Loading...

Six things to expect at Cannes Lions from a first-time attendee

Published: July 6, 2023 by Tyler Middleton

As I walked onto the buzzing streets of Cannes for the first time, my senses were immediately captivated by the energy that filled the air. I’d heard plenty about Cannes Lions, the globally revered International Festival of Creativity, but being in the midst of it all was an entirely different ballgame.

1. A visual extravaganza

From the moment I woke up from my two-hour nap, (Seattle was a long way to travel to Cannes), I was awestruck by the grandeur of the festival. Usually known for its tranquil beauty, the city was alive and brimming with imagination. Massive installations, eye-catching billboards, and immersive media experiences were scattered over the two-kilometer stretch of La Croisette, transforming the city into a canvas of creativity. I saw firsthand how abstract concepts could be turned into palpable realities, especially those of Spotify, Yahoo!, and Stagwell’s Sport Beach with their basketball court with stadium seating setup.

2. Nuggets of wisdom shared in panels

The festival’s days were jam-packed with thought leadership panels – each a masterclass in the ever-evolving universe of AdTech. Fortunately, as a member of the Experian team, I didn’t have to travel far for unique panels; we hosted four panels throughout the week, and I was immersed in dynamic discussions about new trends, groundbreaking ideas, and the challenges ahead.

Panelists speaking at Cannes Lions

One recurring theme that resonated with me was the intricacies of authentically connecting with consumers. Finding genuine human connections amidst digital chaos can be challenging in today’s tech-driven world. These dialogues provided incredible insights into how we could maintain the delicate balance between personalization and privacy and effectively use artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance customer engagement without compromising the human essence in advertising.

3. Connect with your peers

If Cannes Lions is known for anything apart from its creative inspiration, it’s the unparalleled networking opportunities. The festival allowed me to interact with professionals from all corners of the world. Each exchange was not merely about exchanging contact details but building meaningful relationships. Will these first arcs lead to meaningful friendships? I sure hope so.

Tyler Middleton speaking with an attendee at Cannes Lions

4. A comprehensive learning opportunity

The most crucial aspect of the festival was the immense opportunity it offered for learning. I found myself constantly absorbing new information and insights from the panels, every conversation, and every chance meeting.

5. Juggle your time

Effective time management was crucial for maximizing my Cannes experience, with many things happening concurrently. I would give myself a B- for this. During the day, when I had some downtime, I could have ventured to another panel, attended a networking event, or taken in a view of the city I didn’t get. That’s the biggest challenge, and the beauty of Cannes Lions is its unique blend of professional learning opportunities set against the backdrop of a picturesque seaside town, but how do you do it all?

6. Relish the experience

My week at Cannes was filled with intense learning, insightful conversations, and eye-opening experiences, leaving me mentally drained and intellectually stimulated (I think those can happen concurrently). The festival left me with a renewed appreciation of why we do what we do in the AdTech industry: supporting the pursuit of creativity, the drive for innovation, and the desire to forge meaningful connections.

Tyler Middleton speaking with an attendee at Cannes Lions

Cannes Lions was more than just a festival – it was a week of stepping out of my comfort zone, gaining deep insights, and establishing relationships that I hope will last a lifetime. As I boarded my flight out of Nice, surrounded by adults with layers of event access bracelets, I was inspired and stacked with knowledge and ideas that will help drive meaningful marketing opportunities with our content and partnerships.

The grandeur, the learning sessions, the networking, and the profound lessons exceeded all my expectations. My week at Cannes Lions was unique, intense, insightful, and unforgettable. It was an experience I can’t wait to repeat!

A banner on a boat at Cannes Lions that says, "The best data unlocks the best marketing."

Follow us on LinkedIn or sign up for our email newsletter for more informative content on the latest industry insights and data-driven marketing.



 

Latest posts

Loading…
MediaJel partners with Tapad, part of Experian, to enable digital advertising efficiencies and scale across devices

