August 27, 2025 • 20 mins
Each year, top creative minds gather at the Cannes Lions Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity for a week of innovations, awards, and candid conversations about the future of marketing. Over the next month, you will get exclusive insight into the latest trends and stories shaping the industry through interviews with leaders from some of the world’s most influential brands, including Google, Disney, and Unilever.
In this episode, Alan kicks off the miniseries with our “crystal ball confessionals.” Unlike our usual one-on-one interview style episode, today you’ll hear snippets of Alan's conversations with industry leaders, creators, and innovators at Deloitte Digital’s exclusive ‘Collaborate with Certainty’ and ‘Engage with Certainty’ brunches. These short, candid conversations explore the future of marketing, focusing on the evolution of the creator economy, the changing landscape of fan engagement, and the role of data and technology in shaping authentic connections.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:31):
What's next for marketing?
at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, I sat down with industryleaders, creators and innovators to find out.
In this special edition of Marketing Beyond brought to you by Deloitte Digital,
we share their candid confessions,
direct from the heart of Cannes.
creators are running a trust business and an authenticity business that's rooted in theirhumanity and how they connect to their audiences.
(00:56):
I think there's more that the industry has to do to kind of connect brands and creators ofall sizes together.
reach alone is no longer enough.
And so for brands to really, breakthrough and move people from discovery to purchase, Theyneed attention, relevance and trust.
I'd say data has become the lifeline for all sports and leagues, including theInternational Olympic Committee on how they
(01:20):
engage with fans, figure out what they want,
how to personalize content to them in a way that we've never seen before.
And
I think it's all about the content, of course.
And in our case, it's about
providing a platform for people to interact as much as possible with athlete contentbecause that's what they love.
They love athletes, they love the sport.
(01:42):
The ability to move from one-way communication to two-way community
really something that
On today's episode, we have something a little different for you.
Instead of a single interview, we're going to share snippets from candid conversations Ihad with marketing leaders on the iconic Croisette
(02:04):
at Cannes Lions Festival,
where Deloitte Digital hosted a series of exclusive
crystal ball
brunch,
lunches.
Over French cuisine and sparkling cocktails,
some of the brightest minds in marketing gathered for a panel and roundtable discussionsto chat about all things shaping our industry.
After each brunch, we invited the speakers into a private confessional.
Just them, the mic, me,
(02:26):
and
their boldest ideas about what's next.
Each confessional is
few minutes long, but together they paint a vivid picture of where
marketing is headed today.
In this episode.
You'll hear perspectives on the evolution of the creator economy, the future of fanengagement, and the predictions that might just change the way you think about your work.
(02:47):
Let's dive in.
Our first stop, the Collaborate with Certainty
Brunch,
where we explore how the creator economy is transforming the way brands connect withcustomers
and drive growth.
Global Head of Product Marketing at YouTube,
Celia Salsi,
shared a perspective that really highlights a fundamental shift in how influence workstoday.
(03:08):
Here's what she had to say.
So I'm Celia Salsi, and I lead the Global Product Marketing for YouTube Ads.
had a great conversation today.
What do you see is the relationship between creators and brands and how they're evolving?
I think to breakthrough in today's world, like people are bombarded, consumers arebombarded with messages.
(03:30):
So what we realized through research is that reach alone is no longer enough.
And so for brands to really breakthrough and move people from discovery to purchase, theyneed attention, relevance and trust.
And what we've seen is that creators are best positioned
to really drive higher attention with the format, the tone and the style that they use todeliver content.
(03:56):
It's because literally you Cannes find so many communities of interest on the platformlike YouTube and trust.
And that's actually a point that we've also seen is that users trust the recommendationsof creators more than
traditional celebrities or anyone else.
So their voices are very powerful and thus creators are an incredible channel and leveragefor brands to break through and get consumers from discovery to purchase.
(04:26):
Do you see new models evolving in terms of how they work together?
Yes, absolutely.
We see, leading they were a different thing with different creators.
A few evaluations that we've seen.
First, brands go beyond just their category.
So let's say you're a beauty advertiser.
In the past, you would have tend you know to work with beauty creators.
(04:48):
We see that evolve.
We see them, of course, work with beauty creators, but work also with people into music.
