{"id":10766,"date":"2025-10-09T19:45:16","date_gmt":"2025-10-09T23:45:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/advertisingweek.com\/aw360\/2025\/10\/09\/leveling-up-authenticity-identity-and-the-future-of-fandom\/"},"modified":"2026-05-07T18:35:33","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T22:35:33","slug":"leveling-up-authenticity-identity-and-the-future-of-fandom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/advertisingweek.com\/aw360\/news\/leveling-up-authenticity-identity-and-the-future-of-fandom\/10766\/","title":{"rendered":"Leveling Up: Authenticity, Identity, and the Future of Fandom"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gaming is no longer a niche pastime, it\u2019s a cultural crossroads where music, sport, entertainment, and storytelling collide. In this conversation, Indy Khabra of Livewire walks us through how gaming is driving cultural convergence, the real value of in-game engagement, and why identity is still the underestimated frontier (hello, Gamer.ID). We\u2019ll also dive into what makes gaming partnerships authentic (no stunts, please), how blending IP with leagues like the NFL enriches both sides, and how Indy\u2019s journey building a global gaming marketing leader has taught him the power of community, iteration, and bold vision.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Gaming is no longer a niche pastime, it\u2019s a cultural crossroads where music, sport, entertainment, and storytelling collide.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":10767,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","editor_notices":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[40,3],"topics":[2],"class_list":["post-10766","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-awnewyork-2025-sessions","tag-brands-marketers","topics-editorial"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is 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