In the ever-evolving landscape of digital marketing, the creator economy has emerged as a powerful force, reshaping the way brands connect with consumers. A recent study conducted by LTK in partnership with Northwestern University’s Retail Analytics Council highlights the profound impact of creator marketing, an industry now estimated at $21 billion.

Brands and retailers are investing more than ever in creators because they are seeing the critical role they play in brand building across the entire marketing funnel, from awareness to consideration and conversion. Globally, marketers are expected to spend more than $32 billion on influencer marketing in 2024, and influencer spend is now outpacing traditional ad investment, with 80% of brands saying they increased creator budgets in 2023.

A whopping 92% of brands plan to increase their spending on creators in 2024, and 36% plan to spend at least half of their entire digital marketing budget on creators. When asked where their marketing dollars are shifting, creator marketing and connected TV shared the top position overall for investment growth, beating out channels like paid search and paid social.

The study also found that dollars are being moved from digital ads to creator marketing because the scale of creator marketing has proven to be more efficient when compared to side-by-side, all-cost measurement. In fact, 100% of big box and grocery brands said creators will take a higher percentage of the budget or an increased role in 2024 marketing strategies.

Creator trust is driving purchase decisions

Consumers across various industries have come to trust creators when making their purchasing decisions. A staggering 73% of Gen Z, 68% of millennials and 57% of the general population look to creators when making purchase decisions. Because of the significant trust creators have built with their communities, the majority of surveyed brands said consumers are turning to creators the most compared to social media ads and celebrities. When it comes to social media ads, 95% of CPG brands use creator-generated content.

Brands recognize creators’ full-funnel impact

Creators have evolved into valuable assets for brands, capable of driving substantial business impact. The study reveals that brands are leveraging creators to support various strategies, including increasing repeat purchases and basket size, boosting brand and product recognition, expanding consideration among new audiences, fostering loyalty and enhancing retention. With consumer trust in creators playing a pivotal role, more than half of fashion brands and 45% of beauty brands reported that creators have improved their brand perception.

Brands have built multifaceted creator programs average 3.8 different goals for their partners. Brands report the top four most important goals for creators are generating content, driving loyalty, creating awareness and driving sales.

Leveraging creators in retail media networks

Retail media networks (RMN) are still expected to grow but a little slower than anticipated, in part because the digital aspect of retail media was so quickly adopted. More than 80% of brands have fully or nearly completely integrated retail media networks with their other digital channels and practices.

However, retail media is not meeting the expectations of brands in large part because of reporting. Most say they measure performance based on ROAS because that’s all they can access, but brands actually listed ROAS lowest among all measurements. Brands want to grow their audiences and loyalty and look at longer-term, big-picture performance metrics. This is where creators can help given their full-funnel impact.

How to win with creators in 2024

Creator content is more essential than ever in the marketing mix. An impressive 98% of brands are using creator content for channels beyond just social media, highlighting its versatility and reach. Creator investment is also growing at an astonishing rate, outpacing other digital channels. Brands with winning creator strategies are investing in creators to maximize their impact across various channels and are focusing on achieving full-funnel impact by driving three key metrics: audience growth, awareness and increased sales.

As we move into 2024, creator marketing is fundamental shifting how brands engage with consumers. The world of marketing is evolving, and those who embrace the rise of creators will find themselves at the forefront of this transformative wave. The time to invest in creators and their unique ability to influence, engage and build trust with consumers is now.

The reported data is from a brand survey conducted by LTK in collaboration with Northwestern University’s Retail Analytics Council in August 2023 among 164 marketing decision-makers that have invested in creator marketing in the last 12 months. More than half of the global brands were valued at more than $1 billion and included top retail, fashion, beauty and health, CPG, tech, entertainment, auto, travel and service industries. The full study is available for download here.

Traditionally, advertising production has been characterized by extensive globe-trotting, significant environmental impact and substantial costs. But I invite you to consider a future where these age-old norms and conventions have become obsolete. This is a revolution powered by a convergence of cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), and their remarkable potential to reshape the industry through the rise of virtual studios.

Begin by acknowledging a simple truth: The conventional advertising production model, as we have known it, is no longer viable. A pivotal force driving this paradigm shift is the growing awareness of the environmental footprint of traditional advertising production. One ad campaign can produce 70 tons of CO2 equivalent emissions—for perspective, that’s the same as what seven people on average release into the atmosphere in a year. 

Embracing sustainability isn’t just an ethical stance; it’s also becoming a business imperative. Today’s consumers are increasingly drawn to brands that demonstrate environmental responsibility. Similarly, shareholders often regard sustainability as a key performance indicator. In advertising, we don’t just narrate stories, we architect them. Therefore, we have a responsibility to scrutinize our own environmental impact to ensure we are a catalyst for change.