Just really focus on
culture what they're trying to encompass themselves as a brand beyond the product categorythat they sell.
That's one.
Then we see them forging deeper, longer relationships with some core group of creators.
(05:10):
So instead of just doing one-offs, they really start forming long-term partnerships, youknow, like a year, two years old, and the relationship really evolves.
And today we had one of our creators, who actually spoke about that, how
the branch she works with, she has really long-term partnerships with.
So they evolve and they're able to do much more than just, you know, one-off productstreams.
(05:34):
Celia points out that users trust the recommendations of creators even more thancelebrities.
This is a powerful insight for many brands trying to break through the noise.
Her aha moment is that creators aren't just helping brands get noticed, they're fuelingthe entire journey from discovery to purchase.
What brands need most is attention, relevance, and trust, and creators are uniquelypositioned to deliver
(05:58):
all three.
It's a reminder that in today's landscape, authentic creator relationships
aren't just a tactic, they're a strategic advantage.
I also caught up with Kaya Yurov,
team leader for the creator economy at The Information, who brings
a unique viewpoint on how brands Cannes turn those authentic connections into lastingengagement.
(06:18):
I'm Kaya Yurieff.
I'm a reporter at The Information.
Well, today's so had a lot of perspectives.
What new perspective did you take away?
I think what was really interesting is how brands and creators still are not speakingdirectly together.
And I think the smaller the creator is, the worse that is, right?
It gets a little bit, the relationships get outsourced.
So I think there's more that the industry has to do to kind of connect brands and creatorsof all sizes together.
(06:43):
And then as you think about takeaways, what takeaway did you have, today away from aconversation?
Yeah, it was so interesting to hear from the motorcycle athlete who I think it just showshow niche the creator economy has gotten.
And I thought what was so interesting is that she was really speaking about how sheidentifies first as an athlete.
So thinking about who is a creator, how you define yourself.
The other piece I think is just the ROI and measuring that.
(07:05):
And that's still such a challenge for this industry.
And there's so many different mechanisms for doing that.
And it's something that marketers are still really thinking through.
how to measure the effectiveness of creators.
They know that people trust creators, but measuring that versus traditional advertising isvery different.
Kaya's insight is a wake-up call for marketers
as the creator economy becomes more niche.
(07:26):
The
connection between brands and creators Cannes actually get weaker, not stronger,especially for smaller creators.
Too often, those relationships are outsourced or transactional
when what's really needed is direct, meaningful collaboration.
Her aha moment came from hearing a motorcycle
athlete describe herself first as an athlete, not just a creator.
(07:49):
It's a reminder that creators are multi-dimensional and brands need to recognize andrespect those identities.
And finally, Kaya points out a challenge we hear again and again,
ROI.
Marketers trust creators, measuring the impact of creator collaboration, especiallycompared to traditional advertising, is still a work in progress.
(08:10):
Deloitte Digital's head of social and
creator
Kenny Gold was also in attendance and shared a perspective that really cuts through thehype
we're
hearing everywhere about AI.
Kenny Gold, Managing Director at Deloitte DeGioia.
What's the one myth that was debunked today in the conversation?
This idea that every creator is going to be using AI right away was the big one for me.
(08:35):
I think so much of what's being talked about on the Croisette this week is going to bearound AI and agentic services.
And while the technology is incredible and disruptive and something we all need to beintegrating into how we think, creators are running a trust business and an authenticity
business that's
rooted in their humanity and how they connect to their audiences.
And the balance of AI versus human created is still, still being figured out.
(09:01):
What was the one takeaway as you think about the conversation and turns out collaboratingthe service?
Yeah.
it's no brief, which I loved the creator that we had with us today, she was saying, don'tbrief me, which I like that because we have to be creating these sandboxes where creators
Cannes play within the brand versus telling the creator prescriptively what to do.
(09:24):
I thought that was just an awesome takeaway for all marketers.
Kenny's aha moment is that while AI is the talk of Cannes creators are still running atrust and authenticity business.
One that's deeply rooted in their humanity.
The balance between AI and human creativity isn't settled yet.
(09:44):
And that tension is where the most interesting work is happening.
I also love Kenny's takeaway about collaboration.
