Jessie Reyez loves to text, especially with fans. Using a phone number assigned through the celebrity text-messaging startup Community and shared on her social media accounts, the singer-songwriter makes time nearly every day to have one-on-one conversations with her most dedicated supporters where they share memes and talk about their lives.
“Some really kind fans send me heartfelt messages, and we have exchanges regularly now that I have them in my favorites,” says Reyez. “Distance between humans seems to be getting larger and larger. However, being able to get directly into [fans’] text messages has been a step in making a fan more than a fan.”
Click here to read the story at billboard.com.
Discussion Questions:
- What is data mining?
- Why is data so valuable to marketers?
- How might data help celebrities create a more authentic connection with fans?
- Why might that be important?
- What is fandom?
- How might this story illustrate the concept of fandom?
- What is a superfan?
- According to this story, why are superfans important to the music industry?
- How do you feel about celebrities or marketers have access to your personal data?