It’s not just Swifties: There are more sports fans, and brands see a way to score

By Travis Clark

• Travis Kelce jersey sales skyrocketed after Taylor Swift attended a Kansas City Chiefs game. But the Kelce phenomenon only scratches the surface of a growing number of new sports fans all over the globe, thanks partly to easier access due to social media and video streaming services.
• Brands that capitalize on the trend could score more. Partnering with athletes, and drawing on the narratives around them, can be a gateway to the larger sports leagues. And there has already been an increase in sponsorships for more niche sports, like combat sports.

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Engagement with the NBA outside the U.S. has grown 10 percent from 2022 to this year; the number of sports fans in the U.K. who engage with the NFL is up 21 percent since last year; and U.S. engagement with the English Premier League has grown 53 percent since 2020, according to consumer research firm GWI.

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A brand marketer’s guide to victory in a U.S. presidential election year

By Mike Schneider

• As the 2024 presidential race heats up, Mike Schneider, a partner at Bully Pulpit Interactive, lays out three ways that brand advertisers can prepare amid an expected surge in political ad spending and further innovations in generative AI.
• Schneider writes that advertisers should adjust for competition and volatility; take advantage of innovation around targeting, data, and creative; and more.

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"Key issues are amplified — and often weaponized — so advertisers need to tread carefully with a sharp messaging sensibility. Plus, the accelerated pace of spend and short political calendar leads to rapid innovation in the space, as platforms and publishers hone and update their offerings."

— Mike Schneider, partner, Bully Pulpit Interactive

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State Farm’s Alyson Griffin’s policy: Meet customers at every life stage

• Despite being non-endemic — or something you don’t buy in a store — State Farm thrives on connecting with its audience in unexpected ways, like live sporting events and by leveraging Home Depot’s retail data.
• The brand’s media strategy prioritizes meeting people at the different stages in their lives — from their first apartment to first car to having a baby.

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“Life stages matter because they matter to the person that they’re happening to. And for us, dissecting who the target is, what stage they’re in, and what they care about has started to shape our media strategy.”

– Alyson Griffin, head of marketing, State Farm

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Meet Ford’s Chief Futurist, who prepares for at least 4 futures at once

By Ilyse Liffreing

• Ford Chief Futurist Jennifer Brace has her mind on the future — four different futures at any one time, in fact. Brace’s role is to prepare the automaker for all the potential scenarios and consumer trends that could impact the company’s success in the future.
• Artificial intelligence (AI), connected devices, and consumer data are all tools she believes aren’t going anywhere. She envisions a time when cars might use AI to connect with drivers through their emotional state.

?? Lightbulb moment

“The amount of data that everybody has on everything will continue to grow. I think that when you think about the future, you can start to ask yourself, well, how do we layer all of those different collection points and all of that different data? What sense will they make of it? How will we react to that?”?

– Jennifer Brace, chief futurist, Ford

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