In a world increasingly concerned about climate change and ecological sustainability, the industry can no longer afford to maintain the status quo. The urgency for change is clear, and virtual studios are emerging as a powerful solution. Here’s why I predict a game-changing shift in the future of advertising production, along with some practical strategies to make a seamless transition into the virtual space.

What is a virtual studio, and how does it work? 

A virtual studio harnesses cutting-edge technologies to project lifelike environments onto LED screens, serving as the backdrop for actors during filming. Within this studio setup, green screens and LED walls replace specific elements or even the entire set, seamlessly merging real and virtual elements. 

AR introduces an exciting dimension by using sensors, cameras and displays to capture the real world and superimpose virtual objects onto it. While interdependent technologies, AI can enhance AR as it tracks and analyzes object movement within the virtual set, ensuring realistic interactions between virtual and real elements. Meanwhile, VR immerses users in a digitally crafted, three-dimensional environment, facilitated by specialized electronic gear like headsets and gloves. It transports actors to a virtual realm where they can naturally interact with objects, people and surroundings as if physically present.

The core premise of virtual studios is grounded in efficiency, which, in turn, has a positive knock-on effect on sustainability. AI, VR and AR technologies enable us to streamline production processes, minimize resource consumption and drastically reduce carbon footprints. Companies like Reckitt have adopted this and achieved up to 75% reduction in CO2 emissions compared to traditional production methods.

When agencies consider implementing virtual studios, they should first assess their specific needs, budget and location. For high-frequency and high-quality productions, investing in LED screens and in-house sets is an option, but often it’s much better to tap into specialized studios that already have the capability and know-how. Early adoption of software like Unreal Engine, with ongoing hardware and software choices being informed by the rapidly evolving nature of the field, plays a pivotal role in the early phases. From there, it’s possible to convert an existing in-house conventional studio into a virtual production studio by setting up an LED volume wall.

When it comes to investing in equipment, opt for efficiency rather than top-of-the-range, or consider renting equipment if you’re looking to save costs. Renting virtual production studio space, which is now easier as more facilities become available and more talent has been trained, can be a more cost-effective solution. With the virtual production global market expected to reach $7.6 billion by 2030, it’s clear it will become increasingly prevalent and accessible for agencies—there are some 80 virtual production studios in the U.S. and 40 in the U.K.

Transitioning from a traditional production model to virtual studios may seem daunting, but it’s crucial to explore the pragmatic strategies and tactics to navigate this shift.

Audit and optimize 

Start by conducting an audit of your current production processes. This includes assessing the equipment, personnel and workflows involved in traditional advertising production.

Analyze the financial impact of your current production model, and identify areas where costs can be reduced and optimized—consider whether there are inefficient processes or unused equipment. From there, you can invest in the necessary technologies for virtual production or seek out a suitable LED studio for the asset creation you need. 

Start small and measure 

Instead of immediately shifting all projects to virtual studios, begin with a small-scale project or pilot. This could be a short video ad or a digital campaign. This will help you ease into the transition and evaluate its efficiency and impact.

Measure how much time and resources were saved compared to traditional production methods. Collaborate with organizations like Ad Net Zero and AdGreen to calculate the carbon footprint of your virtual production process. This will help you align with sustainability goals. 

Maximize resources and efficiency 

As advertisers, the key to success in a virtual studio transition doesn’t solely rely on the tools and technology at your disposal. It’s all about how you orchestrate the planning and setup to maximize efficiency. This not only includes leveraging existing expertise and data but also adopting key tactics like bundling tasks and shooting multiple ads over a span of a few weeks.

This approach allows you to make the most of your access to virtual studios, enabling seamless transitions between different backgrounds and efficient production of various content, helping you tackle everything in a short amount of time, from television commercials to social media posts. This tactic not only saves time and resources but also reduces the environmental impact by eliminating the need for time-consuming travel. Overall, it’s important to prioritize the preparation phase rather than relying on the “fix it in post” mentality. 

Virtual studios, supercharged by AI, VR and AR, represent the future of advertising production. These state-of-the-art technologies are not only redefining how we create content but also fundamentally altering the industry’s DNA. The age of virtual studios promises to make advertising more sustainable, efficient and creatively liberating than ever. 

The industry cannot afford to sit still; change is not only imminent but also necessary. Our future depends on our ability to adapt and adopt strategies that are in harmony with environmental preservation. This shift is an opportunity to lead the way, reshape our industry and captivate worldwide audiences in innovative ways. 

Editor’s note: In this article, Adweek deviated from its style of using Latinx due to the writer’s preference. Latine is a gender-neutral form of Latino.

“Let’s hire a diverse candidate for this role.”

“We should target underserved communities with this campaign.”

“We need more minorities in this spot.”

We’ve all been in rooms where these statements were shared, or perhaps these phrases poured out of our very own mouths.

