What are t-shirt brands and why are they so popular on Facebook?

The inspiration for this slide deck was Do you know the top FMCG brands on Facebook? by socialbakers.com. In these slides, I look at the social media strategy of a couple of big (mainly U.S.) brands in the Fast Moving Consumer Goods category: Coca-Cola, Oreo, Red Bull, Skittles, Pringles, Monster Energy, Dr Pepper, Nutella, Ferrero Rocher, and Starburst. My main focus: what social media tactics and channels do they use? And what can we learn from their success cases and mistakes?

In my first slides, I mention "t-shirt brands". From "The Conversity Model":

If you want to know about people’s favourite brands, the brands that are at the very top of their list, the easiest way is to check which brands they are a ‘fan’ of. This is an example of explicit data: by filling in details of their favourite movies, music, products, services, etc., people are (more or less) aware that are leaving behind proof of the brands which form part of their ‘preset’.
Some people, especially young adults, use brand names as guideposts, as a method of orienting themselves in the world. They are dependent on brands for their self-presentation. This is why some companies seek to provide consumers with ways to find meaning in the meaningless, thereby allowing them to forge identities in a faceless modern world.
Some of these brands have even become credible sources of communities (because they create a sense of belonging). I call them ‘t-shirt brands’, because the ‘fans’ of these brands would (if they could) happily wear a t-shirt with the logo of their favourite, defining brand.

In his book ‘Crowd Surfing’, author Martin Thomas writes:

For many people, this sense of community is reinforced through the brands that they choose to align themselves with. Our relationships with brands may not be as deep and meaningful as those we have with people, but they share many of the same characteristics, especially the desire to belong.
Brands play an important role in people’s lives by providing both a sense of community that comes from being aligned to a particular group, and a feeling of superiority over the masses. This is, after all, the way that trends start.’