Fandom Unpacked

Situation
  • 5.0 (17)
  • Marketing

Come inside the minds of the world's greatest leaders of live experience brands with the Fandom Unpacked podcast series. Featuring conversations with the leaders on the front lines of brands who shape our culture, join us as we dive into the powers and forces that drive audience connection, loyalty, and lasting fandom. Hosted by Damian Bazadona (Situation), Peter Yagecic (A Mind at Work Consulting), and Maureen Andersen (INTIX). Fandom Unpacked is powered by Situation – the world’s leading marketing agency for live experience brands.

  1. 3d ago

    ICYMI: The Whole City Is Showing Up for The NBA Finals

    Game 4 of the NBA Finals is tonight. If you live even remotely close to New York, you're feeling the fandom. It sent us back to a conversation with Bronwen O'Keefe, Head of Brand Marketing and Content at the Harlem Globetrotters — an organization that's been filling basketball arenas in this city for 100 years — on what it actually means to give every person in a room something to feel. This episode covers: what it looks like when 20,000 people are all feeling the same thing at the same timewhy the Harlem Globetrotters have been filling arenas for 100 yearswhat fandom looks like when it has something for everyone in the roomListen to the full conversation with Bronwen here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2449648/episodes/19275852 And GO KNICKS!

    2 min

  2. Jun 3

    The Harlem Globetrotters Bring Joy To The Court

    Everybody recognizes the Harlem Globetrotters. The more interesting question is why people keep coming back, and why first-timers leave feeling like they just joined something. We talk with Bronwen O’Keefe, Head of Brand Marketing and Content, about the simplest strategy that is also the hardest to execute at scale: building fandom by making joy a two-way exchange between the team and the crowd. Bronwen breaks down what “modern fandom” looks like for a 100-year brand, from the earliest barnstorming days to today’s packed arenas and always-on screens. We get into the Globetrotters’ hybrid identity as sports entertainment and live family entertainment, and why that mix creates a rare shared experience across generations. You will also hear how innovation is baked into the brand, not bolted on, and how signature moments evolved from necessity into an expectation fans now love. Then we go practical: what content works on social and YouTube, why you have to “go where your fans are,” and how community programming and goodwill ambassador work strengthen the story behind the trick shots. Bronwen shares the thinking behind player nicknames, how recruiting looks beyond basketball skill to what is “in your heart,” and the fan-favorite “fifth quarter” that turns a great show into an unforgettable personal memory. If you care about fan engagement, brand marketing, sports entertainment, or live event strategy, hit subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a rating and review so more people can find the show. Recorded Monday, June 1st, 2026 Host: Damian Bazadona, CEO & Founder, Situation Guest: Bronwen O'Keefe, Head of Brand Marketing and Content, The Harlem Globetrotters Producer: Peter Yagecic, Founder, A Mind at Work Consulting https://situationinteractive.com https://amindatworkconsulting.com

    25 min

  3. May 26

    ICYMI: The Savannah Bananas and the Surprisingly Serious Business of Fun

    We break down how the Savannah Bananas build a fan experience by doing the exact opposite of “normal” and keeping everything anchored to entertainment. We hear from co-owner Emily Cole on the behind-the-scenes planning that turns a baseball stop into a fan-first trip people schedule a year in advance. • The Savannah Bananas’ philosophy of rejecting normal to create standout sports entertainment  • What “holistic fandom” looks like in real life through merch, lotteries, and travel planning  • Touring new communities weekly and learning fast through real operations constraints  • Why communication across security, food and bev, groundskeepers, and entertainment makes or breaks the show  • How site visits and years-ahead planning reduce friction and win trust in someone else’s venue  Listen to the full episode with Emily Cole: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2449648/episodes/18327072

    2 min

  4. May 20

    The Live Experience Brand Behind Channing Tatum’s Biggest Movie

    Staying home has never been easier, which makes the decision to go out more meaningful and more demanding. We sit down with Vincent Marini, President of Content and Production at Free Association Live and the executive producer behind Magic Mike Live, to unpack what it really takes to earn a live audience in 2026: not hype, not spectacle alone, but a designed emotional journey that makes people feel something and then tell their friends. We talk about why live entertainment still does what film and streaming can’t, creating community through a shared room and shared reactions. Vincent breaks down how fandom changes when guests spend real time and money, why expectations skyrocket the moment someone buys a ticket, and what people most misunderstand about Magic Mike Live before they see it. We also get tactical on repeat visits: welcoming guests like they matter, building an authentic social media connection, and keeping the show fresh as pop culture evolves. We also explore the upcoming Magic Mike Live New York City venue near Times Square and why the hardest work is often hospitality: ticketing, greetings, food and beverage, seating, and every touchpoint that turns a night out into a unified 360 experience. We close with a big question for the industry: can immersive experiences deliver Broadway and West End caliber storytelling and emotion, not just participation? Subscribe, share with a friend who loves live shows, and leave us a rating and review. We'd love to hear about a live experience that made you say, “I want to spend more time in this world.” Recorded Friday, May 8th, 2026 Host: Damian Bazadona, CEO & Founder, Situation Guest: Vincent Marini, President of Content and Production, Free Association Live, and Executive Producer, Magic Mike Live Producer: Peter Yagecic, Founder, A Mind at Work Consulting https://situationinteractive.com https://amindatworkconsulting.com

