Digital Voices’ Post

The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity is quickly approaching and we’re excited to return! What do you think will be the top trend at this year’s festival? 🦁 Here’s what we’re watching: 🤖 GenAI Readiness 💰 The business value of personalization ✍ The rising influence of the creator economy 💪 The power of connected communities to drive change ⚙️ The CMO as the catalyst in a cross-functional landscape Discover how each trend is shaping marketing and beyond. 👇 https://deloi.tt/3RpMplY

Having let the train take the strain, Stuart Button, our Executive Creative Director, shares his first impressions of Cannes 2024: “Cannes is here again . . . as adland's hopefuls descend on southern #France for some much-needed vitamin D. “The commercialisation of this 70+ year old creative festival continues with more brands showing up than ever before. “Judging by the fringe event talks, AI is still top of the agenda - only this time, it's less: 'We're all doomed!' and more 'we're all going to be rich!'. “As well as AI and D&I, sports is sticking its hand in the air for some much-needed attention (Stagwell's awesome sports beach by Cheerful Twentyfirst is now double the size). “What with the #Euros and #Olympics coming to #France (although you wouldn't know it - it's pretty mute from what I've seen), they’re even parading the old torch thingy down La Croisette tomorrow. “The other topic that's still going strong, is that dirty word 'effectiveness'. The thing that all clients want and creatives struggle to care about. “With stuff like ‘advertising value chain’, ‘digital waste’ and ‘closed-loop attribution’ being thrown around . . . If I didn't know any better, I'd say marketeers were making up stuff just to sell more things. Sneaky little buggers. “Is it any wonder that advertising has only just dropped off the top spot of the UK's LEAST trusted industry for the first time in a decade. “According to Simon Stone, of LoopMe GM International: ‘There is no point in creating the next Guinness Surfer if fragmented viewing habits, skippable ads, and decreasing attention spans prevent it from being seen. Creative remains essential to branding, but only when supercharged with data-driven media placement.' “I mean, I'd love to write the next Guinness Surfer ad - effectiveness be damned! “But then, what's the point in doing what we're doing if absolutely no one cares? And, according to Mark Ritson, no one does. “Hey ho - off to my first event I go.” #cannes2024 #canneslions #events #festivalofcreativity

This was my first time at Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity and it was so much better than I expected. First, the people. They say Lions is all about creativity, but one thing that became clear to me is that Lions is actually about connection, creativity that connects people, to be more precise... and did I connect?? This is one of the few occasions where you get to be in person next to some of the smartest & most brilliant minds of our industry, so yes! I was able to make incredible new connections, some that I can even call friends. So, here's a special thank you to each of the amazing people I met. Second, AI. Of course that was all over the festival. This is the beginning of a new era in marketing, one where our present limitations might soon be just a matter of a software update. At the festival, some of the people were more optimistic, others more realistic, but one thing that felt like a common ground is that AI is here to stay, whether you like it or not, and this is going to push creatives to work on new solutions to always stay ahead of the curve. Wish us luck! We're in a critical moment, as we shape this technology to serve our needs, not the other way around. So let's work together to build the AI that we need. I must thank Media.Monks for the amazing opportunity. It was an experience that will always remain in a special place inside my heart. I'll do my homework to make sure I'll be there again next year. Thanks for the memories. See you next year 💫 #Cannes #Lions #AI

Day two of Cannes was filled with insightful panels and inspiring discussions. Here are some standout moments: 🌱 Responsible media is everyone's priority: Brands aiming to prioritise purpose alongside profit must create an aligned corporate vision and ensure they walk the walk, not just talk the talk. It’s everyone's responsibility to bring this conversation to clients and partners to ensure we do better. 🚀 Maximising effectiveness and creativity through tech is key: An engaging panel hosted by Francesca Cassidy, Managing Editor at Raconteur | B Corp™ reflected on integrating AI efficiencies into businesses. For both brands and consumers, it’s easy to feel behind when it comes to AI, but in reality, the technology is still in its infancy. 💡The industry needs to share best practice: Cannes Can: Diversity Collective featured a powerful panel discussion with Alissa Hansen, Micheal Rocca, Tony Hobley, and Carl Willoughby. They explored the intersection of AI, wellbeing, inclusion, and equity in marketing, highlighting the potential impact of AI-driven campaigns on diverse identities. Laurie Keith, VP of Emerging Media & Technology at Ad Council, reminded us, "We are all in learning mode. The industry needs to share best practices. If brands or agencies have found a process that works for them, share it.” #CannesLions #Diversity #Sustainability #AI #MarketingInnovation Alex Collmer, Beet.TV, VideoWeek, Paul Rowlinson, MSc, Jay Stevens, Lucia Mastromauro, Anna Spanfeller, Jana Jakovljevic, Nicole Papola, Anna Forbes, Tamara Littleton, Rachel Fang, Manuela C., Alexander Igelsböck, Fabio De Bernardi

