How to engage your fans

I led consumer products and brand marketing for Star Wars and Marvel at Hasbro, animated franchises including Shrek and Kung Fu Panda at DreamWorks Animation, EA SPORTS titles built on the NFL and NCAA at Electronic Arts, and The Hunger Games at Lionsgate. I ran the same strategy on every one of them: give the most engaged fans access before anyone else gets it.

Early product drops. Products only loyal fans can buy. Invite-only events. Shipping that beats the delivery estimate.

Growth still starts with new customers. But loyal customers convert at 60 to 70 percent, new prospects at 5 to 20 percent (Marketing Metrics). Most consumer brands pour their budget into the harder number and leave the easier one on autopilot.

Whether you spent 49 years building that fan base, like Star Wars, or 18 months, like a new DTC brand, the play is the same: find your most engaged customers and treat them like insiders. A brand with 5,000 customers can do the same thing without a media budget.