Cannes Lions can inspire a strong sense of FOMO in marketers, and not just among those who don’t get the chance to attend in-person. The festival celebrating creativity in Cannes, France, is overloaded with programming, not only from the official organizers, but also panels hosted at a swelling number of branded spaces and elaborate beachside activations put on by publishers, platforms and marketing services providers. That’s to say nothing of all the offsite networking, planned and otherwise, that comes to life over drinks and dinner or — in a somewhat notorious aspect of the show — during fancy yacht parties.
In short, it’s easy to miss out at Cannes Lions, and some of the biggest news from the festival — the deals and partnerships struck behind closed doors — may not become apparent until the weeks ahead. In the meantime, Marketing Dive below has brought together its coverage from the weeklong bonanza, which this year occurred during a record-breaking heat wave in France — a factor that did not seem to put a damper on the frenzied atmosphere. Cannes Lions conveniently lands at the mid-year point, and these pieces provide an update on how some of the biggest stories in marketing, including Publicis’ acquisition of LiveRamp and OpenAI’s crack into advertising are developing — and where they may lead next.