Using words like “minority” or “marginalized,” for example, is ultimately harmful rhetoric because it diminishes and others groups of people, suggesting they’re small and inferior. Marketers should see the opportunity in speaking to these audiences as the ultimate business proposition, not an action they have to do because of cultural pressure.

There are moments when we need to speak broadly about people who are not white, cis-gendered, straight, able-bodied men and there are more impactful ways to do that. For every other instance, we should lean into the specificity of who it is that is being referred to because if you’re speaking generally, you’ll get generic results.

Speaking broadly

When speaking broadly, we at Worthi use the term “underestimated audiences.” We gravitate toward this phrase because the word “estimated” is closely tied to valuation and business impact.

When you underestimate an entity, you miss out on some sort of return due to a miscalculation of effort. The act of speaking directly to Black, Latine, LGBTQ+, AAPI, PWD and other audiences feels like it’s inherently related to diversity, equity and inclusion, or something done to be considered charitable. In actuality, the data shows these audiences are critical for business longevity due to their increasing size, outsized influence and buying power that rivals the GDP of many major countries.

Terms like “marginalized” give the impression that these audiences are off to the side watching the world pass them by, which is not the case at all. These are audiences who are constantly at the forefront of culture, driving the trends and shaping habits of the mass market.

“Minorities” is now non-factual, as there is nothing minor about these audiences’ sheer population, cultural impact or buying power.

The word “underserved” is misleading as well. These audiences aren’t looking for service or a handout or any sort of charity; brands actually need them to thrive and, frankly, to survive. There’s no business longevity without gaining the trust and support of these audiences.

And lest we forget, the worst one of them all: diverse. Nobody identifies as “diverse.” You can’t say “I want to get a diverse hire for this job,” or “We should go after diverse audiences.” This is where specificity is important: If your organization has a deficit of Black people, then say you want to hire a Black executive. If research is telling you your product would appeal to Latine audiences, then that’s who you need to specifically target.

Being general with your approach will always yield generic results.

Let’s be specific

There’s sometimes a fear of being specific. My hypothesis is that the fear stems from one of two places: dread of using the wrong word, or concerns about alienating a “general market” (put in quotes because the term general market in 2023 is a farce).

I do understand the fear of putting your foot in your mouth and using the wrong or potentially dated, politically incorrect term, but curiosity and humility here will be your best friends. Ask questions and seek to understand. Don’t let ignorance be your downfall.

For example, the word “Black” is not offensive. You don’t have to whisper it or look around the corner to see who’s around before uttering the word. If you want to target Black audiences, put it prescriptively in your brief, just remember to capitalize the B and never use the term “Blacks” (the plural is racist.)

Then, there’s a lack of credibility to the second fear of alienating a “general market” with specific audience targeting. For decades, non-white/straight/cis-gendered/able-bodied people have had to find relatability in stories and ads that did not reflect their existence, let alone speak directly to them.

There are universal, relatable truths that “general market” audiences can glean from underestimated audiences. Marketers shouldn’t think that if their content features a Black person, for example, only Black people will be attracted to that campaign. Targeting one audience specifically doesn’t mean you’ll only reel in that one audience alone; it means you increase your chances of getting an outsized reaction from an audience that is not only influential to the masses but carries certain human truths that others can relate to.

Black, Latine and LGBTQ+ audiences, especially, carry a lot of influence outside of their specific communities and are known for creating broader cultural conversations, starting trends and sparking awareness where there may not otherwise have been. So think of these audiences as potential brand ambassadors and amplifiers of your message and mission. But the catch is, you have to authentically and consistently show up for them to reap those benefits.

While these audiences are historically underestimated, marketers can now course-correct. Chart a stronger course for your brands not because of principles related to DEI, but because of principles related to profit. Weed out the apathetic language, lean into specificity, and be intentional about authentically and consistently connecting with these underestimated audiences. Your brand depends on it.

Just a few years ago, the social media D2C brand space felt like a utopia of millennial pink and minimalism, in which plucky new beauty brands, razor subscriptions and memory foam mattresses could flourish with little more than a shop link, 100-day trials and a few gushing, unverified reviews.

Now, it’s increasingly challenging to build a direct to consumer brand rigorous enough to withstand the choppy waters of social media-led D2C models, and long gone are the days when you could build a brand from scratch through social channels alone. Cost per conversion has spiraled, and social ads no longer offer predictable ROI.

Success is all about understanding trends, then ignoring them. Countless social-first D2C brands have started to both look and act the same: a homogeneous gloop of identikit products, sold with the same fonts, return policies and social strategies. No matter how great the product or the demand, copying another model and expecting the same results is a surefire route to failure. Great branding is the opposite of imitation: By merging into a singular sector look, brands are forgettable and become dated very quickly. 

There are four things brands can do to rise above unpredictable algorithmic fluctuations, stand out from the crowd and achieve real long-term success. 

