Pictured (L to R): Allison Schiff, AdExchanger; Tiffany Guarnaccia, Kite Hill PR; Sarah Sluis, AdExchanger; Katie Hicks, Morning Brew
This article was originally published on CommPro.biz
The Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity was in full swing this year, hosting tens of thousands of marketers, advertisers and public relations professionals. The weather was hot and the energy, hotter. Between the panels, industry conversations, networking, and of course, croissants, I took a moment to reflect on why we were all there in the first place – to listen to new perspectives and continue to drive our industry forward. Below are my top four takeaways for PR professionals.
Events Matter, Maybe Now More Than Ever.
Running between in-person meetings to an industry panel would not have felt so out of the ordinary a few years ago, but post-pandemic, it does. We may be a little out of practice, but this year’s Cannes reminded us that it’s time to dust ourselves off and fully embrace the return to industry events. With more than 35,000 people in attendance and 100+ events offered, Cannes proved the appetite for in-person events is thriving once again – and competition is high. The difference between now and then? Events with crystal-clear purpose, diverse perspectives and valuable insights will persevere amidst a stacked conference agenda.
Now is the time to start planning for events happening in the latter half of the year. And dare I say it? It’s not too early to start formulating a strategy for Cannes 2024 either. Doing research and having a game plan in place to ensure all bases are covered is critical. For PR professionals with clients who plan to attend in-person events in the near future, make sure they have carved out their space there. What are the unique points of view they are going to bring? Where are the pockets where they can make the most noise?
Preparation is key but remember to always stay agile. In-person events change every second.
While Strides Have Been Made On DEI, There’s More To Do.
DEI was an important topic at this year’s event. Notable speakers participated in buzzy events with Black at Cannes, a group dedicated to promoting diversity and inclusivity in the advertising industry. Events included a Business Brunch and fireside chat with News UK and panel with Shelley Bishton, Head of diversity, equity, and inclusion from News UK, who is an advocate for diversity and inclusion.
Watching Spike Lee receive the inaugural Creative Maker of the Year award was an honor. He was welcomed to the stage to talk about creativity, his first film, and more. The CROWN Act, created in 2019 by Dove and the CROWN Coalition, delivered a powerful call to action for allies ahead of its National CROWN day on July 3.
Representation matters. It is important to be an ally and champion for underrepresented voices. Strive for progress and more will come through dedicated allies, supporters and partners.
Avoid The Jargon.
As PR professionals, we aid clients and brands with crystallizing their internal and external messaging. Post-Cannes one observation was abundantly clear: the need to eliminate industry jargon.
The billboard advertisements along the Croisette were a great example of impactful promotions. The Weather Channel’s billboard read “Weather: The Original Influencer.” Short, sweet, and no lingo needed. The message, written in plain English, was clear enough to be effectively conveyed to all.
And it continued throughout the festival – from panels to yacht events. This reinforced the importance for us as PR professionals to caution our clients about getting too “in the weeds'' on any given topic. Being clear and concise in messaging will get clients a lot further than focusing on industry nomenclature that only other industry experts understand.
Evolve With Your PR Tech Stack.
While this year’s PR Lions finalists had an earned-first approach, the top awarded campaigns also featured earned media amplification strategies – a tell-tale sign that the worlds of PR and paid media continue to merge. This is led by the fact that the PR tech stack is evolving and resulting in new ways to measure and track the performance of integrated communications campaigns.
With more opportunities for measurement, PR strategies are evolving past the “just earned” approach and moving into cross-platform territory.
Another evolution of the PR tech stack – surprising no one – is AI. While the implications of AI in PR are still widely unknown, one thing is for certain: it is here to stay. We are going to continue to see AI being used for content creation, media monitoring and research purposes. And as demonstrated through this year’s Cannes activations – the companies unwilling to adopt AI will be left behind.
The beauty of Cannes lies within bringing a plethora of events and a multitude of different industry professionals together to connect, to network and to participate in meaningful and innovative conversations. Now that the event has concluded, we get to witness how the key trends stemming from those meaningful conversations evolve until next year’s festival.
- Tiffany Guarnaccia, CEO and Founder of Kite Hill PR