# Fans Aren’t Just Followers. They are (Potential) Relationships. | Plus.Fan

- Canonical URL: https://wefunder.com/feed/320381
- Entity ID: wefunder:feed_item:320381
- Published at: 2026-05-12 16:23:11 UTC
- Updated at: 2026-05-12 16:23:13 UTC

## Author
Steve Paris

## Subject
Plus.Fan

## Content
Over more than a decade helping large retailers, mostly grocers, better understand their shoppers through data, my team would talk a lot about share of requirements and loyalty tiers. The irony was that with some notable exceptions (Wegmans, Costco, HEB, and Trader Joe’s come to mind), very few grocers earn anyone’s loyalty. Most shoppers would switch without a second thought if a more convenient, similarly priced competitor opened up. That’s transactional loyalty.Sports are different. Most fans stay loyal even when teams haven’t earned it. Many fan bases are multi‑generational. Fans may disengage, but they rarely leave for another team.Maybe that is one of the reasons teams have real relationships with only a handful of their fans? What would their growth look like if they did? Fans want more connection than they’re getting. Recent research shows that more than half of fans want deeper interaction with their clubs, not just more content. They want dialogue. Input. Insider access. First‑to‑know moments. A sense of belonging.Often clubs don’t deliver that consistently beyond season ticket holders. Most exclude out‑of‑market fans entirely except for pro shop spam and irrelevant ticketing offers Here’s the basic truth. Fans are tired of being managed. They want to be known. And the clubs that build real relationships will be the ones that grow fastest.If this resonates, I’m always open to a conversation.Plus.Fan is building the fan operating system that helps clubs turn followers into relationships.If you’ve already invested, thank you. If you are still thinking about it, don’t wait too long. The future of fan engagement will be here faster than you realize.