ABOUT AROUND

ARound is a first-of-its-kind stadium-level shared augmented reality platform within the Stagwell Marketing Cloud. ARound keeps audiences engaged by capturing their attention through immersive, interactive and shared experiences with fellow fans across the venue. Where other AR products offer isolating, singular experiences, ARound’s massive multi-user AR – which uses 3D spatial computing to localize content – redefines what it means to be part of a connected fan experience.

Frontiers in Focus

Want to explore more of the frontiers of marketing? View more of our work on the cutting edge of AI and immersive brand experiences here. 

SIGN UP FOR OUR INSIGHTS BLASTS

Recognizing that smartphones are already part of the modern spectator experience, the Cleveland Cavaliers aimed to transform these devices from potential distractions into essential components of the game action. The objective was to introduce mass gamification and real-time visualizations to the NBA Playoff experience through Stagwell’s ARound, making every fan and brand feel like a bigger part of each magical moment.

Our Approach to Transformation

ARound implemented its cutting-edge augmented reality (AR) platform at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, transforming spectators’ smartphones into interactive gameday devices. This technology allowed fans to interact with larger-than-life players and mascots, live game animations, and immersive AR challenges directly linked with other fans and the ongoing action. Additionally, sponsored content was integrated into the AR experiences, enabling brands like Cliffs to engage with fans through captivating and interactive games right on the court.

Our Impact

The implementation of ARound’s AR technology led to a dramatic increase in fan engagement, with spectators actively participating for an average of 14 minutes per game. By making smartphones an integral part of the live event, the Cavaliers enhanced the game-day experience, deepened fan immersion, and created new opportunities for innovative sponsor activations. This strategic use of AR technology enriched the playoff atmosphere, ensuring fans were not just spectators but active participants in the excitement of NBA games.

Wondering where to begin with AI implementation in your organization?

Email Beth Sidhu, Chief Brand and Communications Officer at Stagwell, to discuss how we can support your organization’s digital goals. 

ABOUT CODE AND THEORY

Code and Theory is the only network with a balance of 50% creative and 50% engineers at scale. The technology-first group within Stagwell is built to partner with businesses to navigate the complexity of changing consumer behaviors, emerging technologies and AI.

Frontiers in Focus

Want to explore more of the frontiers of marketing? View more of our work on the cutting edge of AI and immersive brand experiences here. 

SIGN UP FOR OUR INSIGHTS BLASTS

Tipico engaged Code and Theory to lead Bet Like You’re From Ohio, an integrated campaign to capitalize on the moment sports betting would be legalized in Ohio and bring Tipico to market. The agency utilized ChatGPT for persona development and leveraged real-time data to inspire everything it did, including creating hyperlocal messaging that helped Tipico meet 57% of its annual registration target in one month. 

Our Approach to Transformation

To earn the trust of Ohioans, Code and Theory first had to understand Ohio. What became clear fast was that Ohio has a chip on its shoulder. On a good day, Ohio is viewed by the rest of the country as average; on a bad day, as a flyover state that’s the butt of the joke. And as a sporting mecca, the sports industry just views it as a “market.” So when sportsbooks descended on the state with a universal attempt to sanitize sports betting, making it feel like it’s “for everyone,” Code and Theory ensured Tipico took a different approach. 

Faced with an extremely tight turnaround, Code and Theory tapped into AI using ChatGPT for persona development. A process that would often take weeks took their agency less than 48 hours. They created three living AI personas — Jay “The VIP Bettor,” Eric “The Ambitious Amateur,” and Josh “The Social Bettor.” These synthetic humans answered the agency’ questions, and the team leveraged this real-time data to better inform everything it did. 

The AI personas continued to mature thanks to app and website data. The outputs proved so effective in producing what Code and Theory calls “4th party data” (1st and 3rd party data + AI = 4th party data) that the agency has implemented this system for all of its work ever since. 

Our Impact

Code and Theory’s work drove 40,000+ registrations in one month (accounting for 57% of the annual 2023 target registrations goal) and 32% share of voice in Ohio for Tipico. The work has been well received, picking up awards for Best in Digital Industries – AI at the Drum Awards and a Gold in Marketing at W3. 

Wondering where to begin with AI implementation in your organization?

Email Beth Sidhu, Chief Brand and Communications Officer at Stagwell, to discuss how we can support your organization’s digital goals. 

CONTACT

Beth Sidhu, Chief Brand and Communications Officer, Stagwell
hello@stagwellglobal.com

Insights for the C-Suite

Enjoyed these insights? View more commentary from our global marketing, technology, and creative experts in Stagwell’s “C[x]O” series for the C-Suite. Click here to explore more.