Don't brief me.
Instead
of prescribing every move,
brands
need to build sandboxes where creators can play and bring their own voice.
In a world of infinite content, it's the genuine voices that cut through the
(10:04):
a hopeful shift for the industry, one that empowers creators and leads to more authentic,
resonant work.
It's clear that collaboration and creativity are driving forces in marketing.
From creators to
fans,
our next
brunch,
aptly titled, Engage with Certainty, tackled the question, what
does
the fan of the future expect from their entertainment experiences?
(10:26):
Here we heard first from Emma Simkiss, Associate Director of Brand and Marketing at theInternational Olympic Committee about how engagement is measured and what truly drives it.
Hello, I'm Emma Simkiss.
I work for the International Olympic Committee.
I look after the brand of marketing team.
give one piece of advice.
in terms of organization's how to drive fan engagement.
(10:48):
it's all about the content, of course.
And in our case, it's about providing a platform for people to interact as much aspossible with athlete content because that's what they love.
They love athletes, they love the sport.
So have a think about your audience, what they're going to be most interested in andcreate an incredible content strategy and plan around that.
(11:11):
Emma's approach to measuring success is evolving
in a really meaningful way.
It's no longer just about how many people you reach,
but about the depth of that engagement.
Are
fans,
coming back?
Are they buying tickets?
And how much time are they spending with your content?
Her aha moment is that driving real engagement
starts
(11:31):
with great content,
but it
does
not
in there.
It's also about creating platforms where fans can interact directly with athletes,
building a sense of connection and community.
Emma reminds us that winning content strategy is rooted
in what your audience actually cares about.
And that's where true loyalty begins.
Shifting gears,
Michelle McGuire Christian, Converge by Deloitte for Sports, Chief Commercial Officer,dives into how data and
(11:59):
AI
are transforming
fan engagement.
Michelle McGuire Christian, I'm the chief commercial officer for Converge.
like How is technology changing the way fans engage and leagues and sports groups engagewith their fans?
I'd say data's become the lifeline for all sports and leagues, including the InternationalOlympic Committee, on how they engage with fans, figure out what they want, how to
(12:22):
personalize content to them in a way that we've never seen before.
And AI, frankly, enabling them to pull in that data and use it to give fans the experiencethat they want.
If you had one piece of advice for how brands and leagues should engage with their fanswith certainty, what would that be?
(12:43):
Yeah, I think engaging with certainty involves first landing your data, right?
Collecting it, normalizing it, and then using that infrastructure downstream and have thedata tell you what the fan wants, right?
As opposed to assuming I know what fans want or need, have the data tell you.
Use unsupervised clustering algorithms to group those fans into audiences that enable youto know.
(13:08):
what channel, what message, what tone of voice that they actually care about.
Michelle's insights really drive home the central role of data in today's fan engagementstrategies.
Her aha moment is that it's
not
just about collecting data,
but
about using
AI
to truly understand what fans want.
(13:30):
teams, leagues can deliver the right content on the right channel
with the right tone.
Instead of making assumptions, Michelle urges us to let the data speak for itself.
That's how you move from generic outreach to truly personalized experiences, and that isthe future of fan engagement.
Building on the idea of personalization,
and
community, let's hear from
(13:51):
David Geisinger,
marketing technology, data and operations offering leader from Deloitte Digital, whoshares how technology is taking fan engagement to the next level.
Okay, David Geisinger, Deloitte.
What's one innovation in fan engagement that you think is going to become standard?
you know, I think that ability to move from one way communication to two way community isreally something that I think given where technology is the real time nature of how
(14:21):
individuals athletes, broader sports community can integrate using technology.
to bring real-time data, real-time feedback, real-time statistics through sports devices,through athletes' perspective, and through community will be different.
(14:41):
I think that we've seen an evolution of fantasy sports a lot over the past few years, andthe evolution of fantasy leagues and how that has created a whole new set uh
as well as real-time stacking of content.
And the ability to follow an athlete or team's journey from the moment they begin trainingthrough the ups and downs, the trials and tribulations, through, as they used to say on
(15:13):
the Worldwide of Sports, through the thrill of victory or agony of defeat, all the waythrough the post
Athletic application is going to be really interesting and fans will continue to engageand find ways through devices, through technology, through creative, through AI to find
their place in that model.
