Mid-Year Review: The KR Festival of Creativity

No panels, no press passes, just a few ideas worth revisiting

Jun 25, 2025

It’s mid-June, which means two things: time to reflect on the first half of the year, and the creative world (and many B2B brands, sports leaders, etc.) descended on the South of France. I’m headed that way for a few days prior to jumping to London - albeit a week late. Not for rosé-fueled panels or beachfront brainstorms. Just a proper break.

Before I log off and go to sleep on this flight, I wanted to look back at the 17 posts I’ve published so far this year. Some were sparked by stadium seats or Super Bowl ads, others came from slower, more personal moments. All of them helped me think a little more clearly about where sports, strategy, and emotion intersect.

These weren’t just scattered thoughts - a few clear themes kept surfacing. So, in the spirit of creativity, here’s a quick highlight reel. There’s no jury or award coming for me for this. Here’s a recap of what made the cut.

Loyalty, Reframed

This wasn’t the year of the flashy perks program. It was the year of asking what loyalty really looks like when it’s built around behavior, space, and emotion. Ultimately, I believe it’s less about tiers and more about trust.

Fan Experience, Without the Friction

From streaming headaches to stadium signage, the fan journey doesn’t always flow. These posts were about spotting the moments that make people hesitate and finding ways to design your way around them.

Strategy, with Feeling

This was the year I found myself thinking less about dashboards and more about the stories behind them. The best strategy, I’ve found, doesn’t just optimize, but it resonates.

Emotion, as the Thread

These weren’t always the most “strategic” posts. They were the ones I needed to write - about family, movement, joy, and my own fan journey. They reminded me why I care about this work in the first place.

A Quick Timeout

Lots of posts later, including many late Tuesday nights, I’m grateful for the people who’ve read along, passed them on, or shared your thoughts. I’m stepping away for a bit to rest, reset, and soak up the kind of inspiration that’s needed at this point.

Unfortunately, there are currently no yacht invites or branded tote bags. Hopefully, it’ll be just a few quiet mornings, some sun, and time to think about the future.

As always, thanks for reading.

The Playbook by Katherine Rowe

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