SIGN UP FOR OUR INSIGHTS BLASTS

The Sky’s the Limit But Use Cases are the Target

At Google Next – and at several marketing and technology conference this year, including CES and SXSW – the clear challenge to attendees was the two-step from theoretical implementations of AI to hard use-cases that provide value to consumers (and reasons for investment). It’s no wonder companies in attendance debuted over 101 real-world use cases for generative AI, spanning applications to consumer experiences, back-end-operations, insights, and more.  

Some common themes emerged as to where AI is providing the most immediate value:  

• AI to accelerate the curation of essential business insights: AI21 Labs showcased how they use a BigQuery integration called Contextual Answers to allow users to query data across their businesses conversationally.  
• AI to put the power of storytelling in everyone’s fingertips. Google unveiled Google Vids, a new AI-powered video creation app in its Workspace suite that can do everything from generate a storyboard, piece together first drafts of videos from stock multimedia, and do voiceovers.  
• AI to bring real-time tracking to the customer experience: UPS is constructing a digital twin of its entire distribution network that will enable customers to see where their packages are at any time.

AI Will Mean a Rewriting of Every Customer Interface – Here’s Where to Begin

Artificial intelligence represents a quantum leap for creativity and productivity.  As a network on the beat of marketing, we know that AI’s rise will mean a rewriting of almost all customer interfaces as companies race to deliver consumers the personalized experiences they’ve desired since the dawn of the internet. At Google Next, Stagwell CTO Merrill Raman and Stagwell Marketing Cloud CTO Mansoor Basha emphasized that the first step brands should take to reap the benefits of AI should be assessing their organization’s data infrastructure to ensure it is primed for AI.  

Tactically, that may mean deep clean-up of existing first party data sources using data science best practices to get the information organized in a manner that AI can extract useful insights from. Or it may mean partnering with a third-party data provider who can supplement your view of existing and prospective consumers. 

AI Can Be the Bedrock for Trust, When Implemented Appropriately

As Left Field Labs CEO Sarah Mehler shared at Google Next: with growth in AI utilization, a critical question to consider is how do we build trust with audiences when considering AI implementation? Striking the right tone in AI-enabled communications is a primary step. And remember that communication that reflects cultural and demographic nuances is what ultimately resonates with audiences and builds trust in new systems. Well-practiced organizations will apply sentiment analysis to better understand the emotions of a user and provide appropriate responses (thus driving traction and building more successful outcomes).  

Attention to detail is also crucial for building trust in AI implementations. A “Chain of Verification” is one of several methods that can be employed to enhance the accuracy of information provided by AI systems. This process involves multiple steps to validate information before it is conveyed to the user. For instance, after our language model generates a response, we can employ a separate validation model to scrutinize the facts within that response. This secondary check helps to identify and correct any inaccuracies or ‘hallucinations’—instances where the model generates false or misleading information. By systematically verifying data through multiple layers, we can provide more reliable and trustworthy outputs. 

Wondering where to begin with AI implementation in your organization?

Email Beth Sidhu, Chief Brand and Communications Officer at Stagwell, to discuss how we can support your organization’s digital goals. 

SIGN UP FOR OUR INSIGHTS BLASTS

ATHLETES AS BRANDS; A NEW FANDOM HOOK?

Brandon Marshall, former 12-year NFL wide receiver and host of I AM ATHLETE, says today’s athletes are multi-hyphenate leaders – building businesses and nonprofits, and creating identities that go well beyond the field, court or track. For brands, this offers a major opportunity to write a new playbook for partnership that positions athletes as multi-dimensional ambassadors to reach consumers who are hungry for authentic connection. For Kalen Thornton, a former NFL player and current senior PepsiCo executive, the three things to consider are authenticity, connection and distinction. Authenticity is especially crucial in today’s marketing landscape; consumers appreciate genuine connection, and it can make or break whether they transition to long-term brand fans. If CMOs can build stronger partnerships with athletes that reflect that, they’re in a better place to activate athletes as brand storytellers – in turn creating fandom with customers.

