Q: The Cannes Lions Global Growth Councils for Progress aim to tackle some major social issues at this year’s event. Why the ad industry needs to step up
Against the backdrop of an increasingly turbulent world, the global advertising industry is facing a number of big challenges that need to be addressed at a faster pace than any of us anticipated. We know that creativity has the power to drive progress for people, businesses and positive change in the world. This means that the creative marketing community is in an incredibly fortunate position in that they can harness creativity to go in and create change in culture, business, and the world.
Our five Global Growth Councils for Progress are an expansion of the CMO Growth Council, which we launched with the Association of National Advertisers (ANA), the industry body representing US advertisers, in 2018. They will meet for the first time during the Festival. in Cannes to find global solutions, set the agenda and define its commitments on the global stage. For the first time, this initiative will include representatives from across the community, including creative agencies, brands and media owners, uniting the industry behind a collective and urgent agenda.
We are delighted that Marc Pritchard, Chief Brand Officer for Procter & Gamble, is leading this initiative. With each Council comprised of 25-30 core members, we want them to be a platform for a variety of voices who can bring new perspectives, insights and cultural context to accelerate the pace of progress on a much larger scale and create a truly global community. . Our open call for Council members saw 25 slots available to any visionary creative professional capable of demonstrating entrepreneurial spirit, regardless of specialty or location.
Q: What are the key issues that need to be addressed?
Earlier this year we launched the LIONS State of Creativity study. Completed by thousands of people from 100 countries, it was our largest survey to date, collecting opinions and ideas from a diverse set of voices across the creative ecosystem. The five themes of the Council were formed in response to the global issues identified by the industry through this study as the most important and pressing for the progress and growth of its business and the impact on the planet: sustainability; diversity, equity and inclusion; talent; data and technology; and the creativity and effectiveness of the brand.
Q: How will Cannes Lions track progress and ensure action is taken to move the industry forward?
In a couple of weeks we will be bringing the global community together in Cannes and we couldn’t be more excited to convene our community and Councils in real life.
We invite all Festival attendees and LIONS members to contribute to the conversation by joining the appropriate community to discuss, engage, create or lead an initiative that supports our collective advancement. On Friday, June 24 at 11 am, the Presidents of the Council will meet on the Lumiere stage in Cannes to define the agenda and their commitments for the coming year.
LIONS and ANA will provide the platform throughout the year for the industry to agree and track progress. The Council’s working groups will work throughout the year on the task at hand to ensure they are making further progress. They will then return to Cannes Lions in 2023 to provide an update on the collective progress of the industry. LIONS is in a position to provide the global platform for the industry agenda and we are delighted to be able to commit to this as an ongoing collective movement.
Lions Canes takes place June 20-24 in Cannes, France.
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