Looking forward to: Cannes Lions Live 2020

June 22, 2020
Helen Kontozopoulos, Co-founder, ODAIA.ai
Adjunct Professor, Department of Computer Science, University of Toronto

I was really looking forward to traveling to Cannes, France this year to attend the Cannes Lions. My startup ODAIA.ai was accepted to attend in the startup access program. 

I have been working and researching in marketing analytics for the past 8 years, and recently how to integrate emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence into the mix - especially at the early stages of product development. My focus is to figure out how can AI discovery WHO your customer is from data, WHY they do what do, WHAT platforms and mediums do they use the most, and WHEN will they be most responsive to your brand message? 

We've been working with the Dentsu Aegis Network team for a few months to understand deeper how advertising and marketing teams can successfully use artificial intelligence in their customer experience audit. The goal is to create a stronger connection between brand and customer.

This is going to be an interesting online conference where we can listen and learn from the best in the advertising and marketing industry and on how they responding to the accelerated shifts in society, culture, and technology we are facing at the moment.

We can't be at Cannes Lions this year but we can watch it live online! Here are some talks I recommend you check out!

Talks to check out this week:

Monday at #CannesLions

Creative Business Transformation Lions - Isobar's Ronald Ng
Presented by: Ronald Ng, Simon Cook
Every year at Cannes Lions each Jury President is asked to put together a President’s briefing for their jury - a set of guiding principles used to assess every piece of work. Looking ahead to 2021, Simon Cook, MD of Cannes Lions invites the President of the Creative Business Transformation Lions, Isobar's Ronald Ng to share what that briefing looks like today and how the category is set to evolve in response to changes in the wider world at present. Ronald will shed light on the new trends he's keeping an eye on, and look back at some of the award-winners that moved the industry forward, helping set the standards of exceptional creativity that the Creative Business Transformation Lions demand today.

Agile Storytelling - Creating Beyond the Jargon
Panelists: Bill Simmons, Courtney Holt, Mallory Rubin
Storytellers have long entertained us, kept us informed, helped ignite movements and framed our history. As technology, culture and society evolve, so have the ways their stories reach the world and the substance of their messages. Today’s environment demands nimbleness, accessibility and depth. Podcasts are ripe for this moment and it’s no wonder they are the emerging medium of our time.
​
Join Spotify’s Global Head of Studios, Courtney Holt, for an enriching conversation with Bill Simmons, Founder of The Ringer and Mallory Rubin, The Ringer’s Executive Editor, as they unpack the secrets behind agile storytelling, their content development process during times of change, and how they are making swift decisions without sacrificing the quality that their listeners love and expect.


Tuesday at #CannesLions

Effectiveness in the Age of E-commerce
​Presented by: David Tiltman​
COVID-19 is forcing brands across categories to shift faster into e-commerce. What does this long-term change in distribution mean for the effective investment of marketing budget?

“Dear White People and Men”
Presented by: Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Stephan Loerke
Stephan Loerke, CEO of WFA, interviews Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, United Nations Under-Secretary-General, Executive Director of UN Women and Chair of the Unstereotype Alliance.
In this captivating interview, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka shares a personal account of living through the overthrow of apartheid in South Africa. She recounts similarities to the Black Lives Matter movement happening today and calls for white people and men to not waste their privilege in society and use it for the collective good. Stephan asks what measures can be taken by the advertising industry to catalyse change. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka delivers a clear message in response: Brands standing on the side-lines are perpetuating stereotypes, diversity and accountability is paramount and “there isn’t any more time or patience for incremental change”.


Wednesday at #CannesLions

Unity Presents Immersive Media and Storytelling’s Renaissance
Presented by: Tony Parisi 
While digital advertising has enabled a whole new scale of consumer messaging, creative storytelling has unfortunately taken a backseat. But there’s an exciting counter-revolution underway, powered by technologies like real-time 3D, AR and VR. Join Unity’s Tony Parisi to learn how creative storytelling and immersive media are opening massive possibilities for marketing and brands across entertainment, events, retail, fashion, e-commerce and more.

P&G Presents Stepping Up - Creativity as a Force for Good
Presented by: Marc Pritchard
The twin pandemics of COVID-19 and racism have once again revealed the deep cracks of systemic inequality that remain in our society, and have brought clarity to what matters. The role of brands and companies in the world has been forever disrupted, making it inescapably clear they have a responsibility to lead change.

Thursday at #CannesLions

Cannes Lions Presents the LIONS Live Debate: How Will These Crises Affect our Industry?Panelists: David Droga, Jean Lin, Lorraine Twohill, Mark Read, Philip Thomas, Steve Stoute
As the industry — and the world — faces the crisis of Covid-19 and its economic fall-out, as well as the challenges of representation and equality thrown into the spotlight by the recent Black Lives Matter protests, Cannes Lions Chairman, Philip Thomas, leads a debate with five industry leaders from across the globe on how our industry will emerge. Among the subjects will be; how will creativity retain centre stage? How can great talent be attracted and retained? What is the future for the agency model? And where does social media go from here?

UWG'S Monique Nelson - What We’ve Learned About Injustice, Inclusion, and Inspiration Amidst Two Pandemics
Presented by: Monique Nelson
2020 is a pivotal turning point for America. Tumultuous times marked by the deadly viruses of COVID-19 and racial injustice have unmasked grave disparities in our society. Monique Nelson, chair & CEO of UWG, the longest-standing multicultural marketing and advertising agency in the United States, and her team are learning and leading to overcome injustice and drive relevant inclusion while finding great inspiration from the perseverance of our community. Creativity is more necessary than ever to accomplish justice, equity, and change. In that spirit, Monique brings together key members of her team to share their ideas, insight, and inspiration in our journey towards progress.

Friday at #CannesLions

Lions Intelligence Presents a Guide to Creative Survival
Presented by: Susie Walker
Since the virus hit, brands have been forced to pivot at breakneck speed in order to meet changing consumer demand. Communications, supply chains, and core product lines have been rethought.

The industry has weathered tough times before. Creativity bounces back. But is this recovery different? What can history tell us?
​
Susie Walker, Head of Awards at Cannes Lions, has trawled thousands of Cannes Lions winners in The Work to identify how creative communications responded to periods of economic turmoil, from the 80s to the 2000s. What trends and tactics worked then, and which will work now? Which creative trends are set to accelerate? Will the aftermath of this recovery see the creation of new, iconic work?

"Put Your Motherhood on the Table." From Harshada Thakerdusai
Category: Advice That Worked From See It Be It, in partnership with Spotify
Alumni from the Cannes Lions initiative working towards equal gender representation among creative directors share advice that genuinely helped them.


You can find a the whole schedule here: https://lionslive.canneslions.com/schedule

Twitter handles to follow:
@Cannes_Lions
#LIONSLive 

About Cannes Lions: Is the world’s most prestigious and coveted advertising and marketing awards, Cannes Lions celebrates creativity through spotlighting best-in-class work from over 100 countries around the world.

#helenissocial at #LIONSlive #LIONSlive2020
#Artificialintelligence in #advertising 
#customerjourneys #nextbestaudience