When Elon Musk, Karlie Kloss, Travis Kelce, and a who’s-who of media, branding, and tech execs all converge, there’s loads of buzz. From the Cannes Lions pageant within the south of France, Autodesk’s Dara Treseder talks about the important thing themes, classes, and intrigue that emerged. She explains why AI and girls’s sports activities dominated a lot of the dialog, how the eye economic system is giving method to the ‘intention economic system’, and why influencers don’t need you calling them “influencers” anymore.
That is an abridged transcript of an interview from Rapid Response, hosted by the previous editor-in-chief of Quick Firm Bob Safian. From the workforce behind the Masters of Scale podcast, Fast Response options candid conversations with at this time’s high enterprise leaders navigating real-time challenges. Subscribe to Fast Response wherever you get your podcasts to make sure you by no means miss an episode.
A Cannes Lions Primer
You’re coming to us from the South of France—the enduring Riviera resort city of Cannes. And annually presently, hundreds of enterprise executives converge for the Cannes Lions Pageant of Creativity.
Completely. It’s been fairly an impactful Cannes this yr.
Are you able to clarify to those that could also be unfamiliar what Cannes Lions is, why folks come, and possibly why you’re there this yr?
Cannes Lions is the premier occasion for entrepreneurs, advertisers, media professionals, and types. Everybody’s right here. Part of why we’re right here is usually because numerous our clients are right here. A variety of the advertisements and campaigns which might be profitable Cannes Lions awards this yr have been designed and made with Autodesk software program.
Headlines from Cannes Lions 2024
One of many classes I all the time attempt to glean from Cannes is form of the place the trade is shifting. Is there something new that’s jumped out to you this yr?
NVIDIA executives are right here this yr. So we’re seeing that know-how firms are persevering with to be a dominant drive at this pageant.
What’s attention-grabbing this yr and somewhat totally different—Stagwell, the holding firm of a bunch of media businesses, they’ve a extremely huge sports activities seaside. Ladies’s sports activities have actually been having a motion. Deep Blue did an activation with Axios celebrating the accomplishments that girls are having. That is such a singular time the place the viewers is there for ladies’s sports activities, proper? If you’re a media or promoting government, the best way you’re ladies’s sports activities is totally different than the way you have been it a couple of years in the past. In order that is likely one of the huge adjustments that we’re seeing on La Croisette this yr.
One of many issues the organizers did otherwise this yr is there’s a creators’ monitor at Cannes. I imply, creators have been coming to Cannes for years. Does this imply that that the creator economic system has a distinct place now, the best way manufacturers strategize about the place the puck is headed? Or is that this acknowledging the place the puck already is?
I feel it’s acknowledging the place the puck already is. Nevertheless it’s additionally signaling an evolution within the technique. So it’s been attention-grabbing as a result of this yr I haven’t actually heard folks speak about influencers. I’ve heard folks speak about creators, and it’s as a result of numerous the creators are saying, “I’m not an influencer. I’m a creator. I’m a content material creator.” And so the dynamics between manufacturers and these creators has developed. Gone are the times the place manufacturers determine what you’re going to say and also you simply publish it. Now, manufacturers come to you with the issue they’re attempting to deal with. You truly assist form what that technique is, and also you companion within the creation of that content material. And so I feel a part of what you’re seeing with that creator monitor is the acknowledgement of the facility dynamics and the shift that’s taking place between model and creators.
The opposite aspect of Cannes is that there are additionally these very unique gatherings. There are events and dinners that everybody’s attempting to get into. The place’s the place that folks wished to be this yr?
MediaLink had their fantastic occasion that they’ve been internet hosting yearly. Lenny Kravitz was there. It was an distinctive occasion. You get to fulfill and work together with so many fantastic folks. I bumped into my good friend, Kelly Campbell, the CEO of Peacock. After which Delta hosted an exquisite lunch—Karlie Kloss, a good friend of mine was there. She was talking and sharing insights. I feel what’s highly effective and delightful about this isn’t a lot who will get invited to what, however extra, how can we all come collectively as a neighborhood to have fun the tradition, have fun creativity, and construct relationships that final for many years.
The advert world tackles AI
Now, there are official panels on the Palais after which there are different phases in all places on the seashores, on the lodges. From right here, a few of the largest buzz that’s coming again is about Elon Musk attempting to woo advertisers again to X after dropping the F bomb on them. Is that what folks there are speaking about or is that simply what’s coming again right here?
I imply, if Elon does one thing, it’s going to be talked about, proper? So it’s actually one of many issues being talked about, however truly I’d say if there was a winner right here this yr at Cannes, it was AI. Everyone seems to be speaking about—how can I maximize the chance with AI? How can I be sure that I don’t get left behind? Final yr AI was actually a buzzword. However this yr, leaders have arrived with concrete examples of how their groups are implementing AI into the work that they do. At Autodesk, we surveyed all the totally different industries that we serve, and we discovered that just about half of employers are saying the highest ability they’re hiring for over the subsequent three years is the flexibility to work with AI, and I noticed that at play at Cannes.
What’s the stability between the joy about AI and worry?
So I feel that issues are beginning to actually shift away from worry and the Panic Zone and into what I’d name the “Studying Zone.” Individuals are realizing it’s not about AI taking my job, nevertheless it’s about somebody utilizing AI taking my job. So how do I be sure that I’m proficient? How do I be sure that I perceive how you can make the most of this new know-how? So we’re seeing that shift from worry to belief now. Is the shift full? No. We’re very a lot within the eye of the storm.
Key takeaways from the pageant
So that you’re flying again tomorrow morning, again to the common grind of being on the workplace. What are the teachings that you simply’re taking again with you this yr? Or are there stuff you’ll double down on due to what you’ve heard?
I’m going to proceed doubling down on inventive effectiveness. This yr was attention-grabbing. 2016 was the yr that Cannes noticed essentially the most awards submissions. In 2024, award submissions have been down 38% to 2016. That’s taking place as a result of issues have developed. It’s now not about inventive for the sake of inventive. The inventive has to work, the inventive has to drive outcomes. If you happen to’re not getting outcomes, you’re not profitable awards. That has all the time been my mantra—present me the ROMI: present me the Return On Advertising and marketing Funding.
There was a degree the place every part was about creativity and nobody actually adopted what was taking place with the end result. After which it flipped to: tweak the technological levers, and use the best knowledge and you will get the end result. And it nearly appeared just like the creativity didn’t matter. And what I’m listening to you say is we’re lastly realizing you’ve bought to tug these two issues collectively to essentially get the bang out of it.
The artwork and the science have to come back collectively. The magic occurs on the intersection of each. One of many advertisements that I assumed checked numerous the packing containers was Orange’s ladies’s gender bias in soccer advert. That advert received the Leisure for Sport Grand Prix. And it was superb as a result of it was ownable, proper? It was memorable, and it was related. In order that’s nice inventive that drove superb outcomes. They usually had a transparent story arc, and storytelling issues. On the finish of the day, one of many issues I feel is most stunning about life is the story. Advertising and marketing goes again to our roots, telling compelling tales. That’s how we change into a trusted companion to our clients. Versus simply attempting to interrupt them with a wide range of advertisements. We’re getting again to fundamentals and know-how helps us do this in additional revolutionary methods than we’ve finished earlier than.