Cannes Young Lions PR Competitions to begin in March

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The Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) has opened three prestigious Cannes Young Lions PR Competitions managed by PRCA UK, PRCA MENA, and PRCA APAC, respectively.

Sponsored by the International Communications Consultancy Organisation (ICCO) and in partnership with PRovoke Media, the Cannes Young Lions PR competition celebrates outstanding creativity and recognises excellence among up-and-coming public relations and communications professionals.

Competing teams from across the world enter a pre-selection process in their own country established by their local Cannes Lions representatives. PRCA UK, PRCA MENA, and PRCA APAC will join other associations around the world in hosting regional competitions before the world’s very best young professionals compete for the coveted global prize.

Key registration dates and information can be found on the respective PRCA websites.

– PRCA UK page
– PRCA MENA page
– PRCA APAC page

ICCO will host ‘Cannes Uncovered’ on 8th February to discuss all things Cannes Lions, including tips for this year’s Young Lions entrants, register here.

How does the competition work?
Briefed by a charity or NGO, teams of two – aged 31 years old or younger – will have just 24 hours to shape a PR strategy that demonstrates creative process, connects with the organisation’s brand values, engages with the public, and builds relations with relevant stakeholders. The campaigns will be judged by a selection of local industry experts with the winner of each region awarded the opportunity to compete digitally for the global crown at the Young Lions Marketers Competition 2022. The crowned winner will then have the option of attending the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2022.

PRCA Director General Francis Ingham MPRCA said:

“This is the most prestigious competition for any young person in our industry. My advice to anyone thinking of entering? Be fearless and authentic. This is a wonderful opportunity for a young team to shine on a global stage. Best of luck to all our entrants – the PR world will be watching.”

Visit here for more information about Cannes Lions.

Postcard from Cannes sent by PRCA’s Francis Ingham

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Blog post by Francis Ingham, Director General, PRCA; Chief Executive, ICCO

So. Cannes is over for another year. The planes from Nice are full of elated PR people; disappointed PR people; tired PR people; hungover PR people. And PR people who are sick of the sight of rose wine.

Here are my thoughts on the past week:

This was a good year for PR. We said last year that Cannes’ definition of PR was wrong, and precluded much excellent work. Well, Cannes listened, and we together sorted out a better rubric. As a consequence, our industry returns to their homes with more Lions in their luggage than ever before. That’s good news. And indeed some are seeing 2017 as a breakthrough year (I do hope Ketchum gets that pun).

Our industry is getting used to Cannes. To its mindset. To what is going to win and what isn’t. To how results need to be framed.

For all that some agencies and holding groups have questioned their investment in Cannes over the years, it still matters. For all of its flaws (and yes, there certainly are flaws), it remains the pinnacle of creative acknowledgment in our industry. Winning Lions matters

AVEs are still prevalent. They are used repeatedly by PR agencies to measure success. We need to do more to end this ridiculous use of meaningless metrics. By which I mean help the industry to get to the place it craves to be; not to rage impotently, shouting ever more loudly ‘we are banning AVEs’. And ICCO and the PRCA are working with AMEC to do just that. AMEC was present in the ICCO House of PR for the first time this year. I’m confident they’ll be with us next year too. Creativity without measurement is pointless. We are working together to enshrine that insight.

One final thought.

We believe in the importance of Cannes. We are invested in it, and in helping PR making a success of it. But we all need a sense of perspective.

If you entered Cannes and won, fantastic. If you entered and didn’t win, well there’s always next year. If you didn’t enter, you should think about doing so. But if it isn’t for you, then that’s fine too. There are plenty of proofpoints of PR success, creativity, and professionalism. Cannes is one of them, and a great one. But there are others too. Our industry’s present is bright; its future brighter still. We all roar in our own way, whether or not we’ve won at Cannes

On which note, I hear the rose calling. I’m not *quite* sick of it yet.  Sante!

http://www.prmoment.com/category/blog/postcard-from-cannes-sent-by-prcas-francis-ingham

Fearless (creative) girls

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Article by Hafida Abahai, Chief Client Officer & MD Consumer Marketing & Brand PR, Weber Shandwick The Netherlands

It was perhaps no surprise that Fearless Girl by our sister IPG agency McCann New York has won three Grand Prix in the PR, Glass and Outdoor Lions this week. In fact, her spirit proved to be a symbol for the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity as a whole: this year, “Fearless Girls” are everywhere.

