Fandom for specific IP is reflected across a variety of media and shopping behaviors, such as gaming, collecting, cosplaying. When you consider an entertainment partnership, consider how an activation can extend into broader manifestations of the IP (e.g., are there new installments of a franchise coming up? Is there a physical merchandising angle? Etc.).

Don’t think of entertainment as a monolith. Specific genres (e.g., horror, fantasy) and franchises resonate much more with Gen Z gamers than with Millennial or Gen X audiences. Leverage experts who can trace the audience trajectories of new and upcoming IP (e.g., anime) to identify which partnerships can make the most impact for your growth and brand objectives.

Partnering early with a new TV series or anime IP that is poised to extend into a theatrical release provides brands with an opportunity to be recognized as the ‘first’ to lean into an emerging fandom and, potentially, continue being associated with the IP and the characters over time as they bleed into other media.