From Shark Tank to Stage Lights: The Journey to Creating Superfans
Publication: USA Today [brand credibility mention]
Original Publication Date: October 17, 2023
National Book Month is an annual celebration observed in the United States during the month of October. Business leaders have long relied on the expertise found within the pages of books as they navigate the interworkings of the business world. Today, we’re highlighting a valuable resource in today’s customer-centric economy. Brittany Hodak has authored a powerful guide for any leader looking to create unparalleled customer experiences and turn customers into passionate advocates.
In her recent best-selling book, “Creating Superfans: How To Turn Your Customers Into Lifelong Advocates,” the entrepreneur-turned-author explores her tried-and-true modern strategies for cultivating meaningful customer relationships by delivering exceptional experiences, fostering emotional connections, and leveraging the power of community. She emphasizes the need to understand customer motivations and preferences, provide personalized interactions, and encourage word-of-mouth marketing in a world overtaken by new media and digital marketing.
Brittany has penned the ultimate guide for businesses looking to foster a loyal community of “superfans” who support the brand and become its most effective promoters for sustained growth and success. Her debut book results from nearly two decades of work and dedicated research across many facets of business and pop culture.
The Journey of Creating Superfans
Drawn by the phenomenon of fandom from an early age, Brittany Hodak has gone from Matchbox 20 superfan and radio station mascot to founder of a major entertainment company, keynote speaker, and now five-star, first-time author.
Driven by a passion for understanding the roots of fandom, Brittany has worked to identify why some brands see exceptional growth and others fail at the starting line. While this curiosity has long been a part of her personal identity, her success in achieving her dreams in the music and entertainment industry has allowed her to take previous misconceptions of super fandom and turn them on their head.
It all started with her co-founding ZinePak in 2011, a marketing agency created with a mission to help entertainers build fan connections through contemporary products, experiences, and collectibles. Within the first two years of ZinePak’s launch, Brittany and her founding partner, Kim Kaupe, successfully sold $2 million in products and reached $1 million in revenue in under a year. This was widely contributed to the pair’s Season 6 appearance on ABC’s Shark Tank, where they received offers from four of the five celebrity "sharks," valuing their company at nearly $6 million.
The appearance led to an abundance of requests for Brittany to speak and consult. Within a few years, she sold her equity stake in the business to research and teach her favorite pastime — turning customers into superfans.
The SUPER Model
The experiences each of your customers have are essential to gaining a competitive edge, and it is something that is impossible for them to reproduce, even in a saturated market. As Brittany notes in Creating Superfan’s initial chapter, “When brands consistently put customers first, everything else falls into place.” To create enthusiastic advocates, or “superfans,” for a brand, their experiences with both employees and products/services must be worthy enough to be repeated to friends, families, or complete strangers.
To create a real, tangible connection with any customer, Brittany created the SUPER Model that effectively creates an intersection between your company’s and your customers’ stories.
The underpinning of the five-step system teaches solopreneurs and entrepreneurs alike how to set themselves apart and continue to see exponential growth over time. Like a fine wine, the SUPER Model only improves with age:
Start with your own story.
Understand your customer’s story.
Personalize.
Exceed expectations.
Repeat.
Each piece of the SUPER Model is crafted with care and includes Brittany’s own foolproof formulas and methods that are guaranteed to provide heightened experiences that leave customers saying, “Wow!” Any entrepreneur who undertakes the SUPER philosophy is carrying a powerful competitive advantage that, when implemented correctly, will become the key to always delivering a memorable experience.
Remember, “If your customers aren’t telling their friends about you, you’re in trouble.”
Just Getting Started
Brittany Hodak knows what it takes to turn your dream business into a SUPER brand that fans will want to tell their friends about. In her page-turning manuscript, she encourages, “If you want to design experiences that your customers will tell their friends about and come back to experience again, you are bound only by your creativity.” Brittany continues to lead with this powerful idea, making it clear that Creating Superfans is a staple for any business leader ready to amplify their customer experience and achieve lasting success.
