“The Fandom Playbook: How to Create Passionate Fans in a World of Online Chaos,” by David Meerman Scott, published by Entrepreneur Press., is now available.
Entrepreneur Press, publisher of “The Fandom Playbook: How to Create Passionate Fans in a World of Online Chaos.”
David Meerman Scott, bestselling author and business growth strategist, is the author of “The Fandom Playbook: How to Create Passionate Fans in a World of Online Chaos.”
David Meerman Scott’s follow-up to “Fanocracy” offers 9 plays for building customer loyalty and human connection in an age of AI and online noise.
NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, October 27, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — As artificial intelligence, social algorithms and an endless stream of digital content make it easier than ever for businesses to reach people—and harder than ever to earn their attention and trust—bestselling author and business growth strategist David Meerman Scott argues the answer isn’t more marketing. It is creating something people genuinely want to belong to.
In his new book, “The Fandom Playbook: How to Create Passionate Fans in a World of Online Chaos,” Scott offers a practical framework for turning customers, employees and communities into passionate advocates. Published by Entrepreneur Press, the book is now available through major and independent book retailers.
“The Fandom Playbook” is the official companion to Scott’s Wall Street Journal bestseller “Fanocracy,” co-authored with Reiko Scott. While “Fanocracy” explored why human connection and belonging can transform customers into fans, Scott’s new book focuses on a question he says readers have repeatedly asked since its publication: How do I actually do it?
“The best antidote to our online chaos is genuine, human connection,” Scott writes.
Scott argues that businesses have become increasingly dependent on digital reach, algorithms, influencers and transactional incentives while the people they hope to reach are searching for something more meaningful. Generative AI has added another layer to that challenge, making polished content easier to produce while further blurring the distinction between authentic human communication and machine-generated messaging.
Rather than offering another marketing theory, “The Fandom Playbook” gives readers nine specific plays they can assess and implement based on their business, resources and culture. They include showing real people instead of stock or AI-generated images, sharing genuine personal passions, taking customers behind the scenes, giving away something valuable without an immediate sales ask, cultivating brand advocates, creating in-person communities, using game mechanics, giving fans opportunities to co-create and building a culture of passionate employees.
Scott does not expect organizations to adopt all nine. The book helps readers evaluate which approaches best fit their circumstances, narrow the list to the strongest opportunities and put selected plays into action over an initial 90-day period.
The approach reflects Scott’s broader argument that fandom is not reserved for entertainers, sports teams or consumer brands. Throughout the book, he examines organizations across industries and sizes — including HubSpot, Hagerty, Grain Surfboards and the Savannah Bananas — to show how businesses can create stronger relationships by inviting people to participate, share their passions and become part of something larger than a transaction.
Scott also explores what businesses can learn from some of the world’s most visible fan cultures. From K-pop communities built around participation and co-creation to the Savannah Bananas’ fans-first reinvention of the baseball experience, he examines how identity, access, shared experiences and belonging can turn audiences into active communities.
At the same time, the book challenges conventional assumptions about what professional marketing should look like. One of Scott’s first recommendations is deceptively simple: stop hiding behind stock photography and artificial perfection. Showing real employees, customers, personalities and behind-the-scenes moments, he argues, can give people something increasingly scarce in an AI-saturated environment — evidence that there are actual humans behind the organization.
The book is designed to be used rather than simply read. Assessments, exercises, prioritization tools and implementation chapters help readers determine which plays make sense for their organizations and translate the concepts into specific action.
For Scott, that practical emphasis reflects a larger shift in what business leaders should be trying to accomplish. Generating attention or closing the next transaction is no longer enough to create staying power, he argues. Organizations that make people feel seen, valued and included can build relationships that endure even when a competitor is less expensive or offers something newer.
“The Fandom Playbook” is written for entrepreneurs, marketers, executives, creators, nonprofit leaders and organizations of virtually any size seeking to move beyond clicks, impressions and short-term transactions and build communities of people who genuinely care about what they do.
About David Meerman Scott
David Meerman Scott is an internationally acclaimed business growth strategist, entrepreneur, advisor to emerging companies, and public speaker. He is the author of 13 books, including “The New Rules of Marketing & PR,” published in 29 languages. Scott travels the world to speak at conferences and events and run seminars — he has presented in 46 countries and on all seven continents — surf, see live music shows, and dance the Lindy Hop. He is known for helping organizations grow by building real-time strategies, meaningful customer relationships, and loyal fan communities. Scott is a graduate of Kenyon College.
About Entrepreneur Press
Entrepreneur Press, published by Advantage | The Authority Company in collaboration with Entrepreneur Media, provides practical, actionable books for entrepreneurs, business leaders, and innovators. For over 40 years, its catalog has featured works by top thought leaders and successful entrepreneurs and business owners, offering insights and strategies to start, grow, and sustain businesses. Books are available in print, digital, and audio formats. Visit press.entrepreneur.com
Krista Wignall
Advantage | The Authority Company
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