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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

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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. 

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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.

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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. 

On the sand at SPORT BEACH, Anton Vincent, President, Mars Wrigley, North America, talked to the NFL’s Mack Hollins and Damaune Journey, Global Chief Growth Officer, 72andSunny, about treating business like sports, sustainable growth, and the importance of the Black Executive CMO Alliance (BECA).

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1. THE AI REVOLUTION IS REAL OpenAI COO Brad Lightcap said AI tools like ChatGPT and DALL·E would lead to an “explosion of creativity” in the marketing industry. His key points: Creatives will use it to generate and enhance ideas more quickly, e.g. easy-to-create storyboards that let agencies explore lots of possibilities. Meanwhile, on the rooftop of the Carlton, Code and Theory’s co-founder and executive chairman Dan Gardner stressed that companies need to embed AI across their entire ecosystems – not just in one-off use cases. DIVE DEEPER: Mark Penn sees AR and AI as the industry’s biggest disruptors
2. YOU HAVE THE POW(AR) What’s holding back brands on AR? The perception that it’s difficult to create and activate at meaningful scale, said CPB president, North America, Maggie Malek at Hôtel Martinez. But Snap’s AR tools and companies like Stagwell’s ARound are making it easier to target passionate new customers in unique ways.
   Speaking of Snap, it teamed up with Disney to build an immersive AR exhibit at Cannes LIONS. And AR developer Niantic announced Rewarded AR, an ad platform that will allow for branded content in mixed-reality games like Pokémon GO. THE APPLE EFFECT: What Apple’s new $3,499 Vision Pro headset means for brands
3. DON’T SLEEP ON THE METAVERSE With all the attention on AI, brands may have neglected opportunities in the metaverse. At the Palais, Roblox’s Christina Wootton said that’s a huge mistake: brands (especially fashion labels) have a great opportunity to connect with Gen Z in the metaverse. Plus, she doesn’t see AI and the metaverse as in conflict, noting that brands could use generative AI to populate the metaverse with a ton of enticing content. NEW RESEARCH: NRG’s Fandex says innovation creates fans, and fans are 3.5x more likely to advocate for brands.

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. 

At SPORT BEACH, Olympian Allyson Felix talked to Evin Shutt, Global Chief Executive Officer and Partner, 72andSunny, about founding her footwear company Saysh and women’s sports.

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1. WHAT MATTERS TO JURIES NOW Hot topic on day one: How would purpose be rewarded? This year, award juries could weigh the emotional impact of ads with their financial impact, thanks to new submission rules. Some creatives told Adweek they were hoping for “more scrutiny” on whether “purpose-based work actually drove real results for brands.” Creativity + results could be the new formula for success. DIVE DEEPER: Political Season Is in Full Swing. Brands Beware. 
2. BARBIE HAS A STORY TO TELL Like Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling in spandex, creative branded entertainment is hot. Richard Dickson, president and COO of Mattel, spoke at the Palais about reinvigorating the Barbie brand ahead of the buzzy movie release in July. In an interview with WWD, he stressed “we are storytellers” who “create narratives out of our brands” and want to be “where our consumer is.” DON’T BE BORING: What an ‘MBA in Entertainment’ Can Teach Us About Brand Content
3. EVERYONE IS OBSESSED WITH AI. SERIOUSLY. If ChatGPT was a real person, they’d be shmoozing at the Hotel Du-Cap, Sport Beach, and every other Cannes hot spot. What we’re obsessed with? The ocean-inspired work artists created with the help of generative AI at Microsoft Beach, done in partnership with Instrument. THE POWER OF AI: How A.I. Could Help You Craft the Perfect Media Pitch

On the Main 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. 

Carmelo Anthony spoke at SPORT BEACH about how he approaches business opportunities, his love of wine, and the current state of the NBA.

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Talent in the Metaverse 

What’s next in connection, community, and commerce for avatars, athletes and artists? Hear from Tracy Benson, CEO and Founder of Obsesh, Nova Han of Nova Han Productions, and Helix Wolfson, President of Metaverse Operations at Infinite Reality. Stream the episode.

Creator Economy and the Metaverse

How are creators and platforms envisioning the future of fandom and engagement in the metaverse and other immersive realities? Maggie Malek, CEO, MMI and John Rough, SVP, Enterprise for Untied Masters, discuss. Stream the episode.

Fandom, Music, and Metaverse 

VentureBeat’s Dean Takahashi, Jonathan Vlassopulos, CEO of Napster, and Animal Concerts Executive Producer, Music, Anthony Mazzo discuss how brands can connect with artists, music, platforms and communities in the metaverse. Stream the episode.

Inclusivity in the Metaverse 

AFROPUNK founder Jocelyn Cooper and Shelby Larkin, Director, Global Partnership development at SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park discuss diverse communities can benefit from the Metaverse. Stream the episode. 

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LEGO: Branded Entertainment and Brand Fandom Go Hand in Hand  

LEGO Creative Director James Gregson shared his team’s playbook for using brand entertainment content like “The LEGO Movie” to drive long-term brand fandom with Rescout’s Ivan Kayser. Watch the clip.

Lenovo and Infinite Reality: What Is the Most Important Driver of Fandom?  

