CONTACT

hello@stagwellglobal.com

SIGN UP FOR OUR INSIGHTS BLASTS

What drew more than 5,000 people to SPORT BEACH at Cannes LIONS? Some of the top marketing and business minds on the planet. And, of course, the athletes. They played flag football on the sand, connected with brands over cocktails, and, most importantly, spoke their minds. From NBPA President CJ McCollum on player empowerment to Sue Bird on life after the WNBA, the main stage at SPORT BEACH was a place where major sports figures felt free to talk about more than wins and losses.

 They explored their roles as brands, entrepreneurs, investors, role models, and so much more. Below, check out interviews with film icon and Knicks superfan Spike Lee, and sports legends Maria Sharapova, Carmelo Anthony, and Alan Shearer. You can find all of Stagwell’s Cannes LIONS 2023 coverage on YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram.  

– Beth Sidhu, Chief Brand and Communications Officer

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

Related

Articles

Post Thumbnail
Post Thumbnail
Post Thumbnail

Newsletter

Sign Up

CONTACT

hello@stagwellglobal.com

SIGN UP FOR OUR INSIGHTS BLASTS

Technology is reshaping sports and sports marketing just as much as the players — from loyalty NFT plays to stadium-sized augmented reality experiences. We met with brand leaders on the ground at CES 2023 from the Los Angeles Rams, Minnesota Twins, and Samsung among others to talk about the emerging tech driving innovation and sponsorship opportunities across their properties. Catch their insights below and visit YouTube to see all of our CES 2023 Content Studio interviews with top brand and business leaders on the innovation agenda for the year ahead. 

 Alexis Williams, Chief Brand Officer, NA and Fotoulla Damaskos, EVP, Strategy and Innovation, National Research Group

LA Rams on Stadium-Sized Augmented Reality Experimentation

Los Angeles Rams Chief Commercial Officer Jennifer Prince

The Rams made history this Christmas with the world’s largest augmented reality snowball fight, presented in SoFi Stadium during the Rams-Raiders game. For the Rams, it’s all about innovation on an off the field – and how brand and technology partners can reinforce their exploration of new consumer experiences. Hear from Rams Chief Commercial Officer Jennifer Prince about how the team fuels its larger-than-life fan experiences. 

Minnesota Twins on Moving Baseball into the 21st Century 

Minnesota Twins Sr. Director, Brand Experience and Innovation, Chris Iles 

A baseball team with an innovation accelerator? Yep. The Minnesota Twins want to bring always-on experimentation to the stadium, to help bring baseball into the 21st century. Hear from Chris Iles on the Twins’ mission to be the most innovative team in sport – and their experiments in AR, embodied audio, and spatial computing. 

Samsung On Powering Big-Screen Excitement for Sports Fans 

Samsung SVP and GM Harry Patz 

The Infinity Screen in SoFi Stadium is a behemoth 70,000 sq. foot digital display powered by Samsung – and just one of an array of dazzling digital out-of-home experiences Samsung helps support across sporting properties. Hear from Samsung’s Harry Patz about how advancements in screens are re-shaping in-stadium entertainment. 

Related

Articles

Post Thumbnail
Post Thumbnail
Post Thumbnail

Newsletter

Sign Up

CONTACT

hello@stagwellglobal.com

SIGN UP FOR OUR INSIGHTS BLASTS

We’re home from CES 2023 and abuzz with the latest tech powering the next chapter of modern marketing. Read on for three quick things you need to know about how technology will impact brand marketing this year. Reach out if you’d like to connect on any of these trends. 

TECH RISING = DATA RISING

While the tech at CES is dazzling in its own right, the data it unlocks for brands is the true thought-provoker as we leave Vegas. Every tech advancement is generating fresh ways to capture first-party data from consumers. It’s on marketers to scope these technologies with a healthy mix of skepticism about privacy implications and eagerness about the ability to (more) seamlessly connect consumers to brands.  

Watch this Space: Pinterest announced a new data clean room collaboration with LiveRamp and Albertsons as the latter seeks to build a retail media network. 

Get Smart on Impact: Do Consumers Understand the Bargain of Digital Data?

