OOO: A Break from Marketing BS | June 2023

This year, WongDoody headed to the French Riviera for what’s regarded by many as the Oscars of the advertising world, The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.?One of the most prestigious and influential festivals in our industry, providing a platform for creatives to showcase their best work, exchange ideas, and gain inspiration from leading figures in the field.??

In between taking over the?festival stage to spotlight our work with the Financial Times?and leading the judging of the esteemed Cannes Innovation Lions award, our Global Chief Creative and Design Officer Grace Francis tuned in to the conversations taking place on the ground. Beneath the glitz and the glamor of the brand activations and experiential events, Grace was able to discern a more meaningful message. Here are the key trends that emerged from the festival’s panels and award-winning work:???

Major Corporations Shaping Our Future?

A decade ago, many of us were urging our most scaled global clients to use their resources to change the world for the better. This year we saw PepsiCo and Lays revolutionize agriculture, making farming a viable future for a new generation and Ariel’s patented EcoClic box change packaging on a global scale (the demo was picked up from the local MonoPrix in Cannes) and with it help both the environment and accessibility.??

The Future is Here?

To be a jury member of Cannes Innovation this year involved talking to a biologist about genetic engineering, receiving an education on how biomimicry aids structural integrity and being politely asked not to poke a prehistoric meatball.??

Innovation is About Hearts as Much as Heads?

The power of presenting innovations informed jury members as we spoke to anthropologists, doctors and scientists, but just as importantly, we connected with the work on a human level. More than once, presentations moved us and the shortlist participants to tears—to be part of the Innovation Lion takes soul as well as brains.?

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It’s great to see?B2B brand marketing now getting the recognition it deserves, as more CMOs are bidding for mass appeal beyond their vertical audiences … including?our own?client Juniper Networks.?

Do say:?Maybe we should start thinking about that Super Bowl spot for next year.

Don’t say:?Doesn’t one of the B’s in B2B stand for boring??

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At Cannes, Alessandro Manfredi, Dove's global chief marketing officer said that while the biggest ingredient of their success is the creative ambition of their own teams, the “biggest illness” for the company is?marketers lacking the ability to be receptive?to creative ideas put forward by agencies. We won’t argue with that!??

Do say:?Welcome to the party, WongDoody!?

Don’t say:?You can’t sit with us.?

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Folks are getting tired of social media and with?Web 3.0 giving us greater control?over how we as individuals experience the internet, we might see it move from consuming us, to serving us, especially when it comes to our health. WongDoody’s Chief Experience Officer, Aus/NZ James Noble, says that social elements will still exist, but will be smaller, more human, more intimate.??

Do say:?I’m over the doom scrolling. Let’s be friends in the Metaverse.?

Don’t say:?You’re on Facebook, right??

MARKETERS ARE STUCK IN THE TYRANNY OF ENABLEMENT: HOW MANAGED SERVICES OFFERS A WAY OUT?

The modern CMO/CDO/CXO has more tools and data at their fingertips than ever before. But shrinking budgets, reduced workforces, hiring freezes, and skill gaps are preventing them from taking advantage of those opportunities. Existing talent models — whether agency partnerships or contract talent— aren’t enough to keep up with what we call the “tyranny of enablement.” Can marketing keep up??In this recent article, WongDoody’s Global Chief Strategy Officer Tod Rathbone, dives into the problems marketers face today and how effective collaboration and managed services innovations can help them rise to the challenge.?

WATCH THE REPLAY: AI – POWERED CX: WINNING CUSTOMER LOYALTY?

From personalized interactions to smoother processes and higher customer satisfaction, artificial intelligence is unlocking new opportunities for companies to better understand their audience and provide them with engaging customer experiences. Join our host?Skyler Mattson,?President of WongDoody, and her guests?Fiona Tan?Chief Technology Officer, Wayfair, and?Lisa Lou, VP, IT and Strategy, ADT, in the latest episode of View From The C-Suite, as they delve into the latest AI-powered technologies and showcase how their companies are using AI solutions to transform their CX strategies.?

ENJOYED THIS? WANT TO LEARN MORE?

Why not say hi to the Out Of Office author and our Head of New Business at WongDoody, Mariel Cunningham.