Thursday Thoughts: What does it mean to signal association with a brand or community?

Boomer · 2024-01-04T16:19:49.527Z

As members of Just About, you have an association of some kind with at least one brand or community. You're associated with Just About simply by having a profile here, but you might also be a passionate player of EVE Online, or Final Fantasy XIV, Minecraft, or one of the many other games we discuss on Just About Video Games. Perhaps you create content on Twitch, YouTube, Medium, Substack, or one of many other platforms, or maybe you’re a vocal in the communities of your favourite streamers. What do these types of association mean to you? On the one hand it's possible to play a game, follow a streamer, or otherwise enjoy a brand or community without being vocal about it, minimising your association with them. On the other, for many folks, these associations can be powerfully rewarding and a part of their identity....

Lanah Tyra 1/4/2024, 7:59:10 PM

Depends on the community and the brand, but the main thing for me for associating myself with them is mutual respect.

Final Fantasy and Square Enix

I play or played many games yet you mostly hear me talking about Final Fantasy, to the point that I'm pretty sure its part of my identity here :D And I'm happy to be associated with the brand because I have huge respect towards the developers and staff. Every single person I've been in contact with let that be a representative on their social media or customer service, treated me in a professional and respectful manner. (This can't be said about some other companies even if I enjoy playing their games sadly...)

The games or certain features in them might not be to everyone's liking but its clear that they are high quality, and an awful lot of work has been put into them, with keeping the players in mind. An example when Endwalker released a week later because after playing through it Yoshi-P was not happy with it and said the players deserve better, so they've done some additional adjusting and fixes. There was some grumbling about it within the community but I would say 95% of the players supported the decision and the development team.

So yes, that is definitely a brand I'm happy to be associated with, and I will take it as a recognition that their influencer manager decided that my small channel was worth a follow.

Serenity

Not games related but I used to go to every show on my favourite band's tour. Even as they get more well known they remained the same humble guys they've always been, chatting to fans before or after the show and having a couple of pints with us. I used to take pictures from the front row and record the concerts for the fanclub. Been on guest list quite a few times, been asked "where have you been?" when I couldn't go to concerts due to moving countries, and I get birthday messages even now that I can't be a regular on shows as they can't come to the UK that often.

Just About

Yes, you read that right. I didn't know what to expect when I joined but it looked interesting enough to give it a go. What struck me from the very beginning was how every member was made feel welcomed and staff members clearly appreciate everyone's effort put into bounty submissions or general discussions and how everyone's opinion is respected. Very rare to find a place these days where people can have a civilised conversation even if they see things differently. So the culture here is definitely something I can 100% identify with and I'm proud to be a member of this amazing community ❤

MURRRAAAAY 1/5/2024, 10:27:16 AM

this is a super interesting question and I think it varies depending on if your a creator or not and possibly your point in life/passions. First part is with my creator hat on.

To not get to deep and write a whole essay I Remember I would often say I was a YouTube partner or whatever as I was proud I had reached that point and also thought it would possibly help me and mean something to potential other collaborators , same thing with like twitch affiliate but as I’ve continued on my creator journey I no longer feel the need to broadcast these things as I’m not sure anyone cares and those who may will find out if required via conversations or media kit or something like that.

I still regularly say “YouTuber” as this is my career and something I love doing so people know what I do.

With regards to other fandoms or stuff I am passionate about say PlayStation for example I would maybe voice this in certain places in order to attract , collaborate and interact with similar minded gamers with the same passions or interests as me. I also used to do this with stuff like ufc and aew but as I’ve got older this has faded as I’ve found more of the genuine connections come via conversing on live stream or discord or places like just about for example. However if a profile had an area for interested obviously I would list them I was meaning more just going out of my way to add this info to my profile or bio.

I guess if an affiliation is also a differentiator it would be of value to promote like you helped shape something or are involved in some vip programme or something that is of value to you and others that may help you meet others doing similar things or gain other opportunities.

Also if your in a super sharp niche or only one game type it makes sense to have that everywhere so you can connect with companies, creators and fellow fans of that space.

I also see a lot of younger gamers have their passions and affiliations all over their profiles as it is a huge part of their identity, a good bad example is the console warriors who love having a good console war with each other if there team Xbox or team PlayStation lol you all know what I mean, they definitely wear this as a badge of honour lol.

Being noticed by any of these fandoms or companies is nice when it happens and again it’s different between general fans or a creator as they both probably have different end goals with being noticed.

Ok coffee time for me now my brain has got tired lol hopefully this helps, I can’t promise it will being this early haha ok not a morning person lol happy to discuss more tho!

Lanah Tyra 1/5/2024, 11:28:45 AM

MURRRAAAAY

Some very good thoughts about the partner/affiliate thing. I can imagine I'ld display it when I reach it as it's one of my goals for this year and I'ld be proud of reaching it, but after that initial 'yay' moment probably it's true that no one cares really. If you apply for something where it's a requirement you have to disclose it anyway.

Not a morning person either, I need more coffee or I'll fall asleep at this 'this could have been an email' meeting I'm currently at lol

K

klobbersaurus68 1/5/2024, 1:23:12 PM

This is a good question! I've never really put much direct thought into it, but I know I make decisions on what to share with this stuff all the time.

It comes down to what the brand/community is, who will see it, and how much I'll have to explain. I'm far too old now to be embarrassed by anything I enjoy, but I don't always want to have to get deep into the stuff. A bit sad, but perception in a professional environment means quite a lot, so you can't always be super open even with mundane stuff because it may be seen as childish.

I think I don't need or expect any kind of recognition from the brands or communities I participate in. I'm picking stuff I like to do and doing it. My supporting these things helps keep them going and keeping me entertained. I make it sound extremely transactional, but that's just how I see this I suppose.

I am an older guy who crochets and that's not the most common thing. It is my favorite hobby and I openly share that with anyone and everyone. I want to expand the group of people who crochet and use yarn. It benefits everyone when a community like this gets larger. It's also the most welcoming community both in person and online I've ever been in. The fiber art community as a whole is generally pretty awesome.

I moderate two channels on Twitch and I keep that pretty quiet. It's such a difficult thing to explain to anyone who doesn't know what Twitch is and/or isn't really into video games. I'll share that I watch Twitch to see what new games are out and how they play. I think there is a fairly good social aspect with it as well that I'll share. I've made a few very good friends from it and even got to hang out with one when we went to the UK for vacation.

The Australian YouTube channel Mighty Car Mods is something I'm a big fan of and support. They are very funny, do cool things with cars, and support their local community in good ways. I've got a few of their T-shirts and a couple of hoodies over the last couple of years. It's an interesting community in my part of the US because they aren't that well known, but when you find someone who recognizes the shirt, they are pretty good to talk with.

On a more 'good product for the consumer' level of support, I cannot speak more highly of Kawasaki Motorcycles. I spent six years and 23,000 miles wildly abusing my Kawasaki Ninja with no issues. This summer I bought another one and it's been just as awesome. I don't run around in any of their shirts, but if someone asks me about my motorcycle or is considering getting one, I'll share my experience.

I've enjoyed being fairly early to Just About. It's nice because everyone from staff to members wants this to work out and be a good place to be.