Put the ‘media’ in social

The ways people buy have changed. The once-linear purchase funnel has collapsed, making consistent and compelling brand stories matter more than ever. Instead of seeing a direct equation in which Brand + Ads = Customers, brands today need to think like a media company that creates engaging, useful content that speaks to audiences in meaningful ways. 

Smart brands also use content to show off their products’ capabilities while seamlessly engaging both existing audiences and those they’re hoping to target. Take camera brand Canon, for instance. As outlined in a recent best practices guide, Canon showed off its EOS R5 and R6 cameras by using them for the products’ livestreamed launch event and Q&A. These were then hosted on both Canon’s site and YouTube for 10 days after launch, where they continued to attract viewers and drive product demand—so much so that the web store ran out of stock within hours. 

Think multichannel to create community

Every brand channel is volatile; they’re often at the mercy of tech giants (see Apple’s iOS 14 tracking changes and Google’s decision to phase out cookies by 2024). But volatility isn’t always negative for online brands: While physical stores were decimated by Covid-19 lockdowns, online retail flourished as we relieved lockdown anxiety and boredom by buying stuff from our couches.

Since all trends are driven by human behavior and ever-shifting cultural and economic norms, they’ll always be unpredictable. That’s why an omnichannel approach is vital. What those channels are, and where and how you create those communities, will depend on the nature of each individual brand, but making yours community-led is a way of future-proofing—it’s based on the fundamentals of human connection, not trends. The best brands are unique, recognizable propositions that genuinely add value across multiple channels; they enhance people’s lives by building communities on and offline, operating in areas people really care about and helping to define their personality. 

Gymshark‘s $1 billion net worth was earned through a savvy strategy that centered on community, collaboration and content. The brand was an early adopter and shrewd user of influencer marketing, leveraging fitness influencers’ existing audiences and, in doing so, using trusted sources that went straight to its target audiences. It was also ahead of its time in using social media challenges to garner huge engagement, like 2018’s #Gymshark66. The chance to win a year’s supply of merch was almost irrelevant: The draw was instant inclusion in a global community that offered priceless bonuses when it comes to fitness—positivity and accountability. 

Tell compelling stories

When it comes to community-led, omnichannel approaches, it’s your brand story that ties everything together. It not only gives you a compelling message, it ensures you stay on message wherever your brand is present. And stories are one of the things people have been drawn to for millennia. 

Liquid Death is (in)famous for its bonkers, out-there use of the traditional celebrity endorsement model. The brand launched a luxury enema kit with Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker, for instance, as well as teaming up with Martha Stewart on a very unexpected product launch: The Dismembered Moments Luxury Candle. 

On the face of it, Liquid Death’s stunts are little more than old school shock tactics: ridiculous, bombastic and gory. But they deftly avoid clichés—this content isn’t for a movie or a video game, but for plain old water. It’s a far cry from the imagery of waterfall-infused landscapes or the pretty, visibly refreshed, sporty women peddled by most water brands.

Liquid Death CEO Mike Cessario has said that this stunt-led content has been far more effective for building brand awareness than traditional advertising: “People will literally pay to get rid of ads, and they definitely don’t share ads with their friends on social media for free.” 

Facilitate conversations 

Sometimes, your customers might not be who you thought. When we started the tattoo care brand Stories & Ink, for instance, we hadn’t foreseen what our audience would become. More traditional tattoo-centric brands all too often align themselves with a rather old-fashioned, very heterosexual, stereotypically masculine, heavy-metal approach; but our community turned out to be primarily non-male. It makes sense: The majority of new tattoo artists, and those currently training, are female. But no one was catering for them before. 

Conversations go two ways, and the best D2C brands answer a very real need for people and keep that conversation going, listening as much as telling (or selling) people what they need.

Alongside its smart online tactics, Gymshark created its loyal following IRL by meeting customers through fitness expos, pop-up stores and two world tours (all documented online, creating evergreen content from temporary activations). Face-to-face interactions meant Gymshark could gain real customer insights, which in turn helps them build products and evolve the brand around what people actually want. 

The future is consumer-first 

The likes of Liquid Death, Stories & Ink and Gymshark—all started as D2C—have never solely relied on social. These very different brands have used well-targeted, properly budgeted influencer or celebrity partnerships, fostered engaged communities and weaved brilliant stories. They listen to their audiences online and IRL, working hard to understand them inside out as part of an ongoing dialogue. They don’t advertise to people, per se—they bring them useful content they actually want.

Brands can only evolve with robust marketing models that merge data-led and real-life community insights. It’s a lot more nuanced and complex than throwing money at paid advertising, but it’s the only way to build true brand loyalty and, in turn, a brand with longevity.

Today, we’re all wise to ads—hence the ad blockers and cookie laws—and we’re sick of waiting five seconds to skip through them. But we’ll never be fed up with the useful content we actually want. Whether brands sell in physical retail spaces, through traditional ecommerce or through social-led D2C, today, they have to be robustly singular, instantly recognizable, community-centric and flexible.

