Hilton

Messi Tops Stars Influencing Consumer Purchases

A JB.com analysis, highlighted by social-media expert Matt Navarra, ranks the 11 celebrities whose brand partnerships most influence purchasing decisions based on Instagram campaign reach and media coverage. Lionel Messi ranks first (Adidas CODECHAOS Messi golf shoe campaign), Cristiano Ronaldo second (Nike CR7/Mercurial campaigns) and Hailey Bieber third (Gap denim capsule and Mango ambassadorship). The ranking uses four weighted metrics — Instagram views of the most recent brand collaboration (30%), media mentions (30%), news coverage about the partnership (25%) and the number of active brand partnerships in 2026 (15%) — normalized into an influence score where Messi is the reference (100). The study considered Instagram only; other social platforms were excluded. The article includes a full table listing the eleven celebrities, their campaigns and underlying metrics.

Brands Must Own What Happens Before and After Sports

At Kantar’s "The Creative Power of Sports" panel, representatives from Hilton, Unilever (Hellmann’s), Meta and Discord argued that commercial success in sports increasingly depends on activity before, during and after events. Kantar data cited tent-pole sports activity as up to six times more effective than standard paid media. Panelists highlighted the role of creators, athlete-driven audiences, participatory creative ideas and authentic brand partnerships — for example Hilton’s 21-year McLaren relationship and Hellmann’s Super Bowl campaign that drove strong creator reach and sales. Discord emphasised opt-in, rewarded ad experiences within community environments. The discussion underscored measurement across reach, participation, sales and perception to connect attention with commercial value.

Comic-Con Becomes Experiential Marketing's Biggest Stage

Comic-Con has evolved into a major real-world marketing platform as entertainment brands increasingly invest in large-format out-of-home installations and experiential activations across downtown San Diego. Kap Media, a women-owned OOH agency led by founder and CEO Lori Brabant, is producing 24 campaigns this year for brands including AMC, Prime Video, Paramount+, PlayStation, Funko and ABC. The article argues that as AI makes digital content production faster, marketers are placing greater emphasis on IRL experiences that fans can attend, photograph and share, amplifying reach via social media. Comic-Con’s citywide takeovers — from hotel wraps to stadium artwork — offer concentrated, passionate audiences (more than 150,000 attendees) and high social-media visibility that reshape how brands measure success.