This year, our Chief Revenue Officer Anna Brantley and VP of Partnerships Margo Hock made their way across the pond to attend the Cannes Lions International Festival Creativity. During this weeklong event set in the beautiful French Riviera, Anna and Margo had the opportunity to engage with the best and brightest in AdTech, learn about new and emerging trends within the digital sector, and enjoy several days filled with great conversations – and of course, yachts! Here are the five key takeaways Anna and Margo noted during their time at Cannes 2024:
Contextual Advertising & Privacy Compliance
One of the biggest takeaways from Cannes 2024 was the increasing discussions and interest in contextual advertising – especially as it relates to consumer privacy. As industries continue to navigate the complexities of privacy regulations, contextual advertising is emerging as a compliance-friendly alternative. Specifically, it seems thought leaders and industry experts are particularly interested in the role data might play within contextual advertising and how integrating third-party data can refine targeting strategies without compromising user privacy.
Retail Media Network Consolidation
Retail Media Networks (RMNs) are advertising platforms operated by retailers that utilize their first-party data to deliver personalized ads to shoppers both on and off their e-commerce sites. Currently, there are 242 active RMNs, highlighting a significant expansion in this sector. However, Anna and Margo noted a growing consensus among industry leaders that this rapid growth increase cannot continue indefinitely, as all 242 retail media networks cannot fit into a single media plan. Industry leaders expect that consolidation is inevitable, and more likely than not, something we can anticipate seeing in the near future.
AI Fatigue?
Unsurprisingly, artificial intelligence (AI) remains a huge point of conversation, and discussions surrounding its potential uses were had during Cannes 2024, however this did not seem to be a central topic of conversation amongst attendees. While it seems the novelty of AI may be cooler off as it is becoming a normal part of our lives, marketers and brand managers should keep an eye out on any future advancements regarding AI.
Commerce Media Are Up & Coming
Commerce media emerged as a key theme from this year’s festival, signaling a shift towards more integrated and personalized shopping experiences within branded platforms. Anna and Margo highlighted how platforms are now tailoring consumer interactions to enhance engagement with vetted premier partners. This is especially interesting for commerce-driven brands looking to deepen customer engagement through curated partnerships and personalized shopping experiences.
Aperol Spritz & Bubbles on the Beach
Rounding off our list of insights, Aperol spritz and rose were the beverages of choice, not just for Anna and Margo, but for many others at Cannes as well. It makes sense that the Bubble Palace is nearby!
We’re already looking forward to attending next year! And if you’d like to dive deeper into any of these topics with a member of the AnalyticsIQ team to see how we are making an impact in each of these areas, get it touch with us here.