Lastly, another way that musicians can enhance their brand and connections with fans is through fan clubs. Though there is evidence of fan-run fan clubs as early as the 1930s, the concept of official fan clubs did not originate until the 1960s when popular musicians, such as the Beatles, noticed an opportunity to connect with their fans in new ways (Théberge; Ridler). For a small fee per year, fans could become part of fan clubs and receive monthly magazines and newly-released records of the artists (Ridler).
The rise of digital technologies, such as the Internet and social media, affected the existence of fan clubs, beginning in the late 1990s (Théberge). The internet not only gave fan clubs a new digital space, but fans also no longer needed magazines and records to stay up to date on their favorite artists, so the exclusive content provided by fan clubs shifted (Ridler). Fan club membership now typically includes direct artist-fan interaction, exclusive content, packages/offers, early access to ticket sales, meet and greets, and sometimes even reserved seating at events or fan club parties with exclusive performances (See Figure 16).
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Théberge discusses the importance of fan clubs in fostering relationships with fans, stating
“What is perhaps most significant… is the way in which Internet fan clubs provide both a medium and a forum for a kind of ongoing, reciprocal interaction between stars and fans, and between fans and the fan community, that is unprecedented in the history of fan culture… For both stars and fans, the Internet-based fan club offers a degree of access that is, without doubt, unprecedented in the history of fan culture” (Théberge).
The introduction of Internet fan clubs changed the course of artist-fan relationships, as this new level of access allowed artists and fans to engage with one another in deeper and more direct ways. At an average of only $30 a year for exclusive membership options, fan clubs not only allow fans to gain the desired connections with artists, but they also allow a space for artists to promote their brand more directly to their biggest fans (“Fan Clubs…;” Théberge).
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