Gatorade engages millions of youth athletes each year through its field intelligence program, according to Chief Brand Officer Anuj Bhasin, which it uses to mine for data and gather insights to evolve the business. The wealth of data it’s accrued on Gen Z has revealed a shift in how these consumers perceive and interact with such sports brands.

“Gen Z athletes are seeking a lot more from a sports brand that they might consume, like Gatorade, beyond the sport of play,” Bhasin told Chief Marketer. “They're asking us for more products to help fuel them, to be a part of their life outside of a performance occasion. And they're really interested in wellness and totality in mind and body, but also how it might help their athletic outcome.”

We spoke with Bhasin about the brand’s marketing approach toward Gen Z; upgrades to products, personalization and customization; efforts to build partnerships with endemic sport brands; its evolving influencer marketing strategy; and consumer collaboration to come in 2024.

The lines between the PR and marketing industries have blurred, leading to a convergence of the two fields and an overlap of responsibilities across many aspects of businesses. But there’s a common thread between the two that’s worth highlighting: each strives to create compelling, relevant storytelling that sparks a human emotional connection. Explore how two CMOs with communications backgrounds view the convergence of PR and marketing, how their earlier roles in communications benefitted their careers, and what PR pros and marketers with C-suite aspirations should be focusing on.

Lastly, a column from Semcasting’s Mike Skladony looks at how B2B marketers can use CTV’s programmatic purchasing capabilities to raise brand awareness amongst a wider range of targeted prospects. Plus, check out five ways to boost ROI through CTV and OTT advertising.

Until next week,

Kaylee Hultgren
Editor
Chief Marketer

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