Sports & Outdoors Newsletter |🦁 What Cannes 2025 Got Right About Brand

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Lions Unleashed 🦁

What Cannes 2025 Got Right (and Missed) About Brand
✍️ By Sam Carter, CEO of Fospha

At Cannes Lions this year, one word kept surfacing: brand.

In a performance-obsessed world, brand feels harder to defend. It doesn’t show up in ROAS or fit neatly into a reporting cycle. But that doesn’t mean it’s not driving results.

As Rory Sutherland put it, “A brand is like a pension… one day you wake up and go: bloody hell, where did all this equity come from?”

He’s right. Our data at Fospha shows brands investing more than 10% in upper-funnel activity see 2x the overall marketing efficiency. But belief isn’t the issue — buy-in is.

To protect brand budgets, we need better evidence. That’s why we’ve identified early signals—like branded search and engaged visits—that connect brand activity to business outcomes.

👉 Read the full article
📊 Download the Glow Report to explore the data behind the brand debate.

Specialty Bites 🍪

AI SPORTS EXPANSION

AI in Sports Market to Achieve USD 60.78 Billion by 2034

The AI in sports market is projected to grow from USD 10.82 billion in 2025 to USD 60.78 billion by 2034, driven by AI-driven analytics for injury prevention and fan engagement. North America currently leads, but Europe is expected to grow rapidly, enhancing performance optimization, fan experiences, and infrastructure investments.

SKI RESORT UPGRADES

Aspen Snowmass Transforms With $80 Million Investment in Ski and Leisure Upgrades

Aspen Snowmass is investing $80 million in upgrades, enhancing skier experience with improved chairlift capacity and a revitalized, all-electric mountain restaurant. These changes increase skier traffic capacity and boost visitor amenities, aligning with emerging trends in sustainable design, making it strategically significant for marketers targeting the U.S ski industry.

FOOTBALL BRANDING STRATEGY

Boston College Unveils New Balance Football Uniforms for 2025 Season

Boston College has introduced its 2025 football uniforms, featuring a blend of traditional elements and modern design aspects, marking a full transition to New Balance apparel for all varsity sports. This change builds brand cohesion and strengthens local ties with New Balance, enhancing Boston College's unique position as the sole Power Five school with an exclusive New Balance deal. These uniforms symbolize not merely a style update but an alignment with broader institutional branding strategies, creating new marketing opportunities for increased brand recognition and fan engagement.

WATER SAFETY GEAR

Top Safety Picks Best Kids Life Jackets for Summer Water Adventures

Parents should prioritize U.S. Coast Guard-approved kids' life jackets, ensuring a snug fit and durable materials, such as nylon, to boost water safety. Essential for encouraging use, the jackets should offer comfort, adjustable fit, and low-profile designs catering to child swimmers' varying needs. Strategically investing in high-quality, adjustable life vests enhances children's safety during summer activities.

MEN'S FASHION STAPLES

Best Men's Softshell Jackets Combining Style Comfort and Durability for Outdoor Adventures

Softshell jackets are essential for their comfort, durability, and versatility, offering weather resistance and breathability ideal for outdoor adventures and urban settings. Their stretchable, water-repellent fabrics and sustainable designs make them practical for layering, maintaining comfort across varied climates. Marketing opportunities lie in their ability to enhance both style and functionality, ensuring customer appeal through high-performance features and eco-friendly materials.

🏆 Announcing the ClickZ 25 of 25 Awards –
Powered by Fospha

While the world’s eyes were on Cannes last week, we’ve been spotlighting a different kind of creativity.

The ClickZ 25of25 Awards spotlights 25 standout DTC and digital-first campaigns that drove real impact this year — across five key sectors: luxury, beauty, wellness, home, and fashion.

Each winner represents smart, scaled, creatively sharp marketing — and we’re thrilled to celebrate their work.

You’ll find the full list — plus sector breakdowns and creative highlights — in our full awards report.

📥 Download the full report below

👉 Got a standout campaign or behind-the-scenes story to share? ClickZ is always looking to spotlight fresh creative — reach out to us, we’d love to hear from you.

Optimization Hub ⚙️

ECOMMERCE TRENDS

eCommerce Marketing Trends to Know of in 2025

In 2025, eCommerce marketing is driven by five crucial trends:

• personalization and enhanced customer experiences using data and AI

• the rise of mobile commerce and shoppable content

• the impact of social commerce coupled with influencer marketing

• the importance of data analytics and marketing automation

• the evolving roles of SEO and content marketing.

These trends highlight the strategic use of technology and platforms in capturing and retaining customers, emphasizing the need for tailored experiences, efficient data handling, and adaptive marketing strategies for professionals in the field.

GEOGRAPHIC INSIGHTS

Geographic Insights Help Brands Expand Into Underserved Markets With Amazon DSP

Geographic Insights and Activation (GIA) on Amazon DSP empowers marketers to efficiently tap into underpenetrated markets by leveraging Amazon's first-party data.

This tool enables advertisers to identify high-potential geographic areas, optimize campaigns, and combine online and offline sales data for improved reach and ROI. By addressing challenges of localized personalization and operational friction, GIA offers a precise means to enhance advertising effectiveness and expand customer bases.