As newbies to Cannes, this has been a brilliant and bonkers experience…
We originally decided to head to Cannes to see what all the fuss was about and the excitement certainly lives up to the hype. One of the highlights was an inspiring session on empowering women in the workforce, hosted by She Runs It. Appropriately titled ‘Best of the badass bosses’, it featured strong female leaders discussing support, fearlessness, self-care, boundaries, and leadership and started with a meditation by Deepak Chopra.
The session was captivating and reinforced that as an agency, we are moving in the right direction, as Bandstand proudly maintains a 50-50 gender balance. It was a talk to remember, especially as it was cut short by a storm that blew in, but we put it down to the energy in the room!
Throughout the talks, one theme kept repeating… a general consensus that brands should seize the significant opportunities presented by women in sport; as the star power and recognition of female athletes are rapidly increasing, exemplified by their ability to fill venues like Wembley. Now is the perfect time for brands to form partnerships and sponsorships in traditionally male-dominated sports — a thought-provoking consideration that many agencies and brands are sure to be taking home.
Other highlights featured Mary Earps chatting about taking on Nike and Sir Martin being told he could not possibly walk in the shoes of a CEO who is female, Indian and menopausal! Obviously, AI was top of the agenda, with it erupting onto the scene in the last few years. There was less trepidation and more acceptance and embracing of how it can be an asset in our industry — but there was the unavoidably stark warning that it will obviously slice a fair few roles. We can all relate to using AI in everyday life, such as utilising Otter.AI for taking notes or Creatopy for resizing ads. By removing tedious administrative tasks, AI helps free up the creative mind, allowing us to focus on the core purpose of advertising.
There was a talk on the workforce, as most agencies have settled back into the TWAT way of life (WFH Mon and Friday and in the office Tues, Weds, Thurs), with increasing pressure on leadership to provide flexibility and support for employees and things such as menopause policy finally moving up the agenda — hurrah! Work/life balance is also key for a workforce that has shifted priorities.
In the same talk, geopolitics continues to play a huge role in decision-making for businesses, with everyone agreeing that global uncertainty is taking an emotional and mental toll across businesses. It puts the onus on employees to reassure but also be transparent and honest about the current and future state of play for the business.
Our first Cannes experience was wild! Recently joining UKAEG proved invaluable, landing in Cannes as part of a network really helps — it provides a base and a schedule that is enough on its own even without all the other stuff. The insights gained and the inspiring sessions we attended have left us with a lot of food for thought, encouraging us to delve even deeper into the cutting-edge trends shaping our industry.
Featured image: Jim Thirion / Unsplash
