5 Min Read
The Harris Poll returns to Cannes Lions 2026 as part of Stagwell’s SPORT BEACH. Here’s who to find on the ground, and what to talk to them about.
SPORT BEACH has a unique offering to Cannes, connecting athletes, brands and creatives. This year’s mainstage features Shaquille O’Neal, Naomi Osaka, Lando Norris, Hilary Knight and many more athletes at the intersection of sports and culture. The themes on the agenda – storytelling as sports currency, athletes as cultural architects, the globalization of sports brands – are questions The Harris Poll has been answering for years.
For example, we know that 69% of Gen Z fans are interested in time-saving rule changes. And that the WNBA’s momentum score jumped from 46 to 53 in a single season – a shift we called before the headlines caught up.
We know that America’s appetite for soccer is on the rise – almost half (45%) of Americans say their interest in soccer is increasing. And that 70% of soccer fans agree that they are excited about the 2026 World Cup specifically because it will be held in North America.
We know that fans don’t want more sport; they want better sport: shorter, more social, more connected to their lives.
We’ll have six people on the ground. Here’s who they are and what they’re ready to talk about. Let us know if you’d like to set up a meeting.
John Gerzema, CEO
Talk to John about: Public opinion, brand trust, and the data behind the story
John has spent decades translating polling into strategy for some of the world’s biggest brands. At Cannes, he’s ready to talk about how consumer sentiment around sport is shifting – and what that means for brands trying to build relevance in a value-driven market.
His team called “Super Sick Monday” before it became a headline: 22.6 million Americans planned to miss work the day after the Super Bowl. That kind of cultural signal tells brands something money can’t buy – when fans are so invested in a moment that it reshapes their real-world behavior, there’s an opportunity to show up in a way that matters.
Libby Rodney, Chief Strategy Officer
Talk to Libby about: Cultural foresight, fandom, and what comes next
Libby’s work sits at the intersection of culture, identity, and consumer behavior – territory that maps directly onto the SPORT BEACH agenda. She’s been tracking how fandom is evolving from passive spectatorship into active identity. With 70% of Gen Z saying they’d watch a creator co-stream over a live sporting event, the battle for fan attention is already being fought on new ground. Libby can tell you where it goes next.
Jenna Lauer, Chief Commercial Officer
Talk to Jenna about: Partnerships, research strategy, and what The Harris Poll can do for your brand
Jenna leads commercial growth at The Harris Poll. If you’re exploring how research can sharpen your brand strategy – or want to understand what a partnership with us looks like in practice – she’s the person to find.
Jennifer Musil, Global President, Research
Talk to Jennifer about: research methodology, global data, and brand measurement
Jennifer oversees research globally, which means she knows how to cut through noise and get to signal – across markets, cultures, and categories. As Cannes is increasingly focused on proving creative effectiveness; Jen’s knowledge and perspective matters.
Christie Bishop, SVP, Head of Tech & Entertainment Clients
Talk to Christie about: the entertainment–sport crossover and brand strategy in culture-driven categories
Christie leads The Harris Poll’s tech and entertainment client practice – a portfolio at the heart of some of the most dynamic brand challenges in the market. Sport and entertainment are converging fast. Christie has the data to show what that convergence means for brand equity, audience engagement, and the race to reach fans where they actually are.
Zeke Hughes, Managing Director
Talk to Zeke about: AI-powered brand intelligence and turning consumer data into faster decisions
Zeke leads the commercial growth of HarrisQuest – the AI-powered research and brand intelligence platform built on The Harris Poll’s 70+ year foundation. He’s scaled it to 150+ enterprise clients across 25 global markets, working directly with CMOs, communications leaders, and insights teams.
At Cannes, he’s the person to find if you want to understand how always-on brand tracking, rapid consumer research, and AI-driven insight workflows can change the speed at which your organization acts on data.
Let’s find time to connect
Whether you want to dig into the data behind the SPORT BEACH agenda or explore what The Harris Poll can do for your brand, our team is ready to talk.