Tapad, part of Experian, integrates with MediaJel's current advertising solutions will enable U.S. brands to benefit from improved cross-device reach and targeting capabilities NEW YORK, April 14, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Tapad, part of Experian and a global leader in digital identity resolution, has partnered with MediaJel, a leading provider of advertising and marketing solutions for regulated markets. The partnership will enhance MediaJel's current offering, enabling brands to further improve their digital marketing campaigns, and thereby, return on investment. Tapad's global, privacy-safe digital cross-device solution, The Tapad Graph, will complement MediaJel's state-of-the-art advertising solutions to identify and resolve fragmentation created by a consumer's researching and purchasing behavior across multiple digital devices. For MediaJel, this provides customers with an opportunity for incremental efficiencies across a number of use-cases, including reach extension, targeting, ad frequency capping, suppression, and attribution. Dash Rothberg, Senior Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at MediaJel commented, "With an endless list of considerations across consumer behavior, marketing fragmentation, and today's ongoing device proliferation – optimizing digital campaigns can be challenging for most brand advertisers. We partnered with Tapad after testing multiple cross-device solutions in the market but concluded that The Tapad Graph provided us with a blend of scale, quality, flexibility, and privacy-safe data to meet our customer needs." Mike Dadlani, Vice President of Agency Partnerships at Tapad added: "Our partnership with MediaJel is an exciting one. Not only will their portfolio of clients be enabled to more effectively execute and optimize cross-device campaigns, but they will also realize longer-term benefits from improved attribution and consumer insights." To learn more about Tapad and our digital identity resolution capabilities, visit our identity page. About Tapad Tapad, Inc. is a global leader in digital identity resolution. The Tapad Graph and its related solutions provide a transparent, privacy-safe approach connecting brands to consumers through their devices globally. Tapad is recognized across the industry for its product innovation, workplace culture, and talent, and has earned numerous awards including One World Identity's 2019 Top 100 Influencers in Identity Award. Headquartered in New York, Tapad also has offices in Chicago, London, Oslo, Singapore, and Tokyo. About MediaJel Founded in 2017, MediaJel acts as a full-service agency that provides advertising and marketing solutions from brand building and search optimizations to campaign execution and online-offline attribution. Built with proprietary technology, the MediaJel.io platform leverages unique actionable data for brands and agencies to effectively execute high-performance marketing campaigns. With "Data Ethics" being the core of the business, all aspects are brand safe and compliant for regulated industries. Contact us today!

Apr 14,2020 by Experian Marketing Services

The ebb & flow of those New Year’s gym resolutions

The beginning of any new year brings an influx of gym goers who are committed to working on resolutions. Whether the goal is to work out or be healthier, gyms around the nation see a spike in numbers in the first few months of the new year. Experian examined foot traffic patterns for five gyms nationwide from January to June of 2019 to determine if there were significant trends. Unsurprisingly, there was a spike in visits in January, which correlates with the rise of advertising in the fitness industry during that time. We are all familiar with the ads telling us about the amazing discounts available at our nearest gyms, as well as the constant reminder that it’s a new year so it’s time to reinvent yourself – “New Year, New Me!” Even though the spike in visits in the first couple of months is exciting for businesses, research suggests that these trends won’t continue throughout the year, which means a loss of revenue over the latter half of the year. A loss of revenue is never good, so as a marketer, how can you better understand your new clients and target them when they might be inclined to throw in the towel? Taking a second look at the graph above, you see a spike in visits in late March and early April, before a big drop off in May. We were curious to see what was causing this spike, so we took a deeper dive into the data, looking at both age and gender. What we found was that from January to early March, there was a steady decline in visits, whereas in late March to early April, there was about a 7% rise in visits across the board. What was more interesting than the spike in visits, was the significant drop after the first week of April. We saw a significant 13% drop in visits on average in both males and females of all ages. On the higher end of the spectrum were both males and females between the ages of 19-34 with a 14%-15% drop in visits. While we can speculate on why there was such a drop at this time – right after spring break, etc. – gathering more data about these individuals is essential to building an effective marketing plan to combat this degradation. As a marketing professional in the fitness industry, or someone looking to target a health-conscious demographic, you need to understand your audience – both their visit patterns, as well as their likes and dislikes. Using Experian’s data, you can take a deeper dive to understand your members eating habits. For instance, you can better understand if your clients like to visit health-conscious dining establishments or do they frequent QSR locations like McDonalds. It may seem like common sense, but a successful marketing campaign is rooted in relevant messaging and relevancy is rooted in the ability to understand the target audience. While the goal is to bring new members into your gym or health club in January, the challenge is to keep those new members coming throughout the year, and that’s where there is an opportunity for marketers to better connect with these customers. If you know that people under the age of 34 are at the biggest risk of halting their visits to your fitness location in the middle of April, then you can take the next steps to better understand that demographic so you can activate an effective marketing campaign tailored to their needs before you lose their memberships. The key is to understand who these fitness resolution members are and find a way to target them before their commitment waivers. What works for one location may differ from another, so you have to include other data points in to build a more holistic view of your target audience. At the end of the day, understanding your members is key. Partnering with Experian to take a deeper dive into your members likes and dislikes, as well as their visit patterns can allow fitness locations to have the data and the tools at hand to make the right marketing decisions and deliver an effective marketing campaign, ultimately reducing the membership attrition rate.