THE THREE C’S

Whether it was ever-more integrated home devices, new content partnerships, or gifting modern travelers with free wifi, the power of truly connected brands to drive performance is clear. In the year ahead, marketers need to prioritize linking content, commerce, and community in order to effectively serve consumers and boost brand efforts. Tech companies learned “built it and they will come” is a bad way to engage consumers; marketers, too, need to focus on delivering the content consumers want, when they want it, and engage digital and IRl communities to power better experiences.

Watch this Space: Delta announces Delta Sync, a new chapter of connected travel.

Get Smart on Impact: How Warner Music Group is Preparing for Connected Consumers in 2023

TECH IS ABOUT TO HAVE A POLITICAL YEAR

TECH IS ABOUT TO HAVE A POLITICAL YEAR  – The subtext on the convention floor this year was that tech is about to face increased scrutiny and possibly even regulatory action from governments around the world in the year ahead amid growing concerns that products and services are veering us closer to “1984” than 2023. Expect the industry’s practices around data privacy, competition, and content moderation to come under close examination and consider the reputational risks of marketing certain products or services if they are perceived as “bad tech.”  

Watch this Space: How TikTok Became a Diplomatic Crisis

Get Smart on Impact: Mark Penn in Forbes on Twitter, TikTok, and the Year Ahead  

🤖 Category Transformations

Check out the announcements from the past week we predict will drive the biggest vertical transformations in the year ahead. 

Live from the Stagwell Content Studio @ CES 2023

Stagwell’s Content Studio returned at CES, delivering behind-the-scenes interviews with C-Suite execs at the world’s most ambitious brands on the trends and transformations they’re tracking at CES.

In this episode, Qualcomm CMO Don McGuire and Stagwell Chairman and CEO Mark Penn share why artificial intelligence and augmented reality are the two trends to bet on in 2023.

Related

Articles

Post Thumbnail
Post Thumbnail
Post Thumbnail

Newsletter

Sign Up

Originally Released On

PR Newswire

CONTACT:

Sarah Arvizo
Stagwell
pr@stagwellglobal.com 

 Specialty Media Business Unit from the Stagwell Marketing Cloud is Incubating New Connected Marketing Mediums and Inventory for Brands

NEW YORK and LAS VEGAS – Jan. 4, 2023 – Stagwell (NASDAQ: STGW), the challenger network built to transform marketing, today announced a Specialty Media business unit to create net new brand and performance inventory. The unitpart of the Stagwell Marketing Couldwill build media formats that offer brands novel ways to reach, engage, and monetize key consumer segments across sports, travel, retail, news and dining.  

“Stagwell is bringing new experiences to consumers whether they are at the stadium, in a restaurant or getting on an airplane. Along with these experiences come a wealth of creative marketing opportunities,” said Mark Penn, chairman and CEO, Stagwell. “Stagwell is at the forefront of these transformative technical innovations and new forms of richly targeted marketing.”  

Shared Augmented Reality (AR) Platform for Stadiums: ARound, a first-of-its-kind fan engagement platform, is a new stadium-level augmented reality platform, already in use by the Minnesota Twins MLB team at Target Field and the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. ARound uses 3D spatial computing to map large-scale venues and localize content to individual users, enabling attendees to see the same real-time 3D effects and participate in the same shared experiences. This is a new, connected marketing medium, enabling brands to reach fans at scale with stadium-wide AR games, contests, effects, and a remote experience amplifying the energy and excitement of gamedays. 

QR Code-Powered Advertising Platform for Restaurants and Bars: Stagwell Marketing Cloud is developing an advanced digital out-of-home platform that directly integrates into digital menu and point-of-sale systems to serve contextual ads native to the customer’s experience. The platform provides brands with rich customer profiles and a new channel to place relevant, dynamic messages that complement the user’s current experience; for example, a promotional offer for a specialty cocktail designed to warm consumers during winter, a recommended wine to pair with the dinner meal, or an aperitif to complement dessert, generating rich first-party data in the process. 

