FOMO works and that’s a problem
Exclusivity tactics can tip fan passion into compulsive behaviour.
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Let’s dive into today’s topic:
FOMO works and that’s a problem
Limited merch drops. Exclusive access. Countdown timers. The music industry has enthusiastically and successfully adopted Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) as a marketing tactic. And it works. But what actually happens to the fan on the other side of that tactic?
Why it matters
I find it highly questionable whether FOMO tactics are ethical. I’ve written about this before: the pressure artists are under to manufacture urgency, and the way that pressure gets passed directly onto their fans.
Japutra et al (2025) published research that provides a framework for that discomfort. They surveyed 511 consumers in the fashion industry and examined how FOMO shapes how people relate to brands they love.
Their conclusion is more nuanced than the idea that FOMO is simply good or bad. FOMO excites fans, but under certain conditions, it can push them towards a kind of passion that harms them.
How it works
The researchers build on dual passion theory, which explains that there are two fundamentally different ways to feel passionate about something.
Harmonious passion means you love something because it genuinely fits who you are. You buy the record because the music means something to you. You go to the show because you actually want to be there. Your enthusiasm is yours.
Obsessive passion means your engagement is driven by pressure, like social comparison, fear of exclusion, or the need to prove something to yourself or others. You buy the merch because everyone else seems to have it. You feel anxious when you can’t attend. Your relationship with the brand isn’t entirely your own anymore.
Japutra et al (2025) found that FOMO activates both types of passion. Interestingly, it predicted harmonious passion more strongly than obsessive passion. So, FOMO isn’t simply destructive: Fans who feel that pull can channel it into genuine enthusiasm for an artist they already love.
But obsessive passion is the pathway to compulsive buying: debt, stockpiling products that never get opened, and purchases people later regret. FOMO feeds this.
One more finding worth noting: consumers aged 35 and older were more vulnerable to obsessive passion under high FOMO conditions than younger groups. The assumption that FOMO mainly affects impulsive younger fans isn’t accurate.
SWOCC, where I published a book on corporate branding back in 2015, published an excellent summary of Japutra et al (2025). It’s in Dutch, so I highly recommend using your favourite translation tool to read it here.
Yes, but..
This research was conducted in fashion, not music. Fashion is a product category where social visibility is partly the point, similar to customer-based brand equity mechanisms: What you wear signals who you are.
On the other hand, there is also significant overlap between music and fashion when social media is taken into account, and social visibility comes into play again. Take stories of fans at concerts or festivals as examples. Where you are signals who you are.
Take action now
Artists can review their most recent campaign promoting a tour, concert, or club night. Ask one question: What emotion does this primarily trigger? Is the framing built around what fans gain, or around what they’ll miss if they don’t act fast?
Your thoughts
Further reading
Hoe merken onbewust dwangmatig koopgedrag aanwakkeren (SWOCC)
Japutra, A., Gordon-Wilson, S., Ekinci, Y., & Adam, E.D. (2025). The dark side of brands: Exploring fear of missing out, obsessive brand passion, and compulsive buying. Journal of Business Research, 186
The psychology of scarcity (The Fanbase Builder)
How artists contribute to social media addictions (The Fanbase Builder)
Artists fuel social media addictions (The Fanbase Builder)
Why strong artist brands matter to fans, not just artists (The Fanbase Builder)