Emma Laney Smith

Women’s sport is at a tipping point - but visibility doesn’t automatically equal value. With women’s rugby emerging post-Lionesses, Asahi Super Dry faced three challenges: proving it was a commercial opportunity, representing the game authentically, and acting without historical benchmarks. This session reveals how immersive ethnography unlocked real fan insight - and scalable growth. Key Takeaways: 1. How do you prove women’s rugby is a growth opportunity, not a niche values play? 2. How to represent the women’s game authentically, without copying men’s sport tropes? 3. How do you act with confidence with no historical data or benchmarks?