As the entertainment industry undergoes constant transformation, understanding how to foster deep connections with niche audiences is more important than ever. Vicki Lins, CTAM President & CEO, recently talked with Gita Rebbapragada, COO of Crunchyroll, to uncover how the company’s unwavering focus on anime fans offers a roadmap for building loyalty, expanding global reach, and adapting to shifting market dynamics.
From Crunchyroll’s “everything to someone” philosophy to its innovative approach to marketing and localization, the insights provided are both actionable and highly relevant.:
- Crunchyroll’s Focus: “Everything to someone”
- Diverse Offerings: Streaming, merchandise, games, and more
- Marketing: Connecting globally via diverse channels
- Global Reach: Serving 200+ countries, localizing for different cultures
- Storytelling: Fresh, relatable anime for Gen Z and Gen Alpha
- Fan Connection: Deep emotional connections drive the intense loyalty of anime fans
- Strategy: Meeting fans where they are, even with subscription fatigue
Read on for highlights from their conversation:
Vicki: I’ve seen Crunchyroll described as a multifaceted, fan-forward business. Could you start by telling us more about Crunchyroll and what “multifaceted fan-forward” means?
Gita: At Crunchyroll, we like to say we aim to be everything to someone rather than something for everyone. That “someone” is the anime fan. We consider ourselves part of the audience or lifestyle business—not just the entertainment business.
We offer many ways for anime fans to connect with the stories and characters they love:
- A streaming service with both subscription-based and ad-supported options.
- An e-commerce store featuring Crunchyroll merchandise and items.
- Games—both standalone and those included in our subscription through the Games Vault program.
We’re also involved in licensing and distributing films. Localization is another big focus—we work hard to make anime accessible by translating it into multiple languages. Our mission is to ensure fans can enjoy the anime they love in their preferred language, format, and time. This commitment has been, and will remain, at the core of what we do.
Vicki: Before your current role, you were Crunchyroll’s Chief Marketing Officer. Marketing across such diverse offerings for a varied fan base must have been challenging. What did that look like?
Gita: It was definitely a challenge—but also incredibly rewarding! Being everything to someone means having a lot to communicate to a very engaged audience. To address this, we’ve built robust channels to connect with our fans:
- Crunchyroll News is one of the leading sources of anime news.
- Messaging tools within our app, plus email, push notifications, and text messaging—all used with fans’ consent.
- Global social media networks with over 170 million followers across platforms like TikTok, Discord, and Instagram.
- Sponsorships and events worldwide, such as Comic-Con in India, CCXP in Brazil, and Anime Expo in the U.S.
Our approach is very grassroots. We spend a lot of time directly connecting with fans—whether through social channels or at events. This direct interaction helps us understand our fans better and is also a lot of fun!
Vicki: It’s incredible to hear about Crunchyroll’s global reach—serving fans across more than 200 countries! With such diversity—geographically, culturally, and linguistically—what does that look like on a practical level?
Gita: It’s fascinating because anime fans’ relationships with the medium vary by region. For example:
- In Brazil, anime is deeply rooted in the culture due to the large Japanese diaspora.
- In Southeast Asia, anime has been part of the cultural fabric for decades.
- In the U.S., anime’s mainstream popularity is relatively recent.
Moreover, anime itself is incredibly diverse—it’s a medium, not a genre. It includes everything from comedy and romance to sci-fi, horror, and sports. Fans often have distinct preferences within these subgenres, so it’s vital to communicate with them in a way that aligns with their interests.
Vicki: With so many genres and storytelling styles, how do you think anime’s unique storytelling contributes to its widespread appeal?
Gita: What we hear consistently—especially from Gen Z and Gen Alpha—is that anime’s storytelling feels fresh and relatable. These generations are seeking new and unique narratives, and anime fits that desire perfectly.
Anime has a century-old tradition of storytelling from Japan, and it often explores themes and characters in ways that Western media doesn’t. For example, many anime narratives celebrate the strength of the underdog or delve into emotional depth in a way that resonates strongly. Maintaining the authenticity of these stories—whether adapted from Japanese manga or created elsewhere in the anime style—is a cornerstone of what we do.
Vicki: What stands out to me is how strongly fans emotionally connect with anime characters and stories. Many fans even identify with these characters on a personal level. What do you think drives that?
Gita: I agree, and I’ll share that a recent study found nearly two-thirds of Gen Z anime fans feel they emotionally connect more with anime than with traditional media. That’s a testament to the medium’s depth and relatability.
When someone connects with a character or story, it can feel transformative. This deep emotional resonance is what fuels the intense passion we see among anime fans.
Vicki: Viewers today face tough decisions about which services to keep, what to watch, and how to manage their time and engagement. How does Crunchyroll plan to stand out amidst this growing competition?
Gita: We feel confident in our business model of being everything to someone—specifically, to anime fans. What you’ve described is real: there’s a lot of choice out there, and we see headlines about subscription fatigue and consolidation. Our approach is to stay laser-focused on the fan.
If some fans are experiencing subscription fatigue but still love anime, we want to meet them where they are. For instance, about a year ago, we launched an Amazon à la carte channel, which has been very successful. It helps us reach fans who prefer to consume anime within the Amazon ecosystem. That’s fine with us—we just want to deliver great stories to them.
At the core, we see ourselves in the audience business. Our goal is to provide value to passionate anime fans. This extends beyond video content—our subscription offers things like discounts on merchandise through our e-commerce store. We’re constantly building on this to enhance their experience, not just through what they watch but through all the ways they engage with anime.
