Maintaining and Creating Authenticity

Despite the prevalence of fan activism directed at the brand transgressions of narrative brands and fan objects, there are cases where narrative brands and fan objects have been able to restore or maintain their brand authenticity and recover from findings of brand inauthenticity. This chapter explores several case studies, ranging from video games Neopets, World of Warcraft and No Man’s Sky to television series Death in Paradise and Downton Abbey , and demonstrates how each managed to restore, build and maintain their brand authenticity resulting in good relationships with their fans, loyal players and audiences. In particular, the use of brand nostalgia and brand heritage was key to their success. These cases provide a practical guide for narrative brand creators, writers and video game developers as well as exploring how the concepts of brand authenticity, brand heritage and brand nostalgia work in narrative brands and can be applied to their fans, loyal players and audiences.