In addition to being easily digestible content, these fan-made clips also act as advertisements for “WandaVision”. Your 15- to 60-second TikTok videos are the type of basic marketing and organic buzz that is valuable for streaming services like Disney +.
With an overabundance of online content, streaming companies need to find a way to stand out from an ever-growing list of services. A stock of social conversations made by fans about “WandaVision” helped to keep the program in the consciousness of pop culture while launching new episodes every Friday.
It probably also served a greater purpose for Disney +: it meant that those who were not watching had to sign up to join the conversation.
“The virtual water cooler”
“Traditional forms of marketing can never compete with a friend’s recommendation,” said Suzanne Scott, associate professor at Moody College of Communication at the University of Texas.
“Fan organization on social media and memes that emerge from fan culture help to cultivate the feeling that something is going on in the culture that you don’t want to miss,” she added.
And when it comes to TikTok, there’s a lot of talk about the suburban adventures of Avengers Wanda Maximoff and The Vision. According to the company, the hashtag “#WandaVision” alone has generated more than 310,000 videos and an impressive 2.4 billion views on the app since the series was launched in January.
“TikTok is the virtual water cooler where everyone connects to share their favorite moments, memes and theories about what will happen next,” Lizzy Hale, senior content manager at TikTok, told CNN Business. “TikTok has become the dynamic version of the old school TV recapitulation columns.”
Don’t touch that button
There is nothing new about fans obsessed with TV shows.
“Twin Peaks”, “X-Files”, “Lost”, “The Walking Dead”, “Game of Thrones” and another Disney + streaming success “The Mandalorian” delighted many viewers. Some of these programs were broadcast in the early days of online chat and dedicated fan communities.
But “Wandavision”, with its devious mysteries and crazy anxieties, is perfectly suited for the social media era and especially for TikTok, which is a “fertile space for the fandom to flourish,” according to Brett Bumgarner, media analyst and entertainment from Research Firma Magid.
“‘WandaVision’ pays a lot of attention to detail and Easter eggs are deliberately peppered throughout the series,” he said. “Viewers can dwell on the allusions drawn throughout the series and, with attention, they can unlock the pieces of the puzzle.”
And this is exactly the type of engagement that streaming services want.
“‘WandaVision’ has the advantage of being part of a highly popular franchise, but others can benefit from this intricate construction worldwide,” said Bumgarner. “Programs with the most engaged audience – ‘WandaVision,’ ‘The Mandalorian,’ ‘The Umbrella Academy,’ even ‘The Crown’ – all have rich and intricate worlds for the audience to get lost in.”
“Finals do not satisfy anyone at all”
“An engaging show is one of the strongest weapons of streaming wars,” added Bumgarner. “And building the world helps you get there.”
But there is a downside for fans to get lost in these fictional worlds.
According to Matt Roush, the senior television critic at TV Guide Magazine, the creation of countless theories and stories on social media may cause some fans to be disappointed with how the series really comes to an end.
“Finals do not satisfy anyone at all. Think of ‘Lost’,” said Roush. “There is no way to end a show that people enjoy as much as watching the construction of the mystery.”
So while social platforms like TikTok can build a streaming series like “WandaVision”, the show’s real resolution could end up creating a reaction from fans – especially those who, like Wanda herself, have created worlds of their own.