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Senior Correspondent

Lara O'Reilly

Best known as one of the world’s largest chipmakers, Qualcomm has been building its presence in the sporting world via brand partnerships. Most recently, their premium consumer brand Snapdragon was unveiled as the new front-of-shirt sponsor of the iconic football club, Manchester United. Join this session to hear Qualcomm CMO Don McGuire, and Manchester United CEO Omar Berrada as they explain how brand partnerships can build business value and create success on and off the field.

A pitch-perfect partnership in sport and tech

Today, people and brands are bending over backward, contorting into bizarre shapes that fit whatever current cultural narrative exists. Brands are especially desperate to stay in the margins, scared of the “digilantes” that trail them, and terrified to make mistakes. But it’s boring. It’s predictable. And the result is that we’ve become more rigid and precious than ever. Most brands have become vanilla. They're shook.

It’s leading to consumers becoming increasingly avoidant of—almost repelled by—interacting with brands. How do we help brands move past this weak-kneed rigidity? Can we all break out of the precious predictability cycle we’ve found ourselves in?

Lara O'Reilly

Senior Correspondent

Business Insider