(15:33):
If there was one piece of advice you'd give organizations that engage fans with certainty,what would that
Well, I mean, it all starts with the data.
Data is the foundation of any relationship, but in any communication.
understanding, and I know it's cliche, but communicating to the right person at the righttime with the right message.
But that takes time.
(15:54):
That takes not only a solid understanding of who your fans are, but it also requires thenecessary technology and information architecture to ensure that you've structured that
data in a way that allows you to
to use innovations like Gen AI to segment and identify new things within that data thatyou otherwise as a human, might not be able to find those nuggets quickly, but then be
(16:16):
able to act on that data.
So we are one of the big things is to help organizations move away from working too muchin the business to working on the business.
And so starting with that data, starting with the technology foundation and then
really focusing on custom experiences that the fans, the teams, the leagues, the athletesneed in order to continue that engagement and create those unique moments that bring out
(16:47):
the best in everyone.
vision for the future of fan engagement is all about moving from one-way
communication to true two-way community.
His aha moment is that real innovation happens when fans aren't just passive spectators,but active participants
sharing feedback, accessing real-time stats, and connecting with athletes journeys in amuch deeper way.
(17:13):
He points out.
The rise of fantasy sports is just the beginning.
Imagine following an athlete or team from train to victory and defeat with technology andAI helping fans find their place
in that story.
us
it all starts with data.
Building meaningful relationships with fans requires not just collecting data,
(17:35):
but
structuring it and using the right technology and information architecture.
communicate with the right person at the right time
with the right message.
Doing so will help you unlock the power of GEN.AI and other
innovations to truly understand and engage your fans.
After hearing these confessions, I asked each panelist to choose one word to describe theCrystal Ball
(17:58):
brunch,
experience.
Here's what they had to say.
hopeful.
Energizing.
Optimistic.
Vibrant.
Creativity.
and say certainty.
That wraps up our special edition episode spotlighting our Cannes confessionals.
Thank you
to all our speakers for sharing their insights with us.
(18:19):
This episode is part of a special mini series brought to you by Deloitte Digital, recordedon location at the 2025 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.
Over the next few weeks, we'll be dropping new episodes featuring conversations withleaders.
from some of the world's most influential brands and capturing the latest insights, trendsand stories shaping our industry right now.
(18:42):
Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss an episode
as we continue this journey from Cannes.
We'll be back to our regular content after the mini series concludes.
Thank you for listening and we'll see you next time.
What's next for marketing?
at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, I sat down with industryleaders, creators and innovators to find out.
In this special edition of Marketing Beyond brought to you by Deloitte Digital,
we share their candid confessions,
direct from the heart of Cannes.
creators are running a trust business and an authenticity business that's rooted in theirhumanity and how they connect to their audiences.
(00:56):
I think there's more that the industry has to do to kind of connect brands and creators ofall sizes together.
reach alone is no longer enough.
And so for brands to really, breakthrough and move people from discovery to purchase, Theyneed attention, relevance and trust.
I'd say data has become the lifeline for all sports and leagues, including theInternational Olympic Committee on how they
(01:20):
engage with fans, figure out what they want,
how to personalize content to them in a way that we've never seen before.
And
I think it's all about the content, of course.
And in our case, it's about
providing a platform for people to interact as much as possible with athlete contentbecause that's what they love.
They love athletes, they love the sport.
(01:42):
The ability to move from one-way communication to two-way community
really something that
On today's episode, we have something a little different for you.
Instead of a single interview, we're going to share snippets from candid conversations Ihad with marketing leaders on the iconic Croisette
(02:04):
at Cannes Lions Festival,
where Deloitte Digital hosted a series of exclusive
crystal ball
brunch,
lunches.
Over French cuisine and sparkling cocktails,
some of the brightest minds in marketing gathered for a panel and roundtable discussionsto chat about all things shaping our industry.
After each brunch, we invited the speakers into a private confessional.
Just them, the mic, me,
(02:26):
and
their boldest ideas about what's next.
Each confessional is
few minutes long, but together they paint a vivid picture of where
marketing is headed today.
In this episode.
