Owen Laverty
Chief Innovation Officer, Ear To The Ground
Let’s be honest. The talent game is broken. Too many deals still follow the same old formula – chase reach, overpay for fame, cross fingers for ROI. In the meantime, younger fans are rewriting the rules, gravitating towards voices who feel real, connected, and culturally plugged in.
That’s why we built the Fan Intelligence® Index: Talent Edition.
This isn’t another popularity poll. It’s a living, breathing signal of where culture’s headed – direct from the fans shaping it. Powered by our Fan Intelligence® Network and Fan_Intelligence_AI platform, it spotlights the Most Valuable Voices of tomorrow across sport, gaming and music.
These aren’t just performers. They’re culture-makers. And if you’re still selecting talent based on performance alone, it’s time to radically rethink your approach.
Why It Matters: Talent is the Culture Now
Every week, I hear from CMOs struggling to make sense of who to back and when. Timing is tough. Prices inflate fast. Authenticity is harder to judge from a boardroom. That’s why we’ve created a system that helps brands spot talent on the rise – before they hit peak cost and cultural saturation.
The truth is, performance gets attention. But it’s not enough. The talent that tops our MVV list? They don’t just show up – they shape the space around them. They bring others up with them. They remix narratives. They stay unapologetically themselves. And crucially, they connect with fans in a way that feels intuitive, unfiltered and genuinely magnetic.
That’s the playbook for 2028. Here’s how you use it.
Five Fan-First Shifts Every Brand Needs to Make
1. Squad Over Solo
MVVs don’t operate alone. They build networks. Think Alphonso Davies – hopping from Twitch streams with Speed to music collabs with KSI. Fans love these organic connections. Brands should too.
Your move: Stop evaluating talent in isolation. Map the ecosystem. Who else do they bring to the table?
2. Lift Up, Don’t Just Level Up
Ilona Maher didn’t just medal at the Olympics – she made women’s rugby go viral. Caitlin Clark isn’t just a basketball star – she’s shifting how the world sees women’s sport. Fans notice when talent uplifts others. So should you.
Your move: Partner with voices who champion underrepresented spaces – and support them with real commitment.
3. Let Them Remix the Brief
Gen Zalpha doesn’t want another poster ad. They want to see talent influence the work. DJ Khaled isn’t just in SNIPES campaigns – he’s shaping them.
Your move: Co-create. Build frameworks, not scripts. Invite talent to lead the vision, not just lend their image.
4. Act in the Now, Not in Quarters
The PlayStation House during UCL week worked because it felt live. Fans want immediacy and interactivity. Talent-led, fan-fed campaigns outperform because they move at the speed of culture.
Your move: Plan for spontaneity. Build infrastructure for real-time creativity. Our Fan_Intelligence_AI helps clients do exactly that.
5. Real Over Perfect
Let’s be clear – fans are done with over-polished content. They want to see quirks, chaos, and character. Cole Palmer x Pringles didn’t go viral because it was sleek. It went viral because it was him.
Your move: Make room for unscripted moments. Trust talent to be themselves. That’s where the gold is.
Rewriting ROI: From Visibility to Value
Too many talent partnerships waste budget. They chase visibility but miss the point – relevance. Fans don’t want just another famous face. They want stories, journeys, and values they can believe in.
The brands that will win in the next cycle are the ones brave enough to play the long game. To invest in relationships. To let talent grow into ambassadors, not assets.
The Fan Intelligence® Index: Talent Edition is here to help you make those calls with confidence. It shows you who matters now – and why they’ll matter even more tomorrow.
Five Fan-First Shifts Every Brand Needs to Make
We’re entering an era where your talent strategy isn’t just a marketing function – it’s a cultural investment. Get it right, and you don’t just win campaigns. You build community. You futureproof relevance.
So, if you’re still running talent deals the old way, it’s time to change the script.
Fans are evolving. Are you?