Keeping up with Jarvises: The Race to Bots with Benefits

There were few explicit sessions in the advertising track at SXSW on AI –  but of those on the agenda, sessions like “Navigating Advertising Hype Cycles” made it clear marketers are over the buzz, and in the mood for clear use-cases. Here’s one to noodle on. Generative AI is ushering in subtle yet impactful changes in consumer interactions with products and services. The focus extends beyond convenience; whether stated or not, we are now in an arms race to create realistic versions of popular sci-fi bots like Iron Man’s Jarvis. In this “age of anticipation,” as Code and Theory Chairman Dan Gardner calls it, brands must stay ahead by developing or integrating with the best personal assistants available to link their consumer experiences to a broader ecosystem of value. Already, we’re seeing global brands like L’Oreal and Walmart take steps to infuse AI assistants into their brand proposition, whether by providing beauty advice or enhancing moments across the retail experience. Gardner emphasizes the imminent digital transformation of customer experiences, fueled by vast data and AI’s ability to anticipate needs rather than merely reacting. This is an opportunity for every sector, and one that requires keen collaboration between CEOs and their marketing and technology leaders.

“For too long, we’ve been looking at ‘personalization’ as the answer. That was just targeting. Now, we will begin to see industries disrupted by a reimagined approach to delivering value. We are finally at the point where AI plus data can anticipate customer behaviors. This will boost sales in the near term as well as build affinity in the future,” says Gardner.

Adulthood Canceled? Gen Z’s Mid-Life Crisis as an Experiential and Commerce Opportunity

The COVID-19 pandemic triggered seismic shifts in digital transformation, giving rise to entirely new consumer behaviors and sectors. For Gen Z, already wielding significant global purchasing power, the pandemic resulted in missed rite of passage moments, impacting independence and income security. 38% of Gen Z women feel like their lives were ‘canceled,’ and 61% of Gen Z say the pandemic has increased their feelings of loneliness, per Stagwell’s Harris Poll.

At SXSW, conversations in the advertising track like “Building Brands in the Unhappiness Era” converged around the opportunity to create positive and delightful experiences for consumers – a bulwark against the bad vibes COVID left behind. Whether that’s adopting a play-centric approach to brand expression or leaning into branded entertainment, the challenge and opportunity are clear: the most active purchasing group for the next decade is eager to make up for lost time. How will brands help them conquer this opportunity? Strategies that cultivate equity and fandom by incorporating community, connection, and experience into marketing will dominate.

Navigating the New Consumer “Political Brain”

In a polarized landscape, brands risk losing support if they enter politics improperly. Activating consumers’ “political brains” divides the base and diminishes brand support. Stagwell Chairman and CEO Mark Penn says:  “At best, politics splits this country 50–50. If you get involved in politics in any way, whatever your popularity is, it [gets] cut in half. For brands like targeting mass market consumers, you cannot win. You can only win if you’re a smaller niche brand that has a group of customers that would be very compatible with your values or political values, or you’ve expressed those values during a prolonged period of time, so they’re already baked into your brand.”

To insulate themselves, Chief Communications Officers must tread carefully, avoiding making consumers feel like they’re casting a vote with each purchase. They must seek, as well, counsel from perspectives across the political spectrum, acknowledging their consumers are diffuse in their ideology as well.

Beyond the ‘Shop’ Page; Will AI Transform E-Commerce?

“Brands are at a pivotal moment in time when it comes to e-commerce,” says Lauren Kushner, CEO, Kettle. “Many retailers had a booming few years followed by some softness in their conversion funnel and they are taking a hard look at how e-commerce can work harder for them. Enter tools and experiences powered by AI.”

AI is poised to elevate e-commerce by forcing brands to rethink their online interactions, moving beyond the push to a push-and-pull cycle with their customers. With tools and experiences powered by AI, brands can create contextualized and innovative online experiences that anticipate consumer needs. Hyper-personalized recommendations and streamlined purchase flows promise to forge more meaningful connections with brands and drive conversions.

Bring Community to Commerce

As Redscout CEO Ivan Kayser tells it, a modern approach to the marketing mix places community, advocacy, and content at its core. “We are just starting to dig through the rubble of the DTC reckoning, beginning to draw lessons from rule-breaking brands that are operating from a completely new playbook. Brands that are deepening value for and with their existing customers rather than focusing solely acquisition should be watched closely.” Per a new study from Assembly and Dotdash Meredith, unveiled at SoHo House at SXSW on Monday, communities provide marketers with the chance to talk, explore, and support the motivations and values that drive consumer behavior.

The balancing act moving forward is seeking strategies that genuinely benefit the business bottom line – while engaging customers in a manner that doesn’t scream transactional. While on the ground at SXSW, Kayser has been on the lookout for measurement approaches focusing on differentiation, consumer preference, and margin. And for brands that treat every aspect of the business as an expression of the brand, greatly expanding the opportunity to build fandom with each touchpoint. If you can advance short-term revenue goals while building a cohort of customers that will follow, and purchase with you, in the future, you can crack the fandom code. 