Supermodel Karlie Kloss has been championing coding for young girls. Tommy Hilfiger’s Chief Brand Officer Avery Baker described how she completely transformed the company in just six months. Creative women are networking over manicures in The Girls Lounge. The Innovation and Creative Data juries were gender-balanced. Our own groundbreaking campaign to help Kenyan girls stand up to FGM, #BrutalCut, won two Lions.

And at the IPG Women’s Breakfast yesterday morning, the theme was how women’s identities – whether based on nationality, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, motherhood or work – can affect their perceptions and experiences with media, careers, gender equity initiatives, brands and fans.

There is still work to do. Speaking at the Festival on Monday, Saddia Zahidi, Head of Education, Gender and Employment Initiatives at the World Economic Forum, reminded delegates that progress in bridging the gender pay gap has been slow.

Women are still most likely to be left behind by the technological transformation of the workplace; they need support, resources and training to fulfil their economic potential and pay it forward into their communities.

Within our own industry, we still need to work on tapping into the full creative potential of women and attracting a more diverse pool of talent – something which has been repeatedly referenced across the Festival this week.

During one panel session on women and cinema, renowned Australian film director Gillian Armstrong noted that stereotypes about gender roles persist to the point of impacting who and what we think of as “creative”.

Mentorship and role models have an important role to play here. But it’s perhaps even more important that women feel empowered and confident enough to speak up, and speak out. As Kathryn Jacob, CEO of Pearl & Dean, put it: creative women “should show off more”, and own their ambition.

Kate Stanners, Chairwoman and Global Chief Creative Officer at Saatchi & Saatchi, added that finding and nurturing female talent takes concerted effort: it’s not going to happen by itself.

When we encourage and support women in our own organisations, it can be felt deeply in the work we do. One day, and hopefully soon, we will have true gender equality in the creative industry. But to get there, we’re all going to have to be fearless girls.

blog.webershandwickemea.com

Timely. And timeless. A code for winning at Cannes.

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Blog by James Nester, Executive Creative Director, Weber Shandwick UK and EMEA

Like waiting for your exam results, your child to be born, the new season of your favourite show to start, your Guinness to settle, or this blog post to get to the point, time moves slowly when you’re shortlisted at Cannes.

So we were pleased and relieved when we heard that as well as winning a Silver PR Lion, our #BrutalCut campaign for ActionAid was the only UK campaign to win a prestigious Glass Lion – a category that celebrates ideas intended to change culture by addressing gender equality.

Winning at Cannes has the potential to transform an agency, helping us impress CMOs, land bigger-budget briefs and propel the careers of those who played an integral role.

But there were 43,101 entries this year. With such colossal competition, how do we keep winning?

Every year, I look through the winners, trying to crack the code. Because if we crack that, we’ll transform our work and all become billionaires.

Last year after Cannes, I wrote about “Blurred Lines”: the premise that the best ideas in the world usually come from merging unexpected disciplines and channels. Which is why you see the same great campaigns winning across totally different categories – PR, Cyber, Promo, Direct, Film – and why we all need to keep embracing different specialisms.

Very true – and you can see the same again this year.

So here’s a formula inspired by the work this year. In fact, it’s based on all the greatest creative work, of any type. A code so true that I’m going to hold myself and all work up against it, from now on.

Great creative work is Timely. And Timeless.

Timely, because….

… great work taps a bigger cultural context. Riding a wave of surging public interest can give an idea unstoppable momentum.

… great work is inextricably linked to the time of its conception, to society’s concerns, fashions, memes, hopes or dreams. It can only live now.

