For years, marketers have used age as a shortcut for understanding younger audiences. But knowing that somebody is 18, 21 or 25 can only tell you so much about what they care about, what they are doing or what they might do next.

Increasingly, the more revealing signals may come from somewhere else: the teams and artists people follow, the communities they belong to, the life stages they are moving through, the decisions they are making and the moments that shape their day.

Bringing together perspectives from Spotify, IPSOS and Fanatics, this panel explores how fandom, first-party data, life stage, context and behaviour can help advertisers build a richer understanding of young audiences. When does a passion reveal identity or intent? Why might somebody applying to university, following their team or favourite band, working out or making a major purchase tell us more about their mindset than their age alone? And how can planners combine these signals to create media that feels more relevant, earns more attention and ultimately drives better business outcomes?