I thought that the Godin One (or possibly Mack Collier) had come up with the idea that companies should emulate rock bands and cultivate fans, not customers. But it turns out the genius behind this concept was the equally bald (as Seth, not Mack) but far nerdier Roger Blackwell, erstwhile professor at Ohio State University but now resident of a federal prison in Morgantown, West Virginia.
While I appreciate that in his book, Brands that Rock (2003), Blackwell compares Neil Diamond to Velveeta Cheese (though I’m not sure to whom that is more unfair), I think, first of all, that few companies actually sell what rock bands sell (an experience, an attitude, an identity, oh, yeah, and music) and, secondly, that fans are over-rated, especially when compared with paying, return customers.
Let’s face it. “Fandom” has been cheapened by platforms like Facebook that allow you to be-fan everything from Michael Jackson to toast. Beyond that, though, fans don’t necessarily pay the bills. As one of my guitar idols, Matt Pike of High on Fire told Rolling Stone after they had praised his epic Art of Self Defense, “Goes to show that you can have fame and still have no money.”
Don’t get me wrong, I understand that fans can be a great marketing channel, especially once you’ve handed them the other end of the funnel, but, when push comes to shove, you don’t need people who find your offering remarkable and accordingly remark about it to others. No, you need people who are hooked on your stuff and can’t live with out. In other words, you don’t need fans, you need junkies.
The good thing about junkies is that they will seek you out. They really, really, really want what you got. They are also willing to pay and, bad for them but good for you, they are not always very discerning when it comes to quality. On the flip side, the bad thing about junkies is, well, they’re junkies, which means they can be unreliable and, what’s worse, broke.
The other bad thing is that the junkie economy is kind of sketchy. Since the revenue is pretty much guaranteed, the business attracts unscrupulous competitors who may use violence as a differentiator. Oh, and there are a number of governmental bodies who take an intense interest in this particular sector and regulate it VERY aggressively.
Look, I’m not telling you to start selling heroin (which the Bayer company already tried a hundred years ago) or any of the other addictive substances that are surefire moneymakers (sugar, alcohol, caffeine, nicotine, sex, etc.). I am merely suggesting that you think about making your product or service something that your customers and clients view as vital, something they depend on, and, moreover, something they simply cannot imagine living without.
After all, if they could live without it, if it is something that they don’t really need, why are you selling it in the first place?
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Matt,
I like the fan/junkie analogy quite a bit. It is too easy to be a fan today (I’m a fan of hugs, rainbows, and unicorns on FB), and the term is losing its edge. I was thinking of brands present (Apple) and past (Saturn) that have achieved junk (in the best possible sense) status, and they do/did engender a loyalty that goes beyond the rational. There is a satisfying-my-fix quality to People who queue up for hours in front of the Apple store, or Saturn owners who took their Summer vacation in Spring Hill, Tennessee. The other think about junkie customers is they will stay loyal to the brand in tough times, which is why I think Roger Penske will be able to revive the Saturn brand. One question, though. Isn’t the extreme form of fandom hooliganism? And hooligans will do anything for their team (or company)? Perhaps a different analogy with just as much baggage.
Thanks for the comment, Mike.
I’m glad to hear that you share my sense that fandom is “losing its edge” and that what brands should aim for is cultivating a “loyalty that goes beyond the rational.”
At the same time, I think that the aspect of the “junk” metaphor that people should focus on is that of “dependence.” You want to become an essential, irreplaceable part of your customer’s business or life. You want them to depend on you in every sense of the word. Ideally, your stuff will be so good and so powerful that people just can’t do without it. They’ll be hooked.
On another note, I agree that the last thing we need are brand hooligans.
Hi Matt,
Good insight. “The good thing about junkies is that they will seek you out. They really, really, really want what you got. They are also willing to pay and, bad for them but good for you”
I read once about dominating a niche by focussing tightly, outdoing your competitors with your service, and documenting your results so well that no one can deny your offering.
The fact is a fan can miss a game, miss a concert, etc. BUt a junkie comes running daily (or hourly) to get their fix. Thing is, we then need to be provide addictive offerings. And by addiction that necessitates giving the addict enough that they get a little satisafaction, but get hungry for more very quickly.