Every decision D2C brands make should be driven by their unique market and its community—who and what they’re interested in, and how and where they’re looking at it. Channel-first is over; the future is consumer-first. 

In the rapidly evolving landscape of digital advertising, brands are in a race to capture consumer attention across various channels including banners, videos and social media content.

As a result, the concept of attention has become a crucial metric for understanding the impact of advertisements. However, as we delve into the realm of attention metrics, a collaborative and coordinated approach is essential to ensure proper measurement and establish a solid foundation.

In today’s complex media environment, more marketers are realizing that impressions alone are insufficient. The question arises: When audiences encounter an ad, are they genuinely engaged with the content? And does this engagement lead to tangible outcomes like sales or leads for the brand?

The quest for precision

The need for more precise metrics to evaluate impression quality has spurred marketers to investigate further. Their goal is to uncover how ads shape user perceptions and ultimately drive results. In 2022, we witnessed a shift from traditional metrics like impressions and viewability, signaling the emergence of attention metrics as a new focal point.

However, a challenge lies in the absence of a universal definition for attention metrics. This situation is reminiscent of the early days of viewability and ad verification, where each stakeholder had their own interpretation. Complicating matters are three distinct approaches to measuring attention:

1. Data proxy signals: Using data signals from devices and publishers to record behavior and on-screen engagement. These signals encompass various actions, such as mouse-over clicks, volume adjustments, ad expansions, play/pause interactions and ad viewability.
2. Biometric observation: Gathering real-time insights into people’s physiological responses to on-screen or audio content. This includes brainwaves, heart rate and eye movement. These devices can detect user presence, sound engagement, body movement, screen focus, facial expressions, cognitive responses and emotions.
3. Psychological insight: Employing surveys, panel discussions and focus groups to assess the emotional impact of ads. This approach delves into aspects like brand consideration, awareness and sentiment, aiming to understand whether ads enhance brand perception.

Mixed enthusiasm

A movement is underway where brands and agencies are exploring a model that would hold publishers accountable for delivering ads to an engaged audience.

Attention metrics are gaining traction, particularly in domains like TV, digital video, gaming and, soon, audio. Brands aiming to build awareness are adopting these attention metrics for measurement and optimization, while direct response advertisers focus on specific outcomes like conversions and sales.

However, not all stakeholders are equally enthusiastic about attention metrics. Some publishers express concerns that this shift could impact ad revenue, pricing and inventory.

The question arises: Should publishers be responsible for driving outcomes through attention metrics? The role of creativity and the potential impact of ads that don’t engage effectively are also part of the discussion.

Embracing attention metrics responsibly

As we embark on this journey of attention metrics, it’s crucial to distinguish between attention and engagement. While engagement often leads to attention, they are not synonymous.

In 2023, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) launched an initiative focused on attention metrics and established the Attention Task Force. Its mission is to create a common language for data signals and measurement techniques, ensuring consistency in the language of attention metrics.

However, before we fully embrace attention metrics, it’s important to proceed with caution. Rushing into this new territory without standardized guidelines could lead to inconsistent measurement practices.

Understanding the significance of establishing a strong foundation for attention measurement, the IAB has laid out a practical plan for the Attention Task Force:

1. Gather input from various stakeholders to understand their needs and capabilities.
2. Develop informative guides and practical examples to foster a shared understanding of different measurement methods.
3. Facilitate collaborative discussions among agencies, brands, publishers and technology providers to establish criteria for measuring attention.

As the IAB collaborates with the Media Rating Council to establish attention metrics standards by 2024, challenges may arise due to the industry’s enthusiasm. Ad-tech companies and marketers, eager to pioneer attention-focused solutions, might inadvertently pressure publishers to adapt their transactions to align with attention metrics. It’s crucial to consider the complexities across logistical, operational and financial dimensions before embracing attention as a currency.

A path to success

To harness the potential of attention metrics, a collective effort is essential. Success lies not in adopting the latest technologies, but in sharing insights, use cases and best practices. The real victory is in fostering a common understanding in the intricate world of media, transforming attention metrics into a valuable tool for advertisers seeking deeper insights into consumer behavior.

As we navigate this uncharted territory, the journey begins with education and collaboration. By exercising patience and adhering to principled approaches, the advertising industry can effectively measure attention. With a solid foundation and unified efforts, attention metrics can indeed become a valuable asset, enhancing ad effectiveness and driving meaningful consumer engagement in the evolving digital landscape.

What does inclusivity feel like? Not what it looks like, but can you feel it?

According to the American Psychological Association’s 2023 Work in America Survey, 94% of workers said it is very or somewhat important that they feel a sense of belonging in their workplace.

