Cannes Lions launches Cannes Creative Academy for Young Marketers

The Cannes Creative Academy for Young Marketers is sponsored by the direct and interactive agency Wunderman and will take place in Cannes during the week of the International Festival of Creativity 19-25 June. The new academy will specifically address the importance and relevance of creativity in brand communications and strategy. The intense programme will provide a better understanding on issues such as the client agency relationship, current market trends and analysis, the creative process and how clients currently perceive their brand in the marketplace. The academy is open to a maximum of 35 young marketers, who will be tutored throughout the week.

The Cannes Creative Academy partners with UCLA Anderson School of Management and its Office of Executive Education, a top ranked business school globally, committed to delivering research, innovative and highly applicable learning solutions which will greatly enhance the Academy experience.

Jim Stengel, former global marketing officer for Procter & Gamble has been appointed Dean of the Academy and will guide and mentor the young marketers. Jim is best known for reinvigorating P&G's marketing culture by personally leading the transformation that has firmly established P&G as one of the most admired brand-building companies in the world. He oversaw P&G's US$8 billion advertising budget and was responsible for nearly 7000 people. Under his leadership, P&G was honoured Cannes Lions Advertiser of the Year 2008. Since leaving P&G in 2008, Jim has continued with his passion to grow brands through a focus on higher ideals. He is president & CEO of The Jim Stengel Company, a think tank and consultancy company with a mission to inspire brand and business leaders globally to rethink their marketing to achieve higher performance. In 2009 Jim was appointed an adjunct professor of marketing at UCLA Anderson and is currently writing a book, Grow, based on a global analysis of businesses that grow far faster than their competitors do.

Working alongside Jim Stengel at the academy will be course tutor Suzanne Tosolini, an independent consultant focused on consumer-driven brand positioning. Since 2009 she consults independently on brand strategy and is working with an open innovation venture to identify consumer driven brand solutions on mobile devices. She has worked with General Mills, Kraft, P&G, Meredith, VFCorp-The North Face and Michelin.

Says Steve Latham, Cannes Lions director of talent and training: "The introduction of the Young Marketers Academy will provide a unique platform for young clients to further engage with the creative industry and have a broader understanding of the creative process, which without doubt will assist in their brand building careers."

There is no additional charge to attend the Cannes Creative Academy for Young Marketers other than the standard Young Client registration fee which is €1025*. For more information and to apply for one of the 35 places, go to
www.canneslions.com/young_lions/young_marketers_academy.

Important dates:

Delegate registration: Now open
Entries Open: Now open
Entries Close: 22 April 2011
Festival Dates: 19-25 June 2011

*Exchange rate at time of publication: €1=R9.73

For further information, go to www.canneslions.com.