… great work is expressed in a way that can only live now, too. It uses new technology, new creative techniques or new media channels.

Work that doesn’t feel Timely is easy to spot. Just ask yourself, could I have made this idea five years ago? Hopefully, the answer is no.

Timeless, because…

… even though society is changing faster than ever, mankind does not. The work that makes us laugh, cry, the magic that send shivers through our spine, the stuff we talk about and share with friends does not fundamentally change, and never will.

… if an idea doesn’t contain a universal seed of human truth or meaning, it’s just jumping on a fad. A bandwagon. A gimmick. Another bit of marketing fluff that will be washed away by the relentless surge of content that floods our newsfeed, every day.

… we want to create work with a legacy. Big ideas that stand strong in the face of time – that enable us to continue creating new executions for our clients for years, not just one-off tactics that nobody cares about.

Work that isn’t Timeless is easy to spot. Just ask yourself, will this idea still feel interesting and powerful in five years? Hopefully, the answer is yes.

So, let’s try to create “Timely and Timeless” work. If we do, we will have even more cause to celebrate next year.

blog.webershandwickemea.com

The PR President’s plan – Cannes Lions

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This year’s PR Jury President Karen van Bergen talks about her plans for the PR Lion

Karen van Bergen is CEO of Omnicom Public Relations Group. In leading that group, she oversees 11 agencies, including three of the top global PR firms in the world: FleishmanHillard, Ketchum and Porter Novelli. She has been at the helm for a year, before which time she served as CEO of Porter Novelli, where she led a significant turnaround over the course of three years. Like all Cannes Lions Jury Presidents, Karen is a true power player and international leader in the communications industry. Her 30-year career working both agency and client-side has brought her into contact with some of the world’s most well-known brands, including McDonald’s, The Coca-Cola Company and Philips.

Cannes Lions caught up with Karen to have a chat about her hopes and expectations for this year’s PR Lion…


CANNES LIONS: What are your expectations for PR Lions 2017, are there any key industry trends that you are expecting to see?
KAREN VAN BERGEN: “I expect to see some great work! I’m so excited to meet my fellow jurors and start to dig into the entries that have been submitted. I’m always inspired by the work that comes out of Cannes, and I look forward to bringing visibility to those organizations, companies and individuals who had a hand in creating this year’s powerful work.
“When it comes to trends and what I expect to see this year, data is a massive trend, and I hope – and expect – to see data become more central to the campaigns submitted, whether it is helping to drive the strategy, inform how audiences are targeted or contribute to improved measurement.
“I expect that “purpose” will continue to be an important element in the work. However, what we need to see is more strategic, data-driven and organic links between the organization and the purpose or cause.
“I look forward to seeing emerging technologies such as VR, AR and AI take a role in campaigns, and I expect that immersive experiences overall will play a greater role. I can’t wait to see how these tools bring the work to life in new and exciting ways. I also expect to see the post-truth era take a role in a particular segment of the work that is submitted.”
CL: How will you approach judging in Cannes? What will you be looking to see in a strong entry?
KB: “As Jury President, there are several things I want to ensure are thoughtfully considered as we undertake this massive task and embrace the responsibility it entails.
“One of those is strong, meaningful measurement. This has been a theme in past years, of course. But I’d like to make 2017 the year we unflinchingly commit to measurement – however un-sexy – with no compromises. Measurement is not about likes and shares or meaningless circulation numbers. It should be about metrics and tangible business results. This is absolutely critical to a winning campaign – no matter how innovative or “cool” it may be.
Along the same lines, I will be looking to see data play a greater role in the work – both in terms of insights to inform the work, as well as outcomes and results. Campaigns should always be grounded in solid research and data that drive the strategy. I have no interest in PR stunts – we are looking for meaty, substantial work that has a purpose.
“Finally, authenticity is something I will be driving the jury to look at critically. It’s an essential element of a powerful public relations campaign, and without it, even the most well-intentioned work can fall flat. Are the campaign messages authentic to the brand and do they resonate with the brand’s key stakeholders? We should have no tolerance for work that is “created for Cannes” and does not ring true to the brand. Work that is truly authentic brings a power that is otherwise unattainable, and delivers a message that resonates and has real, long-term impact.
“Too often in the past, PR has handed off “creativity” to ad agencies. Not anymore. We’ve always had the chops – we just didn’t have the confidence or the swagger we needed to own it.”