Feb 19,2020 by Experian Marketing Services

Introducing Generation Z: Developing a marketing strategy for emerging consumers

Over the past two decades, marketers were consumed with the Millennial generation. Those individuals born between 1980 and 1995 represented a new set of consumers to the market with very different attitudes, behaviors and purchase decision styles than had previously been seen. Marketers invested significant capital to learn about Millennials and transformed their marketing strategy to better reach and attract them. Those that did this successfully were able to grow their business and extend their footprint to a new group of consumers. Now, as we enter a new decade, another generation of individuals is entering into the market and represents the future customer for marketers. Understanding who these consumers are, how to best reach them, and how they make purchase decisions will help marketers reach this new audience and grow their business more effectively. 1. Who is Generation Z? While definitions have varied from different publications, Generation Z is generally defined as consumers born between mid-1990s through early 2010s. Here, we define generations as the following: According to Kasasa, this group represents about 74 million consumers, which is similar in size to other generations.[i] Information on Generation Z is limited since many are still considered minors. However, resources such as syndicated surveys have provided some thoughts about their general attitudes that can begin to provide insight. Key Takeaway:  Get to know Generation Z. They are big, they are coming, and they will likely be the future consumer you will need to attract. 2. How is Generation Z Influenced by Technology? Very much so. Generation Z individuals received their first mobile phone at age 10.3 years and spend an average of 3 hours each day on their device.[ii]  They have no real understanding of what life was like before the internet. They are active users of smart phones, apps, and social media, and frequently use technology before making decisions. The internet is very important to Generation Z – they meet people, share information about themselves, get their entertainment, relax, and enjoy going online in their free time. Generation Z respondents were more likely than other generations to agree with the following statements: “I like to keep my personal Internet pages updated with information about my life.”“The internet is a good way to meet new people.”“The internet is a main source of entertainment for me.”“Going online is one of my favorite things to do with my free time.” Additionally, the mobile internet, which includes accessing social media and apps through a hand-held device, is even more meaningful to the Generation Z consumer. Generation Z respondents list the following as what the Mobile Internet means to them: “Pure entertainment”“A good escape”“Relaxes me”“Puts me in a good mood”“Keeps me up-to-date with the latest styles and trends” One result of this is how much more connected Generation Z feels with each other, and with celebrities. They actively follow and interact with their friends or celebrities through YouTube, TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat or other social media tools. As a result, they are much more influenced by celebrities than other generations. Key Takeaway:  Generation Z will be a heavy user of technology and are influence by each other and celebrities. They will expect your products to be accessible through mobile devices. 3. What media channels are best for reaching Generation Z, and what are their decision-making characteristics? To improve marketing effectiveness, marketers must know how to reach their consumers. Two significant dimensions of reach are (1) the preferred channel the consumer uses to gain awareness about a product; and (2) the decision-making style the consumer employs. Using Experian’s TrueTouchSM, marketers can learn this and develop a marketing communication strategy for improved reach. Generation Z is much more engaged through digital media. More than 3 out 4 Generation Z respondents listed the following as their preferred engagement channel: Streaming TVDigital DisplayRadio (including streaming radio)Digital VideoMobile SMS More traditional channels such as email, direct mail and traditional newspaper were ranked very low, indicating that reaching Generation Z will require marketers to move away from more traditional media channels to influence these consumers. Decision-making styles were also different for Generation Z. The most frequent Experian TrueTouch Decision-Making Styles among Generation Z respondents were: Brand loyalty was the least frequent response among Generation Z. This indicates that Generation Z may not have an automatic affinity to a brand, and that marketers may have to demonstrate its value to influence these emerging consumers. Key Takeaway:  Digital media will be a key for reaching Generation Z, and marketers will have to adapt away from traditional media to influence these consumers. While recreational and “In the Moment,” Generation Z does not have loyalty to specific brands, considers what goes into products, and researches different websites and online reviews before making a purchase. In summary, Generation Z is an emerging group of consumers that will challenge marketers to think beyond traditionally successful marketing tactics. These consumers were born into a digital age, and are heavily influenced by social media, whether it’s recommendations from friends, or celebrities that endorse a certain product. This influence requires marketers to communicate more digitally, and less from traditional media like direct mail, email and newspapers. Finally, marketers will need to be aware these consumers will make purchase decisions based on research from other websites and online reviews, look for new things particularly those made with natural ingredients, and are not necessarily loyal to established brands. Knowing this will help marketers develop strategies and make the necessary investments to reach this group more effectively. [i] “Boomers, Gen X, Gen Y, and Gen Z Explained,” Kasasa, July 29, 2019.  https://www.kasasa.com/articles/generations/gen-x-gen-y-gen-z [ii] Ibid

Feb 14,2020 by

Subscribe to our newsletter

Enter your name and email for the latest updates

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

About Experian Marketing Services

At Experian Marketing Services, we use data and insights to help brands have more meaningful interactions with people. As leaders in the evolution of the advertising landscape, Experian Marketing Services can help you identify your customers and the right potential customers, uncover the most appropriate communication channels, develop messages that resonate, and measure the effectiveness of marketing activities and campaigns.

Visit our website

Subscribe to our newsletter

Stay up to date on the latest industry news and receive expert tips from our marketing experts.
Subscribe now!