As a half-Japanese, half-Chinese Asian American female executive creative director, I learned that creating open, safe and trust-based teams comes from being brave and vulnerable myself. Embracing my culture allows everyone to feel comfortable celebrating their own culture. It allows them to share their own heritage, customs and voices. And it allows them to feel more seen, appreciated and included.

The importance of cultural vulnerability

Prior to the 2000s, professionalism at work meant leaving who you are and where you come from (culturally, personally, spiritually) at the door. When we felt happy about Chinese New Year, Juneteenth, Passover, Pride Month, Holi, MLK Day, Ramadan, Easter and so on, we stayed quiet. We left it outside.

When leadership steps outside the employee handbook and incorporates their own culture inside of work, it gives others the bravery and permission to step up and share theirs. These initiatives are not HR-led; they are small acts that make big impressions to others who feel they must hide.

Leadership in cultural vulnerability is imaginative and brave. Demonstrating our own culture lets others know their culture is welcome, too. People hide who they are and where they’re from until they see it’s not only OK to contribute, but that it’s fun to celebrate and share with others.

Celebrate, don’t tokenize

Acts of inclusivity can increase employee retention and inspire different cultures within the workspace that can be seen and felt throughout your organization.

Here are three examples of workplace moments when one can celebrate one’s culture while celebrating colleagues:

Career milestones

Work anniversaries are huge, recognizable moments to celebrate and honor your colleagues. Have the courage to go beyond the company handbook to find ways to welcome different cultures.

For example, I handmade individual Hawaiian leis to give out on yearly anniversary dates. In my culture, a lei is a common symbol of celebration and spreads the aloha spirit. The creative department felt proud to wear their leis throughout the office as a visual badge of honor.

A former employee had this to say about my cultural contribution: “Tokens of gratitude from a leadership director like a gift card are easy, but don’t allow us to get to know our managers at anything deeper than the surface level.” He understood these leis as a celebration of my cultural heritage that mean a lot to me and, by extension, they meant a lot to him, too. It also encouraged him to share his own Jewish culture and traditions.

Goal setting

Find ways to incorporate culture within your HR’s company policies and procedures. One year, I gave each person a Daruma doll as a unique way to set individual goals.

In Asian culture, a Daruma doll is a symbol of a goal, dream or wish. When you first receive a Daruma doll, it has no eyes. Once you make your intent for your goal, you then draw in one eye. This doll will sit on your desk as a one-eyed doll and as a reminder of your unfinished goal. Then, when you accomplish your goal, you are then allowed to draw in the other eye as a completed goal/doll.

The team embraced this initiative and celebrated one another when completing their doll. One art director walked into work and upon seeing Daruma dolls on all the creative department’s desks, felt immediately welcomed seeing our culture was being highlighted by a member of the leadership team. It sparked great conversation and a bonus—it left team members with a keepsake.

The everyday

Create opportunities to welcome culture that connects with the senses: taste, smell, sight, hearing and touch. For example, outside of bringing in lunch from different countries, think of the everyday like the drinks in the office and including items such as Mexican sodas, Japanese juices, Italian cream sodas, etc.

One senior art director set up the department’s snack bar with Mexican candies, excited and amused when an art director asked if the chili powder was sugar dust. It opened friendly conversation and contributed to an environment of genuine inclusivity.

Snacks are common within other cultures; some examples are Japanese rice crackers, Indian boondi, Korean beef jerky, etc. Taking snack breaks can reflect the true celebration of the different flavors of those who work there, and it’s an opportunity to shine a light on individual cultures.

These are examples that I did, but I encourage you to find ways to tap into the culture within your own company. To have conversations inviting others to share aspects of their own culture that could become a part of your company culture. Creating a truly inclusive culture that can be felt by each individual person starts with the leaders.

The Fabric of Belonging: How to Weave an Inclusive Culture study found that fewer than 30% of employees feel fully included. This finding holds across industries, geographies and demographic groups, including members of racial, gender or sexual orientation majorities.

Who you hire is only part of the equation. Inclusivity is more than just a number. It should be embedded into every day at work, integrated into company processes and policies and interwoven into its culture.

Historically, there has been an argument that women’s sports were not profitable, with a perceived lack of demand. Recent events show a very different story.

This was abundantly clear in Ojai Valley at the espnW Summit, where athletes, executives and brands gathered to discuss the year in sports and highlight what they’re seeing across events, media and advertising. It is all at once empowering and a signal of untapped potential.

Here are key learnings from the summit to show how brands can help shape the future of women’s sports.

The demand

The record-breaking attendance and viewership of the 2022 Women’s NCAA Basketball Final Four, Iowa vs. DePaul, and the 2023 WNBA season have demonstrated that women’s sports are no longer a nice-to-have market but a thriving one. Brands are now finding themselves drawn to the intersection of women’s sports and media equity. This shift not only signifies a core change in the power of women’s sports but also in the ability for brands to have a seat at enhancing their future.