Karen van Bergen

 

CL: How do you define creativity in PR and how has this changed during your time in the industry?
KB:“Creativity in PR is no different than creativity across any of the Cannes Lions categories. And I should add that creativity, regardless of the discipline, should always be informed by and grounded in insights – creativity for creativity’s sake is nice, but won’t lead to meaningful results.
“Too often in the past, PR has handed off “creativity” to ad agencies. Not anymore. We’ve always had the chops – we just didn’t have the confidence or the swagger we needed to own it. In the past several years, this has changed. Creativity has taken a more prominent role in the industry and is something that clients and brands have come to expect from their PR counselors. We’ve seen increased demand for creative directors and agency creative departments are growing dramatically in size. More and more clients are asking for a dedicated creative director on their business – and agencies are insisting on the need for it, given the benefits it provides for the work. I’m heartened to see this, and expect that this will only continue to grow as we see the results that come from a more integrated, cross-disciplined approach.”

AMEC to sponsor the ICCO House of PR at the Cannes Lions Festival

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ICCO is delighted to announce that AMEC, the International Association for the Measurement and Evaluation of Communication, is a sub-sponsor of the House of PR at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.

ICCO annually sponsors the Young Lions PR Competition and the House of PR, a beachside cabana venue designed as the hub for the PR and communications industry to connect and network at the Cannes Lions Festival.

As a not-for-profit association, ICCO partners with a select number of organisations to help fund the project and create a space for the community to learn and share ideas around the subject of creativity.

Francis Ingham, Chief Executive, ICCO, said: “The two elements of success in PR are creativity and effectiveness. So it’s brilliant news that the House of PR will bring them both together this year, as we welcome AMEC into –pretty much literally- our big tent! Another big step forward for our industry, as we put evaluation and measurement at the heart of PR and communications practice.”

Barry Leggetter, CEO, AMEC, said: “We see our sponsor involvement in Cannes as a logical extension of the strong collaboration we have already with ICCO and with the Cannes PR Lions.”

AMEC provides an advisory service for the Research and Measurement categories of the PR Lions awards, helping firms improve their entries through objective advice from industry professionals.

The House of PR will play host to interviews, panel discussions, live streaming and networking events from 18th – 21st June, 2017.

 

To find out more about ICCO’s activities at the Cannes Lions Festival, please contact: charlene.corrin@iccopr.com

 

 

 

Cannes Lions 2017 jury presidents named – Karen van Bergen to chair PR Lions

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Each year, entries to the Cannes Lions awards are scrutinised by the industry’s brightest minds. They pore over the work submitted, whittling them down to a shortlist and ultimately awarding the most impressive work, the work that then becomes a touchstone for creativity over the coming year.

The Cannes Lions jury presidents are selected as the most highly regarded and best qualified people in the industry to judge the work and determine the winners. Once appointed, they’re bound by a series of obligations which they must commit to in writing, as well as undertaking to uphold the expectations of judging.

Here are the jury presidents for Cannes Lions 2017:

PR: Karen van Bergen, Omnicom Public Relations Group

Cyber: Colleen DeCourcy, Wieden + Kennedy

Design: Sandra Planeta, Planeta Design

Digital Craft: Henry Cowling, UNIT9

Direct: Ted Lim, Dentsu Brand Agencies APAC

Film: Pete Favat, Deutsch North America

Film Craft: Robert Galluzzo, FINCH

Glass: Wendy Clark, DDB Worldwide, North America

Media: Mike Cooper, PHD

Mobile: Andy Hood, AKQA

Outdoor: Bruno Bertelli, Publicis WW

Print & Publishing: Fran Luckin, Grey Africa

Product Design: Ruth Berktold, YES Architecture

Promo & Activation: Stéphane Xiberras, BETC

Radio: Mario D’Andrea, Dentsu Brazil

Titanium & Integrated: Khai Meng Tham, Ogilvy & Mather

 

ICCO is a proud supporter of Cannes Lions 2017 as the official sponsor of the Young Lions PR Competition and organiser of the House of PR.

