Dennis Claus, VP of Strategy at Apply Digital, on why fandom is built in the small moments between big activations, how the lessons from sports and entertainment franchises apply directly to CPG and consumer brand marketing, and why personalisation that is not genuinely personal is just a name in a template.
"Creative agencies focus on the big cultural activations. But you need a system to keep that fandom going over time."
Why fandom is built in small moments not big activations and why personalisation must be genuinely personal
Dennis Claus started his career as a statistician doing innovation consulting in Belgium, moved to New York with RGA to work on Samsung's global marketing, then moved to Amsterdam before joining Apply Digital to combine everything he had learned from data, marketing, and strategy. Apply Digital works with sports and entertainment franchises as well as major consumer brands, and the thread connecting those two worlds is fandom.
In this conversation Claus explains why creative agencies focus on the big cultural moments, the Barbie partnerships and the major activations, but what actually builds lasting fandom is the system of small moments between those peaks. He also makes the case that personalisation, despite being a decade-old promise of digital marketing, has still not been delivered because most of what brands call personalisation is just data-flavoured template filling.
"We work with sports and entertainment franchises and we also work with companies like Kraft Heinz, Coca-Cola, and Lululemon. Our view is that fandom needs to be earned over time. In the small moments. While creative agencies are very focused on the Barbie partnerships and big cultural activations, which I love, you really need to have a system in place to keep that fandom going and fuel it over time."
The founding insight is about the gap between activation and sustained engagement.
"We apply what we learn from sports and entertainment organisations about how they approach fandom to our consumer brand and even B2B customers. At that intersection you really see that we can deliver better results by not thinking about the one-off digital activation but building the ecosystem that drives not just conversion but ultimately fans for the brand."
The cross-category application of a consistent principle.
"Personalisation does not mean personal. You can get a letter from somebody with your name on it and some keywords that they know about you. Well, you will see the data behind it. We will finally be able to do personalisation. But doing it right means knowing the individual in a way that makes the communication feel genuinely tailored."
Personalisation remains an unfulfilled promise for most brands.
"I have been doing this 20 years. Everything changes and nothing changes. 10 years ago it was mobile and social, all apps were new. Before that the internet. They are all tools to achieve the same goal: delivering meaningful experiences to people. AI is another one of those. The goal does not change."
The consistent orientation beneath platform transitions.
"I call it a pirate's journey because I took the scenic route. I started in data consulting, am a statistician by trade. Then innovation consulting in Belgium. Then RGA New York on Samsung global marketing. Then Amsterdam. Then Apply Digital to combine everything: data, marketing, and strategy in service of real digital experiences."
A non-linear path where each chapter added a necessary capability.
"Personalisation does not mean personal. A letter with your name on it and some keywords you know about me: I see the data behind it."
Host Tell us about Apply Digital.
Claus We work with sports and entertainment franchises and consumer brands like Kraft Heinz and Coca-Cola. Fandom needs to be earned over time in the small moments. Creative agencies focus on big cultural activations. But you need a system to keep fandom going and fuel it. We apply what we learn from sports and entertainment to consumer brands.
Host Why is personalisation not actually personal?
Claus Personalisation does not mean personal. A name in a template and keywords you know about me: I see the data behind it. True personalisation requires knowing the individual in a way that makes the communication feel genuinely tailored. Most brands are nowhere near that yet. But we will get there.
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