Cannes, France – Top executives from the marketing and advertising sectors gathered at the Cannes Lions Festival to share insights on consumer outreach and brand growth strategies. The event, hosted by Variety in the C-Suite presented by Canva, featured discussions with leaders from Disney, Catalyst Brands, Autodesk, Unilever, DoorDash, Hilton, NBCUniversal, Kimberly-Clark, and Paramount, among others.
On the first day, key speakers included Disney’s Rita Ferro and Catalyst Brands’ Marisa Thalberg. Thalberg highlighted the power of partnerships, using JCPenney’s recent collaboration with ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" as a case study. The campaign, titled “Yes—JCPenney,” effectively showcased the benefits of non-transactional partnerships through strategic advertising on national platforms and high-profile locations.
Rita Ferro, President of Global Advertising at Disney, announced the upcoming launch of ESPN’s standalone streaming service, emphasizing the trend towards personalized consumer experiences. The new service aims to cater to sports fans by offering a subscription model independent of traditional cable.
Executives discussed the integration of content creators into brand campaigns. DoorDash’s Kofi Amoo-Gottfried explained their approach of collaborating with both major and local "nano influencers" to enhance community engagement. Autodesk’s Dara Treseder stressed the importance of giving creators the freedom to authentically express brand messages, turning content creation into a dynamic storytelling process.
Esi Eggelston Bracey from Unilever shared their innovative campaign strategy involving nostalgic partnerships, citing the "When Sally Met Hellman’s" ad as a successful blend of iconic culture with modern marketing.
Further discussions featured Hilton's Mark Weinstein and NBCUniversal's Karen Kovacs, who spoke about creating immersive experiences that resonate with the social media-driven Generation Z. The conversation underscored the importance of strategic, long-term thinking in engaging this emerging affluent demographic.
Paramount's Domenic DiMeglio and Kimberly-Clark’s Patricia Corsi highlighted the role of creativity and data insights in crafting standout media content. Corsi emphasized the need for emotionally engaging content, while DiMeglio advised on using data to understand consumer behavior deeply.
The event underscored the evolving landscape of marketing, where creativity, data, and meaningful partnerships are key to successful brand growth.
