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• EA’s “FIFA” series is a big revenue driver, but its next soccer video game won’t have that branding.
• CMO David Tinson reveals his plan to drive fans to EA’s new soccer franchise EA Sports FC.
• Losing FIFA branding gives EA opportunities to work with more brand partners than before.

Electronic Art’s marketing muscle is going to have to do some heavy lifting this year to build a new powerhouse brand around its soccer video game series.

“Our global football business is one of the biggest properties,” EA CMO David Tinson told Insider. “It’s our biggest business. It’s, frankly, one of the biggest pieces of sports or entertainment IP in the world.”

In 2022, EA and FIFA ended a licensing partnership that lasted nearly three decades and helped make the “FIFA” video game series the most popular sports franchise of all time. Its latest and last installment with the FIFA branding, “FIFA 23,” was the top seller in the franchise’s entire history, company CEO Andrew Wilson said during EA’s latest quarterly earnings call. And the “FIFA” franchise, which also includes mobile games, online services, esports leagues, and competitions, was a major revenue driver for EA.

This year, the tried-and-true branding is going away, and EA is going to release a new slate of soccer video games and services under a completely new brand: EA Sports FC.

“We’ve been building equity in the name of the game as “FIFA” for 30 some-odd years,” Tinson said. “And we’re making a branding switch now. So that’s going to be our constant challenge and our job as marketers: to help ensure that there is awareness of that change and that there’s a real affinity for what we’re delivering in the product itself.”

For nearly a year and a half, Tinson said, he and his team have been moving to establish this new brand, with the product launching under the new name this Fall. The most prominent offering will be EA’s next soccer video game, which is rumored to be coming out in late September, based on EA’s history releasing “FIFA” games around that time.

“From a pure go-to market standpoint, you’re seeing us introduce more about the brand earlier than we often would,” Tinson said. For instance, EA announced the new branding as early as April, when it unveiled some of the soccer stadiums that would be featured in the game, including FC Barcelona’s Camp Nou.

This is a key component to making sure fans of the “FIFA” franchise glom onto the new one.

“We’ve done extensive research and we’ve spent a ton of time with our community and understand that they want a great playing game, and they want a great game that’s authentic,” Tinson said.

Fans want the game to feature real stadiums, and they want to control real players and real clubs, like Real Madrid, Manchester United, and FC Barcelona, Tinson said. A lot of EA’s marketing is designed to solidify that even though the overall franchise has changed names. The players, teams, and stadiums will still be recognizable for fans.

“There’s a lot that we’re doing to reinforce the authenticity of the experience,” Tinson said.

At the same time, EA has been able to open up EA Sports FC to more brand partnerships which it hadn’t been able to do under FIFA’s licensing restrictions. For instance, EA announced a partnership with Nike in June, to sell Nike “digital goods” in EA sports games. “We’re able to collaborate in ways that we weren’t before,” Tinson said.

Still, Tinson is aware that much of EA’s fortunes will hinge on the success of the new, FIFA-less EA Sports FC franchise.

“This is a major moment for our whole company,” he said. “We had a small core group that looked at the business case for it and have navigated this complicated, but exciting and energizing move for the business.”

If AI doesn’t cause human extinction over the next few years, and, these days, who knows, it seems fair to posit that its influence on marketing and marketers will be massive, even if exactly how remains unknown. I recognize this isn’t news in and of itself.

But the November 2022 release of ChatGPT has provoked a speed and scale of conversation, experimentation, and adoption—of generative AI in particular—unlike anything this industry has witnessed before. For this reason, for the influence generative AI has, may, and will have on the art, science, and fundamental structure of marketing, for its influence on how the character and destiny of brands will be shaped, Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, is the Unofficial Number One on the 2023 Forbes World’s Most Influential CMOs list.

The release of his ChatGPT has done more to accelerate utilization, advances, collaboration, conversation, and a collective what-if-ing of the technology’s cultural and marketing applications at scale than anything preceding it.

Precisely how generative AI will revolutionize marketing and/or replace marketers is a tale still to be written, and there are more than a few marketers who think all this is just another distraction from the important work of today. That, yet again, and with empirical evidence, the marketing community confuses noise with signal, and is akin to a cat chasing a light bouncing across a room. I have thought this about more than a few “next big things” more than a few times over time. But this is different, and this is not yesteryear’s Metaverse or NFT conversation. To the contrary, today’s generative AI and its offspring seem certain to irrevocably change the inputs, outputs, and exercise of the CMO’s influence.

