By R. Larsson, Advertising Week
In a world of fragmented feeds and algorithmic noise, capturing attention isn’t just harder—it’s fundamentally different.
But one truth still cuts through the chaos:
Real-time moments unite us.
That’s the insight at the heart of Owning the Moment, a powerhouse panel hosted at Converge @ Cannes, where top media, brand and agency leaders examined how fandom, live engagement, and tech-enabled storytelling are reshaping the rules of modern media strategy.
Moderated by Alyssa Meyers (Marketing Brew), the conversation featured:
- Bob Gruters, President, ReachTV
- Claire Nance, Head of Gaming Business Success Strategy at Activision Blizzard Media
- Chad Latz, Global Chief Innovation Officer, Burson
From Media Buys to Cultural Presence
As audiences become harder to reach through traditional media, brands are looking for contextual relevance, not just impressions. That means being present—not just in placements, but in moments.
“You can’t buy attention anymore. You have to earn it,” said Bob Gruters. “And there’s no better place to earn it than where people are already emotionally invested—live sports, communal content, real-time fandom.”
Gruters emphasized that live sports remain one of the last truly scalable vehicles for reaching mass audiences in emotionally charged, culturally resonant environments. And with platforms like ReachTV enabling real-time, high-intent access to sports across airport networks, the playbook for moment-based marketing is expanding.
Gaming: The New Arena for Fandom
Claire Nance offered a front-row view into another fast-growing frontier: gaming.
“Gaming is no longer a niche. It’s where Gen Z and Gen Alpha go for entertainment, identity, and community,” she said. “And they don’t want brands to interrupt—they want them to integrate.”
She challenged brands to approach gaming not as a media buy, but as a relationship. The opportunity? Persistent fandom, real-time interaction, and culturally rich IPs that offer storytelling beyond a single spot.
AI and the Attention Economy
Chad Latz brought a future-forward lens, discussing how AI is revolutionizing real-time engagement—from media optimization to content generation.
“AI is about so much more than automation—it’s about understanding audiences faster and deeper and enabling us to predict their reaction and behavior,” he said. “It gives brands the ability to get ahead of trends in order to activate in the moment, at scale, and with creative precision.”
He emphasized that the brands winning in this new landscape are those that see data not just as targeting—but as insight for storytelling.
A New Operating Model
The panelists agreed: real-time relevance requires new infrastructure. Traditional campaign cycles and linear planning models can’t keep up with culture’s speed. What’s needed is:
- Always-on content readiness
- Cross-functional collaboration between media, brand, and creative
- Tech-enabled intelligence to interpret audience signals in real time
- Creative agility to respond with authenticity—not just presence
“This is about more than media,” said Meyers in closing. “It’s about building cultural muscle memory. And that starts by showing up—intentionally—in the moments that matter.”
The Bottom Line
Whether it’s a last-second game winner, a viral TikTok trend, or a breakout Twitch stream, the path to relevance is no longer about reach alone. It’s about resonance.