Media Marketplace for Travel: Stagwell’s Ink, the world’s leading travel media company, has launched “The Travel Marketplace,” a one-stop shop for brands to get unparalleled access to 5 million passengers a day. The new platform offers access to an unmatched portfolio of channels including airport TV screens, WiFi sponsorship, multi-channel digital and physical platforms, inflight entertainment, branded travel documents, targeted social media, and more. With exposure to international and domestic brands including United Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, JetBlue and others, 2,500+ screens across 90 North American airports via Stagwell’s ReachTV, and exclusive first-party passenger data to drive smart targeting, brands can now easily engage across diversified performance mediums that reach travelers at every stage of their journey. 

Today’s commitment is part of a larger focus at Stagwell on transforming media solutions through impactful technology to be announced throughout CES. Further announcements will come from business agency GALE and global omnichannel media shop Assembly. 

About Stagwell  

Stagwell is the challenger holding company built to transform marketing. We deliver scaled creative performance for the world’s most ambitious brands, connecting culture-moving creativity with leading-edge technology to harmonize the art and science of marketing. Led by entrepreneurs, our 13,000+ specialists in 34+ countries are unified under a single purpose: to drive effectiveness and improve business results for their clients. Join us at www.stagwellglobal.com.  

Media Contact 
Sarah Arvizo 
pr@stagwellglobal.com 

Related

Articles

Post Thumbnail
Post Thumbnail
Post Thumbnail

Newsletter

Sign Up

CONTACT

hello@stagwellglobal.com

SIGN UP FOR OUR INSIGHTS BLASTS

Headed to CES 2023? Before you board for Vegas, get smart with our top predictions for the technology and trends that will dominate the show and impact marketing transformation for the upcoming year. Stagwell will be on the ground sharing our vision for transforming marketing through impactful technology. Reach out if you’d like to connect.

ADS HERE, DATA EVERYWHERE

Expect every piece of consumer technology that debuts this year to (eventually) double as a marketing or media platform. Devices will continue to get smarter – and better at data collection. And new AR/VR layers will only multiply the potential ways for brands to show up in consumers’ lives. 

Watch This Space: Plug into Thursday’s C-Space Keynote with Delta, Netflix, Instacart, Epic Games, and more: Building Connection & Community in a Non-Stop World.”

Get Smart on Impact: Every Company is Now a Digital Marketing Company – Whether it Wants to Be Or Not 

GENERATIVE A.I. IS THE DARLING OF THE SHOW 

Expect every piece of consumer technology that debuts this year to (eventually) double as a marketing or media platform. Devices will continue to get smarter – and better at data collection. And new AR/VR layers will only multiply the potential ways for brands to show up in consumers’ lives. 

Watch This Space: Plug into Thursday’s C-Space Keynote with Delta, Netflix, Instacart, Epic Games, and more: Building Connection & Community in a Non-Stop World.”

Get Smart on Impact: Every Company is Now a Digital Marketing Company – Whether it Wants to Be Or Not 

EXITING OUR “TECH AS ENTERTAINMENT” ERA

Expect every piece of consumer technology that debuts this year to (eventually) double as a marketing or media platform. Devices will continue to get smarter – and better at data collection. And new AR/VR layers will only multiply the potential ways for brands to show up in consumers’ lives. 

Watch This Space: Plug into Thursday’s C-Space Keynote with Delta, Netflix, Instacart, Epic Games, and more: Building Connection & Community in a Non-Stop World.”

Get Smart on Impact: Every Company is Now a Digital Marketing Company – Whether it Wants to Be Or Not 

🤖 Category Transformations

We’re watching these sessions for vertical-transforming announcements at CES. Check back with us in a week for our POVs on their news:

Coming Soon: CES Content Studio

As thousands descend on Las Vegas for CES, Stagwell’s Content Studio returns to deliver behind-the-scenes interviews with business leaders across electronics, food and drink, luxury goods, media, sports, tourism and more. Hear from them on the trends and transformations they’re tracking at CES. Follow our LinkedIn and YouTube to keep up with the series as it publishes during CES.

 Reach out at ces2023@stagwellglobal.com if you are an executive that would like an interview.