For more information on how to get involved, contact ICCO General Manager, Charlene Corrin (charlene.corrin@iccopr.com). 

AMEC to provide Research Advisors for the PR Lions Awards, Research & Data Categories

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AMEC, the International Association for Measurement and Evaluation of Communication, will again provide an advisory service for the Research and Measurement categories of the PR Lions awards, part of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.

AMEC will provide research advisors to help firms improve their entries through a new Data & Measurement Advisory Scheme.

In the scheme, selected representatives from AMEC will be available to assist companies entering campaigns into two categories: Research, Data Analytics & Insight Generation and PR Excellence in Effectiveness.

The research advice is available on a confidential first come, first serve basis and will be allocated to the first 20 entries into each category, determined by the PR Lions organisers prior to the Festival.

Speaking on the partnership Fiorenza Plinio, Head of Awards Development at Cannes Lions, commented: “We were pleased to get AMEC on board last year to help us grow these two data and research categories. We are confident that we will attract more entries in 2017 with an increased focus on data analytics and evaluation within PR.”

“We believe the partnership with AMEC will offer entrants a unique opportunity to get strong, objective advice from industry professionals, and have the best chance of showcasing award-winning work.”

Barry Leggetter, CEO of AMEC, said: “We are delighted to again work with PR Lions to help them grow these two data and research categories. It is a practical way in which some of our most expert researchers can help enhance the PR campaigns that have produced a measureable and proven impact on a client’s business and reputation.”

2017 Advisors:

Aseem Sood, Chief Executive Officer of Impact Research & Measurement Pvt. Ltd and Director at the International Association of Measurement and Evaluation of Communication, UK (AMEC).

Barbara Bassi, international PR and communication’s measurements consultant and European Chapter Chair and Vice Chair of the Amec College and Education working group.

Colin Wheeler, Director at Understanding Expertise and Associate at the Measurement Practice, UK.

Marcus Gault, Managing Director of Kantar Media Evaluation and Board Director of global measurement body AMEC.

Darja Kupinic Guscic, Founder of Media net, the first agency in South–East Europe for measuring media communication. Founder and co-owner of MCA group, the leading SEE media monitoring and communication evaluation group.

Johna Burke, Chief Marketing Officer of BurrellesLuce, North America. Member of the PR News Measurement Hall of Fame and North-America Co-Chair of AMEC.

Khali Sakkas, Chief Executive, Insights & Research at Isentia, Asia Pacific and AMEC Board member and chair of the AMEC APAC Chapter.

Mazen Nahawi, Global CEO of CARMA, major component of News Group International.

Paul Hender, Head of Insight of Gorkana and member of the AMEC European Chapter Leadership Team.

Rayna de Lange, CEO of DeLange Analytics and member of the AMEC’s Education Group and guest lecturer on communications measurement and evaluation in several universities.

Richard Bagnall, CEO of PRIME Research UK, SVP PRIME Research Europe and Chairman of AMEC. Member of the UK Government Communications Service’s Cabinet Office Evaluation Council, UK.

 

About AMEC: The International Association for Measurement and Evaluation of Communication (AMEC) is the leading global trade body for PR programme research, measurement and analytics. AMEC has more than 140 members in over 40 countries.