You'll hear perspectives on the evolution of the creator economy, the future of fanengagement, and the predictions that might just change the way you think about your work.
(02:47):
Let's dive in.
Our first stop, the Collaborate with Certainty
Brunch,
where we explore how the creator economy is transforming the way brands connect withcustomers
and drive growth.
Global Head of Product Marketing at YouTube,
Celia Salsi,
shared a perspective that really highlights a fundamental shift in how influence workstoday.
(03:08):
Here's what she had to say.
So I'm Celia Salsi, and I lead the Global Product Marketing for YouTube Ads.
had a great conversation today.
What do you see is the relationship between creators and brands and how they're evolving?
I think to breakthrough in today's world, like people are bombarded, consumers arebombarded with messages.
(03:30):
So what we realized through research is that reach alone is no longer enough.
And so for brands to really breakthrough and move people from discovery to purchase, theyneed attention, relevance and trust.
And what we've seen is that creators are best positioned
to really drive higher attention with the format, the tone and the style that they use todeliver content.
(03:56):
It's because literally you Cannes find so many communities of interest on the platformlike YouTube and trust.
And that's actually a point that we've also seen is that users trust the recommendationsof creators more than
traditional celebrities or anyone else.
So their voices are very powerful and thus creators are an incredible channel and leveragefor brands to break through and get consumers from discovery to purchase.
(04:26):
Do you see new models evolving in terms of how they work together?
Yes, absolutely.
We see, leading they were a different thing with different creators.
A few evaluations that we've seen.
First, brands go beyond just their category.
So let's say you're a beauty advertiser.
In the past, you would have tend you know to work with beauty creators.
(04:48):
We see that evolve.
We see them, of course, work with beauty creators, but work also with people into music.
Just really focus on
culture what they're trying to encompass themselves as a brand beyond the product categorythat they sell.
That's one.
Then we see them forging deeper, longer relationships with some core group of creators.
(05:10):
So instead of just doing one-offs, they really start forming long-term partnerships, youknow, like a year, two years old, and the relationship really evolves.
And today we had one of our creators, who actually spoke about that, how
the branch she works with, she has really long-term partnerships with.
So they evolve and they're able to do much more than just, you know, one-off productstreams.
(05:34):
Celia points out that users trust the recommendations of creators even more thancelebrities.
This is a powerful insight for many brands trying to break through the noise.
Her aha moment is that creators aren't just helping brands get noticed, they're fuelingthe entire journey from discovery to purchase.
What brands need most is attention, relevance, and trust, and creators are uniquelypositioned to deliver
(05:58):
all three.
It's a reminder that in today's landscape, authentic creator relationships
aren't just a tactic, they're a strategic advantage.
I also caught up with Kaya Yurov,
team leader for the creator economy at The Information, who brings
a unique viewpoint on how brands Cannes turn those authentic connections into lastingengagement.
(06:18):
I'm Kaya Yurieff.
I'm a reporter at The Information.
Well, today's so had a lot of perspectives.
What new perspective did you take away?
I think what was really interesting is how brands and creators still are not speakingdirectly together.
And I think the smaller the creator is, the worse that is, right?
It gets a little bit, the relationships get outsourced.
So I think there's more that the industry has to do to kind of connect brands and creatorsof all sizes together.
(06:43):
And then as you think about takeaways, what takeaway did you have, today away from aconversation?
Yeah, it was so interesting to hear from the motorcycle athlete who I think it just showshow niche the creator economy has gotten.
And I thought what was so interesting is that she was really speaking about how sheidentifies first as an athlete.
So thinking about who is a creator, how you define yourself.
The other piece I think is just the ROI and measuring that.
(07:05):
And that's still such a challenge for this industry.
And there's so many different mechanisms for doing that.
And it's something that marketers are still really thinking through.
how to measure the effectiveness of creators.
They know that people trust creators, but measuring that versus traditional advertising isvery different.
Kaya's insight is a wake-up call for marketers
as the creator economy becomes more niche.
(07:26):
The
connection between brands and creators Cannes actually get weaker, not stronger,especially for smaller creators.
Too often, those relationships are outsourced or transactional
when what's really needed is direct, meaningful collaboration.