While acknowledging that the broader potential impacts of this technology would, should they come to pass, render questions of marketing (or anything else presupposing the continuance of the human race) irrelevant — for the purpose of this piece (and, optimism), we’ll stay in our lane.

And in this lane, we find that the alphabet soup of AI (GPT, LLM, ML, NLP, etcetera) will evolve how and with—or without—whom CMOs will decide to reach and influence audiences. Search and SEO are but two parts of the marketing mix being dramatically altered in real time, both raising new and fundamental questions about where and how marketers will reach audiences, only months since ChatGPT’s release and perhaps sooner than anyone expected. While humanity may be safe, for marketers this might be an existential threat of its own.

Among other things now known and not, the technology’s ability to “optimize” and create content en masse and in a moment, in text, image, video, iambic pentameter, haiku, or in a voice similar to David Ogilvy’s, is part of the great (r)evolution, and is not without its threats to and influences on CMOs, the internal and external teams that support them, and the work they put in the world.

What happens if, at scale, marketers start defaulting to the that offered by the machines? Will the promise of hyper-personalization at scale actually look more like hyper-commodification at scale?

Will we become so hyper-focused on “efficiency” that we continue ignoring “effectiveness”? And if all marketers find themselves relying on essentially the same inputs and data corpuses (and the last decade of data mining and application suggests that more or less we are and do), how will brand X and business Y differentiate from others? How will they matter more than others? The golden road to profitability is not paved with parity.

Perhaps the greatest irony and threat of AI’s rapidly evolving place in the marketing firmament, is that the best marketing has always appealed to our humanity, individually and/or collectively. It makes us feel something that either defies or reinforces reason. And it seems that unless (or until) the machines do become sentient, the empathy that has always been at the heart of the best and most influential marketing, is equally threatened. Because while AI may be able to “learn” from trillions of data points about human belonging, identity, need and want, can it ever do more than approximate them?

In 1978, British journalist Bernard Levin said of the silicon chip that it “will transform everything, except everything that matters. The rest will be up to us.” And so it is again, and the question then is what will we do? Time and technology will tell. But for this year, Sam Altman’s influence on marketers and marketing (to say nothing of humanity), makes him the unofficial number one on this year’s list.

MORE FROM FORBES

By Seth Matlins Managing Director, Forbes CMO Network

One year ago, and to mark the 10th Anniversary of the Forbes World’s Most Influential CMOs list, we created The Forbes CMO Hall of Fame, recognizing those chief marketers who have appeared, or would have, on the list at least five times since its inception. Each subsequent year, on what would be the fifth year of a CMO’s inclusion on the list, they too, will become part of The Forbes CMO Hall of Fame.

In 2022, the inaugural year, we inducted 17 CMOs, all titans of this community whose influence is measured in terms both qualitative and quantitative.

Induction recognizes a chief-marketer’s enduring influence and impact on the brands and businesses they steward, on our industry and, often, the cultural landscape itself.

In 2023, only one CMO was eligible for induction, having appeared previously 4 times. While past performance is no guarantee of present or future performance, we are honored to recognize and induct Morgan Flatley, EVP, Global Chief Marketing Officer, and Head of New Business Ventures at McDonald’s, into the Forbes CMO Hall of Fame 2023 Class.

For more on this year’s inductee and all of last year’s, please read on. We are grateful for their innumerable contributions to our community and the art and science of marketing.

Forbes CMO Hall of Fame: Class of 2023

Morgan Flatley

^{EVP, Global Chief Marketing Officer & New Business Ventures: McDonald’s}

Since joining McDonald’s in 2017, Flatley has been the driving force behind some of the company’s most inspired marketing campaigns. In 2020, as U.S. Chief Marketing & Digital Customer Experience Officer, she led initiatives including the company’s “Fan Truths” strategy and its record-breaking “Famous Orders” collaborations, which resulted in dozens of creative excellence awards. Shortly before this story went to press, and for the second consecutive year, McDonald’s was recognized as one of the top 3 most effective marketers worldwide by the Effies, the industry’s standard for same.