🎨 ✏️- What a Creative start to the week! Today I had the opportunity to attend the D&AD Festival at the Southbank Centre in London. Despite the gloomy (or perhaps, to keep with the creative vein), ✨️emotively-poetic✨️ start to the day, where I lost London to the blanket of clouds (see my reel below 👀 ☁️) I had a throughly energising day. 🤎 Appreciated the inclusive representation present throughout today's Talks and Panel discussions. It really makes all the difference when you feel seen and accounted for at these events. I felt as though I belonged within this circle and valued too. 🎤 We attended a number of insightful sessions including the power and influence of a sprawling Fandom, the continuous encroach of AI & blending it with emotional marketing to be most impactful. We continue to see an emphasis on making native & platform-first, tailor made Creative Assets if Brands wish to generate the best results they can. 🔲🔺️ - Triangle/Square...Be Big, Be Bold, Be Brave with any execution in which you wish to connect with your audiences and resonate with them for a lasting impact. You wouldn't put a square jigsaw piece into a triangle slot, so why do Brands feel the same creative execution will be effective on multiple different touchpoints? We have to lean into Platform requirements, protocols and best practices in order to thrive and gain that vastly sought after media effectiveness we all wish to see at the end of any project. 💯 🌟 💫 🍃 There was an emphasis on the importance of creative spaces, book nooks, mindfulness and music in order to reset and let that creative juice flow. Only with a real recharge and reset can any one of us do our optimal work. 📚 And of course, being right next to Foyles (W&G Foyle Ltd) on Southbank, I couldn't resist a quick trip in. To escape the rain mainly 😅 and to add a few books to my collection too. Love a good mental reset and especially when that means I get to be in the thick of my favourite city, watching the world go by, feeling inspired by every turn. ❤️ ✨️ ✏️- I've always wished to attend a D&AD event and feel extremely grateful to have done so today. 🌟 #RadsOnAds #CreativeMarketing #Marketing #Creativity #BetterTogether

What I learned at Cannes Lions 2024 during my last day at the festival. • Storytelling in age of the algorithm: Today, I had the chance to participate in the Cannes Lions Learning recording session and talk about "Storytelling in the age of the algorithm." - I will try to replicate here in a few words: Stories are essential, and they need to resonate with people to grab their attention. So, how do you create relevant content for your audience? Use social networks not only as a media channel but as a laboratory, where AI can help you to identify trends and anticipate the behaviors of your consumers. However, for that, brands need to work at the speed of culture and take advantage of a subject that resonates with the audience and is relevant to the algorithm. Now that you have a relevant story, the arch should have several assets to tell the same story in different ways. AI machines can now identify which content or ad is relevant to specific individuals in less than a second. But AI can't work at total capacity if the machine has only one ad to deliver. AI needs a diverse set of assets to make your campaign more efficient. However, creating different assets for one campaign requires energy and resources. AI-generated a big demand, which is true, but it also gave the solution: Gen AI tools, which can create several variations of content to feed the engine itself. * You can see mommys with their babies at the Palais. And this is something new and touching to me. I had to leave Nina in Brazil with the nanny to attend the festival. She was only ten months old, and it was painful: shoes to stay with your baby and take a chance in your career. Bringing your baby is something that we would never have considered 15 years ago.  Happy, we can see moms and fathers caring for their babies around the Palais.  Note: later, after taking this photo, I discovered that mommy is Raphaella Martins, from Meta, Brazil. •Talking about mommys, my last (and personal) note from Cannes: Fifteen years ago, I came to Cannes and bought my daughter a gift: a tinny pink tea set beautifully packaged in a small valise. Nina is 18 and moving to college in London; soon, we won't be living together. So Today, I went to the same store and bought her a toy: another tinny tea set for her new adult house. Time flies, my friends. #canneslions2024 #MommysAtCannes #storytelling&algorithm

