Global creative agency, Ear to the Ground, has launched the 22/ 23 edition of the Fan Intelligence® Index, which is their annual report ranking the top 30 most culturally relevant brands in sports, esports and gaming.
Culture is a constantly shifting entity, and every year the Fan Intelligence® Index throws up surprising new twists. This year the methodology was tweaked to match the changing times, resulting in new brands coming to the fore. In addition, sports, esports and gaming are now all ranked equally, which also had an impact on the ranking.
LEGO took top spot after a stellar year within sports, esports and gaming. From breaking gender stereotypes with a Women’s EURO campaign to launching a new Horizon Forbidden West LEGO set alongside the game’s launch, the toy maker held the attention of the new breed of fan all year long.
LEGO’s rise shows the power of a dedicated strategy in sports, esports, and gaming to drive cultural relevance and see results with the new breed of fan.
Amazon is another winner of this year’s Fan Intelligence® Index, rising 32 places to fourth in the overall ranking. The sporting fly-on-the-wall All Or Nothing documentary series provides fans with unmatched insights into some of the biggest sports teams in the world. Fans love getting closer and being educated about the teams and personalities they admire.
Amazon continues to invest in and evolve sports broadcasting. Their recent Premier League live gameweek saw them trial managers interviewing each other in a switch-up of the post-match interview, and fans completely loved the irreverent nature.
A debut Thursday Night Football NFL programme also saw Amazon Prime break the record for sign-ups in a three-hour period. Combined with regular drops of exclusive loot for Prime Gaming fans and you have a potent, culturally relevant offering designed to appeal to the new breed of fan.
For the full ranking, plus deep dives into the trends at play in the coming year, please request a copy from Ear to the Ground Partnerships Manager Stevyn Monaghan: stevynmonaghan@eartotheground.org.
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