Miriam Plon Sauer’s Post

🌟 My Post-Cannes Reflections 🌟 I love Cannes. It’s a week of conversation, connection, and collaboration - a ‘creative mecca’ if you will. But now that the dust has settled and everyone is posting their top takeaways, I’ve been doing some reflecting. And I think something was missing from Cannes this year. In amongst all the awards and big name talks, our industry’s ability to do good got lost. So, here are my top takeaways from Cannes 2024: 🤖 Everyone is obsessed with AI. It’s no surprise that AI dominated the conversation again this year. As an industry, we’re still obsessed with chasing the latest shiny thing, especially if it makes us money. Sustainability has been completely deprioritised. A smattering of brands and agencies made nominal gestures in the right direction, and (embarrassingly) few took the train instead of flying. But aside from that, there was barely anything of note on sustainability at all. 😔 Change has arrived, but not on the main stage. The whole festival felt more diverse and inclusive than ever - WACL (Women in Advertising & Communications Leadership ) had its first real presence in its 101-year history, and lots of interesting conversations took place outside the Palais. But it was a conversation that mainly took place in back streets and small cafés. Meanwhile, the line to watch Elon Musk snaked around the block. 🤑 We need a reframe. AI took centre stage because it has been framed as a driver of growth. Sustainability and D&I remain fringe conversations because they have not. The exception might be women’s sport, which (quite rightly) received a lot of airtime this year because of its demonstrable commercial value. Growth is how you get attention at Cannes.   💚 You can do good and make money. The new Alt Text awards category next year (created by Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in partnership with RNIB and MullenLowe UK) is a great example. The inclusive practice allows brands to target an additional 2.2 billion blind and partially sighted people globally. So next year, let’s make doing good while making money a Cannes priority on and off the main stages. ✊🏼   #CannesLions #Sustainability #DiversityandInclusion #AI #WomenInSport #CreativeIndustry #Advertising

While everyone (looking at you Michael Thill) is off enjoying the sun and creativity at Cannes Lions, here I am, not jealous at all. Seriously, not one bit jealous. Not even a little. For those unfamiliar, the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity is a premier event in the advertising and communications industry. It runs from June 17-21 this year and features over 150 hours of content with around 500 speakers from across the globe. Icons like Deepak Chopra, Jay Shetty, and representatives from top companies like Google and P&G are sharing insights and innovations that are shaping the industry. https://lnkd.in/gv7s3rQH Why do we flock to events like this? The draw is in both the recognition and the opportunity for professional growth. From a behavioral science perspective, humans have a deep-seated desire for validation and acknowledgment. Awards like the Cannes Lions provide a platform to be judged and, hopefully, celebrated for our creativity and hard work. But why do we want to be judged? The answer lies in the psychological satisfaction of recognition, which can enhance self-esteem and motivate continued excellence. Beyond personal satisfaction, there are significant business reasons for pursuing these accolades. Winning at Cannes can enhance a company’s reputation, attract new clients, and justify higher fees for services. In essence, these awards are a tangible marker of success and a powerful marketing tool. However, at Havas Edge we believe that the best award is the trust and loyalty of our clients. While it's great to be recognized on such a prestigious stage, our ultimate goal is to consistently deliver value and results for our clients, day in and day out. That, to us, is the most meaningful accolade of all. Still, would be nice to be there.

One of the boldest presentations at the Cannes Festival was Mark Ritson's. In a packed room, Ritson questioned the true importance of creativity in advertising. His standout chart was bold: Cannes-awarded creatives from the past three years, measured by System 1, haven't outperformed the market average. This highlights a critical lesson: we often award creativity for its own sake, not its business impact. Cannes celebrates creativity, but Ritson's analysis challenges us to rethink our priorities. Creativity is important, but it's only one element of an entire marketing strategy and, when measured, is not one of the leading factors of success. #CannesFestival #MarkRitson #CreativityInAdvertising #BusinessImpact #MarketingInsights #RethinkPriorities

' Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity is still the only truly global celebration of the absolute best work that our industry is capable of, and in my view it’s a must-attend for everybody. I coach and advise a number of leaders of small to midsize agencies and holding companies, and for their business development and agency growth goals, I always recommend attending Cannes, even (and especially) if they’ve never been. It’s the one week of the year where you can find pretty much everybody in our industry and everybody on the client side all in the one place, so for biz-dev goals, it’s like shooting fish in a barrel. Plus, you don’t have to rent a beach to get noticed. Demonstrate precisely what Cannes celebrates -- extremely ingenious strategy + highly creative execution -- and you can impose yourself on the landscape of Cannes to generate buzz, chatter and media coverage to further those goals.' I talk to Barbara Lippert for MediaPost: https://lnkd.in/eBHPavim

