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Fandom, the world's largest platform for entertainment and gaming information, unveils the highest-ranked brands of 2023.
Which brands wield the most influence in the television, film, and gaming industry? Recently, Fandom introduced an exclusive metric to find the answer. As part of its annual 'Inside Fandom' research, the company released new data - Brand Impact Scores, described as 'unique figures, clearly extending beyond financial metrics to determine the driving forces behind the success of entertainment and gaming brands.'
The iconic Star Wars brand takes the lead with a perfect score of 100, thanks to the success of the 'Ahsoka' film produced and released by Disney+. Following closely is Marvel with a score of 87, featuring blockbuster films like 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3' and 'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse' released this year.
One Piece secures the third position with a score of 72. The legendary manga series, recently adapted into a global sensation Live-Action series by Netflix, is expected to soon start production for its second season. However, Fandom's precise handling of various data sets into a single aggregate score remains somewhat ambiguous. The company stated that the Brand Impact Score is based on a survey with around 5,000 fans in the US and the UK, along with first-party data from Fandom's platform (attracting 350 million monthly visits and having 40 million content pages).
According to Fandom, the licensing impact score is a 'weighted calculation' based on five criteria derived from their exclusive data. These include world-building (constructing a fictional universe with 'compelling characters, settings, and storylines to establish a profound connection with the audience'), review ratings (from both critics and fans), fan community, cultural relevance, and consistency (regularly delivering new content or enhancing content quality).
Fandom's CEO, Perkins Miller, stated: “Entertainment brands dominate 95% of the top blockbusters and games in 2023, yet there's still no unified perspective on what captures fan attention and why. The Brand Factor Framework will provide creators, producers, and marketers with profound insights and useful tools to strengthen their brand activities in the increasingly competitive landscape.”
The company's 2023 'Inside Fandom' report also analyzes the trends driving the most fan interaction and motivation; explores fan interests through spin-offs, adaptations, sequels, and prequels; examines how to sustain fan interaction through the brand's other products as well as licensing agreements. Additional findings from the study reveal:
64% of gamers and 69% of entertainment fans prefer playing/watching new installments of well-known film brands rather than something new; 57% of fans are interested in prequels and sequels. 68% of fans say their understanding of one part of a film series influences their overall view of the entire series.
The top hindrances for fans are: deviation from the original (40%); lack of innovation in characters and plot (36%); low ratings or poor reviews (32%). 44% of fans affirm they are likely to purchase products with IP (intellectual property) branding related to the brand.
Here are the top 25 entertainment and gaming brands of 2023 so far, ranked according to Fandom's exclusive index:
Star Wars: 100
Marvel secures a solid 87 in the rankings.
One Piece claims the third spot with a score of 72.
Elder Scrolls earns a respectable 71.
Harry Potter attains a score of 69.
Barbie gracefully scores 66.
Yellowstone makes its mark with a score of 64.
The Last of Us secures a score of 63.
Fallout claims a solid 62.
Disney achieves a commendable 62.
Elden Ring earns a score of 60.
John Wick makes its mark with a score of 59.
Grand Theft Auto reaches a score of 56.
Final Fantasy achieves a score of 54.
Naruto secures a rating of 53.
Zelda attains a score of 53.
DC earns a score of 52.
League of Legends maintains a solid 52.
Star Trek reaches a score of 52.
Shadow & Bone achieves a score of 51.
Pokémon secures a solid 51.
SpongeBob SquarePants attains a score of 50.
Resident Evil earns a score of 50.
The Witcher maintains a rating of 48.
The Walking Dead reaches a score of 48.
As per Variety