Related

Articles

Post Thumbnail
Post Thumbnail
Post Thumbnail

Newsletter

Sign Up

Originally Released On

PR Newswire

CONTACT:

Sarah Arvizo
Stagwell
pr@stagwellglobal.com 

Content Will Be Freely Accessible Via Online Channels

NEW YORK and LAS VEGAS – Dec. 21, 2022 – Stagwell (NASDAQ: STGW), is bringing its Content Studio to CES 2023, building on its successful debut at the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity in June 2022. The Content Studio will be housed at the Stagwell booth in the Grand Lobby of the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC), 60488.

As thousands descend on Las Vegas for CES, Stagwell is democratizing access to some of the senior-most business leaders across marketing, electronics, food and drink, luxury goods, media, sports, tourism and more. Through the course of these candid conversations, executives will share perspectives on topics including:

  • What are you doing to transform your business in the year ahead?
  • What does impact mean to you?
  • What technology do you think will spark the greatest transformation of your business in the next five years?

 Over 15 leaders will join executives from across the Stagwell network in special conversation. Brands include:

  • AB InBev
  • Christie’s
  • Fandom
  • Group Black
  • Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority
  • Los Angeles Rams
  • Lyft
  • Magic Leap
  • Minnesota Twins
  • Qualcomm
  • Reddit
  • Sirius XM Media
  • Warner Bros. Discovery Inc.
  • Wells Enterprises (Blue Bunny, Bomb Pop, Halo Top)
  • Zappos 

For Access to Content

In line with its mission to democratize content at exclusive events, Stagwell will make the interviews available to anyone, anywhere, via online channels including YouTube, LinkedIn, and the website. To join the conversation, use #StagwellatCES across all platforms.

“I worked with Bill Gates on his CES keynote 20 years ago when he told the world that all entertainment would be delivered digitally, and here we are: there’s nothing you can successfully accomplish in business today without understanding technology’s role in how consumers view and interact with the world around them,” said Stagwell Chairman and CEO Mark Penn. “Virtually every consumer action and interaction is now online, and we’re excited to host these leaders who are leveraging data and technology to know these consumers well and meet them where they are.”

To Connect

Brand executives interested in participating in a Content Studio interview, and/or news organizations interested in obtaining this content for redistribution should contact ces2023@stagwellglobal.com to coordinate.

Journalists interested in participating in Content Studio interviews, or connecting with Stagwell Chairman and CEO Mark Penn, and/or leaders from the Stagwell Marketing Cloud or Stagwell network agencies, please contact pr@stagwellglobal.com.

About Stagwell

Stagwell is the challenger network built to transform marketing. We deliver scaled creative performance for the world’s most ambitious brands, connecting culture-moving creativity with leading-edge technology to harmonize the art and science of marketing. Led by entrepreneurs, our 13,000+ specialists in 34+ countries are unified under a single purpose: to drive effectiveness and improve business results for their clients. Join us at www.stagwellglobal.com.

Related

Articles

Post Thumbnail
Post Thumbnail
Post Thumbnail

Newsletter

Sign Up

Originally Released On

PR Newswire

CONTACT:

Sarah Arvizo
Stagwell
pr@stagwellglobal.com 

Los Angeles Rams and ARound Introduce the Next Generation of Stadium Augmented Reality, Sponsored by SoFi

ARound Expands Stadium-Wide AR With Addition of In-Venue Broadcast Integration on SoFi Stadium’s Infinity Screen, In-Home Fan Experience; SoFi Signs on as First ARound Brand Sponsor

LOS ANGELES and NEW YORK – Dec. 5, 2022 – The Los Angeles Rams are introducing a new fan-focused technology experience at the stadium and at home. Debuting at yesterday’s game, fans at SoFi Stadium were the first to experience shared augmented reality (AR) in an NFL game with the launch of ARound, a next-generation fan engagement platform designed to enhance gameday fun with live, real-world AR experiences, sponsored by SoFi, digital personal finance company and SoFi Stadium naming rights partner. First launched in August with the Minnesota Twins, ARound expanded its platform to include in-venue broadcast integration as well as an at-home AR experience.

