Adobe’s impact on the sports industry — deepening fan engagement and streamlining content creation

As Michael Jordan famously said, “Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships.” At Adobe, we believe that creativity and technology are the ultimate dream team. We’ve been hitting it out of the park in the sports industry by establishing a strong presence through significant partnerships with major leagues and teams worldwide. Our expertise lies in helping sports clients connect fans with the experiences they love most, whether in-venue or from the comfort of their homes. We achieve this through our comprehensive suite of capabilities, ranging from content creation to data-driven, personalized fan journeys.

Capturing and activating content to grow fandom

In an industry blessed with some of the best content globally, the challenge often lies in efficiently capturing and activating this content to grow fandom. High-quality content elicits strong reactions from fans, but the creative process can be messy and time-consuming. Adobe addresses this by streamlining the end-to-end process, from content capture to activation, which we refer to as the content supply chain. Our focus is on unifying content and simplifying the editing process, making it easy to put into action.

One of our popular offerings is the ability to resize and scale approved assets across various activation channels with just a few clicks. This feature, once cumbersome, is now streamlined for efficiency.

Addressing the shift in fandom

We are witnessing a significant shift in fandom from team-focused enthusiasm to huge followings around specific athletes. To address this, we advocate for first-party data collection to capture and regularly update fan preferences. This data is crucial for personalized fan experiences centered around favorite athletes. Successful executions include targeting fans who follow specific players and informing them when these players are in town, which opens up high-value segmentation opportunities. Additionally, favorite player data drives off-season content, which is vital for streaming subscriptions and reducing churn.

Scaling content activation with generative AI

Scaling content activation across channels and languages and personalizing it for hundreds of thousands of fans can require millions of content variations. With the latest in generative AI, this is now possible. For instance, by using Adobe Photoshop with Adobe Firefly embedded, clients can use generative fill to localize player images or change jersey colors within seconds, leading to significant time and cost savings. We also see AI use cases for translating copy across multiple languages as sports brands go global.

From a timeliness perspective, our Courtside to Cloud case study with the Golden State Warriors showcases how we equipped their video crews with tools like Adobe Premiere Pro and Frame.io for faster workflows and video editing. This resulted in a timeline of just three minutes from shoot to posting across social media, crucial for getting big moments out to fans quickly.

Leveraging generative AI for enhanced marketing

Adobe’s latest generative AI offerings, including Firefly and integrated language models, democratize asset creation and empower marketers. These tools enable marketers without a creative background to create content while enforcing brand guidelines. In-context workflows allow for last-mile edits and AI-based copy suggestions, improving productivity. Additionally, marketers can use generative AI assistants to generate segments, such as identifying season seat holders most likely to churn.

Maximizing ROI with smart marketing planning

Maximizing return on investment (ROI) is a growing focus in sports and sponsorship. It’s not enough to capture eyeballs anymore; after all, we are running out of real estate on player jerseys and race cars for sponsor logos.

Adobe supports clients’ ROI by emphasizing personalization, which drives revenue, and streamlining internal operations, which reduces costs. Our Adobe Mix Modeler application optimizes planning across channels by surfacing AI-powered dashboards with metrics like projected revenue and suggested marketing mix spend. This allows for informed investment decisions and ongoing campaign adjustments, setting clients up for success and a positive ROI.

Adobe’s comprehensive suite of tools and generative AI capabilities empower sports marketers to streamline content creation, enhance fan engagement, and achieve significant ROI. For more information, check out the webinar, “Harnessing Data to Optimize Your Content Supply Chain and Drive Meaningful Fan Engagement.” Or, to request a consultation, click here.

Jen Zick is a seasoned marketing strategist with more than 20 years’ experience in sports, live entertainment, and technology. In senior-level roles with Live Nation Entertainment, Major League Baseball, and Comcast Spectacor, Jen worked with C-suite executives to drive hundreds of data-driven, global technology initiatives with professional sports franchises, stadiums, promoters, and universities. She is particularly passionate about helping clients responsibly and profitably activate the wealth of data at their fingertips. As a principal in Adobe’s Digital Strategy Group, she works closely with sports clients and industry thought leaders to drive fan-first, customer-centric digital transformations. Jen loves tennis, Sonoma pinot, and mini poodles.

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