure you consistently deliver on your brand promise – whether that’s superior product quality, outstanding customer service, or innovation. Australian telecom upstart Aussie Broadband, for instance, earned a cult-like following by providing customer service far better than the industry giants. Their customers often rave online about quick support and honesty, effectively becoming advocates based on service excellence. The lesson: every touchpoint matters. By delighting customers (and quickly fixing any missteps), you build trust – the bedrock of loyalty. Fans give repeat business to brands that never let them down. Moreover, a delighted customer is naturally inclined to recommend you; remember that a happy customer’s recommendation carries immense weight in others’ purchase decisions.
• Track Loyalty and Adapt: Finally, treat brand fandom as a metric to monitor and a goal to actively manage. Implement brand tracking studies and loyalty metrics to quantify your fan base and their impact. Metrics like repeat purchase rate, Net Promoter Score (NPS) (which measures willingness to recommend), and customer lifetime value can signal how healthy your brand fan ecosystem is. For example, a rising NPS indicates growing advocacy – a sure sign your strategies are working. Track engagement on social media and look at qualitative feedback too (are more customers calling themselves “obsessed” with your brand?). By regularly reviewing these insights, you can spot opportunities or issues early. Perhaps your brand tracking data shows a dip in advocacy in a certain region – that’s your cue to investigate and re-engage that segment. Or your loyalty survey may reveal that customers love your product but wish your sustainability efforts were stronger – a strategic insight to act on. Brand tracking and consumer research allow you to continuously refine your approach, ensuring you stay aligned with what your fans care about most. Brands that measure and adapt tend to stay one step ahead in the loyalty game.

Turning Australian Customers into Lifelong Brand Fans

In a market as dynamic and culturally diverse as Australia, the winners will be brands that can transform ordinary customers into extraordinary brand fans. These are the brands that go beyond transactions and build relationships – tapping into emotions, community, and trust. As we’ve seen, even lesser-known local brands can punch well above their weight by cultivating a tribe of devoted advocates. Whether it’s a cult fashion label like Black Milk igniting frenzy with each product drop, or a purpose-led venture like Thankyou mobilising consumers for social good, the principle stands: passionate fans drive brand success.

For senior marketing executives, the takeaways are clear. Invest in understanding your customers at a deep level – their desires, behaviours, and what they truly feel about your brand. Use those insights to craft a brand experience that resonates emotionally and authentically. Foster two-way engagement and celebrate your fans, so they feel part of your story. And always keep a finger on the pulse through brand health metrics and feedback loops, so you can nurture and grow the spark of fandom.

In the digital age where consumers are bombarded with choices, brand advocacy is the X-factor that can set you apart. A single ad campaign can’t match the sustained impact of hundreds of excited customers singing your praises. Brand fans will not only stick with you through thick and thin – they’ll bring others along for the ride. By focusing on emotional branding, consumer loyalty, and continuous brand tracking, you can build a legion of advocates that amplify your message in the Australian market and beyond. In the end, creating brand fans is about earning genuine love: do that, and your brand becomes not just a choice, but a beloved part of your customers’ lives. Love your customers, and they just might love you back – loudly, loyally, and for a lifetime.