Co-brand Sponsorship Strategies of Outdoor Brands under Fan Economy: A Case Study of KAILAS on Social Media

Amid the growing competition in the outdoor sports industry, co-brand sponsorship has emerged as a key strategy for enhancing brand visibility and fan engagement. This study explores the sponsorship strategies of KAILAS under the fan economy, focusing on how social media interaction shapes the communication effectiveness of co-branded campaigns. Using a mixed-methods approach, the paper analyzes two representative casesHer Climbing and KAILAS UTMBdrawing on publicly available engagement data across platforms such as Xiaohongshu and Weibo. Anchored in the AISAS model, social amplification theory, and the fan co-creation mechanism, the study reveals how outdoor brands can leverage social platforms to convert fan interaction into brand loyalty and commercial value. The findings suggest that strategic alignment with fan values, integration of online-offline experiences, and data-driven content design are critical to maximizing sponsorship outcomes. This research contributes to the understanding of fan-driven marketing in the context of leisure sports and offers practical insights for outdoor brands aiming to build meaningful consumer relationships through co-branding and digital engagement.