ARound, part of the Stagwell Marketing Cloud, uses 3D spatial computing to localize content to individual users throughout the venue, enabling SoFi Stadium’s 70,000 attendees to see the same real-time 3D effects and participate in the same shared experiences. Using the ARound Stadium app, fans point their smartphone at the field to open up a universe of AR effects, interacting with the physical venue and fellow fans in real time. ARound and the Rams have taken shared AR several steps further through new fan experiences custom to the Rams and to the NFL:   

  • Infinity Screen AR: Fans can view effects like “Rampede” and “Make Noise” come to life on the Rams’ state-of-the-art 70,000-sq. foot videoboard, The Infinity Screen, with AR experiences incorporated into the gameday production in real time, such as when a touchdown is scored or when the team takes the field.
  • Players in 3D: Key player callouts including Aaron Donald, Bobby Wagner, Cooper Kupp, Jalen Ramsey, Matt Gay, and Matthew Stafford are featured through special effects, making their personalities larger than life.
  • The Best Seat in the House, At-Home AR Experience: Fans can join the gameday festivities and contests through a life-size virtual stadium experience from their homes, mirroring what’s happening during the game at SoFi Stadium. 
  • SoFi: Official ARound Sponsor: Opening the door to this new, connected marketing medium, digital personal finance company and SoFi Stadium naming rights partner SoFi has signed on as ARound’s first platform partner with stadium-wide AR games, contests, effects, and a remote experience amplifying the energy and excitement of Rams gamedays and the SoFi brand. 

“We are thrilled to team with ARound and SoFi to incorporate AR into gamedays at the Rams House in unprecedented ways,” said Marissa Daly, VP & GM, Los Angeles Rams Studios. “This experience is a continuation of the game-changing ways we’ve partnered with SoFi at SoFi Stadium and across Los Angeles to elevate the fan experience on gamedays and beyond.”

“Fans come to the stadium to feel closer to the game, to the players, and to other fans. We developed ARound to enhance those feelings through highly immersive and interactive AR experiences that complement the action on the field,” said Josh Beatty, founder and CEO, ARound. “And with products like Apple and Google AR Glasses already in development we’re excited to open up the living room to blended TV experiences we know are the future of broadcast entertainment.”

“At SoFi, we pride ourselves on being at the forefront of innovation to create seamless experiences for our members, all while fulfilling our mission of helping our members achieve financial independence,” said Lauren Stafford Webb, CMO, SoFi. “We are proud to sponsor ARound’s first-of-its-kind technology for Los Angeles Rams fans at the iconic SoFi Stadium to make their experience even more spectacular.”

Journalists interested in covering the Rams launch can access the press kit here.

 About ARound

ARound is a first-of-its-kind stadium-level shared augmented reality platform and is part of the Stagwell Marketing Cloud, a proprietary suite of SaaS and DaaS solutions build for the modern marketer. 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. It was the winner of Stagwell’s annual innovation competition which invests in new product ideas proposed by the network’s 13,000+ employees. ARound and the Stagwell Marketing Cloud are a part of Stagwell (NASDAQ: STGW), the challenger network build to transform marketing.

 About Los Angeles Rams

The Los Angeles Rams – Los Angeles’ original professional sports team and Super Bowl LVI Champions – stand as one of the oldest franchises in the National Football League and since its founding in 1937, have garnered four World Championships and sent 30 of its members to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. As a professional sports team, the organization is committed to be a valuable civic partner and serving the greater Los Angeles area 365 days a year. The Rams play their home games at SoFi Stadium, which is located at Hollywood Park, a 298-acre sports and entertainment destination being developed by Los Angeles Rams Owner/Chairman E. Stanley Kroenke in Inglewood, CA.

About SoFi

SoFi helps people achieve financial independence to realize their ambitions. Our products for borrowing, saving, spending, investing and protecting give our over four million members fast access to tools to get their money right. SoFi membership comes with the key essentials for getting ahead, including career advisors and connection to a thriving community of ambitious people. SoFi is also the naming rights partner of SoFi Stadium, home of the Los Angeles Chargers and the Los Angeles Rams. For more information, visit SoFi.com or download our iOS and Android apps.

Related

Articles

Post Thumbnail
Post Thumbnail
Post Thumbnail

Newsletter

Sign Up

By: Ray Day

CONTACT:

Ray Day
ray.day@stagwellglobal.com 

We wanted to share our latest consumer and business insights, based on research from The Harris Poll, a Stagwell agency.