Ally’s 50/50 Pledge to advertise equally across women’s and men’s sports by 2027 highlights the power the brands can have. One such highlight of the initiative saw the online bank elevate the NWSL’s championship game to primetime on CBS, with a million viewers tuning in.

Media coverage for women’s sports is traditionally between 3.5% and 5% of coverage, but has grown to 15% and is on track to be 20% by 2025, according to the latest report from sports marketing agency Wasserman and The Collective. This shows there is room for scale as more investment and opportunities are provided.

Fans have proven there is demand when there is the chance to watch and support women’s sports. These fans present an opportunity for brands to convert customers more efficiently, reaching a dedicated and passionate audience with purchasing power in the trillions of dollars. The girl economy, as it were, is already showcasing what happens when brands specifically create content for women—they make bank.

The business case for brands

Women’s sports are evolving and becoming more mainstream, but it isn’t enough. What will make executives take the step and invest as advertising partners and advocates for women’s sports?

Omnichannel impact

When advertising with sports programs, you aren’t just showing up in the linear distribution spots. While many of us are watching sports on streaming and linear channels, we also join conversations about the games we’re watching on social.

Social has provided an interactive component where we as viewers and fans are empowered to be a voice for what we’re seeing. As coverage of women’s sports grows, so does the omnichannel distribution, providing a larger share of voice for the brands that play a role as supporters.

Marketing growth and opportunity

This week, Kim Kardashian’s Skims was announced as the official underwear partner of the WNBA. The brand deal signals that Skims recognizes these fans as a core demographic they want to attract and grow.

“Advertising for women’s sports is less expensive than men’s sports from a reach standpoint,” shared Angel City Football Club co-founder Kara Nortman at the summit. “You have a younger and more diverse audience watching. You can capture greater mindshare as you aren’t competing to cover every patch of grass or red zone, so your advertising dollar is working harder for you.”

Brand affinity and lower CAC (customer acquisition cost)

Ally’s head of sports and entertainment marketing, Stephanie Marciano, pointed out, “Fans want more women’s sports. … We have some scale issues with women’s sports, but what we don’t have in women’s sports is brand affinity issues.”

Marciano went on to highlight that the data gathered from the 50/50 Pledge shows that fans of women’s sports love Ally, and they have affinity and preference toward the brand. “We are six times more likely to convert you to a customer, and it costs us 90% less to convert you.”

Brand differentiation and demographic appeal

“Marketing leaders often ask me, ‘How do I reach the next generation sports fan?’ and I tell them that 62% of Gen Z fans say they would watch women’s sports if it was easier to find. So for a brand, it’s a huge opportunity to work with media partners to make more women’s sports available to fans and reach this coveted demographic,” said Sara Gotfredson, founder of Trailblazing Sports Group.

“There is an opportunity in women’s sports for brands to build and create franchise positions across platforms in a relatively uncluttered environment.”

How to get started

Brands should first commit to genuine, long-term partnerships that go beyond mere tokenism. By celebrating the achievements and stories of female athletes, promoting their events and supporting grassroots initiatives, brands can inspire the next generation of talent and fans.

Carolyn Braff, head of Gatorade brand strategy and founding member of the Gatorade Women’s Advisory Board, shared three key takeaways on how to innovate for women:

• Do not shrink or pink anything. Do the work. Understand what women want. Understand how that’s different from what women need. Understand how you can meet them in that opportunity space in the middle.
• Get women a seat at the table. Surround them with really strong women and men who will help them raise their voices and make sure that they are always heard.
• Find your own personal advisory board.

The intersection of women and athletes of color is where brands can step up to not just impact the future of women’s sports but inclusivity as a whole.

Black in Sport Business founder and CEO Marsha-Gaye Knight went on to highlight the importance of building up the industry and creating environments where women of color (WOC) can thrive. To start, here are her recommended four questions to ask when advancing WOC in sport:

1. What have I done to help to create an environment that allows WOC to grow and thrive?
2. How have I supported WOC to advance in the industry?
3. Have I taken the time to understand and learn about the experiences of WOC in the industry?
4. When we all gather together, do we ever ask ‘who is missing?’

The new era of women’s sports represents a turning point for brands to align with a growing and passionate fanbase. With the shift in media equity, storytelling, and a measurable impact on revenue and sentiment, the business case for brands investing in women’s sports is stronger than ever.

As women’s sports continue to thrive, brands can be a driving force in their success. It’s not just about growth; it’s about the scale and the potential to shape the future of sports marketing. Brands can offer more than ad spend, as their investment has the power to position women’s sports for primetime opportunities that drive fandom, viewership and engagement for brands that want to empower today’s and tomorrow’s athletes.

For brands that want to plant a flag in the future, this is your sign.

According to the latest Gartner CFO survey, 53% of chief financial officers plan to increase marketing budgets by at least 3% this year. The majority of marketers (60%), however, say marketing technology stacks are too complicated to use, with 20% saying it is “more complex than a black hole.”

