{
  "id": 1415050,
  "title": "Brand marketers are adopting fan-first social media strategies",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/17/brand-marketers-are-adopting-fan-first-social-media-strategies",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-17T04:01:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Digiday",
    "slug": "digiday",
    "url": "https://digiday.com/marketing/brand-marketers-are-adopting-fan-first-social-media-strategies/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "For soft-drink brand Poppi, fans are prioritized over consumers. Sophia Sesto, the team leader behind Poppi's social media, creator and ambassador operations, emphasizes that the beverage brand centers on community engagement, likening it to pop culture. Instead of trying to appeal to the widest possible audience, Poppi's social media strategy is focused on reaching dedicated fans on platforms like TikTok and Instagram. This approach proved successful, as the company secured a 34% share of the \"functional soda\" consumer category prior to its $1.95 billion acquisition by Pepsico. According to Sesto, Poppi's \"fans\" serve as online evangelists, amplifying the brand's content while also providing valuable insights through social listening and trend observation. Additionally, these fans act as a rapid focus group, ensuring product development is directly informed by real consumer connections. For more information, read the full article on digiday.com.",
  "summary": "Bigger brands are picking up a social playbook perfected by startup and scaleup marketers, having seen the results. But can it work at scale?",
  "key_points": [
    "Poppi prioritizes fans over consumers in social media strategy",
    "Fans serve as brand evangelists, amplifying content",
    "Fans provide valuable insights for product development"
  ],
  "editors_take": "By prioritizing community engagement with dedicated fans, brands like Poppi are shifting their social media approach to foster online evangelism, gather valuable insights, and inform product development.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}