Today, Flatley oversees McDonald’s marketing efforts globally, as well as new business ventures designed to extend the reach of the McDonald’s brand. Her tenure at McDonald’s followed nearly 13 years at PepsiCo, where her time included stints as both Gatorade’s CMO and CMO of the company’s Global Nutrition group. 2023 marks what would have been Flatley’s fifth year on the Forbes World’ Most Influential CMOs list, and thus her induction into the Forbes CMO Hall of Fame class of 2023. She is this year’s only inductee.

Forbes CMO Hall of Fame: Class of 2022

Leslie Berland

^{CMO: Peloton Interactive}

Named CMO of Peloton in January, after six years as he CMO of Twitter, Berland first appeared on the Forbes World’ Most Influential CMOs list in 2017 and did each year following until her induction into the CMO Hall of Fame in 2022. Prior to her tenure as Twitter’s CMO she was EVP of global advertising, marketing, and digital partnerships at American Express.

Linda Boff

^{Global Chief Marketing and Communications Officer: GE}

At GE for over 20 years, Boff has served as the company’s Chief Marketing and Communications Officer since 2015, with oversight over the GE’s global marketing, brand, content, digital and sponsorships, during a time of historic transformation for the company. Boff also serves as President of the GE foundation, manages GE’s global learning, and co-leads the GE Women’s Network. She first appeared on the Forbes World’ Most Influential CMOs list in 2017.

Chris Capossela

^{CMO: Microsoft}

At Microsoft for over 30 years, Capossela has been CMO of both the consumer and commercial sides of the nearly $200 billion annual revenue business for the past 9 years. His oversight and influence extend across all Microsoft services and products, business planning, brand, advertising, events, communications, research, ad sales and Microsoft stores. He first appeared on this Forbes list in 2017.

Olivier Francois

^{Global CMO, Stellantis & Brand CEO: Fiat}

For the past 15 years, Francois has been Global CMO of Stellantis across its brand portfolio, which includes, among others, Dodge, Fiat and Maserati and has been the Global President of the Fiat Group since 2011. The longtime automotive marketer first appeared on this list in 2014.

Julia Goldin

^{Global Chief Product & Marketing Officer: The Lego Group}

The Global Chief Product and Marketing Officer for The Lego Group since 2015, this former Coca-Cola marketer and Revlon CMO is responsible for the Group’s product development, marketing, research and insights, licensing, partnerships, and the brand’s in-house creative agency. She first appeared on this list in 2018.

Kristin Lemkau

^{Chief Executive Officer: J.P. Morgan Wealth Management}

Lemkau first appeared on the Forbes World’ Most Influential CMOs list in 2014, when she was CMO of JPMorgan. She held this title until 2019, where she led a global marketing team responsible for brand, media, analytics, and consumer communications. One of few CMOs to become chief executive, she has been CEO of J.P. Morgan Wealth Management for the past 3 1/2 years.

Ann Lewnes

^{(Retired) Formerly CMO and EVP, Corporate Strategy & Development: Adobe}

For over a decade, Lewnes was Adobe’s CMO, driving the brand’s ties to creativity and the creative community, and its digital marketing and design. Joining from Intel in 2006, she pioneered the company’s digital shift and spearheaded its growth. She first appeared on this list in 2017 and retired in February 2023.

Antonio Lucio

^{Principal & Founder: 5S Diversity}

The principal and founder of 5S Diversity, Lucio held Global CMO roles for Facebook, HP Inc., and Visa, as well as the role of Chief Innovation and Portfolio Transformation Officer for PepsiCo Inc. He first appeared on Forbes World’ Most Influential CMOs list in 2012, when he was CMO of Visa. He has appeared on the list as the CMO of each of three different companies.

Michelle Peluso

^{EVP & Chief Customer Officer, CVS Health & Co-President: CVS Pharmacy}

Peluso joined CVS in 2021 and has been responsible for transforming CVS Health’s consumer experience across multiple touchpoints. She first appeared on Forbes’ World’ Most Influential CMOs list in 2012, when she was CMO for Citigroup. While there she oversaw all global marketing and brand experiences, digital sales, and the commercial business. She has appeared on this list as the CMO of both Citi and IBM.