Among the highlights of wave 140 (fielded Oct. 28-Oct. 30) in our weekly consumer sentiment tracking:

ECONOMY, INFLATION WORRIES MODERATE; JOB WORRIES JUMP:

Today, 86% of Americans are concerned about the economy, inflation and jobs – down 3 points from last week. At the same time, worries about losing a job jumped significantly.

    • 83% worry about a potential U.S. recession (down 2 points)
    • 82% about U.S. crime rates (no change)
    • 74% about political divisiveness (down 1 point)
    • 72% about the War on Ukraine (down 2 points)
    • 72% about affording their living expenses (no change)
    • 62% about a new COVID-19 variant (up 1 point)
    • 54% about losing their jobs (up 7 points)
    • 48% about the Monkeypox outbreak (up 4 points)
INFLATION AT THE NORTH POLE:

Eight in 10 (84%) Americans plan to buy gifts for others this holiday season, and they have set their 2022 gift-giving budget at $823, according to our survey with NerdWallet.

    • Close to a third (31%) of last year’s holiday shoppers are still in debt after using a credit card to pay for gifts they still haven’t paid off.
    • 72% of this year’s holiday shoppers will use credit cards, charging $663 on average.
    • Inflation is affecting how some shoppers approach gift-giving this year: 83% plan to adjust as a result of inflation, including giving different types of gifts compared to years past (36%) and spending less per person compared to years past (35%).
    • 43% say they feel pressure to spend more money on holiday gifts than they’re comfortable spending.
    • 68% plan to shop Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales this year.
    • 50% say they’ll spend the most on gifts while shopping these sales.
    • Still, 30% plan to use Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales to buy necessities for their home or family.
    • 67% say they will do their holiday shopping online instead of in-store this year.
OPEN ENROLLMENT BELT-TIGHTENING:

It’s healthcare open-enrollment season, and many workers are considering downgrading their health insurance because of high inflation, according to our survey with the Nationwide Retirement Institute.

    • 17% of respondents in the last 12 months adjusted their family’s budget to pay for health care expenses.
    • 12% canceled or changed health insurance.
    • 10% withdrew funds from their retirement account to pay for health care expenses.
    • 8% downgraded their health insurance plan.
    • 14% of Americans say they are considering downgrading their health insurance plan during this year’s open enrollment – rising to 23% for Gen Z and 20% for Millennials.
    • Americans also are experiencing high levels of stress around retirement and retirement planning because of inflation: 47% report their top stressor is inflation, 30% worry about Social Security running out of funds, and 29% are concerned about an unexpected decline in their health.
EMPLOYEES’ ADVICE TO HR: LESS IS MORE:

When it comes to HR tech platforms to improve the work experience, less is more, according to our survey with HR Brew.

    • On average, employees report using 3.4 HR platforms and 8.1 total HR and productivity tools in general.
    • 69% of employees with one HR platform said they felt confident they could find the information they need.
    • Confidence plummeted to 49% among those whose company has more than one HR platform.
    • In today’s economic climate, employees have an appetite for financial planning solutions (80% favorability among Millennials and 72% among Gen X) and the lowest need for new social networking tools.
INTEREST IN WOMEN’S SPORTS CLIMBING:

The popularity of women’s sports has grown by leaps and bounds – and consumers want to see the trend continue, according to Stagwell’s National Research Group’s new report, Leveling the Playing Field.

    • In the U.S., 3 in 10 sports fans say they’re watching more women’s sports now than they were five years ago.
    • The broadcast market for women’s sports grew significantly worldwide this year, thanks in part to successful events like the UEFA European Women’s Championship and ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup.
    • Even in the U.S., which didn’t compete in those tournaments, the market grew by 29% compared with 2021.
    • 85% of fans – including 79% of men – think that it’s important for women’s sports to continue to grow in popularity.
    • The Olympics proved there’s growing demand for women’s sports. During the Tokyo Games, in half of the 10 most widely viewed sports, viewership for women’s events was higher than men’s.
ICYMI:

In case you missed it, check out some of the thought-leadership and happenings around Stagwell making news:

As always, if helpful, we would be happy to provide more info on any of these data or insights. Please do not hesitate to reach out.

