Louise Johnson, the global chief executive of Fuse, believes we’re entering a “golden age of sports marketing and partnerships”.

However, attention spans are narrowing and consumers are being bombarded from every angle by advertisers as well as sponsors, which makes it harder for brands to stand out.

Platforms such as billboards, murals and other forms of out-of-home (OOH) advertising might still serve a purpose, but at a time when people increasingly have their heads in their phones it is the sponsors that are leaning into new technologies to create more immersive experiences that are cutting through.

For brands with bigger budgets in particular, innovations like artificial intelligence (AI), augmented reality (AR) and even holographic technology are enabling sponsors to deepen connections with fans and tell stories in different ways.

“I think as an industry, we are much better at really being progressive and using the assets in a creative and integrated way,” Johnson says. “I think the next frontier is how do you keep evolving sports marketing assets to make sure that they are really fit for modern sports marketing.

“So how are you connecting it to commerce? How are you looping in with streaming platforms? How do you use first party data to really personalise your activation, and also the role of AI within activation as well.”

It’s never been enough to simply run an ad or experiential activation without supporting PR coverage and media.

But the variety of marketing channels now available means sponsors can put together campaigns that continue to come to life through a variety of in-person and virtual activity even after generating an initial buzz at launch.

“There’s a really interesting point around how it’s not only about integrated marketing and using it in all of your channels, but actually putting sport or culture at the center of your broader marketing mix, and having everything around that,” Johnson adds.

“So whether that be creative, media and commerce, I think that’s where you’ll start seeing some really interesting work moving forward.”