    28 min

  5. May 14

    ICYMI: Broadway's Biggest Concert is Coming Up

    Tony nominations dropped last week, and if you work anywhere near Broadway, you felt it. But every year the same question comes up: how do you bring people who don't follow the industry closely into the moment? That question sent us back to a conversation with Ruthie Fierberg from Broadway News, who made an argument we haven't stopped thinking about — that the Tonys are, functionally, Broadway's biggest concert, and that naming it that way could change who feels invited to watch. why the Tonys lose casual viewers who haven't seen the nominated showswhat makes award show performance numbers uniquely accessiblehow framing shapes who feels like the audience is for themthe question every fan-facing organization should be asking: who are you making it easy for, and who are you accidentally leaving at the doorListen to the full conversation with Ruthie Fierberg here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2449648/episodes/17392620-broadway-s-press-corps-on-the-fans-who-keep-it-going

    2 min

  6. May 6

    Speaking My Language: A Conversation with Gordon Cox

    You know that feeling when you’re watching a live show and realize you’re working harder to understand what's going on than actually enjoying it? That’s the reality for a lot of international audiences when the story is being told in a language they don’t speak, and the “solution” has often been to keep snapping your eyes away from the stage. We wanted to understand which technologies could help address this dilemma, what disrupts performance, and what theaters are really trying to solve when they invest in translation and accessibility. We’re joined by Gordon Cox, longtime theater journalist and the author of Substack’s best-selling newsletter Jaques (pronounced “JAKE-wheeze”). Gordon has been reporting from theaters around the world, and he shares firsthand takes on supertitles, mobile captioning, subtitle glasses, and translated audio-descriptions. We get specific about what feels magical versus what feels like homework, why subtitle timing is so hard in live performance, and why the most “human” option can also be the most expensive. Then we zoom out to the bigger theater industry questions: how venues weigh cost, staffing, infrastructure, and Wi-Fi limits; why demand is hard to measure when audiences don’t know these services exist; and what theater marketing and ticketing teams can learn from global markets. We also dig into exportable fandom, including Japan’s anime and manga-driven 2.5D musicals, and why simple moves like an English-language ticketing portal can unlock international tourism and new fans. If you care about Broadway, global musical theater, accessibility, audience development, or the future of live experiences, this conversation will offer new perspectives and practical ideas. Subscribe to the show, share it with a friend in theater or live events, and leave a review so more curious listeners can find us. Recorded Thursday, April 30th, 2026 Host: Damian Bazadona, CEO & Founder, Situation Guest: Gordon Cox, Journalist & Founder, Jaques Producer: Peter Yagecic, Founder, A Mind at Work Consulting https://situationinteractive.com https://amindatworkconsulting.com https://gordoncox.substack.com

    32 min

  7. May 1

    ICYMI: Drive To Survive Turned Drivers Into Stars And Changed Fandom

    The New York Auto Show passing by our office triggers a sharp memory about how global fandom works when the main event is far away. We revisit Jonathan Linden’s thinking on the F1 Exhibition and how Drive to Survive helped turn drivers into people fans can truly follow. the challenge of accessing Grand Prix races as popularity rises and tickets cost morecreating a live F1 Exhibition as a touring fan experiencewhere the exhibition has traveled and how it scales globallywhat Drive to Survive unlocks by showing drivers off the trackhow modern fans attach to the sport, teams, and individual driversthe reminder that fans exist everywhere your event is notListen to the full conversation with Jonathan Linden: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2449648/episodes/16825471-the-secret-to-building-and-engaging-a-global-fanbase-with-f1

    3 min

  8. Apr 22

    Merch That Sells The Memory Long After Curtain Call

    Merchandise can feel like a simple souvenir until you realize it’s doing three jobs at once: capturing the emotional high of a live event, extending the brand into everyday life, and quietly selling the next ticket. We sit down with Michael Rego, CEO of The Araca Group and a longtime Broadway producer, to unpack what makes live event merchandising actually work, from the first creative conversation to the final moment at the merch stand. Along the way, we swap real examples from Wicked, The Outsiders, and immersive experiences where the “exit through the gift shop” moment is part of the design.  We get tactical about the merchandise development process: discovery calls that align producers, marketers, and IP holders, then wide brainstorming designed to keep products authentic rather than logo-first “promo merch.” Michael shares how different fan bases buy differently across Broadway, concerts, exhibitions, and family shows, why staples like magnets and mugs still matter, and how innovative formats like blind box collectibles can surprise even seasoned teams.  We also connect merchandising to ticketing, CRM, and the full customer journey. Pre-show offers, post-show follow-ups, and smart email or text reminders keep the conversation going for fans who don’t want to stand in line. And for long-running productions, we dig into the biggest refresh trap: making what you personally like instead of what your audience wants, plus simple ways to listen, test, and stay current as trends change faster than ever. We close by looking ahead at personalization, limited drops, and brand collaborations that help fans curate a more personal live experience.  If this helped you rethink fan engagement and live experience marketing, subscribe to Fandom Unpacked, share the episode with a colleague, and leave a rating and review so more people can find the show. Recorded Thursday, April 16th, 2026 Hosts: Damian Bazadona, CEO & Founder, Situation & Maureen Andersen, President & CEO, INTIX Guest: Michael Rego, CEO, The Araca Group Producer: Peter Yagecic, Founder, A Mind at Work Consulting https://situationinteractive.com https://intix.org https://amindatworkconsulting.com

    31 min
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5
out of 5
17 Ratings

About

Come inside the minds of the world's greatest leaders of live experience brands with the Fandom Unpacked podcast series. Featuring conversations with the leaders on the front lines of brands who shape our culture, join us as we dive into the powers and forces that drive audience connection, loyalty, and lasting fandom. Hosted by Damian Bazadona (Situation), Peter Yagecic (A Mind at Work Consulting), and Maureen Andersen (INTIX). Fandom Unpacked is powered by Situation – the world’s leading marketing agency for live experience brands.

Information

  • Creator
    Situation
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    36
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Fandom Unpacked
  • Show Website
    Fandom Unpacked