Drake’s Fan Community Is The Internet
As the NYT once put it, in the context of Drake, the fandom “isn’t merely an act of receiving — it’s one of interaction…recontextualization.” While For All The Dogs might not be music for everyone, the campaign certainly made its mark on feeds around the world. For Gen Z, the fan experience is as entertaining as the product itself. For example, it’s not just about seeing Taylor Swift perform live, it’s about feeling a part of that tour's social momentum, while adorning that signature friendship bracelet. While Taylor and Beyonce’s audiences might be more insular fan communities (Swifties, The Beyhive), Drake’s audience strategy is a little different: the target audience is the internet.
Drake’s viral relevance has sustained many different digital eras, showcasing how the artist remains a barometer for where internet culture is headed next. Here are 3 observations around why the For All The Dogs campaign was so effective in today's social landscape, which are creative and strategic inspiration across Entertainment marketing broadly:
DESIGNED WITH THE MEME UNIVERSE IN MIND
Drake singles create internet trends of their own, functioning as more than just a viral soundtrack. The proliferation of Drake soundbites on TikTok speak to just that. One snippet of the song "IDGAF" from his latest album has fans and haters alike in a frenzy, recreating and meme-ing the humorous dynamic between Drake and Yeat. Interestingly, and somewhat similar, artist Ice Spice has previously shared that she develops lyrics based on their potential to be used as social captions.
A TENTPOLE MOMENT FOR INTERNET CULTURE
Drake’s longevity in pop music has a lot to do with his symbiotic relationship with internet culture. From a feature with viral phenomenon Sexyy Red on "Rich Baby Daddy" that dropped in tandem with Red's actual pregnancy announcement, to setting the record straight with Rihanna by directly addressing their past relationship on "Fear of Heights," to his son's freestyle at the end of "Daylight". This is material inspired by and fanning the flames of trending social narratives.
FEAT. INFLUENCERS, NOT JUST MARKETED BY THEM
There are certain elements you can expect from any Drake album – time stamped song titles, moody ballads and of course, a mix of features that serve as a form of co-signed, cultural curation. Some of the biggest TikTok audios that resonated with fans came from material featuring artists like SZA, Bad Bunny, and Yeat. While the artist (and label) community knows how far a Drake feature goes, it's also important to recognize that by integrating these influential personalities into his product, the campaign trades off of not his, but their relevance and younger skewing appeal.