THE CURRENCY OF PERSONAL DATA

How does Encore plan to personalise the relationship between fans and creators?

Zero/first-party data makes every experience more authentic because you know who they are as a fan, and what motivates them.

For example, I’m a Bay Area sports fan but haven’t lived in the bay for over 10 years. When those clubs reach out to me and ask me to buy season tickets it’s obvious they don’t know me as a fan. Why would I buy season tickets when I lived in New York?

If the 49ers knew that every Sunday I would watch the game at Finnerty’s, the local Bay Area sports bar in NYC, the 49ers could reward me as a fan and buy my first round of Bud Light’s (a brand partner of the 49ers).

How does Encore envision the future of fan engagement, and how does the company’s approach to turning a fan’s identity into an asset fit into that vision?

Fan engagement will only continue to evolve with new technology which is why we designed Encore to be the identity layer that any fan engagement tool can build on top of. We believe that there is no wrong way to be a fan, and that fans should be rewarded for however they choose to engage with creators they love. That’s why we focus on the identity layer, being able to verify and prove that a user is a fan - across any, and eventually, all platforms.

Can you provide examples of how Encore will reward fans for sharing their data with creators?

Absolutely. Tennis players will soon be able to build their FAN ID by adding data - such as which tournaments they play in, leagues they’re involved in, gear they use, players they engage with on social media, and so on. That FAN ID will unlock assets such as unique experiences across Tennis (e.g. reduced fees, free coaching, early access, etc.) and supporting brand partners.

How does Encore plan to work with creators to turn a fan's identity into an asset?

The current approach to collecting fan data is not only fundamentally flawed and exorbitantly expensive, but it’s also subject to rapidly changing consumer and regulatory demands. Today, if a club wants fan data they ask everyone but their fans—Fanatics, Ticketmaster, Instagram, Nielsen, dozens of other platforms, and Big Four consultants.

Encore works with pioneers in sport to collect zero- and first-party data by partnering directly with their fans.

Are there other companies that are making an asset out of fan identity in a way similar to Encore? If yes, what makes Encore unique? If not, what's the closest thing to competition that you have?

We’re the only self-sovereign data provider for fans to date. This is certainly a challenge for us because there are so many companies focused on sports, music and the broader creator economy. There are data aggregation companies that help creators connect 3rd party data sets, there are Web3 companies providing ownership opportunities via tokens and there are traditional loyalty/ membership programs. Our approach is to create the identity protocol so that fans can participate in their data ownership, and choose to engage with any of these platforms.

Obviously, there are a lot of security concerns revolving around data. Have these concerns affected your methods and progress? How will Encore Fans ensure that fan data is handled responsibly and ethically?

Data security is a core element of Encore. Members of our founding team are experts in this space who have worked with the biggest organisations, and numerous three letter agencies to implement best practices for cyber security and data protection. To us, this is not an “implemented and done” scenario - privacy and security needs to evolve with the technology and demands of the user. We will always strive to be at the forefront of that change.

Are there or has there been any other potential challenges or roadblocks that Encore anticipates or has had to overcome when turning a fan's identity into an asset?

There is a new challenge every day, that’s why it’s fun! The biggest blocker to enabling fans to truly own their data, and participate in the value of their data, is perception. Some users don’t yet perceive data ownership as important, some platforms have the perception that they should own all data, for some the perceived value of data is low. We’re confident that this will change over time.

Where does the platform stand in terms of development and funding?

Our product is built, customers are actively leveraging Encore and fans are creating their own FAN ID! We raised the first half of our pre-seed funds late last year then paused to launch a few large customers, and have now opened that round back up. Our focus right now is to work with as many sports teams and leagues as possible to help show them the value of enabling fans to participate in their data ownership.