2024 Cannes Lions Festival Key Takeways

I’ve just returned from an inspiring week at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in the South of France. If AI was a hot topic at the Croisette, Sport was also a big part of the agenda including side events such as Sportbeach, Brand Innovators and more.

I am pleased to share with you 5 key takeaways from my time there that you might find useful.

1. Collaboration drives systemic change:? Whether it's about meeting consumer expectations or driving greater impact, organizations are really starting to embrace the power of collaboration and partners.?

One example that really stood out is the collaboration between 宝洁 and 阿迪达斯 and HARDER THAN YOU THINK , the creators of "Rising Phoenix" which perfectly emphasized how together we can join forces to change people's perception regarding disability.

2. Purpose and authenticity are on top of leaders’ agendas: Brand purpose and brand authenticity are critical. Brand leaders must align all internal and external decisions in service of their organizational purpose.? Embracing purpose in a very authentic way drives performance, brand relevance and customer loyalty.? This authenticity demands that you understand who you serve and the problems you can help solve for them. For purpose marketing to drive performance, it must be inherently woven into the fabric of the brand. it must be intertwined and aligned with the corporate mission, it must be something the company can be authentically passionate about and the employees can live and breathe. Also, leaders are starting to recognise that sport provides a relevant and powerful platform to help bring their brand purpose to life and execute this with tangible and measurable KPI’s and outcomes.

One example is Ally ,?a leading digital financial services company that identified that women only receive 4% of media coverage which ultimately translates into women’s sports being undervalued. Ally has decided to tackle this issue by investing in women’s sport to create equity and foster equal opportunities for women.? Ally financial announced the 50/50 Pledge - a commitment to reach equal spend in media across men's and women's sports within the next five years. Ally also partnered with CBS to move the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) Championship game to primetime. The first time an annual women's sports tournament had ever featured in primetime - viewership increased by 71%, driving brand preference, loyalty, and engagement.

3. Brand content and Athletes :? From Megan Rapinoe to Ezra Frech by Diana Flores, more and more athletes are taking a stand in and understanding their responsibility to help make the world a better place.? Brand storytelling is evolving and the focus is increasingly on purpose and societal impact. Brands need to think beyond conventional advertising and consider how their stories can also contribute to positive social change in the real world. P&G Studios, in collaboration with 'Rising Phoenix', a groundbreaking documentary on Paralympians, showed how they are leveraging storytelling to not only build brand narrative but also champion inclusivity and resilience. By aligning with compelling stories of Paralympic athletes, P&G showcased how brands can transcend traditional advertising and contribute to societal change.

4. AI & Creativity : AI was a hot topic on the Croisette. Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity highlights the best creative ideas around the world. Creativity is thriving in everyday life, and AI brings an immense change to the creative industry, just as how programmatic has transformed media. Brands and agencies willing to take a head start with AI will benefit from a significant competitive advantage. Everything is getting faster and won’t be going back. Creatives and AI-developers are increasingly looking at the future of how their two unique skill sets can work together and complement each other. AI is now a part of almost every strategy and is is going to change everything. But as we move towards automation, hyper-personalization alongside trust and authenticity will be more important than ever to attract, retain talents and foster customer loyalty.

5. Athletes are multi-dimensional and have their personal purpose :? Today’s Athletes are not longer one-dimensional. They are multi-dimensional and aspirational figures who excel in business, media, nonprofits, and more, far beyond their achievements on the field. They are human and have their own purpose. The days when athletes were just focusing on their sport are over. Athletes are no longer looking for transactional brand sponsors. They want to partner with corporates to build purpose-led partnerships that are driving and growing the value of their personal brand.??

One relevant example is Team USA Paralympian, T63 High Jump World Record holder, Ezra Frech . Ezra is much more than a Paralympic athlete and he is on a mission to "normalize disability at scale to build a more inclusive world”.? He also Ezra owns one of the most well-known non-profit organizations called Angel City Sports which provides year-round adaptive sports opportunities for kids, and adults with physical disabilities. He hosts Angel City Games, the largest Paralympic-style adaptive sports event in the US. He created the first Adaptive Sports coalition, a shared mission with his sponsors aiming to level the playing field for people with disabilities through adaptive sports as a pre & post-legacy from the LA28 Olympic & Paralympic Games .