The one thing Snoop Dogg's fans never question

Quick Hits

MotoGP Going Mainstream? Instagram link — With Liberty Media’s approval, fans are split: will the rising popularity kill the sport's original thrill?

Spotlight: Paddy Galloway on The New Rules of YouTube (2025) — YouTube strategist breaks down the shift to "click and watch" culture, where packaging trumps content quality. Brands must think like creators. Watch here

Impact X Casebook — 50 of sport's most creative partnerships from the past five years. Bold activations, viral campaigns, and new ROI standards. Download here

Table Talk: Confessions from The Commercial Table

Share your own confessions (anonymously, of course). Maybe Table Talk will be where our industry finally gets real.

Feature Story: The Realest (Scott Keeney)

The Trust Factor: How the Realest Cracked the $5B Authentication Problem

When Snoop Dogg puts his personal memorabilia up for auction, fans know it's real. But in a market where up to 90% of sports memorabilia might be fake, that certainty is rare, and valuable.

The Realest, an LA-based startup fresh off a $4.6 million seed round, has built its entire business around this trust gap. Their approach offers commercial leaders lessons in turning industry pain points into profit centres.

The Problem Every CCO Should Know About

Sports and entertainment memorabilia is a $5 billion market with a massive authenticity problem. Traditional authentication relies on paper certificates that can be forged, third-party dealers with questionable sourcing, and verification processes that happen after fans have already made emotional purchases.

For teams, athletes, and entertainment properties, this creates a triple threat: brand risk from association with fakes, lost revenue from fans buying elsewhere, and missed opportunities to monetise authentic assets sitting in storage.

The Realest saw something different. Instead of viewing authentication as a cost centre, they built it as the core value proposition.

How They Flipped the Script

The Realest's TRuEST™ authentication system starts with a simple principle: witness everything from the source. No third-party sourcing, no chain-of-custody gaps, no paper certificates that can be photocopied.

When they authenticate a game-worn jersey, team personnel witness the removal. When Snoop Dogg consigns personal items, the authentication happens in real-time. Digital certificates replace paper ones, and every transaction is tracked from athlete to fan.

But here's the commercial insight that matters: they've made the authentication process part of the story fans buy into. The provenance isn't just about preventing fraud, it's about deepening the emotional connection to the item.

The Revenue Model That Actually Works

Most memorabilia platforms take 15-25% commissions plus buyer premiums that can add another 20%. The Realest operates with transparent pricing and no hidden fees, meaning more revenue flows back to rights holders.

They've created exclusive partnerships with teams and artists, turning authentication into a revenue-sharing opportunity rather than a compliance expense. Recent auctions featuring Snoop Dogg's personal collection generated significant buzz precisely because fans trusted the authenticity.

For commercial leaders, this model demonstrates a key principle: when you solve a real operational problem, you create pricing power. The authentication technology becomes the differentiator that justifies premium positioning.

Why This Matters Beyond Memorabilia

The Realest's success illustrates a broader commercial strategy that applies across industries. They identified a widespread trust problem, built technology to solve it, and turned that solution into a competitive moat.

Consider how this framework applies to your business:

Brand Protection as Revenue Driver: Instead of viewing compliance and authenticity as costs, The Realest made them central to their value proposition. Every authentication becomes a marketing moment.

Direct Relationships Over Intermediaries: By eliminating third-party sourcing, they created cleaner revenue streams and stronger partnerships with rights holders. The authentication process actually strengthens these relationships rather than complicating them.

Technology That Tells Stories: Their digital certificates don't just verify authenticity; they preserve and share the story behind each item. The technology enhances the fan experience rather than creating friction.

The Commercial Leader's Playbook

Scott and their team succeed because they aligned operational excellence with customer experience. Their authentication creates value fans are willing to pay for.

This approach offers commercial teams a framework for transforming defensive necessities into offensive advantages. Whether you're dealing with authenticity, sustainability, transparency, or quality assurance, the companies that turn compliance requirements into customer benefits create the strongest market positions.

The memorabilia market might seem niche, but the commercial principles are universal: solve real problems, build trust through transparency, and make your operational advantages visible to customers.

The Bottom Line: The Realest proves that industry-wide problems often represent your biggest commercial opportunities. They've turned authentication from a defensive cost into an offensive revenue strategy, exactly the kind of strategic thinking that separates commercial leaders from commercial managers.

This Week’s Challenge:

Think about a brand you trust completely. What's the one thing they do that earns your loyalty? Hit reply with your thoughts, or vote in our quick poll below.

Before you go: Here are 3 ways I can help you win in the boardroom and beyond:

1) Executive Ghostwriting & Thought Leadership I help CCOs, CMOs, and founders craft powerful communications, whether it's speeches, op-eds, LinkedIn posts, or that next big keynote. Let's turn your expertise into influence.

2) Strategic Communications Consulting: From crisis communications to brand storytelling, I partner with commercial leaders to build trust, drive growth, and ensure your message resonates with the audiences that matter most.

3) Speaking & Content: Book me for keynotes, panels, or custom content on the business of sport, media, and commercial innovation. Let's bring fresh, actionable insights to your next event.

P.S. I'm always up for a conversation about the future of sports, entertainment, and commercial leadership. Just hit reply or connect with me on LinkedIn.

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