CONNECTING CULTURE AND COMMERCE IN THE ALGORITHMIC ERA
88% OF CMOs AGREE THAT IT'S MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER FOR BRANDS TO BE PART OF CULTURE
WELCOME TO THE ALGORITHMIC ERA
In the algorithmic era, where AI decides which content gets surfaced and which brands become visible, the traditional marketing playbook has fundamentally changed.
The brands that will thrive are those that understand a fundamental truth: culture has become the new infrastructure of influence, and commerce the real-time conversion opportunity. This isn't about interrupting culture from the outside; it's about becoming part of the cultural fabric itself, earning the right to participate in the conversations that matter most to your audience.
SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT: WHERE CULTURE LIVES AND BREATHES
At the heart of modern culture lie sports and entertainment — powerful ecosystems where passion, identity, and community converge. These aren't just content categories; they're cultural movements that shape how people express themselves and engage with the world.
Sports and entertainment serve as the ultimate cultural accelerators. A sports documentary doesn't just inform — it transforms casual viewers into devoted fans. An anime series doesn't just entertain — it creates a global community bound by shared passion. A gaming franchise doesn't just provide gameplay — it builds worlds where fans live, create, and connect.
Consider the data: 3 in 4 global consumers say watching a sports docuseries makes them feel closer to the sport featured. Meanwhile, 4 in 10 Gen Z globally started following soccer more closely after watching a docuseries about the sport. This is culture in motion — content creating deeper engagement, deeper engagement creating stronger communities, and stronger communities driving both cultural relevance and commercial value.
PASSION
Connecting with the cultural passion points, communities and fandoms where our brands have permission to play.
PARTNERSHIP
Engaging with Creators and Culture Makers from the worlds of Sports, Entertainment, Gaming and beyond.
PACE
Responding with agility to the pace of culture, and the algorithm’s hunger for novelty.
THIS SIGNALS A POWERFUL TRUTH: ALGORITHMIC AVAILABILITY ISN’T JUST ABOUT METADATA OR BIDDING STRATEGIES — IT’S ABOUT EMBEDDING YOUR BRAND IN THE MOMENTS THAT MATTER TO YOUR AUDIENCE.
THE EXTRAORDINARY POWER OF FANDOMS
Fandoms represent something unprecedented in the marketing landscape: communities where emotional investment meets commercial opportunity. Being a fan isn't passive consumption — it's active participation in an identity-defining experience.
Fandom is identity currency. It's how people signal who they are, where they belong, and what they value. When brands show up authentically within these communities — not as sponsors looking to extract value, but as contributors adding genuine worth — they earn something invaluable: street-level credibility and deep cultural relevance.
IN SPORTS
57% of global respondents say they feel personal connections to athletes based on their off-field activities and content — proving that fandom extends far beyond game day into lifestyle, personality, and authentic human connection.
IN GAMING
6 in 10 gamers started playing a videogame after watching the related show or movie, while 37% of gamers regularly engage with gaming content beyond the game itself, consuming reviews, guides, and influencer videos. Perhaps most tellingly, 45% of gamers globally are interested in buying physical items while playing — merch tied to what their avatar wears in-game.
IN ANIME
Half of Gen Z globally watches anime at least weekly, with 4 in 10 anime viewers saying they'd like a brand more if it created anime-inspired products. The commercial impact is real: 28% of anime fans spent over $200 on anime-inspired merchandise last year, with 12% spending more than $500.
ACROSS ALL ENTERTAINMENT IP
43% of global consumers say their perception of a brand improves if it partners with videogame IP — rising to 63% among Gen Z.
Fandom is identity currency. It's how people signal who they are, where they belong, and what they value. When brands show up authentically within these communities — not as sponsors looking to extract value, but as contributors adding genuine worth — they earn something invaluable: street-level credibility and deep cultural relevance.
IN SPORTS
57%
of global respondents say they feel personal connections to athletes based on their off-field activities and content — proving that fandom extends far beyond game day into lifestyle, personality, and authentic human connection.
IN ANIME
50%
of Gen Z globally watches anime at least weekly, with 4 in 10 anime viewers saying they'd like a brand more if it created anime-inspired products.
The commercial impact is real: 28% of anime fans spent over $200 on anime-inspired merchandise last year, with 12% spending more than $500.
IN GAMING
60%
of gamers started playing a videogame after watching the related show or movie, while 37% of gamers regularly engage with gaming content beyond the game itself, consuming reviews, guides, and influencer videos.
Perhaps most tellingly, 45% of gamers globally are interested in buying physical items while playing — merch tied to what their avatar wears in-game.
57%
of global respondents say they feel personal connections to athletes based on their off-field activities and content — proving that fandom extends far beyond game day into lifestyle, personality, and authentic human connection.
50%
of Gen Z globally watches anime at least weekly, with 4 in 10 anime viewers saying they'd like a brand more if it created anime-inspired products.
The commercial impact is real: 28% of anime fans spent over $200 on anime-inspired merchandise last year, with 12% spending more than $500.
60%
of gamers started playing a videogame after watching the related show or movie, while 37% of gamers regularly engage with gaming content beyond the game itself, consuming reviews, guides, and influencer videos.
Perhaps most tellingly, 45% of gamers globally are interested in buying physical items while playing — merch tied to what their avatar wears in-game.
43%
of global consumers say their perception of a brand improves if it partners with videogame IP — rising to 63% among Gen Z.
THE FUTURE BELONGS TO BRANDS THAT BELONG
The convergence of sports, entertainment, and gaming isn't just a structural shift — it's a cultural unlock. The same fans who follow athletes on social media, watch them in documentaries, and game as them in virtual worlds represent the future of engaged, multi-dimensional audiences.
In this new reality, brands aren't just fighting to be seen — they're fighting to be loved. And that love is earned by showing up authentically within the communities and cultural moments that fans care about most.
Dentsu doesn't just help brands show up where fans are — we help them show up how fans expect them to: with relevance, respect, and resonance. Because in the algorithmic era, the brands that win aren't those that simply understand the algorithm — they're the ones that shape it by creating the culture-defining content that algorithms amplify.
The future belongs to brands that belong. At dentsu, we're built to help you get there.
GAMING
ENTERTAINMENT
SPORTS
ABOUT US
Dentsu is an integrated growth and transformation partner to the world’s leading organizations. Founded in 1901 in Tokyo, Japan, and now present in over 145 countries and regions, it has a proven track record of nurturing and developing innovations, combining the talents of its global network of leadership brands to develop impactful and integrated growth solutions for clients. Dentsu delivers end-to-end experience transformation (EX) by integrating its services across Media, CXM and Creative, while its business transformation (BX) mindset pushes the boundaries of transformation and sustainable growth for brands, people and society.
DENTSU, INNOVATING TO IMPACT.
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Find out more about our services and capabilities by visiting our websites across sports, entertainment and gaming. Or drop us a line and we'll get back to you right away.