It is an understatement to say that the advertising and communications industry has experienced a great deal of change in the last five years. Economic conditions, consumer engagement, social media, digital technologies, tangible metrics and much more, are changing how we do business. Clearly the industry needs to be fluid and adaptive while leaders within the industry need to be bold, take a stand, and lead the change. The Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival has not been immune to these forces and is doing its best to be increasing relevant within these new dynamics.
This year entries are up 7% and attendance has risen 35% which is comparable to pre-recession levels. This indicates a general restoration in faith in the economy but more importantly it signals a need to invest in the future and celebrate the strategic and creative accomplishments of the industry. Since arriving in Cannes, I have noted a refreshing seriousness amongst those in attendance. People are here to learn and to challenge themselves. I have never seen such active note-taking at the sessions and more earnest, intense discussions at the breaks.
If you check out the homepage of the Festival, you will see a section, “Creative Advertising = Business Success.” This section features a report that purports to prove that creative advertising equates to business success. This is incredibly relevant to clients who, by the way, are back in force this year representing approximately ten percent of attendees. This is a good thing. Client participation can only result in more relevant and rewarding work from their agencies.
Another growing segment of attendees are what can be called "tech companies." Over the last few years, Microsoft, Google and Yahoo have become a staple and a force (this year Yahoo scored a minor coup by sponsoring the infamous Gutter Bar). Now these companies are joined by Adobe, Nokia, and HP. Global consulting firms are relatively new entrants with ones such as PwC joining session discussions on the changed marketing landscape. Hollywood too is increasing its presence supporting the theory that communications and entertainment are a natural combination.
The Festival will always be a great time, a great place to network, and a time to celebrate great work. Increasingly, it needs to be synonymous with effectiveness and results. By what I have observed, this transformation is underway.
Budweiser is the official beer sponsor of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and as part of the Bud United sponsorship platform, DDB Worldwide is debuting Bud House - the first reality show tied to a global sporting event.
At Bud House, we have gathered 32 football “fanatics” -- one from each country in the World Cup draw -- to live together in South Africa, under one roof, during the entirety of the World Cup. The fans will watch all the matches together and share the ups and downs of the world’s most global, and highly anticipated, sporting event. Naturally, they will also represent their country through a series of competitive, charitable and sure-to-be-entertaining activities. In short, Bud House is the perfect physical manifestation of the way Budweiser brings people together.
As each team is eliminated from the World Cup, the corresponding fanatic will be eliminated from the competition and lose their chance at the ultimate grand prize – awarding in-person the Budweiser Man of the Match Trophy on the pitch after the final championship game. This is truly a once-in-a-lifetime prize on the largest global stage possible.
Bud House is a product of collaboration between DDB Chicago and Tribal DDB Amsterdam and our clients on the Budweiser Global Team at Anheuser-Busch InBev.
Check it out, follow the fanatics on Facebook and Twitter, tune in to the episodes, and share it with your friends:
I recently spoke on webinar covering Mobile Marketing. Given that marketing has moved from broadcast to engagement to involvement, mobile has a tremendous role to play. At DDB we are fond of saying, “speed is the new big” and since mobile is immediate it can position a brand in a very unique way.
And uniqueness is more critical than ever. We continue to be faced with staggering choices as consumers. There are roughly 450 new consumer products launched monthly, over 30,000 products in the average grocery store, and I recently counted 73 different “bars” (chocolate, granola, energy) in my local average convenience store. Another factor that requires brands to be unique is the increasingly frugal consumer who has been hit economically. A recent study from Booz & Co. of 2,000 consumers showed that 58% had reduced their spending on eating out and when good times return only 19% of those intend to go back to previous spending levels. So more choice and less volume are putting pressure on brands.
And of course we are seeing incredible changes in behavior in society due in significant part to technology. A recent study from AOL shows that teens and young adults spend $2200 per year with $864 of that going to mobile phones. This group now is occupied forty hours a week plugged into a combination of computer, tv, video games, and radio. This proves that media has shifted to “ME-dia” signaling that it is individuals who carry brand messages and marketers must know who those key players are to influence their brand positively. A study from Nielsen in July, 2009 shows that the most trusted source for consumers is now “recommendations from people I know”. These are all game changers.
As a consumer, I am playing a relatively new role in marketing. I am a big fan of reading and enjoy reviewing books on Amazon. Personally I am influenced more by my fellow reviewer’s opinions than The New York Times book reviews. I will not buy a book rated below three stars and I take pride in the quality of my own reviews as these are scrutinized. Reviewers are ranked based on how the helpfulness of their reviews. So in essence, I am contributing to the entire publishing industry and influencing choice – very heady stuff.
Chuck Brymer
Gill Duff
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