Social media technology company Calibrus hopes that its new FanaticFans mobile application will take event-related social networking to a new level.
The mobile app, which is in late alpha testing, not only allows for easy ticket purchases, but also supports fan interaction from pre-event to post-event. After choosing an upcoming event, users of FanaticFans will find links to ticket sellers on their Event Detail page, from which they may navigate to a seller’s site to buy tickets. On the same page, users can share comments, photos and video on an artist or event and likewise view others’ comments, photos and video.
In the Events section, fans can list their top events, and, through the use of the smartphones’ GPS technology, local events appear as well. Pre-show, fans can share information with their friends about the event and explore links to fan sites. At the event itself, the location-based system allows users to connect with other fans within the venue itself. Users also receive members-only news as well as real-time information on any scheduling changes and upgrading opportunities. Post-event, fans can continue to communicate with others to talk about the show, share pictures and video, and get additional artist information.
Further encouraging fan-to-provider interaction, FanaticFans provides users access to a system of “badges” which may be earned for attendance as well as participation in the application’s social networking features. A fan establishes a “power ranking” among peers through the accumulation of badges, which may then be exchanged for free or discounted merchandise.
The application’s developers see the interactive qualities of FanaticFans providing many benefits for ticket sellers and others in the industry. Advertisers who use the service may be more likely to hit their target audience as opposed to a casting a broad net in the market. Sellers have the ability to sustain contact with ticket buyers in order to sell again and to glean valuable information on a fan’s purchasing habits. Sports teams or artists can deliver promotions, offers or specialized content to fans to keep them interested in repeat purchases. The “badge” system itself promotes ongoing interaction with fans, hopefully maintaining their motivation to continue their involvement in order to gain additional rewards. The ideal outcome is to enhance fan satisfaction through the creation of an event-based community, while encouraging greater profit for industry professionals like promoters, venue owners, ticket sellers, and the artists or teams themselves.
As Project Developer Brian Holmes explains: “We’re going to be setting up a method where teams or fans can really monitor who their most devoted fans are and reward them. The most devoted fans gain recognition…as the more events they check into, they gain more points. [Fans also gain] virtual points they can redeem for goods and services.”
Eric Miller of Calibrus’ Investor Relations department emphasizes the benefits to all for the application’s community-building capabilities. “[The system also] encompasses the ticket buyer and other individuals involved so it builds a sense of community, a sort of reciprocity. You get a reward for putting your input back in, and it improves [sellers’] visibility and contact with the client base. This allows them to be an integral part of this and build that goodwill that hasn’t always been inherent for the ticket industry.”