Her aha moment came from hearing a motorcycle
athlete describe herself first as an athlete, not just a creator.
(07:49):
It's a reminder that creators are multi-dimensional and brands need to recognize andrespect those identities.
And finally, Kaya points out a challenge we hear again and again,
ROI.
Marketers trust creators, measuring the impact of creator collaboration, especiallycompared to traditional advertising, is still a work in progress.
(08:10):
Deloitte Digital's head of social and
creator
Kenny Gold was also in attendance and shared a perspective that really cuts through thehype
we're
hearing everywhere about AI.
Kenny Gold, Managing Director at Deloitte DeGioia.
What's the one myth that was debunked today in the conversation?
This idea that every creator is going to be using AI right away was the big one for me.
(08:35):
I think so much of what's being talked about on the Croisette this week is going to bearound AI and agentic services.
And while the technology is incredible and disruptive and something we all need to beintegrating into how we think, creators are running a trust business and an authenticity
business that's
rooted in their humanity and how they connect to their audiences.
And the balance of AI versus human created is still, still being figured out.
(09:01):
What was the one takeaway as you think about the conversation and turns out collaboratingthe service?
Yeah.
it's no brief, which I loved the creator that we had with us today, she was saying, don'tbrief me, which I like that because we have to be creating these sandboxes where creators
Cannes play within the brand versus telling the creator prescriptively what to do.
(09:24):
I thought that was just an awesome takeaway for all marketers.
Kenny's aha moment is that while AI is the talk of Cannes creators are still running atrust and authenticity business.
One that's deeply rooted in their humanity.
The balance between AI and human creativity isn't settled yet.
(09:44):
And that tension is where the most interesting work is happening.
I also love Kenny's takeaway about collaboration.
Don't brief me.
Instead
of prescribing every move,
brands
need to build sandboxes where creators can play and bring their own voice.
In a world of infinite content, it's the genuine voices that cut through the
(10:04):
a hopeful shift for the industry, one that empowers creators and leads to more authentic,
resonant work.
It's clear that collaboration and creativity are driving forces in marketing.
From creators to
fans,
our next
brunch,
aptly titled, Engage with Certainty, tackled the question, what
does
the fan of the future expect from their entertainment experiences?
(10:26):
Here we heard first from Emma Simkiss, Associate Director of Brand and Marketing at theInternational Olympic Committee about how engagement is measured and what truly drives it.
Hello, I'm Emma Simkiss.
I work for the International Olympic Committee.
I look after the brand of marketing team.
give one piece of advice.
in terms of organization's how to drive fan engagement.
(10:48):
it's all about the content, of course.
And in our case, it's about providing a platform for people to interact as much aspossible with athlete content because that's what they love.
They love athletes, they love the sport.
So have a think about your audience, what they're going to be most interested in andcreate an incredible content strategy and plan around that.
(11:11):
Emma's approach to measuring success is evolving
in a really meaningful way.
It's no longer just about how many people you reach,
but about the depth of that engagement.
Are
fans,
coming back?
Are they buying tickets?
And how much time are they spending with your content?
Her aha moment is that driving real engagement
starts
(11:31):
with great content,
but it
does
not
in there.
It's also about creating platforms where fans can interact directly with athletes,
building a sense of connection and community.
Emma reminds us that winning content strategy is rooted
in what your audience actually cares about.
And that's where true loyalty begins.
Shifting gears,
Michelle McGuire Christian, Converge by Deloitte for Sports, Chief Commercial Officer,dives into how data and
(11:59):
AI
are transforming
fan engagement.
Michelle McGuire Christian, I'm the chief commercial officer for Converge.
like How is technology changing the way fans engage and leagues and sports groups engagewith their fans?
I'd say data's become the lifeline for all sports and leagues, including the InternationalOlympic Committee, on how they engage with fans, figure out what they want, how to
(12:22):
personalize content to them in a way that we've never seen before.
And AI, frankly, enabling them to pull in that data and use it to give fans the experiencethat they want.
If you had one piece of advice for how brands and leagues should engage with their fanswith certainty, what would that be?
(12:43):
Yeah, I think engaging with certainty involves first landing your data, right?
Collecting it, normalizing it, and then using that infrastructure downstream and have thedata tell you what the fan wants, right?
