It should come as no surprise that the world’s biggest superstar has a galactic appreciation for her fans. You get what you give. And the best relationship with audiences is based on reciprocity. “[T]here will never be something that I put before my fans,” said Lady Gaga in September’s Vanity Fair  (always the best issue of the year, the arrival of which is bittersweet as it heralds the last of summer).  “I have a relentless pursuit in me to give everything in me to my fans to make ...

The FanTrust office is just a short walk along the water to the Olympic Torch. I’ve been making a regular pilgrimage to the flames, generally checking out the scene and hearing what the fans have to say about the Games, the Torch and the city of Vancouver. With almost as much bad press as Gitmo, our Olympic-Torch-behind-bars, has become a lightening rod for activists, tourists and even the Mayor, who all want to free the flame. In one of the world’s freest countries, our torch sits behind ...

As the official International Olympic Committee Facebook page hits the one million mark this week, FanTrust is following up our Twitter Olympics blog with a focus on Facebook fans. Comedy Central star Stephen Colbert took his fandom to a new level becoming the primary sponsor of the US Speedskating team for the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver. He’s taking donations for athletes and – in yet another form of bank bailout – replacing the team’s original sponsor, the now bankrupt Dutch Bank DSB. “We must ensure ...

Sunshine, T-shirts and outdoor concerts. This can only mean one thing: it’s time for the Winter Olympics! In the spirit of Vancouver 2010, and live from FanTrust’s Vancouver headquarters, we are blogging about Olympic fans and Olympic fever – because, hey, it’s hot here at fan-central. FanTrust was also just chosen among the top digital businesses that "amazes & inspires" for 2010 Olympics & fans. In this spirit, we wanted to feature what we know best: the fans. So, how are active Olympic fans flying their digital freak flags this ...

Hundreds of millions of today’s gamers are enjoying light, fun, “snackable” games played within social networks. This fanbase is expected to surge to 250M in 2009 from 50M the previous year. The market for this upstart genre of entertainment is pegged at $2B. And with low production costs, unlimited free marketing and multiple revenue streams, social games promise big business for years to come.

Generating real world dollars from virtual goods, advertising and sponsorship, social games represent ...