About PR Lions: Part of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, the PR Lions celebrate creative PR work that tangibly build awareness, trust or increased understanding between an organization or brand and its target audiences. In 2017, Cannes Lions will be an eight-day programme of creative inspiration, celebration, education and networking, attracting over 15,000 delegates from around 100 countries. Please visit our website for more info: https://www.canneslions.com/awards/the-lions/pr

For further information contact:

Fiorenza Plinio

Head of Awards Development at Cannes Lions: fiorenzap@canneslions.com

Barry Leggetter

CEO, AMEC

Mobile: +44 7748 677504 or +44 1268 412414: Barryleggetter@amecorg.com

AMEC to provide Research Advisors for the PR Lions Awards, Research & Data Categories

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AMEC, the International Association for Measurement and Evaluation of Communication, will again provide an advisory service for the Research and Measurement categories of the PR Lions awards, part of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.

AMEC will provide research advisors to help firms improve their entries through a new Data & Measurement Advisory Scheme.

In the scheme, selected representatives from AMEC will be available to assist companies entering campaigns into two categories: Research, Data Analytics & Insight Generation and PR Excellence in Effectiveness.

The research advice is available on a confidential first come, first serve basis and will be allocated to the first 20 entries into each category, determined by the PR Lions organisers prior to the Festival.

Speaking on the partnership Fiorenza Plinio, Head of Awards Development at Cannes Lions, commented: “We were pleased to get AMEC on board last year to help us grow these two data and research categories. We are confident that we will attract more entries in 2017 with an increased focus on data analytics and evaluation within PR.”

“We believe the partnership with AMEC will offer entrants a unique opportunity to get strong, objective advice from industry professionals, and have the best chance of showcasing award-winning work.”

Barry Leggetter, CEO of AMEC, said: “We are delighted to again work with PR Lions to help them grow these two data and research categories. It is a practical way in which some of our most expert researchers can help enhance the PR campaigns that have produced a measureable and proven impact on a client’s business and reputation.”

2017 Advisors:

Aseem Sood, Chief Executive Officer of Impact Research & Measurement Pvt. Ltd and Director at the International Association of Measurement and Evaluation of Communication, UK (AMEC).

Barbara Bassi, international PR and communication’s measurements consultant and European Chapter Chair and Vice Chair of the Amec College and Education working group.

Colin Wheeler, Director at Understanding Expertise and Associate at the Measurement Practice, UK.

Marcus Gault, Managing Director of Kantar Media Evaluation and Board Director of global measurement body AMEC.

Darja Kupinic Guscic, Founder of Media net, the first agency in South–East Europe for measuring media communication. Founder and co-owner of MCA group, the leading SEE media monitoring and communication evaluation group.

Johna Burke, Chief Marketing Officer of BurrellesLuce, North America. Member of the PR News Measurement Hall of Fame and North-America Co-Chair of AMEC.

Khali Sakkas, Chief Executive, Insights & Research at Isentia, Asia Pacific and AMEC Board member and chair of the AMEC APAC Chapter.

Mazen Nahawi, Global CEO of CARMA, major component of News Group International.

Paul Hender, Head of Insight of Gorkana and member of the AMEC European Chapter Leadership Team.

Rayna de Lange, CEO of DeLange Analytics and member of the AMEC’s Education Group and guest lecturer on communications measurement and evaluation in several universities.

Richard Bagnall, CEO of PRIME Research UK, SVP PRIME Research Europe and Chairman of AMEC. Member of the UK Government Communications Service’s Cabinet Office Evaluation Council, UK.

 

About AMEC: The International Association for Measurement and Evaluation of Communication (AMEC) is the leading global trade body for PR programme research, measurement and analytics. AMEC has more than 140 members in over 40 countries.