Marc Pritchard

^{Chief Brand Officer: Procter & Gamble}

Pritchard has been with Procter & Gamble for over 40 years, serving across the company. He has been P&G’s Chief Brand Officer since 2014, responsible for the company’s brand-building disciplines and marketing innovations worldwide. He first appeared on the Forbes World’ Most Influential CMOs list in 2013.

Raja Rajamannar

^{Chief Marketing & Communication’s Officer: MasterCard}

Since 2013, Rajamannar has been MasterCard’s Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, and President of its Healthcare business. In this role he is responsible for all aspects of the brand’s marketing and has been a leader of its transformation. Rajamannar previously had stints at Citi, Diner’s Club and Unilever. He first appeared on Forbes World’ Most Influential CMOs list in 2015.

Phil Schiller

^{Apple Fellow: Apple}

At Apple for over 30 years, Schiller was the company’s long-time SVP of Marketing, where he led the introduction of a portfolio of products that have since become cultural touchstones. He currently serves as an Apple Fellow, where he has responsibility for the App store and Apple Events. When the first Forbes World’s Most Influential CMOs List debuted in 2012, Schiller ranked No. 1.

Diego Scotti

^{Formerly EVP & CMO: Verizon}

Recently announcing his departure from the company, the former EVP and CMO, Scotti had been with Verizon since 2014, overseeing all aspects of the brand’s marketing, experience design and communications. He joined Verizon from J. Crew, where he’d also served as CMO. He first appeared on this list in 2017.

Marisa Thalberg

^{Chief Marketing and Communications Officer: SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment}

Joining SeaWorld in April 2023, Thalberg is responsible for brand and marketing strategies that increase visitation, drive revenue, and elevate the company’s conservation mission. Before SeaWorld, Thalberg was EVP, Chief Brand Marketing Officer for Lowe’s from 2020. She also served as Global Chief Brand Officer for Taco Bell, for almost five years. She has been recognized on this list for her work as CMO at both Lowe’s and Taco Bell, first appearing on it in 2017.

Lorraine Twohill

^{CMO: Google}

Recently celebrating her 19^th year with the company, Twohill has been Google’s CMO since 2009, and came to the position after six years as the company’s head of EMEA marketing. She currently manages a global team responsible for telling the evolving story of Google’s brand, driving revenue growth, and helping billions of users discover and make the most of Google’s products. She first appeared on Forbes World’s Most Influential CMOs list in 2014.

Deborah Wahl

^{(Retired) Formerly Global CMO: General Motors}

Wahl stepped down from her tenure as General Motors’ Global CMO, in March 2023, a position she held since 2019. Prior to GM where her focus included driving transformation and growth as GM embraced the possibilities of an all-electric future. She had previously served as Cadillac’s Global CMO, joining the automotive company from McDonald’s, where she had been its CMO. She first appeared on Forbes’ World’s Most Influential CMOs list in 2018, as CMO of Cadillac.

Keith Weed

^{Independent Director}

Weed was Chief Marketing and Communications Officer for Unilever from 2010-19, where he was responsible for Marketing, Communications and Sustainable Business functions across the company’s purpose-driven brand portfolio. He first appeared on the Forbes World’s Most Influential CMOs list in 2013, its second year.

_{MORE FROM FORBES}

Sprawling tufts of looped, wound, and crocheted yarn sprawl across walls and floors in Vanessa Barragão’s elaborate, nature-inspired textiles. The Portuguese artist (previously) draws inspiration from the textures of coral, rock pools, botanicals, and the cosmos to compose expansive fiber pieces.

Each piece can take upwards of three weeks to complete, as Barragão and a team of six studio assistants—including her mother, sister, with additional crocheted contributions from her grandmothers—collaboratively knot the yarn through every single hole in the jute canvas to create lush, biomorphic forms.

If you’re near Lisbon, you can find Barragão’s work in Morphosis at the Museu das Artes de Sintra, Portugal, alongside ceramicist Catarina Nunes, which opens June 29 and runs through October 1. Find more on the artist’s website and Instagram.

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Vanessa Barragão’s Sprawling Biomorphic Textiles Evoke the Remarkable Textures of the Sea Floor appeared first on Colossal.