 

 

 

Related

Articles

Post Thumbnail
Post Thumbnail
Post Thumbnail

Newsletter

Sign Up

CONTACT

hello@stagwellglobal.com

SIGN UP FOR OUR INSIGHTS BLASTS

Missed Advertising Week New York this week? We distill the biggest brand takeaways on brand fandom, political advertising, and media channel transformations below. Follow Stagwell on LinkedIn to keep up with the insights.

Rise of Brand Fandom – Move over, sports teams and celebrities. 

Fifty-seven percent of consumers consider themselves a fan of a brand or product – higher than sports (48%), movies (52%), celebrities (54%), or online influencers/personalities (37%). 

The brands that take a holistic stake in consumers’ lives will drive loyalty, affinity, and advocacy–and not just in the moment. Fandom is not a fad or a flash in the pan; 2 in 5 brand fans have been fans for over 10 years. Focus on helping consumers develop their personalities through your brand by delivering marketing, events and experiences, and content that gives them a platform to express that personality.  

“Fandom is critical in the luxury space. Luxury is no longer defined as the most expensive thing –it’s defined by insider knowledge. We’re seeing a dispersion of brands being considered ‘wealth’ and ‘luxury,’ and price point alone won’t keep you in that luxury equity space. It’s important to have fan bases that really think of your brand as luxury.” – Neda Whitney, SVP, Head of Marketing, Americas, Christie’s

Political is the Biggest Media Story of 2022 – Get ready for hotter cyclical media environments as political advertisers diversify digital media channels to engage more voters.

Brands will feel the effect of political messaging as political advertisers spend a record $3 billion in the last three weeks of the election alone.

Many ads will tell Americans they’re poorer than ever because of inflation, for example – how will brands push back and get consumers to continue spending? Brands can no longer afford to be apolitical but risk looking too performative if they don’t back up their positions with actions. Lyft decided to foreground its identity as a transportation company when deciding to act, and as a result, it has provided ride services for voting, vaccines, and reproductive rights.

“We saw in 2016 that so many people chose not to vote because they didn’t have access to transportation. So we asked ourselves: how can we make an impact there? We created a voter access program and saw its immediate impact in 2020. It’s about looking at the issues consumers care about and our services. It’s our job to listen – to talk to elected officials and let them know we can come in as a partner to solve some of the issues our consumers care about.” – Heather Foster, Head of Government Affairs, Lyft

Digital Channels and Political Advocacy – Are political advertisers about to have the digital marketing efficacy reckoning?

This cycle will be the first many realize media buys are not driving impact because of mistargeting. Many voters in battleground districts no longer have traditional television – but there’s a disconnect between ad spending and consumption, with most dollars still going to broadcast. Brands need to get more comfortable shifting the media mix and taking risks with bourgeoning digital channels.

“The idea that there’s the TV generation and then there’s the kids – it’s an antiquated view. The fact is cord cutting is mainstream – now the majority of the population – and the idea that we can say we have a TV strategy and a different digital strategy is fraught with disaster. As we iterate, brands need to think about messaging across the full funnel, and know that TV and streaming work really well together because it allows us to do that. The future will be integrated streaming and linear in a really incremental fashion.” – Ashwin Navin, CEO SambaTV

Resurgence of OOH – OOH is resurging because OOH is modern.

When you start treating it like programmatic or digital it becomes a valuable tool in the funnel. Driving consumer engagement and social amplification through use of the OOH medium. (The Harris Poll found TikTok and other social media platforms are a major source of OOH ad visibility: 82% of TikTok users report frequently noticing OOH ads in content in their feeds, with nearly identical impact reported by Facebook and Instagram users.) And don’t sleep on the innovation underway here: location-based insights, shared AR capabilities, and more are all letting advertisers do more at scale. Embrace the underlying technology capabilities of Out of Home as a resilient pillar of your media plan for 2023.

”Out of home isn’t changing – the strategy is. Media is the new experiential and Out of Home is where people are. The technology that sits behind Out of Home is driving a different strategy lens, a different creative lens, and a different content lens.” – Brad Simms, CEO, GALE Partners.

