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NRG launches The Fandex with unveiling of the Fandom 50
June 6, 2023


Looking for the Fandom 50 List? You can download the full list and methodology at the bottom of this page.

We’re bringing our knowledge of fandom to brands with the newly developed NRG Fandex. 

Rooted in four decades of experience in entertainment and sports industries, we understand the power of loyal and engaged fans. Taking what we’ve learned from some of the world’s most passionate fan bases, we’re bringing a new data-driven approach to understanding the fan ecosystem across industries. 

Brand fans are a vital force behind brand success. Not only are they advocates, they’re also part of a larger community that surrounds the brand and their loyalty is strong enough to withstand organizational missteps along the way. The Fandex will help brands more accurately understand the strength of their fanbase, where they stand relative to competitors, and how to build and nurture their fandom. Validated against financial performance, The Fandex composite metric has a stronger positive correlation to revenue than any one measure, making it more predictive of revenue than usage, affinity, or likelihood to recommend alone.  

Today, we’re revealing the Fandom 50, a list of the top 50 brands earning the highest scores across the 18 categories included in The NRG Fandex. From tech giants leading on innovation, to platforms and companies that connect people, to reliable household products, each brand on the Fandom 50 uniquely delivers on the components that culminate in brand fandom.

You can download the full list and methodology below.

Fotoulla Damaskos, EVP Brand Strategy and Innovation at NRG, drove the research behind this list. She noted, “The brands on the Fandom 50 are committed to continually innovating and evolving in ways that surprise and delight customers, and they rally behind a mission that consumers identify with, creating a community that connects people with like minds and interests.”

Additionally, the research revealed that the most dominant path to brand fandom starts with Momentum, which is driven by a brand’s commitment to continuous evolution, clear future vision, and innovation. Brands that harness the power of Momentum and leverage the right ingredients of fandom (community, belonging, relevance, and identity) have the power to be the future leaders on the brand fandom list. 

Rising brands identified as leading on Momentum but not yet in the Fandom 50 include Tesla, National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), Bulleit Whiskey, Major League Soccer, SoFi, Mint Mobile, Method, Toyota, Mrs. Meyers, YETI, VRBO, and Discord.

Of note, the NWSL ranked highest on Momentum compared to all other sports brands. Other findings from the study include:  

The top five brand categories with the strongest Fandex Scores, in order, are: technology, entertainment and media, social media, household, and food.  

Avid brand fandom is strongest among Millennials, who are superfans of nearly twice as many brands as Boomers, and of 19% more brands than Gen Z.  

Brand fans are 3.5 times more likely to be vocal advocates for a brand. 

Brand fans are three times more likely to stick with a brand even if it does something they don’t like. 

Fandom shifts across generations. Standout brands for specific generations include:  

Gen Z: Snapchat moves up 28 spots on the list to #13  

Millennials: Nintendo moves up 16 spots on the list to #6   

Gen X: MLB moves up 20 spots on the list to #30   

Boomers: Keurig moves up 27 spots on the list to #10  

Brand categories that were included in the overall study but absent from the top 50 list include: travel, automotive, fitness, luxury, and alcohol.  

More information on The Fandom 50, including methodology, can be downloaded below. Click here to learn more about The NRG Fandex or reach out directly to fandex@nrgmr.com.