LeakyCon Reboot
LeakyCon was in a strange place. While the early 2000s were awash with Harry Potter fandom, the changing marketplace for Young Adult Fiction, the poor performance of recent content, and the controversial behavior of its author meant that the fandom was becoming more and more difficult to engage with - and more out of touch with modern readers.
To resolve this problem, I decided to reboot LeakyCon with a new image and focus - one that was more inclusive, more diverse, and positioned for an eventual branding shift. In our first year back from Covid-19, LeakyCon would shift its identity away from a “Harry Potter convention” and into a “Young Adult Fantasy convention”. The new content slate would have Harry Potter actors and panels, of course, but new content - from Percy Jackson to Doctor Who - would offer a product whose spiritual focus was on the theme of coming of age, heroic actions, and exploration of the human condition, not one that was locked to any given title.
The result? Overwhelming success, with activations featuring Sean Astin, Elijah Wood, and Tom Felton and a new brand with +81 NPS.
LeakyCon returned with great fanfare, offering fans a safe and inclusive environment to celebrate their fandoms.
The integration of additional fandoms and properties through unique programming positioned LeakyCon for eventual rebranding.
A vibrant marketplace offered a place for fans to sell their homemade wares and creations.
LeakyCon was featured in several national publications, and secured a feature with our CEO on CBS.
Fans described LeakyCon as fun, energetic, and inclusive - reforging the LeakyCon brand of yesteryear into a strong product-market-fit.