With the NBA season underway, illustrator Nick Manske drew up a series of archetypes that best describes the varying Los Angeles Lakers fans. The Lakers are one of the most scrutinized teams in the league because of its storied past and notable A-list supporters. This season however, there is little optimism about the purple and gold and Manske's archetypes seem to be accurate.
The first Laker fan is the 'Kobe Guy,' whose sole reason for cheering for the team is Kobe Bryant, the Lakers' great, but aging, superstar. There's also the 'Grandma' who has seen the ups and downs of the team for the last 50 years, and probably has no idea who is on the team. There's also the D-list celebrity, who is normally seen hiding under a baseball cap when the camera spans the crowd. And lastly, there's the 'Clipper's Fan' who changed his allegiance last year.
What's Driving This Trend
- Illustrated Fan Archetypes
- Opportunity to create and market illustrated archetypes for different sports teams and their fans.
- Celebrity Fandom
- Opportunity to tap into the fan following of celebrities and connect them with sports teams for brand collaborations.
- Fan Loyalty Shift
- Opportunity to explore the reasons behind changing fan alliances and develop strategies to regain fan loyalty.
Who This Affects Most
- Sports Merchandise
- Opportunity to incorporate fan archetypes in merchandise designs and enhance the fan experience.
- Marketing and Advertising
- Opportunity to develop targeted marketing campaigns that appeal to specific fan archetypes and promote team loyalty.
- Sports Media and Entertainment
- Opportunity to create content and entertainment experiences that cater to different fan archetypes and enhance fan engagement.
