Everyone Built a Community. Now What?
Belonging has become one of the defining desires of the decade – and one of marketing’s favourite strategies. But as every brand races to build a community, has belonging itself become commoditised? And what does it take to turn community into genuine fandom?
As the late 2020s ride into view, it feels safe to say that loneliness has been the defining emotion of this decade. And is it any surprise?
The decade began with a once-in-a-generation pandemic that cut us off from our communities. Then came years of remote and hybrid working, permanently reshaping our social lives. All the while, social media was slowly chipping away and replacing IRL interactions with the solitude of the eternal scroll.
As a result, Gen Z is officially the loneliest generation on record, with 73% saying they feel lonely.
As humans, we respond to negative emotional states like loneliness with a strong desire in the opposite direction. In this case, the desire was for belonging.
Where previous generations chased status, achievement or escape, today's consumers began searching for something more fundamental: a desire for safety, stability, and identity in an increasingly fragmented world. More than anything, they want to belong.
Community Uprising
Brands were quick to see the opportunity, and community became the marketing buzzword of the decade.
Suddenly, every category had its own version: run clubs, community saunas, hobby collectives, members' events, Discord servers and experiences designed to bring people together.
And the strategy worked — for consumers as well as brands. For example, 66% percent of Strava users say they've made a new friend after joining a club on the platform.
For brands looking for their next win, the opportunity was obvious. Need growth? Own belonging. Need standout? Create a tribe. Need fandom? Start a club.
Belonging Got Basic
For anyone who lived through the 2010’s purpose boom, what happened next was obvious.
Success bred imitation. And what was distinctive quickly became a commodity.
Now, belonging is everywhere. The number of new run clubs on Strava has tripled year on year. Every coffee brand is now a ‘movement’. Every fashion label has a members' event. Every tech company has a Discord server.
What began as a genuine response to a cultural need quickly became the default brand playbook.
And consumers noticed. Just like the purpose era, it didn’t take long for people to start viewing belonging claims as something to be sceptical about.
People can tell the difference between community that exists because a brand has something meaningful to bring people together, and community created simply because marketing said every brand needs one.
To consumers, community is now wallpaper. But the desire for belonging hasn’t gone away. So how should brands react?
The New Rules of Belonging
The next era won’t be defined by more brands paying lip service to the idea of community, but by creating genuine fandom. Here are five actions brands can take today to help cultivate authentic belonging, and ultimately develop fandom:
1. Make Space for Real
The future of belonging won’t be built on shared interests but on shared honesty. We’re seeing the rise of spaces designed to remove emotional barriers and encourage deeper conversations.
Peoplehood, a new venture from SoulCycle founders, is a social & wellness club that organises structured conversations amongst members. Their goal is to create the kind of openness and vulnerability that’s missing from other ‘wellness’ communities. Don’t like small talk? You’re in luck: big talk is in.
2. Small & Weird Beats Big & Bland
Understandably, brands love scale. But the strongest sense of belonging doesn’t necessarily come from the brand with the most fans. It comes from making people feel recognised; through intimate groups, little rituals or shared in-jokes.
Take Rolliefest, for example. More than a watch event, the gathering has grown into an identity defined by insider language and a sense of pilgrimage together. To its members, collecting watches is less about ownership and more about building a sense of belonging and identity.
3. Give People a Way In
People want to connect. But confidence gets in the way. If brands want people to join in, they need to make saying yes feel easier. Partnerships or experiences can become a gateway. OREO’s recent collaboration with K-pop group BTS united two passionate global fanbases and created a new moment that felt bigger than a product launch.
At a smaller scale, Editor’s Dream Baby Press grew in popularity by making it easy to get involved, regularly hosting meet-ups in low pressure settings, from Burger King to a boxing gym and even an East Village porn shop. Ultimately, the brands that create the strongest sense of belonging are those that make it easiest for people to take part.
4. Ditch the Main Character Energy
Brands naturally want to be the centre of attention. But instead of trying to be the hero, the winners in this next era will those willing to step back – listening to, supporting and amplifying the communities around them.
The recent rebrand of Liverpool FC is an excellent example. Rather than imposing a new identity on supporters, the team set out to build on the fan culture that already existed. By recognising and celebrating the Scouse values, traditions and collective spirit shaped by its supporters, they created a brand for the club’s next era that feels unmistakably rooted in its community.
5. Stop Taking Yourself So Seriously
Perhaps the least surprising signal emerging today is the return of play. In a world where every moment risks becoming content, people just want a bit of fun that feels low-pressure, relaxed, and zero judgement. Brands are embracing and adapting play in ways that work for them. For example, Lululemon has been transforming their retail experiences into informal adult playgrounds – creating spaces where people can move, try and play without any expectations of fitness, skill or purchase. Because the best things happen when everyone stops trying so hard.
So, What Comes Next?
As a fundamental human desire, our need for belonging isn’t going anywhere. In fact, in an age of increasing automation, we expect it to become an even more defining desire in the decade ahead.
What will change is how brands respond to it. The run club era will eventually run its course, and the brands that win will be those that move beyond the familiar community playbook to create a genuine sense of belonging – one capable of turning participation into fandom.
