How Deloitte and AWS Use AI to Study Fandom for Insights on Consumer Behavior

The growth and productivity-unleashing potential of AI-powered tech systems and software was the talk of the Croisette during this month’s Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity. Much of the programming was dedicated to helping marketers, content creators and media mavens navigate what is possible now and what is coming around the corner.

Variety‘s “Strictly Business” podcast did its part with a live podcast taping in Cannes at The Room’s Yacht on June 18, with a conversation focused on the Converge by Deloitte service as the analytics giant expands that service to focus on sports consumers. Michelle McGuire, principal and chief commercial officer of Converge by Deloitte, and Ruba Borno, VP, global specialists and partners of Amazon’s AWS, joined us on a yacht docked just off the Palais des Festivals for a live recording of a conversation about how the two brands have worked, together and separately, on initiatives like Converge that harness AI.

When it comes to targeting sports-friendly consumers, what marketers covet most is “that Venn diagram of the team, the league and your own brand,” McGuire said. Converge synthesizes a staggering amount of data and input to offer highly custom profiles for sports fans at a granular level.

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Variety

How movie fandom impacts buying behavior.

Movies provide fans with lifelong escapism and community that brands can leverage long after the box office closes.

Movies and entertainment foster this kind of fandom and community, which impacts consumer buying behavior. Even now, if you spot a piece of merchandise branded with your favorite movie out in the wild, you’re likely to interact with it or purchase it simply because it’s related to a special film or memory.

This relationship between consumers and brands can be leveraged across the entire lifecycle of a piece of entertainment. From pre-premiere buzz to post-credits debriefings, brands can engage with audiences using what Amazon Ads and Crowd DNA dubbed “the ripple effect.”

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Marketing Brew / Amazon Ads & Crowd DNA

Brand Fandom 2025: Brand Fandom Top 50 - MarketCast Reveals the 50 Brands Americans Can’t Live Without

MarketCast, the leading marketing research firm helping brands maximize their advertising impact and amplify brand fandom, today launched the results of its 2025 Brand Fandom 50, a sweeping study of over 20,000 U.S. adults and nearly 300 brands over three years. The research reveals an unprecedented look into the brands that spark deep emotional connections with consumers, and how that fandom translates into business resilience and lasting customer loyalty.

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Ad Week / MarketCast

The Fandom Phenomenon: How consumers, creators, and advertisers benefit from podcast fandom

How do you capture your audience’s attention? You can text them, email them, pay to reach them on social and search, or even fly a blimp over their house—but real influence starts with trust.

There’s no singular source of truth for potential customers, but if there were, it would sound a lot like Wondery. As Amazon’s premier podcast studio and network, Wondery is home to some of the most trusted and influential hosts in the industry, including Dax Shepard, Jason and Travis Kelce, and Keke Palmer.

Shows like Armchair Expert, New Heights, and Baby, This Is Keke Palmer consistently top charts and garner numerous awards recognition, including NAACP Image Awards, GLAAD Awards, the Variety Creative Impact in Podcasting Award, Webbys, Gracies, and The Ambies.

With listenership and advertiser interest continuing to grow across this emerging channel, one must ask: What is it about podcasts that keeps consumers coming back for more? Wondery’s latest research study, The Fandom Phenomenon, sought to uncover just that.

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Marketingbrew.com / Wondery, Amazon