[Cannes Lions] God, flowers and collaboration

Yesterday, Tuesday, 23 June 2009, confirmed that collaboration is key to communication success. Current market conditions and the growing influence of social media and participatory culture requires all of us - agencies, marketers, media houses/owners and the rest - to humble down and collaborate. Clients are also going to have to take the lead and look at new models of remuneration to encourage and reward a more collaborative approach to their business.

Listened to case study on cool campaign for Sagami Original, the world's thinnest condom and winner in PR category. Great digital campaign!

I spent a lot of time in tech sessions.

Bill Buxton, a scientist working for Microsoft and creator of its latest innovation Microsoft Surface, managed to get a laugh out of a weary crowd when he made light of the weighty topic of tech development (www.qvivid.com). He told us three screens is child's play - we are heading quickly for a multi-screen environment where technology will change consumer interactions around multiple touchpoint tech offerings.

We heard about the Long Nose (forget the Long Tail), how environmentalists will ensure that Print dies (they gotta save the trees), God being the founder of advertising and flowers being some of his greatest work... Well, it certainly beat the prior experience of listening to the Principle Platform Evangelist who failed dismally to live up to her passionate title and content on integrative technology platforms to manage cross-media implementation. Theme again - collaboration and integration, although poorly explained!

Later on at a party on the Carlton Hotel beachfront I got talking to Finweek's specialist editor Tony Koenderman, considered South Africa's leading expert on marketing and advertising. He confirmed that, for the first time in many years at Cannes, there's proof in the campaigns that collaboration and integration has become a reality. That's great news, along with the two Grand Prix Lions SA agencies TBWA\Hunt\ Lascaris Johannesburg (Outdoor) and Net#work BBDO Johannesburg (Radio) picked up (see Two Grands Prix for SA at Cannes Lions and SA makes Design Lions shortlist)!

Don't forget to follow my live tweeting from Cannes!