National Research Group’s Jay Kaufman interviews Infinite Reality CMO Hope Frank, Lenovo CMO Gerald Youngblood, NRG CMO Grady Miller and Brand Performance Network’s Shannon Pruitt after their SXSW Session “The Anatomy of a Fan.” Watch the clip

Minnesota Twins: Fan Insights Fuel Better Experiences

Technology is giving sports teams and sports marketers insights into fan behavior that they’ve never had before. Chris Iles, Sr. Director, Innovation and Growth at the Minnesota Twins, caught up with Stagwell at SXSW to chat about how teams like Twins are integrating tech innovation to reach a new generation of fans. Watch the Clip.

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FANDOM and COMMUNITY

Throughout 2023, we’ve been talking about the convergence of “community, content, and commerce”. At SXSW, the first C in that clause was on full display as brands built physical communities to connect attendees to their favorite brand elements. Take Roku City; introduced as a dynamic screensaver in 2017, it drives Twitter mentions once every 12 minutes. Roku finally created the city in real life in Austin in partnership with Best Buy, driving attendees through a whimsical entertainment and commerce metropolis.  

In Austin, Reddit loomed as the unspoken champion of consumer communities; in a cheeky session, the brand acknowledged that while ChatGPT and its peers are quickly transforming the internet, they won’t usurp community information any time soon. ” “Where do you think they get their answers from?” quipped Reddit’s COO.  

So What? Community is an accelerant for brand fandom. Tap into your consumers’ key communities, or otherwise deliver it via your product and services, and you have a long-term platform of ambassadors.

FANDOM and IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCES

Brands traded talk of the metaverse for discussion of “immersive experiences” at SXSW this year. They’re excited what’s possible with personalization in immersive marketing; as well as how brands can use shared moments of interactivity between consumers to build fandom. 

Marketers should tap into a toolbox spanning V.R., AR, and interactive activations to build brand ecosystems that empower consumers to customize their interactions with the brand — while being part of a larger community of passionate fans. And don’t discount the power of A.I. to aid here; for example, new features from our partners at Infinite Reality, unveiled at SXSW, make shopping and viewing interactions in the Metaverse more intuitive and personalized for participants.  

So What? Shared Experiences + Personal Touches = Fuel for Fandom-Driving Experiences

FANDOM and PROBLEM SOLVING

Brands are in problem-solving mode, bending tech and media to tackle sustainability, hunger, disease, and socioeconomic ails. For brands like Dexcom, which brought a dynamic panel featuring Nick Jonas to life at SXSW with our colleagues at Allison+Partners on the lived experiences of patients with diabetes, becoming a trusted source of safety and support for a consumer set can drive dividends for years to come. Dexcom’s emphasis on improving access and affordability and its marketing efforts at the Super Bowl over recent years allow it to make inroads with massive addressable consumer sets, with 1 in 5 Americans being diagnosed with diabetes. 

Consumers reward brands that show a penchant for problem-solving; in our research on brand fandom, consumers ranked innovation as the top driver of fandom, followed by the brand’s ability to create a sense of belonging.  

So What? Fandom isn’t all about creating exciting stunts – sometimes it’s about cracking the code on the maximum value your brand can offer to consumers. 

By

By: Brandon Dixon, Director, Communications 

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The success of “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” at the end-of-2022 box office sparked a question at Stagwell: “When is Black Futures Month?” Brands flocked to the marketing table for the Black Panther sequel, and for good reason: in a 2020 study from National Research Group 52% of Black Americans selected the original film as the “best example of representation and inclusion” in American entertainment. But, marketers still rely too much on Black History Month as the main chance to elevate Black stories.

The success of “Wakanda Forever” shows we should focus on Black futures, not just history, in our marketing efforts. As brands and entertainment converge, how can we drive complex representation for Black consumers and tap into growth opportunities? 

Multi-Dimensional Blackness 

Despite an increase in Black characters and stories in mainstream media, authentic and complex representation is still lacking. 91% of Black Americans still see negative stereotypes as a top pain point. Brands can challenge these narratives through speculative storytelling and Afrofuturism, offering new contexts for Black characters. 

Investing in sci-fi, fantasy, or superhero genres can be a potential goldmine for brands. The 2020 National Research Group study shows Black Americans praised “Black Panther” and “Black Lightning” as the best examples of authentic Black representation in American media. These two shows showcase the potential growth in futuristic, fantastical genres that bring Blackness to the masses. The study also found that 77% of American consumers and 85% of Black Americans find Black content in a futuristic setting appealing. 

Future-Forward Creativity  

Brand creativity that only mines the past for visions of Blackness may dwell on traumatic storylines. Joy exists in the past, but clumsy brand storytelling often leads to the platforming of the same recurring stories about Black oppression. If brands can build Future narratives in concert with Black creatives and think expansively about the potential forms Blackness might take in the future, we’ll see more stories of Black joy and transcendence enter the mainstream.

Potential for Transformation

Ninety-one percent of consumers are confident in the ability of media to influence society, per the 2020 National Research Group study cited above. As brands blur the line between Hollywood and Madison Avenue with branded entertainment, future-leaning visions are the way forward to connect meaningfully with Black consumers.

Let’s use Black Futures Month to challenge our brands to think about what’s next.  

What kind of Black Future can your brand imagine, and help create?