Did you know that last Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity no one was awarded the 'Grand Prix for Good'? Indeed, it was the only category at Cannes not to have work deemed 'good' enough to win a Lion. We believe the industry can do better, and this year we aim to highlight some of the work that is trying to do 'good' with our 'Walk the Work: The Responsible Edit' tours. Spaces are filling up fast, so if you'd like to sign up to a tour, or indeed sit down and grab a coffee with Responsible Marketing Agency, please click on the link in the comments below. Alice Brady Aina Fuller #canneslions2024 #responsiblemarketing #responsiblemedia #sustainablemarketing

Stress is horrific and dangerous. It can cause an adverse effect on your health, your wellbeing and your relationships. But not all stress is equal. Because when it’s born from a desire to satisfy your own or shared vision - rather than succumbing to the pressure and isolation of others - it can, as Si points out below, be a sign of giving a f*ck. It may not be cool to talk about ‘graft’ these days (which is very different to the dangers of ‘hustle culture’) but it’s still the foundation of standing any chance to make, do or create something special. We don’t talk about that enough. Not because I ever want to advocate for stress, but because I do want to celebrate craft, creativity and care. Or should I say, I want the people who act/claim they have all the answers to respect and acknowledge it … given they’ve never made any actual work and haven’t got the faintest idea what it takes or costs to make something proper good. Commercially, creatively, emotionally or artistically. So well done to everyone who put their work out there to be judged and criticised, regardless of the result. Few do. Few would. Because even though it’s business, it’s always - absolutely always - personal.

Cannes Lions has its own ‘walled garden’ – but is it a bug or a feature? In my final column covering this year’s festival, I ask why there is still a (very physical) disconnect between the creative and media industries here in Cannes - and why creativity isn't just a realm for the ‘big ideas’ visionaries. With even the Lions judges themselves saying that the standard of some entries “just wasn’t exceptional” and with creatively awarded ads now performing ‘average’ compared to previous years, do we need a rethink on what modern marketing creativity actually is? And is this a way to build a more joined up festival next year? Read my full column in the comments below, FREE TO READ today alongside my five daily travelogue articles written on the ground in Cannes Lions 2024. Just login or create a free account for early bird access to all 6 articles. Thank you to... Hugh Stevens, LiveRamp, Orlando Wood, System1, Sir John Hegarty, The Garage Soho, Charlotte Rawlings, Campaign UK, Andrew Tindall, System1 ...for their input and/or inspiration in writing this article. Joseph Arthur Jyoti Rambhai Reem Makari Celine Yaseen Samantha Johnston Jess MacDermot #performancemarketing #canneslions #marketing #creativity

OMG. Someone wrote something about Cannes without totally shitting all over it or saying "I remember when it used to be cool." (Me. I did.) Enter: 'Is everyone winning a Grand Prix except me? (A non-hating, pragmatic assessment of advertising and marketing awards.)' Here's that link now: https://lnkd.in/eKe6D4ms Here are some things they (I) said: "I’m not that into having affairs and licking MDMA off my hand. So I don’t tend to go to many industry events, period. But why does Cannes get all the shade when there are so many advertising and marketing award festivals playing a similar game? Is there anything more uniquely “broken” with Cannes than any of its competitors? Not that I’m aware of. I genuinely believe Cannes receives the hate and “I remember when it used to be cool” that it does because of the excess and debauchery of some of the behaviour that surrounds the festival. The world does not need more people hating on Cannes, or claiming they were there in the halcyon days. So, please, think of this as more as a ponder piece. Besides, I find it too convenient that most people berating awards and claiming they will never enter them, already have office shelves full of them. Award shows have always been great at distorting reality, making us wonder why we’re not all constantly writing award winning work that creates more impressions than 100x the population of planet earth. So, whilst I'm acknowledging that reality distortion, I’m not encouraging not entering. I’m just hoping I can inspire a slightly healthier mindset in people, that might in turn lead to less suffering and disillusionment. Perhaps go easier on yourself next year if you don’t win." #Cannes #Creativeagency #Advertising #Marketing #Creativity

🎨 Whether you're planning to visit the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity next year or just curious about the buzz it's creating in the media, we've got you covered with the essential information you need. Here, we delve into the basics of Cannes and spotlight some of this year's award winners. 👉 P.S. Don't forget to check their official website for detailed information about the festival itself, registration for next year, and a comprehensive list of those shortlisted and the winners from this year. #CannesLions2024 #AdvertisingAwards #FestivalOfCreativity #MarketingNews #MarketingTrends

A whopping 82% of Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity attendees feel that the festival has become more geared to tech companies than about creativity. "The overwhelming agreement that focus has shifted from creativity towards tech is, if not surprising, still a startling fact. I’d like to think creativity will always remain at the heart of the festival, and be the central tenant of what we do as a sector" - MullenLowe UK chief growth officer, Lucy Taylor. More insight's from MullenLoweUK's research here >>>https://lnkd.in/evcieU7r #advertising #creativity #marketing