Emma Laney Smith is a multi-lingual insights and strategy leader with an innovative outlook on culture, brands and audiences. Emma began her career at Added Value/Kantar, went on to brand management roles at Coca-Cola and led trends at McCann, before founding Syren in 2005. She has since worked across more than 25 markets, helping global organisations grow by understanding people in context. Emma is particularly passionate about women’s sport as a powerful catalyst for engaging new audiences, challenging legacy assumptions about fandom and unlocking more inclusive, future-facing opportunities for brands and organisations.
Sessions
Jun 24
4:00 PM - 4:20 PM GMT+2
Blue Stage
Audience Insight
Consumer Behavior
Ethnography
Growth Strategy
Asahi Super Dry: A Breakthrough Play in Women’s Rugby
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?
Also speaking
Rosa Halford
Global Insights Manager, Asahi Europe & International Ltd