It has been an intense week at Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. Thanks to all the friends who came to visit us on our Equativ yacht. I am sharing the insights and feedback from our conversations: ✅ The ad tech industry has evolved past its nascent, high-growth phase and is now in a stage where consolidation is a logical step for long-term success. ✅ The emphasis has moved from growth multiples to EBITDA, reflecting a need for profitability and financial stability. This shift is not a sign of industry weakness but rather an adaptation to broader macro-economic realities. ✅ Consolidation does not stifle innovation, rather, it can foster it. Larger, consolidated companies have more resources to invest in research and development. ✅ Innovation is the key to drive advancements in AI, programmatic advertising, data analytics, and other critical areas. It allows companies to be better positioned to adapt to regulatory changes, such as increased privacy laws and the phasing out of third-party cookies, by developing and implementing new, compliant technologies.

The countdown has begun! Join us THIS Wednesday as we get ready for the best week of the year in both advertising and the french riviera! We're talking about everything you need to know about packing, planning, and conquering your week at Cannes! Register to join us for this informational session through the link in the comments! #cannes #events #advertising #marketing #canneslions

𝙈𝙞𝙙 𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙡𝙢𝙨 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙨𝙪𝙘𝙘𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘽𝙤𝙭 𝙊𝙛𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙚, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙞𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙖𝙪𝙙𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚. With over 70% of cinema bookings now generated online, finding & converting those digital audiences has never been more important. Understanding audience preferences and market dynamics is crucial, and Gruvi’s audience & market insights platform 'Houston’ is uniquely equipped to deliver just that. Utilising machine learning to analyse the intricate digital behaviors of International moviegoers, Houston enables film stakeholders to efficiently evaluate the diverse variables that can influence a film's theatrical release. This includes assessing the international market potential of a film, devising effective digital marketing strategies to reach audiences and maximise ticket sales, and projecting revenues for both finished films and scripts across various release scenarios. To find out more, DM me to set up a one-to-one meeting at Cannes from May 15-20, or visit our booth there at  Connect: The Entertainment Tech Hub (https://lnkd.in/eGPc9zSu.)

Enter the Lions' den 🦁 Last week was the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, the largest gathering for those who work in creative communications, advertising and related industries. The week-long event celebrated the best in advertising with the Lions awards and educated attendees with talks on industry trends. Some of the key branding takeaways: 🤖 AI is here to stay Artificial intelligence and its impact on the industry was heavily discussed with many brand activations at the festival involving the usage of AI. While some talked about the capabilities that allowed for better work, others talked about the pitfalls such as the lack of diversity in AI-generated images. 🤝 The business case for inclusivity Due to diversity fatigue and culture wars, many companies have begun defunding their diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. However, one panel at the festival highlighted the commercial benefits of more progressive advertising, citing it helps brands sell more and retain customers. ⚖️ Brands can’t shy away from politics Sessions highlighted the importance of brands getting involved in politics. According to Research Live, 60% of consumers buy brands based on their politics. 🎨 The power of the creator economy This year was the first time the festival included a Creator Pass, an initiative designed specifically for content creators to learn about the advertising industry. Simon Cook, the CEO of Lions, acknowledged the major contributions influencers have had in advertising and the potential growth of the creator economy. Creators with a real connection to their audience are who brands should be partnering with, not necessarily the biggest names. 🏎️ Embrace the now The “Coors Lights Out” ad campaign, born from a pure accident that went viral, was a Lions Award winner. Shohei Ohtani, a baseball player, damaged a billboard featuring a Coors Light ad with a foul ball, and within 48 hours, Coors responded with a special edition can that replicated the damaged ad. Brands should be moving fast to capitalize on what’s happening in culture. Want to learn more about the Cannes Lions Festival? Visit canneslions.com 📸 Contagious ---------- #canneslions #cannes #branding #globalbranding #brandingcontent #brandingmanagement #strategicbranding #brandingforbusiness #professionalbranding #brandingstrategies #svanyc #mastersinbranding #svamastersinbranding #svamib #schoolofvisualarts #sva #svabranding #branding #gradschool #mpsbranding