Follow Along

In the dynamic realm of SXSW, these trends provide a glimpse into the future, challenging marketers to adapt and innovate in the ever-changing landscape of commerce, culture, and consumer behavior. Follow along with Stagwell on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram as SXSW continues.

Originally Released On

PRNewswire

CONTACT:

Sarah Arvizo
pr@stagwellglobal.com

Originally Released On

PRNewswire

CONTACT:

Jess Santini jess.santini@assemblyglobal.com

Contact:

hello@stagwellglobal.com

CONTACT

hello@stagwellglobal.com

SIGN UP FOR OUR INSIGHTS BLASTS

We’re going strong after Cannes LIONS 2023 – even after hosting more than 5,000 people at SPORT BEACH. The emerging themes still on our minds: 

1. The consensus at Cannes was that generative AI is no passing fad. But brands and marketers need to understand how to use (and not use) AI to truly realize its potential.

    

2. Brands need to understand the risks of embracing polarizing issues. That doesn’t mean they shouldn’t stand for something.

    

3. Fandom is even more valuable than you think. How else could a dish soap company like Dawn have more fans than tech and entertainment giants?  

Get ready, because we’re diving deep into all three … 

How AI and AR Will Transform Sports 

The Intersection of Sport and Sustainability  

What Turns Customers Into Fans

CONTACT

hello@stagwellglobal.com

SIGN UP FOR OUR INSIGHTS BLASTS

How Spike Lee Helped Make Air Jordan One of the Coolest Sneaker Brands on Earth

The one and only Spike Lee talked about his relationship with Nike and Michael Jordan, what Denzel Washington taught him about creativity, and his biggest regret as an investor. (Hint: It involves Crocs.) Watch the clip.

Maria Sharapova on Her ‘Crazy Journey’ to Tennis and Business Success

Tennis legend Maria Sharapova spoke about what she’s learned from investing in Moncler, her relationship with fans, and her advice to athletes: “equity is ownership.” Watch the clip. 

Carmelo Anthony Will Never Play Pickleball (But He Would Invest)

Future Hall of Famer Carmelo Anthony broke down how he chooses business opportunities, the importance of travel, and how went from a wine novice to launching his own wine brand. Watch the clip. 

Alan Shearer on How Lionel Messi Could Transform Major League Soccer

Soccer star Alan Shearer talked about how money has changed the Premier League, his experience at the World Cup in Qatar, and how social media has changed being an athlete. Watch the clip. 

CONTACT

hello@stagwellglobal.com

SIGN UP FOR OUR INSIGHTS BLASTS

1. WAIT, THE DISHWASHING LIQUID COMPANY? At SPORT BEACH, NRG’s Fotoulla Damaskos revealed a major surprise. In a survey of 12,500 people about 250 brands, Dawn had the 5th highest brand fandom score, topping major entertainment, tech, and sports brands. What’s going on? People say Dawn connects with their values. (think of clean baby ducks); innovates by releasing products they use and love; and creates community. Seriously, spend a few minutes on #CleanTok. THE LESSON: Yes, Nike, Marvel, and other buzzy brands made NRG’s Fandom 50. But any type of brand can attract fans with the right strategy. 
2. IT TAKES TWO Delta’s Tim Mapes put it nicely at the Palais: “Are we loyal to you when you need us?” Translation: When loyalty program members are stuck overnight at O’Hare, they expect Delta to show loyalty to them – through the empathy and actions of its employees. That’s how you build a sense of community. WHY IT MATTERS: Building a community is a huge part of attracting fans, who are 3x more likely to stick with a brand during a crisis.
3. ALWAYS LEAVE THEM WANTING MORE A boring website isn’t enough. Expedia’s Jon Gieselman, speaking at the Palais, talked about attracting fans by creating a “subscription-like business.” Expedia isn’t literally selling subscriptions. The idea is to use technology (like Expedia’s ChatGPT tool) in inventive products and features that will keep customers coming back — “managing the business for lifetime value rather than a one-time transaction.”
   INNOVATE OR ELSE: The key to building fandom is to keep innovating and evolving in ways that surprise and delight consumers.

Beyond the Stage

Stagwell talked to C-suite marketers, sports luminaries, and other innovators at SPORT BEACH and the Palais. You’ll find fresh, insightful videos on our YouTube page from every day of Cannes LIONS. 

JPMorgan Chase’s Leanne Fremar talked with Code and Theory’s Brent Buntin about everything from purpose to Chase Sapphire’s new airport lounges.