In 2023, companies shouldn’t rely solely on a single marketing tool to boost their performance. Instead, they should integrate a complex marketing platform (yes, it could be tricky) that uses different components. Especially at this time, when 92% of U.S. consumers cut back spending and some major retailers are preparing for a period of slower sales.

Here’s what to keep in mind during the process of choosing and using martech stacks.

The basics

A martech stack is a set of tools, platforms and software used by a marketing team to boost the efficiency and productivity of marketing efforts. It integrates data from various sources in one place and is used in customer communications, provides a more personalized customer experience, and obtains comprehensive and precise analytics. When these things all come together, a martech stack empowers you to optimize your marketing efforts and boost business performance.

Depending on the business type, marketing goals and budget, a martech stack may include more than a dozen components such as:

• Customer data platform (CDP) for collecting and operationalizing data
• Customer relationship management (CRM) software
• Communication platforms and gateways (i.e. mobile app backend, web push messaging software, messengers, text messaging gateway)
• Personalization and order value tweaking tools (i.e. built-in dynamic blocks, pop-up windows, widgets, loyalty programs)
• AI/machine learning-driven tools and data warehouse for storing data used for analytics

A single tool is never enough

The key idea of building a martech stack is to track the entirety of a customer journey—starting with the very first touch point—and instantly adjust the offer and experience based on this data.

The modern customer journey can include various touch points: website, mobile app, offline stores, email and push messaging, customer service hotline and in-store communication. Therefore, by using your martech stack across all these touch points, you can improve the quality of data-driven decisions and make the customer experience much smoother.

The best customer experience is one that is consistent, so brands should have some sort of magic force aligning messaging and offers across all these touch points. This is precisely what CDPs are designed to do.

Also, it is obviously challenging to measure it all, which is why typically it’s worth having a separate data storage that’s cheaper than a real-time system (like a CDP), and use it for analytics and feeding AI/ML-driven tools, such as the product recommendation engines.

Still, which tool is the most important?

Similar to the way an orchestra needs a conductor, you cannot improve your direct-to-customer activities without a unified “orchestration” control center and data centralization.

This is where the second bottleneck arises, as you must choose between an integrated system (including a CDP) or a decentralized stack with the CDP/data warehouse at the center of it.

Both approaches have their pros and cons. Regardless of the choice, there is still one step required to unlock the CDP’s potential. By itself, a CDP, or even an integrated CDP, is not a silver bullet and won’t set up and test marketing experiments.

It’s crucial to have the right team and the right processes in place. The team should be cross-functional to avoid interdepartmental interactions, and they need to have a startup mindset.

Also, the marketing team must have a clear and measurable business goal with a proxy metric. For example, at Netflix, the key business goal is monthly retention, while the proxy metrics are “percent of members who add at least one member to their Friends list within six months” or “percent of members who stream at least 15 minutes of video in a month.” The company’s former vp of product management Gibson Biddle defines a proxy metric as the “percentage of members/new customers/returning customers who do at least the minimum threshold for user action by X period in time.”

And of course, they need to have operational freedom to be able to experiment in pursuit of the most efficient marketing strategy.

Communication tools provide loads of features, but they need to be used ethically. Constantly spamming your clients about an uncompleted purchase will not always result in a sale. In fact, it may cause them to become annoyed and go elsewhere.

According to Spamlaws, nearly 60% of all emails are spam, and advertising makes up 36% of all global spam content. When contacting your customers, try to implement a more thoughtful approach.

For example, United Colors of Benetton implemented cascading campaigns with push notifications in their Wallet app based on these principles:

• each subsequent message is sent only if the customer cannot be contacted in any of the previous stages of the cascade sequence
• free email and push notifications are sent first, followed by paid notifications via an instant messenger and/or text message
• messages stop as soon as at least one message has a “delivered” status or if the customer completes the target action

As a result, 3% of new customers from the Wallet app were converted into first-time purchasers.

Finally, it is crucial for a marketing team to use and merge data from a diverse set of data sources, including websites, call centers, ordering kiosks, apps and POS terminals. Also, remember to avoid treating a customer as two different people when they buy online and offline or when they unsubscribe from email notifications but keep receiving text notifications.

Lastly, it’s all about the team

A martech stack is an essential and powerful instrument for marketing teams. Its superpower is in combining a number of tools.

Among them, CDPs are still heavily underestimated, and we need a few years more and more use cases to reach a plateau of productivity. CDPs will develop further to absorb and process a variety of data types, such as point-of-contact streams, asynchronous data streams, as well as one-to-many and many-to-many (families, personal connections, pets, etc.) data models. This will entrench their position as the single source of truth for marketing purposes.

However, marketing tools cannot be the ultimate solution without a team that is capable of using them in the most efficient way.