Why fans wear band shirts like football jerseys
Using Social Identity Theory to turn listeners into a tribe.
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Why fans wear band shirts like football jerseys
Tajfel and Turner’s 1979 Social Identity Theory explains why fans define themselves by the music they love and hate.
Why it matters
Mods vs. Rockers. Beatles vs. Stones. Skaters vs. Gabbers. People love to fight over their identities, defined by the music they listen to and the clothes they wear.
While we rarely see physical brawls between music fanbases today, the psychological drive remains unchanged. Fans wear music like a badge of honour. The mechanism behind it is like supporting a sports team, which isn’t just about the game but about belonging to a tribe and differentiating oneself from rival supporters.
Music provides fans with a sense of identity. When artists effectively build or connect with a social identity, passive listeners might become active advocates.
Earlier, I wrote about how artist brands help fans to express their identity and build social capital using Keller’s Customer-Based Brand Equity model. People want to identify themselves with groups. Social Identity Theory provides insights into how to foster such behaviour.
How it works
Social psychologists Henri Tajfel and John Turner developed Social Identity Theory in 1979 to explain intergroup behaviour. They proposed that a person’s sense of self is rooted in their group memberships.
We can utilise this academic framework in music marketing through three stages:
Social categorisation: People categorise themselves and others to understand the social environment. In music, this is the scene (“I am a metalhead,” “I am a raver”). Artists must clearly signal where they belong so potential fans can categorise them instantly.
Social identification: We adopt the identity of the group we have categorised ourselves as belonging to. This is where merchandise and inside language come into play. If an artist creates specific symbols, such as a logo, a colour palette, or slang, they give fans the tools to identify with the group publicly. You are facilitating fans to say who they are.
Social comparison: The most critical step for differentiation. We tend to compare our group (the in-group) with other groups (the out-group). To maintain self-esteem, our group needs to compare favourably with other groups. An artist’s brand must stand for something, but also arguably against something. It’s why outspoken, activist artists are best suited to apply social identity theories.
Yes, but...
Clearly, an “us versus them” dynamic fosters toxicity. To avoid this, Social Identity Theory suggests we seek positive distinctiveness rather than conflict.
The goal isn’t to incite hatred against other artists or genres. Instead, it is to highlight the unique traits of your community that make it special.
You are simply drawing a circle and telling your fans: “Inside this, we value X, Y, and Z.”
Take action now
Artists can apply this theory by either joining an existing tribe or establishing a new one.
Signal membership to a scene: Identify the cultural identifiers other than music that the core audience values, such as specific brands, aesthetics, or clubs, and incorporate these symbols into artist content. This should be natural for artists, since they should already belong to a scene or niche with their own culture.
Define the out-group: Without being toxic, clearly articulate what the artist brand is not. This could be an internal document, but if it fits the brand, mentioning it publicly works.
Create shared symbols: Design a simple symbol, catchphrase, or visual aesthetic that allows fans to signal their membership to the outside world.
Your thoughts
Further reading
Tajfel, H., & Turner, J.C. (1979). An integrative theory of intergroup conflict. In W. Austin & S. Worchel (Eds.) (1986), Psychology of Intergroup Relations (pp. 2-24). Brooks/Cole.
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Why artists should stop trying to please everyone (The Fanbase Builder)
Why artists should stop mentioning their genre (The Fanbase Builder)
How artists can find their niche (The Fanbase Builder)
Creating a strong sense of community (The Fanbase Builder)
Harnessing brand activism for artists (The Fanbase Builder)