It’s that point of 12 months once more when the mega-yachts of titans of media, tech and promoting drop anchor within the Mediterranean Sea, the place the trade’s greatest names will convene within the glitzy French seaside city of Cannes to make offers and debate the trade’s greatest points.
The rosé and champagne-infused week-long occasion, referred to as the Cannes Lions Worldwide Pageant of Creativity, is roaring again this week for its 72nd 12 months – and boasting over 12,000 attendees from over 97 nations, together with a heavy-hitting listing of high execs, celebs and athletes.
“These are the biggest numbers they’ve ever had,” stated 3CV founder Michael Kassan, who has not solely been going to Cannes Lions for over 25 years, however can also be instrumental in shaping it into what the occasion has grow to be.
“You have the agencies, you have the brands, you have the creatives, you have the media side and the platforms,” he stated. That’s why you get the thrill and that’s why Cannes is a must-attend occasion. I’m not saying it’s resistant to financial pressures and the like however the numbers for Cannes Lions are by way of the roof [this year].”
The self-proclaimed grand poobah of the illustrious occasion rattled off a slew of high names in media who might be at this week’s occasion, together with Amazon CEO Andrew Jassy, newly named Instacart CEO Chris Rogers and Disney Leisure co-chair Dana Walden, who’s within the operating for the highest job when Mouse Home CEO Bob Iger is slated to step down in late 2026.
Headlining audio system for the five-day fest, which begins Monday, embrace Adobe Techniques CEO Shantanu Narayen, who will seize the Inventive Champion of the 12 months award, in addition to YouTube CEO Neal Mohan tennis star and entrepreneur Serena Williams, NFL participant and Taylor Swift beau Travis Kelce, actress and Howdy Sunshine founder Reese Witherspoon and “Tonight Show” host Jimmy Fallon.
Regardless of the robust attendance, the financial system might be high of thoughts for execs, who’re grappling with easy methods to cope with President Trump’s looming tariffs, a tepid mergers and acquisition surroundings and uncertainty about how the implementation of synthetic intelligence will impression the promoting trade.
“I might have a bit of a hot take on the economy,” stated Yahoo Chief Income Officer Rob Wilk.”In the event you take a look at what you learn, it appears far more gloomy than what I expertise daily.”
Wilk. whose media firm is celebrating its thirtieth anniversary this 12 months, stated that the advertisers are “holding on to dry powder” and ready to spend versus “slashing budgets and pulling back” and that he’s seeing that very same warning mirrored in dealmaking, due partially to the tariff dialog.
He stated M&A offers will solely occur in the event that they’re an “accretive acquisition,” giving the instance of Yahoo’s April acquisition of Artifact, the AI-driven information aggregation app from Instagram cofounders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger.
3CV’s Kasan stated he expects the M&A surroundings to warmth up later as soon as two main offers shut. He cited the $13.25 billion merger between advert large Omnicom and Interpublic, which is predicted to shut later this 12 months, and Skydance Media’s $8 billion acquisition of Paramount World.
CBS-parent Paramount is at present embroiled in talks to settle President Trump’s $20 billion lawsuit in opposition to “60 Minutes” over the modifying of its sitdown with former Vice President Kamala Harris. The authorized settlement might be key for the deal to maneuver ahead, in accordance with media specialists.
“I do think the M&A landscape and entertainment will get a little busy once the Paramount deal is done,” Kassan stated, noting that Cannes might be a sizzling mattress for dealmaking and conversations about easy methods to develop companies.
This 12 months, execs might be centered on 4 high points that may drive income; synthetic intelligence, commerce, creators and sports activities media, he stated, including that his new firm 3CV might be internet hosting talks on these themes all through the week at Plage 3CV on the Croisette.
“AI is everything, everywhere all at once,” he stated with amusing.
Christopher Vollmer, managing director of MediaLink and associate at UTA agreed, explaining that the “conversations around AI have shifted from can AI create something interesting to how do we create AI responsibly, distinctively and at scale?”
“It’s more about a pragmatic application of AI versus a ‘gee whiz’ reaction,” he stated, including that chief monetary officers of firms are pushing their advertising heads to spend effectively and do extra with much less cash.
“The ability to do that – with the advancements in data, technology, etcetera— reinforces that it is possible to do more with less every year,” he stated. “There’s a real focus on what price performance, what marketing investments of any kind can be tied to return on investment.”
Retail or commerce media has grow to be an enormous focus for manufacturers searching for development. He pointed to Amazon– which can have a robust presence as soon as once more at Lions– as main the cost in its value-proposition to companions.
“Amazon’s whole proposition is ‘we know what you watch and we know what you buy,’” he stated, including that the e-commerce large is driving a convergence throughout content material, promoting, commerce and purchasing.
“It’s not just the big giants anymore,” stated Lauren Wiener, World lead of the advertising, gross sales and pricing apply of the Boston Consulting Group.”New gamers and class leaders are turning commerce information into media engines and redefining how advertisers attain shoppers.”
Wiener added that chief advertising officers are “reshaping” how they spend, “not retreating,” and that is taking the type of “doubling down” on areas that unlock each effectivity and development whereas slashing prices and legacy enterprise fashions.
Model constructing can also be central to any marketer’s agenda, and that the significance of sports activities media and creators/ influencers have exploded in recent times due partially to, its skill to succeed in youthful audiences.
Skilled athletes will take heart stage at occasions held by Axios, Medialink, Deep Blue Sports activities and Stagwell with its spectacular Sports activities Seashore complicated, addressing a wide range of subjects from the creator financial system, AI, psychological well being, model and easy methods to help feminine athletes.
Cannes will welcome NBA all-star Carmelo Anthony, WNBA champion Sue Hen, former NFL star Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson, former Yankee slugger Alex Rodriguez and soccer stars Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe, amongst others.
Manufacturers have leaned on athletes as a result of they’ve grow to be as necessary as conventional leisure franchises as a consequence of their recognition and talent to drive engagement with shoppers.
Pointing to the NBA finals, Josh Rosenberg, CEO of artistic communications agency, Day One Company stated followers throughout the nation are “really lit up.”
“I think it is perfect for storytelling,” he stated, referring to the finals. “Everyone is rooting for their person and I think that in this day and age, it is what is uniting large groups of people – and also this is one of the only times that audiences are tuned in at the same time to the same things.”
Rosenberg touted the rise in recognition of girls’s sports activities and sports activities total, as a strategy to additionally attain youthful audiences.
“There are all these new personalities that have their own social media followings and platforms and communities that fans are really engaged with, which are prime opportunities for a brand to capitalize on and for them to support athletes on their journey,” he stated.
In line with Harry Kargman, CEO of cellular model and advert company Kargo, working with creators will help manufacturers develop their attain nevertheless it’s crucial to have a diversified, measurable and focused advertising technique.
Working with influencers will be difficult as a result of it’s virtually unattainable to measure the ability of their attain, not like with focused advertisements, however he stated it may be value it for a model in the event that they’re trying to attain new prospects.
“I think influencers unlike other places- if they build the right content around a brand or around the brand message and if they have authenticity- it can be extraordinarily effective,” Kargman stated, “It’s like close to word of mouth but it’s word of mouth to hundreds of thousands, if not millions of followers.”