Related

Articles

Post Thumbnail
Post Thumbnail
Post Thumbnail

Newsletter

Sign Up

By

Jason Nottee
AdWeek

CONTACT

hello@stagwellglobal.com

SIGN UP FOR OUR INSIGHTS BLASTS

A Ted Lasso star and a sports journalist showcase athletes without a brand mention in sight

A brand doesn’t need an ad or sponsorship to prove its worth. Sometimes, it just needs a story.

 

In 2019, Nike and Observatory partnered to ask themselves a question: Why not build an entertainment studio focused on sports and culture? Instead of trying to wedge diverse, relevant stories into 30-second ads selling products, why not make feature films, documentaries, TV series and podcasts devoid of pitches, gear and the Swoosh? Nike’s Waffle Iron Entertainment sprouted from that discussion.

Named for the kitchen gadget that University of Oregon track and field coach Bill Bowerman used to makes Nike’s first running shoes, Waffle Iron Entertainment sought to tell sports stories through the lens of larger cultural events. One of its earliest efforts, the Crackle series Promiseland, followed Memphis Grizzlies rookie Ja Morant as he navigated the National Basketball Association, Covid-19 and the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder. It next project, HBO’s The Day Sports Stood Still, followed basketball star Chris Paul during the NBA’s reaction to the pandemic and social justice protests in 2020.

In June, Waffle Iron and Observatory teamed with AudioUp Media, Range Media Partners and iHeartMedia to create the documentary podcast Hustle Rule. Based on the book Under the Lights and in the Dark: Untold Stories of Women’s Soccer by journalist and award-winning filmmaker Gwendolyn Oxenham, Hustle Rule tells the stories behind professional soccer players’ rise to their sport’s upper echelons.

 

Hustle Rule trailer

It launched on June 23, the 50th anniversary of the Education Department’s Title IX rule prohibiting schools from discriminating based on sex, and concluded on July 28 just before the Women’s Euro 2022 final.

“There was never a sense that this was an advertisement for Nike or anything like that,” Oxenham said. “What blew my mind was that Waffle Iron, from the beginning, was just interested in telling these stories because they thought they were meaningful.

“These are stories that no one had ever heard of, and that didn’t deter Waffle Iron for a second.”

From professional soccer to hockey, from football to boxing and mixed martial arts, storytelling across multiple mediums is now critical to sports marketing. Fans want to hear their favorite athletes’ stories in the own words on familiar platforms without being asked to buy a product.

To get there, sports brands must be willing to forego sales in the short term to create fans and athletes who’ll come back with more expendable income later.

“You can only say so much in a 30-second commercial or a 60-second commercial, but the true storytelling can come through in a podcast series, in a television series, in a film,” said Brendan Shields-Shimizu, Observatory’s CEO. “If you can get consumers saying, ‘Wow, I want to go watch this content because it’s actually interesting and doesn’t feel like an advertisement, but I’ve learned something from it or I felt happy from it,’ that’s where I think brands are going to be playing in the future.”

 

Finding a reliable narrator

Waffle Iron, AudioUp, Range Media Partners and Observatory sought a tone that would resonate with fans. They gave the series its own anthem—”Won’t Stop” by producer and songwriter A1 Le Flare—and searched for a voice to connect the stories while contributing a narrative all its own. They landed on Hannah Waddingham, the veteran actor best known to American fans, at least, as AFC Richmond owner Rebecca Welton from the AppleTV+ series Ted Lasso.

Samuel Brennan, Observatory’s brand supervisor, noted that Waddingham’s experience on screen as well as in West End and Broadway productions gave her command of the podcast’s audience. At points throughout the series, she intersperses stories about her stage career, her Ted Lasso-influenced love of soccer (and the Euro 2022 champion English women’s national team) and her daughter’s love of the game.

“All our eyes lit up, and we all jumped when her name came up, said Observatory’s Chief Creative Officer Linda Knight. “That’s when you know you’ve got the right person, when everyone’s like, ‘Yes, she would be perfect for this.’”

 

 

Related

Articles

Post Thumbnail
Post Thumbnail
Post Thumbnail

Newsletter

Sign Up