#Cannes2016: Navigating in the era of change

Cannes 2016 had the largest amount of entries from around the world this year, so in order to really stand out, a strong advertising and content strategy is imperative. Case says that the industry is forever changing and agencies need to learn how to navigate in this new dimension.

“Anybody who thinks what they did last year is still relevant this year, needs to relook their plan,” he says. Agencies need to create new things, not just evolve an existing idea.

A strong theme during Cannes this year was collaboration, as Case states that 74% of the winning campaigns involved three or more agencies. The industry is moving towards collaboration, and that’s a good thing, as bringing in all aspects of technology into a campaign becomes more difficult. Yes technology is changing the game, but technology is merely the tool that makes a great idea come alive.

Customers are getting smarter

Nowadays branded content is seen as overkill by consumers. They know brands exist and having their sponsored content flashed all over the place can be rather overwhelming. The key now is to do less with more impact, which can be done with great storytelling and giving content people actually want.

A great example of this was the launch of the new Tomb Raider game, and the billboard that caught people’s attention.

Simplicity cuts through

Case pointed out how the simple ideas were really the ones that caught the judges’ attention, as well as brands with a purpose. Cause-related marketing was a big theme at Cannes last year and it brought about an important theme for Case this year: bravery.

Brands have become braver over the last few years, continually pushing the boundaries and spreading the message in a different and creative way.

For example, take the campaign below for breast cancer prevention that received the attention of thousands of viewers from around the world:

Six learnings from Cannes

Case’s six learnings from Cannes 2016 were:

• Brands have influence to affect change
  
• It’s entertain or die for brands
  
• Data and tech are catalysts for creativity
  
• Collaborate or die
  
• Creativity can thrive in low economy
  
• A climate of change should create opportunity