The Cannes International Festival of Creativity was held from 22 to 26 June in 2020, in a completely online event, and featured debates, sessions, and interviews with personalities from the creative world.
“The function of any major festival is experimentation, the proof of the thesis, pushing the limits of our activity, expanding the ways of thinking, and especially, showing where our activity is going”, says Mario D’Andrea of Dentsu Mcgarrybowen.
“The content we watch will be evaluated by our heartbeat. And the brands will generate personalized experiences from that ”, says Eco Moliterno, CCO of Accenture Interactive.
It is not the first time that Big Data is one of the highlights of the festival. With each edition, it seems to be clear that a Data-Driven Culture is not necessarily something plastered to the coldness of the data, but the use of data itself requires creativity to find solutions.
Tony Parisi, Global Head of AR / VR Innovation and one of the pioneers in the development of Virtual Reality software, foresees a counter-revolution on the way, carried out by the use of 3D, AR and VR technologies. “Technology enables a myriad of new creative paths with regard to entertainment, forms of payment, events, e-commerce, fashion, and education”.
Alex Bennett-Grant, CEO of We Are Pi, presented the survey Before You Shoot, an analysis of the lack of black people in the advertising and technology market. “It is necessary to balance the market balance, starting from the inside out”, he argues. “Demand the hiring of black people. Build a safe forum for discussing the topic in companies ”.
In one of the chats, civil rights lawyer Benjamin Crump said that CEOs and company executives “need to empower blacks” to be the gatekeepers of corporations.
Michael Jenkins, NFL player, and activist added: “Companies need to understand what is going on. Sit and listen. How is your own diversity? Internal things will make a big difference, so put people in positions that represent the black community ”.
Tamara Rogers, Global Chief Marketing at GSK Consumer Healthcare, gave a talk on how lockdown and remote working relationships will change the market forever. “I think [the changes] are going to stay. In southern Europe, the e-commerce habit was much less developed. It really became a necessity, more than a convenience.”
Merlee Jayme, global co-president of Dentsumcgarrybowen, delivered the lecture “Creativity is My Business”, assessing that creative leadership can save the business.
“Customers appreciate it when we think of creative solutions that help their business because loyalty and trust grow with it. So more and more they are looking for creative leaders for real partnerships and to help find new ways to navigate these uncertain times. So, young people, I know that you have this enthusiasm, but eventually, move on, learn, and dive into business. This is preparing for the future ”, he says.