Digital & Dirt
00:15:28 · Monica Ellingson, Ian Dallimore
[00:15:28] S1: Yeah. For for users really value the accuracy of that data. So about 44%, you know, you know, when surveyed said that accuracy was more important than speed, only about a little over 20% of users value speed over accuracy. So they just want to make sure that they can trust data, the insights, the stats that we're feeding up. And that's something that's really core to what we at IBM do in terms of fan experiences is to ensure that we're closely governing, especially the content that is created using AI, ensuring that, you know, they can trust us when we're when we're, you know, providing that content to our to our fan base. [00:16:13] S0: Yeah. And the... I I love, you know, watching, and I watch the US Open, and I know you're gonna talk in-depth about it, but it's... And as well with the Masters App that we all feel like so many millions of people have it. But having that stamp of IBM powered by Mhmm. Creates... You know, it's a branding on another level. I'm speaking in a couple of weeks at a at a f one event, and we were prepping for it, and we... They talked about it that as well. Like, it's not simply just slapping the logo, but it's beyond that. It's it's the power behind it. It's the trust that we as, you know, sports fans say, oh, powered by IBM. Okay. I trust this. So when you guys get this right and accurate, it's even more important because it's the backing of the the brand of the company that is, you know, always gotten things right.
00:16:59 · Monica Ellingson
[00:16:59] S1: I wouldn't say that necessarily, but I appreciate that. No. But I I think that, you know, the importance of brand identity, the importance of protecting a a strong brand is something that's absolutely core to to what I do in my job. So, for example, we have the IBM brand, but we also have, for the US Open, we have the USTA brand. We have the Augusta National brand. We have the Wimbledon brand. So when we, as IBM, are bringing a digital product to the table, it's extremely important that that product be a positive representation of what that brand stands for, whether it's the history, the tradition behind those brands at the US Open is kind of more rock and roll in New York, you know, that we're that we're showing that brand in its best light, that the digital product be high quality and that they be reliable. The data we bring is is accurate and the content is compelling and interesting. And we're always pushing the envelope in terms of innovation and, you know, new fan experiences. And, you know, we're always hoping that our fans are... That their expectations are increasing and we're and we're meeting them there or exceeding. So it's really important, you know, especially in a live event where like anything can happen, you never know. And so, you know, making sure that you're prepared for any and everything so that we protect those brands and make sure that fans have the very best experience.
00:18:34 · Ian Dallimore
[00:18:34] S0: Yeah. And I think about... You know, it's playoffs and baseball right now, and I think about the announcers. And then when they make some, like, outlandish stat, you're just like, where did that come from? But now, you know, to your point, the expectation's there. But I'd love for you to go a little bit deeper because it's not like IBM's just spitting out at all these events, just like stats and data, stats and data. Like, the stats and data equal, you know, the insights is important, but the storytelling that comes from those insights is really where the beauty comes and where the brain from a creative perspective, like opens up and you're like, wow, like, that is an amazing stat or an amazing data point. But it's the story behind it rather than just some dots and numbers. Right?
00:19:16 · Monica Ellingson
[00:19:16] S1: Yeah, definitely. And I mean, one of the key goals as well, you know, all of the different brands that that I work with, you know, their their editorial teams are, you know, they're limited in terms of, you know, resources. And we want to make sure that we are, you know, providing the tools, the content that is auto generated to enable this high quality that, you know, gives them the trust so that those writers, that those editorial teams can focus on, you know, creating compelling stories that frees them up to use their creative energy in the best way possible. So I think that in addition, going back to the focus on personalization and that I wanna see a story that is personalized to me and that it's contextually relevant at that particular And that storytelling to make sure that you are telling the story that a casual fan is interested in and you're telling the story that a more avid or stats focused fan wants to hear. So it's just making sure that you're better understanding all of these different types of fans and, you know, ensuring that the story is accurate, of course, and and fun and compelling. You know, you wanna keep those fans coming back to your digital platforms as the primary source of of the story for that particular event.
00:20:39 · Ian Dallimore
[00:20:39] S0: Yeah. And I love that because you share that in Deer Valley as well, like the ability where the consumer or the fan itself, you get to kind of curate your experience within the experience, all thanks to the hard work behind the scenes that you guys do. I'd love for you to talk about this because now... And we've had a few folks in the NFL on. We had a good friend, Jen Prince, who's the COO of the Los Angeles Rams, and she spoke about it as well. Like, the fan experience in person, they're still using, you know, beyond the scoreboard, beyond the visual and the audible that's happening, but there's still fans that are using their phone. How do you how do you kinda make sure that it's not competing with the live experience, but providing a compliment to that experience?
00:21:27 · Monica Ellingson
[00:21:27] S1: Yeah. I think it's interesting. I mean, one of the things that we really focused on for the in venue fan experience is to ensure that focusing almost more on customer service or customer experience because we wanna make sure that the fans can use the app to easily buy their ticket. And then when they're on at the venue, they're using their phones to be able to access the grounds. They're using their phones to check the length of lines, the length of, you know, concession orders. You know, here at the at the US Open a few weeks ago, we just launched a whole new app experience where, you know, we had a little toggle at the top of your app, what... Which said in venue or at home. And if you flicked that toggle, it was a completely different experience, you know, and within the in venue, it had things like it would give you an indicator of which courts had open seating so that you could plan your day around that. And again, leading up to the event, you can plan your event, your day while you're there. But leading up, what are all the what's all the information that you need leading into it so that you can have the best experience possible? And that's really kinda where we're focused more on, in terms of the in venue experience because we certainly don't wanna compete. I mean, like, once you're on-site and you have these tickets, you probably paid a good a good amount for them. You know, we wanna make sure that you're focused on, you know, having the best in venue experience as possible.