By: Carol Badaracco Padgett
Senior Staff Writer
In a new millennium, when archaeologists excavate the region in North America that’s now Athens, Georgia, U.S., they’ll find bulldogs.
Fans. Figurines. Footballs. Flasks.
Will these archaeologists understand what they’re looking at? Will they wonder why these skeletons, apparently from some species of bipedal herd animal, are draped in matching fabrics, and why there are identical objects: pottery, glass drinking vessels and small leather spheres, scattered in their midst?
Just imagine their wonder as they unearth a collection of actual bulldog bones buried in the ruins of a structure inscribed “Sanford Stadium” and “University of Georgia.”
Right then, these archaeologists of the future may begin to comprehend the concept of human fandom, a topic that present-day marketing professor Mike Lewis at Emory University’s campus in Atlanta knows inside and out. So well, he has evolved into a professor of fandom in the eyes of his peers. He’s also the author of “Fandom Analytics: Creating and Harnessing Consumer and Cultural Passion,” an informal textbook on the subject.
WTFandom?
According to Lewis, fandom is an underemphasized concept, one that’s heavily in play in much more than sports, but also widely across entertainment, music, movies, brands, games and even politics.
“The gist of my definition for fandom is shared passion and engagement, along with a cultural identity. There’s an active element to it. It can be a musician or a stuffed toy, but it has an element of shared community to it. It connects people,” Lewis describes.
He adds, “Sports is the gold standard for fandom … where people identify with each other and say, ‘We won the Super Bowl!’ Well, you didn’t actually win anything; you were just sitting on your couch.”
Fandom is readily identifiable across popular culture in relation to top-tier brands. Consider Taylor Swift fandom. And also Superman fandom, reignited by its most recent re-lensing in Georgia at Trilith Studios and locations around the state. Accompanied by the logo, the t-shirts, the capes.
Turning again to the die-hard fandom of Georgia college football, whether UGA’s Bulldogs or Georgia Tech’s Yellowjackets or any other team, Lewis states, “A couple of years ago, there was an April Fool’s Day prank about creating a university major on mascots. It was only a joke, but the mascot is truly the entity that the sports fan has a relationship with.”
A flock of humans
Fandom exists because humans crave the communal experience. The shared passion, engagement and activity. People connecting with people, forming communities and painting their faces to go out and scream for their teams.
“Fandom is a human trait … a standard psychological trait. We’re herd animals,” Lewis notes. “In popular culture, fandom is a shared language. For example, NFL fans can immediately start talking about Patrick Mahomes [quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs American football team]. Or, if we’re Swifties, we can talk about music or tours and we have connections who share common values.”
But are most people actually aware of fandom and their place within its framework?
“It’s complicated,” contends Lewis. “Fandom relates to social identity, so think about how quickly it comes up when introducing oneself. For example, you might say, ‘Hi, I’m Carol. I’m a writer.’”
He continues, “But, do people really think that popular culture is important? The answer is probably ‘no.’ They don’t know it’s as important as it actually is.”
Even still, fandom is forged from the stories ringing in humans’ ears, a shared set of narratives. “It’s the rituals of anthropologists’ study. It’s psychology. It’s stories,” Lewis emphasizes.
Story-bored no more
Happily, stories don’t stay static. Time and evolution throw in unforeseen plot twists. Consider the evolving triad of Atlanta, sports and entertainment. The story is continually being written and rewritten.
Lewis explains, starting with sports: “(In the past) Atlanta had the reputation as being a bad sports city. Before, you might have come to Atlanta to see the Celtics play the Hawks. But now, we’ve got Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Falcons) and Truist Park (Braves), and Atlanta is having this sports renaissance.”
Perhaps, most relevant of all to modern-day fandom, the city has Atlanta United. And crazily, incredibly cool, Atlanta has the Fédération Internationale de Football Association’s FIFA World Cup in 2026.
“Atlanta United is the most successful major league soccer team, the gold standard, even though it has won just one title,” Lewis contends. Fandom seems to ramp up an anticipatory effect among its followers, who are perpetually ready for a reason to congregate and celebrate.
Entertainment-wise, Lewis notes that Atlanta and Georgia overall have made some interesting plays in the film industry, standing up alongside Los Angeles and New York and stepping out from the too-tired narrative that labels them “the Hollywood of the South.”
“Think about the lead Los Angeles and New York had in the film industry and entertainment sector [at one time], but Georgia is solid now. Add to that, Georgia is also making significant strides in the gaming sector,” Lewis notes.
As much as members of longtime fandoms, such as the drivers of pick-up trucks with the red letter “G” for Georgia Bulldogs football, are readily understood and accessed by marketers, future fandoms may be formed by marketers, Lewis predicts. In line with this realization, the subject of his next book is “Future Fandom,” where he focuses on three forces: demographics, technology and marketing.
“AI is changing audience ownership while technology is changing the production dynamic,” Lewis muses. “And through it all, marketers are getting more involved in steering the path of fandom.”
So, millennia from now, who really knows what all archaeologists will unearth in the 59,425 square miles that are Georgia’s home turf? Or anywhere else, for that matter?
Communally, when the time comes, the skeletons will tell the story. As the professor of fandom reminds us, “Fandom is all about the most passionate person you’ll ever meet. And that’s what moves the world, eventually.”
This article appeared in the 2026 edition of the Creative Economy Journal. See more from the Journal here.