About PR Lions: Part of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, the PR Lions celebrate creative PR work that tangibly build awareness, trust or increased understanding between an organization or brand and its target audiences. In 2017, Cannes Lions will be an eight-day programme of creative inspiration, celebration, education and networking, attracting over 15,000 delegates from around 100 countries. Please visit our website for more info: https://www.canneslions.com/awards/the-lions/pr

For further information contact:

Fiorenza Plinio

Head of Awards Development at Cannes Lions: fiorenzap@canneslions.com

Barry Leggetter

CEO, AMEC

Mobile: +44 7748 677504 or +44 1268 412414: Barryleggetter@amecorg.com

17 interviews in the Cannes

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Blog post by Russell Goldsmith, Director, Conversis Corporate

 

There are a number of ways to ‘do’ Cannes Lions – attending presentations in the Festival Hall, networking on the beach drinking plenty of rosé, having meetings in the posh hotels, or if you’re really lucky, partying on the private yachts listening to Take That play an exclusive gig (sadly that wasn’t me!).

My experience was slightly different, as I spent most of my time in ICCOs Cabana, aptly named the House of PR, where I was recording interviews for my csuitepodcast series.  However, what this allowed me to do was get an incredible perspective of what was happening across a whole range of aspects of the event, as in the three shows I recorded, I interviewed 17 guests that included Award Judges and Winners, CEOs, Creative experts, Data experts and even a spoken word artist who is now working with brands as a Social Influencer (and yes, I had to look up what a spoken word artist was too before I met him).

What this meant however, was that through my podcasts, I gained a wealth of insight as to what different people look to take away from Cannes, plus I got to chat in depth about some truly creative campaigns that you can only have the utmost respect for the individuals who come up with them – I mean seriously, someone, somewhere in a brainstorm, said, “I’ve got a cracking idea.  Why don’t we send kids who have broken their arms a transfer of their x-ray for them to stick on their cast, which can have a bar code, so that whilst their arm is healing, they can go into a supermarket, scan the bar code, and get free calcium rich milk” – by the way, someone must have said that at some point because that was a Gold winning campaign in the Health Lions for Anchor Milk in New Zealand by Fonterra and Colenso BBDO.

There is, without doubt some amazing creativity on show throughout the week and you cannot be anything but be inspired by it all.  There was, however, one stand out theme that seemed to run through a lot of what I saw, and that was Virtual Reality, an example of which was a winning campaign by DDB Remedy for Excedrin®, an OTC migraine treatment in the US, which helped to address the issue that people often respond to someone with a migraine by just saying that it’s nothing more than a headache and not serious!   DDB built a simulated VR experience and mobile app using insight from migraine sufferers so that they could personalise their migraine and share it with friends and family to gain their empathy.

Given I was sitting doing my interviews in the House of PR, it was no surprise that, whilst I was being wowed by all this creativity, a lot of the talk around me in the Cabana was why weren’t the PR agencies leading this work, submitting more entries for the awards, and even winning in their own category – only five of 84 PR Lions were awarded to PR agencies.

It’s clearly an area that needs to be addressed and talking to the likes of Richard Millar, CEO for H+K Strategies UK and Regional President for Europe, he is doing something about it in the talent he is recruiting.  Richard even said that he couldn’t remember the last time he interviewed someone with a typical PR background and that H+K are now hiring data scientists and more craft-led creatives, although essentially, he sees his agency as a canvass for a multitude of different skills and passions that they can bring to the benefit of the client who needs to engage with the public.

One observation I did make though, when I finally got out of the House of PR and had a wander around, was that as grateful as I was for all the free food and drink I consumed at the Facebook and YouTube beaches, where was Weibo and WeChat? It’s something I pay far more attentional to now I work for translation agency, Conversis, as a lot of our time is spent looking into cultural understanding, something that’s essential when localising content for international marketing, and it’s an area that has fascinated me since working for the company.  A lot of our agency clients would have been at Cannes, and so that was the other reason I was there – it wasn’t all about chatting to industry experts whilst sipping wine overlooking the beach!  However, for an International Festival of Creativity that spent a lot of time talking about social influence, it felt like a huge chunk of the online population wasn’t represented – (Free) Food (from Facebook and YouTube) for Thought perhaps for next year?

Listen to the csuite podcasts:

Show 24 – Cannes Lions I

Show 25 – Cannes Lions II

Show 26 – Cannes Lions III

www.conversis.com