At the Cannes Advertising Festival, There Is Still Some "Boon Left in the Doggle"

When ten thousand people who produce ads create ads shoot ads buy and plan media and run ad agencies and a significant number of their clients gathered for the world39s biggest advertising event at the Cannes Lions Festival recently all the talk was about it not being a party year with fewer delegates less fanfare and so on Indeed many of the most legendary parties were cancelledBut as several folks who have been to Cannes year after year pointed out talk of belttightening and sobriety is not new There has been a gentle decline in the extravagance of Cannes in recent years Many suggested things are not perhaps as bad as they might have been While prices have been cut clients are still advertising particularly those with everyday products and there are some taking advantage of the economic climate to build their brands But while a few are going for broke with bold initiatives many more are cautious about new ideasIt would be easy to contrast the down market the layoffs the refinancing and general softness in the ad market with what is spent on entertainment at Cannes While this year there was no icesculpting live on a beach and the gala fireworks were more subdued and artistic the days where nevertheless filled with afternoon cocktail receptions exclusive beach soiramp233es and parties in hotel penthouses and country villasBut behind the glitz and glamour of the social circuit is the serious business of networking The opportunity to bump into the right person at a party can save an awful amount of work and in fact more than pays for the airfare hotel and meals for a weekFor a week Cannes becomes the global crossroads of the media entertainment and advertising businesses three industries very close to our hearts at Media Link LLC There is a reason Microsoft saved the announcement of its partnership with Publicis Groupe for Cannes Certainly the jury seemed to work harder than ever Nick Brien who headed the Media Jury seemed to be doing 24hour days This was especially true when generously hosting a special behindthescenes look for his clients like Kim Kadlec of JampampJ and several highlevel Microsoft executives a brilliant couple of hours he organized when he might well have been sleepingFrom a business standpoint however there was a renewed and focused vigor to the conversations This sense of purpose overcame any shortcomings in glamour Many of my peers reported they would be going back to the office with quotactionable and meaningful followupquot to quote just one This year was far from just a schmoozefest and we became determined to prove it was not in fact a boondoggleThe lack of major parties such as DDB39s traditional beach event and BBDO39s Friday night bash gave way to smaller more businessfocused dinners and events I noted that I was in company with many senior executives using the time not just for socializing but for generating important takeaways It seemed that it was the executives the next level down the chain that did not attendSeveral important initiatives furthered the business dialogues One of the most talkedabout issues of the festival said The Guardian39s Vicky Frost was digital strategy and integration In a year when entries for the press category at the festival fell by 40 to 2394 entries traditional agencies are grappling with how best to tackle online and mobile advertising in terms of both product and agency structure Some believe that will result in a shift toward usability rather than toward the technology quotI think you have to just observe what consumers are doing not get overly excited by what you can doquot said Andrew Robertson president of the BBDO Worldwide agency quotContent has to be engaging and usefulquot Laura Lang chief executive of the global digital agency Digitas agrees quotThe days of just pushing a message out through digital are overquotYes there was fun to be had In the main the climate at Cannes was sunny amp8211 both in terms of our business as well as the weather My personal forecast calls for increased results at future media gatherings right along with an opportunity to maintain my tan

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At the Cannes Advertising Festival, There Is Still Some "Boon Left in the Doggle"

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Michael Kassan

The Care Economy No One Built -- And the Leader Who Did. Wellthy's Lindsay Jurist-Rosner - By Jack Myers

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At the Cannes Advertising Festival, There Is Still Some "Boon Left in the Doggle"

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Michael Kassan

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