Steve Lesnard truly understands the global sports consumer. Lesnard wears several hats; he is known as a sports industry executive and a marketing titan and innovator, and these are just a few of the many roles he has held during the past two decades or so. ]
Some of his many accomplishments include establishing the first digitally enabled sports community and launching historic products and collaborations that were major disruptors within the sports industry. His international leadership involvement includes heading major branding campaigns such as the Beijing 2008 and London 2012 Olympics campaigns, as well as the 2014 World Cup campaign for the European market.
Lesnard is currently a global brand strategy consultant for some of the world’s most important consumer and tech brands. His primary role revolves around helping his clients expand growth by way of reimagining key corporate strategies. He brings to his role expertise that he has acquired during the course of more than two decades, during which he has worked for some of the world’s most famous sports brand magnates. This, in addition to his dynamic and diverse background, has equipped him with a particularly sharp eye for the constantly changing and evolving consumer landscapes and trends.
Lesnard’s Background
Lesnard grew up in two different places: Paris and Corsica. He completed his business degree in France with a focus on entrepreneurship and international business. He then went on to obtain his master’s in business administration at Babson College in the United States, where he focused on entrepreneurship. The connection to sports was profound from the very beginning, as he was president of the sports club and organized all sports and tournaments for the school while in college.
A Passionate Speaker – ADMA Data Day 2019
In addition to sharing his knowledge and expertise with his clients and collaborators, Steve Lesnard also helps professionals within his field by presenting and speaking about his work, expertise, and general outlook on branding and marketing. As such, he was recently among the speakers at the Australia Alliance for Data Leadership Network’s ADMA Data Day 2019 conference, which took place April 2–4 in both Sydney and Melbourne
Along with focusing on his expertise in brand marketing, Lesnard elaborated specifically on the power of consumer data as a tool within brand strategy and marketing campaigns. He talked about the current shifts that consumer profiles and landscapes of key industries are undergoing, as well as how brands can enhance the lives of consumers.
Lesnard also joined other professionals in the field to discuss the intersection of technology, marketing, and consumer relations. Specifically, he elaborated on the power of data and analytics technology when used as tools to push forward business objectives. Most importantly, he expanded on the topic of data as a useful tool in the redesign and transformation of customer communication to better predict coming trends and tendencies. According to him, data and analytics technologies have now moved beyond their applications within scientific fields alone, and he believes that they are critical tools in the advancement of consumer understanding and brand improvement.
According to Lesnard, “if you think about the key shifts that are happening just in transportation in big cities, there is so much congestion leading to alternative ways of transportation like rideshare and scooters [causes].” He added that “the way cities are going to be designed in the future [will] be very different, and helping consumers through their mobility journey is going to create a completely new way to interact and offer services. Health and wellness is another big one.”
The largest marketing and advertising association in Australia, the Association for Data-Driven Marketing and Advertising, or ADMA, has over 350 corporate members. This includes major financial institutions, telecommunications companies, energy providers, leading media companies, travel service companies, airlines, major charities, statutory corporations, educational institutions, and specialist suppliers to the industry including advertising agencies, software providers, and internet companies. In particular, ADMA is the principal industry body for data-driven marketing and advertising and the ultimate authority and go-to resource for effective and creative data-driven marketing across all channels and platforms, providing insight, ideas, and innovation for today’s marketing industry.
Data, Technology, and the Consumer
Undoubtedly, one of the most powerful drivers behind Lesnard’s success is his understanding of the consumer. He is cognizant of the fact that consumers today are in charge and drive trends, which makes it particularly challenging for brands to understand the utility and value that they can offer to their customers. Lesnard underlines that customers “are clear on what they want, when they want it, and how they want it. And therefore, brands have a completely new challenge and truly understand what benefits they will deliver to consumers so that they can break through.”
Lesnard is already looking for ways not only to enhance his understanding of consumer behavior and trends but also to predict consumer patterns. Certainly, understanding consumer psychology is at the heart of any brand’s success. Catering to that by curating products and tools ensures long-term success. To achieve that, Lesnard has turned to one of the most powerful tools within scientific disciplines and is looking to juxtapose that with brand and marketing disciplines. Specifically, he points back to new technological tools and solutions for marketers to reach out to customers outside of traditional methods.
According to him, there are “some levers that continue to be really powerful, like public relations.” However, he still asserts that “traditional advertising can continue to play an important role. But there [are] so many other ways to create personal connection, particularly with digital tools today that make the marketing landscape really, really dynamic and fascinating.”
Related: Houston Rockets host a Bitcoin Cash Mining booth, contest during halftime