As opposed to assuming I know what fans want or need, have the data tell you.
Use unsupervised clustering algorithms to group those fans into audiences that enable youto know.
(13:08):
what channel, what message, what tone of voice that they actually care about.
Michelle's insights really drive home the central role of data in today's fan engagementstrategies.
Her aha moment is that it's
not
just about collecting data,
but
about using
AI
to truly understand what fans want.
(13:30):
teams, leagues can deliver the right content on the right channel
with the right tone.
Instead of making assumptions, Michelle urges us to let the data speak for itself.
That's how you move from generic outreach to truly personalized experiences, and that isthe future of fan engagement.
Building on the idea of personalization,
and
community, let's hear from
(13:51):
David Geisinger,
marketing technology, data and operations offering leader from Deloitte Digital, whoshares how technology is taking fan engagement to the next level.
Okay, David Geisinger, Deloitte.
What's one innovation in fan engagement that you think is going to become standard?
you know, I think that ability to move from one way communication to two way community isreally something that I think given where technology is the real time nature of how
(14:21):
individuals athletes, broader sports community can integrate using technology.
to bring real-time data, real-time feedback, real-time statistics through sports devices,through athletes' perspective, and through community will be different.
(14:41):
I think that we've seen an evolution of fantasy sports a lot over the past few years, andthe evolution of fantasy leagues and how that has created a whole new set uh
as well as real-time stacking of content.
And the ability to follow an athlete or team's journey from the moment they begin trainingthrough the ups and downs, the trials and tribulations, through, as they used to say on
(15:13):
the Worldwide of Sports, through the thrill of victory or agony of defeat, all the waythrough the post
Athletic application is going to be really interesting and fans will continue to engageand find ways through devices, through technology, through creative, through AI to find
their place in that model.
(15:33):
If there was one piece of advice you'd give organizations that engage fans with certainty,what would that
Well, I mean, it all starts with the data.
Data is the foundation of any relationship, but in any communication.
understanding, and I know it's cliche, but communicating to the right person at the righttime with the right message.
But that takes time.
(15:54):
That takes not only a solid understanding of who your fans are, but it also requires thenecessary technology and information architecture to ensure that you've structured that
data in a way that allows you to
to use innovations like Gen AI to segment and identify new things within that data thatyou otherwise as a human, might not be able to find those nuggets quickly, but then be
(16:16):
able to act on that data.
So we are one of the big things is to help organizations move away from working too muchin the business to working on the business.
And so starting with that data, starting with the technology foundation and then
really focusing on custom experiences that the fans, the teams, the leagues, the athletesneed in order to continue that engagement and create those unique moments that bring out
(16:47):
the best in everyone.
vision for the future of fan engagement is all about moving from one-way
communication to true two-way community.
His aha moment is that real innovation happens when fans aren't just passive spectators,but active participants
sharing feedback, accessing real-time stats, and connecting with athletes journeys in amuch deeper way.
(17:13):
He points out.
The rise of fantasy sports is just the beginning.
Imagine following an athlete or team from train to victory and defeat with technology andAI helping fans find their place
in that story.
us
it all starts with data.
Building meaningful relationships with fans requires not just collecting data,
(17:35):
but
structuring it and using the right technology and information architecture.
communicate with the right person at the right time
with the right message.
Doing so will help you unlock the power of GEN.AI and other
innovations to truly understand and engage your fans.
After hearing these confessions, I asked each panelist to choose one word to describe theCrystal Ball
(17:58):
brunch,
experience.
Here's what they had to say.
hopeful.
Energizing.
Optimistic.
Vibrant.
Creativity.
and say certainty.
That wraps up our special edition episode spotlighting our Cannes confessionals.
Thank you
to all our speakers for sharing their insights with us.
(18:19):
This episode is part of a special mini series brought to you by Deloitte Digital, recordedon location at the 2025 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.
Over the next few weeks, we'll be dropping new episodes featuring conversations withleaders.
from some of the world's most influential brands and capturing the latest insights, trendsand stories shaping our industry right now.
(18:42):
Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss an episode
as we continue this journey from Cannes.
We'll be back to our regular content after the mini series concludes.
Thank you for listening and we'll see you next time.
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