Fangage
Fangage: From an MVP to a Working Platform and a Clear Go-to-Market Setup
4 days
website rebuilt and launched in time for the press campaign
Day-1 inbound from major sports orgs
inbound requests from Detroit Pistons, Brooklyn Nets, Minnesota Vikings, and World Juniors
70,000 users
in the first year
Industry
Media & Entertainment
Tech Stack
.NET / jQuery / Azure
Duration
2+ years
[ client & product overview/ ]
Fangage connects fans with celebrities via facial-recognition-verified digital autographs. Fans upload a photo, the celebrity signs it, and the fan receives a verified image to download, print, or share.
During the pandemic, Fangage’s product was used to run virtual autograph experiences when in-person player appearances were restricted. In the lead-up to Super Bowl LV, Fangage’s white-label software was embedded in the NFL OnePass app to support a virtual version of the Autograph Stage.
20,000+
signed photos
20
countries reached
Executive Summary
Fangage had real traction, but the product was still at an MVP stage and wasn’t ready for growth. The platform needed stronger operational workflows, and the public website didn’t clearly explain the product or who it was for.
MEV helped Fangage move past the MVP stage by updating the platform end-to-end, clarifying the target audience, and rebuilding the website. All of this was done under tight time pressure ahead of increased external attention. As a result, Fangage had a product and a web presence that could be confidently shown to partners and used in real operations.
Move from MVP to monetization
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[ challenges/ ]
The Challenges
C1:
Time pressure before a press push: A press campaign was scheduled in one week, but the website looked like an early prototype.
C2:
Unclear target audience after years of pivots: Undefined target audience after the idea changed substantially over ~4 years
C3:
No clear operational workflows for running events at scale: Core admin work (sites, events, celebrities, photo approvals, emails, users) needed structure so the team could run multiple client sites and events without ad-hoc manual handling.
C4:
The product was still an MVP, not a scalable platform: Fangage had traction, but the platform was at an MVP stage and needed a full update to support real operations and growth
[ how we did it/ ]
Solution & Implementation
MEV worked with Fangage at two levels: the product itself and the way it’s presented to the market. Both were necessary to move the product past the MVP stage.
Platform update (from MVP to working system)
When we joined, Fangage already had an MVP. It proved the idea, but it wasn’t ready for real operational use or scale. We updated the platform so it could support day-to-day work and real events.
The updated platform included:
- Multi-site management. Ability to manage multiple client sites from a single admin area.
- Event management. Create and manage events, including dates, livestream links, banners, and descriptions.
- Photo workflow. Upload photos, review and approve or reject them, edit messages, and handle consolation photo flows.
- Celebrity management. Centralized celebrity profiles reused across events and sites.
- Email control. Global email settings and templates, with the ability to edit and enable or disable emails.
- User management. Manage internal users and access rights.
Discovery and audience clarification
We created basic brand and messaging guidelines. This included:
- understand how the product was actually being used
- identify the most realistic customer groups
- define what each audience needs to see and understand
Brand and messaging basics
Ensured internal teams could scale operations without turning the ERP into chaos.
- a clear explanation of the product
- consistent language for external communication
- simple rules for how Fangage presents itself
Website rebuild (go-to-market layer)
Working website model delivered in 4 days:
- focused on explaining the product clearly
- structured to support inbound requests from teams, partners, and event organizers
[ results/ ]
Fangage reached tens of thousands of digital card signings and later became part of the NFL’s pandemic-era Super Bowl fan experience via OnePass.
R1:
Fangage replaced an outdated website with a usable sales and marketing entry point
R2:
The team gained clarity around their audience and messaging
R3:
The platform was upgraded from a prototype to an operational system
R4:
Inbound requests arrived on the first day after launch, including interest from major sports organizations and event partners
[ portfolio/ ]
Related Case Studies
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