Barbarian

Our team had a great time attending the #ClioAwards Creative Summit this week. Feeling inspired and energized after attending the thought-provoking panels. Here are some of our favorite quotes: “Ask not if, but how.” -Alexandre Abrantes “Look across industries and draw comparison points - bring that as your proof. The fact that it hasn’t been done in your category is something you should be excited about.” -Joel Rodriguez “You have to be curious and look outside your aperture.” - Simon Au Thank you for having us CLIO Awards

Introducing Phase II of 'The New Era of Women's Sports' Report: Next Gen Fandom. In this phase, we dive into the evolving world of the modern and fluid Women+ sports fan, that we coin Gen W+. Explore how their unique interests, cultural values, and digital behaviors present unparalleled marketing opportunities for brands, along with ways to activate and engage this growing fan base, while diving into the future of sports culture. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eEPuSVyv 🔜 Stay tuned as we are periodically releasing more content in the report.

Here are some significant things that have happened in the world of Women+ sports since last week’s launch of our 'The New Era of Women’s Sports' microsite, reinforcing the trends unpacked in our report. 👉 Record-Breaking Viewership: Washington Mystics v. Indiana Fever drew largest crowd ever in WNBA attendance with 20,711 fans. 👉 Historical Accolades: A'ja Wilson was unanimously voted WNBA MVP, making her a three-time winner. She now ties the record for most WNBA MVP awards, alongside legends Sherly Swoopes, Lisa Leslie, and Lauren Jackson. 👉 Expanding Women’s Sports Landscape: The WNBA (Women's National Basketball Association) grants Portland an expansion team, coming in 2026. There is active discussion and anticipation around Houston and Philadelphia for potential expansion bids as well. 👉 Culture x Sport: South Korean Olympic shooter Kim Ye-ji takes the cover of Vogue Korea, receiving widespread praise on social media. 👉 Fashion Collaboration: Widely popular streetwear brand Off-White becomes the official style and culture curator of the NY LIBERTY Every single day, the field of women’s sports and its potential marketing opportunities are rapidly expanding. Be sure to follow along as we continually roll out our subsequent phases of the report. 🔗   https://lnkd.in/e7fty4aa 

As Barbarian continues to grow and expand its capabilities, the acquisition of digital transformation company g-Innovations is a critical step. Gourang Mehta and his team have done some incredible work, and will now be a key driver of Barbarian's end-to-end digital experience offering for brands. Looking forward to what's ahead!

We're excited to share this report with the world! An incredibly insightful and thought-provoking deep dive into the growing and evolving dynamics of fandom in women's sports from our strategy and intelligence team at Barbarian. This part 1 of 4 that we're release over the coming months so please stay tuned, share, and let us know your thoughts!

Unveiling 'The New Era of Women's Sports' report. An open invitation for brands and marketers to learn how to participate in emerging cultural conversations on the future of sports. As this is the opening chapter of a multi-part series, this first launch introduces ‘The New Cultural Operating System’ framework. We'll be periodically releasing more content, such as Next Gen Fandom, Star & Social Power, Fandom-nomics and more. Discover the power and potential of Women+ sports, and how they are shaping the industry, influencing culture, and expanding fan bases—all impacting brand relevance. While attention to Women+ sports continues to grow, our report examines the role of social and digital engagement in driving popularity. See the report here: https://lnkd.in/g-jipDRd

From tackling briefs to leveling up digital experiences, your Barbarian team is always up for the challenge. In honor of National Video Games Day, we've transformed our team into pixelated heroes in a custom-made video game. Watch Lisa Kim, Brent Weldon, and Molly Ellenbogen come to life as digital avatars, crafted with next-gen tech like Unreal Engine. Future game release soon, perhaps? 👀🎮

I'm excited to share that g-Innovations has been acquired by Barbarian! I'm honored to join their amazing team and continue the journey with the talented folks from g-Innovations. Leading the team at g-Innovations has been a true privilege. I'm thrilled to see what we can accomplish together as part of Barbarian and conquer new frontiers 😉 Onward and upward, together as Innovative Barbarians!

Excited to announce a new chapter for Barbarian as we’ve acquired the digital transformation company, g-Innovations. As the g-Innovations brand is now folded into Barbarian, this integration creates a powerful synergy, enabling us to deliver clients end-to-end customer experiences at scale by combining expertise in platform development with our existing design and strategy capabilities. This acquisition brings amazing new members and talent to our teams including Gourang Mehta who shares: “We were drawn to Barbarian’s rich history of innovation and early adoption of emerging technologies, and by joining forces, we can offer clients a comprehensive suite of services, from ideation to execution, while constantly pushing the boundaries of what's possible in the digital landscape.” See in Ad Age: https://lnkd.in/eaGPh4Vq Read More: https://lnkd.in/edzGj5X8

The Drum 🥁 asked agency leaders how they're keeping accessibility and disability rights top of mind as the Paralympics are ending, and disability awareness is likely to fade from the spotlight. Our Director of People & Culture, Mary Braxton Jenson, shared her take below. ⤵  “We’ve made significant strides toward accessibility, especially with the rise of hybrid work. This includes implementing physical accommodations to workspaces for anyone with a physical disability but also encouraging flexible work arrangements to help with non-visible disabilities. Our goal is a supportive environment where everyone can contribute. While the marketing sector has made progress, more work is needed to ensure accessibility for all – inside and outside of the physical workspace. By focusing on inclusivity and providing necessary accommodations, we can create a more equitable and welcoming industry.” https://lnkd.in/eWVQ4ruV