AI, Big Data, and Social Commerce Take Center Stage at Cannes

This week at the Cannes Festival of Creativity, one thing became abundantly clear: Artificial intelligence has firmly established itself as the cornerstone of modern marketing.

However, this year's discussions revealed a marked evolution in how the industry approaches AI, with a newfound emphasis on ethics, real-world applications, and the intelligent integration of data.

It was also clear that we mustn’t lose sight of the fundamentals like brand relevance, understanding consumers, omni-commerce, and breakthrough creative. Here are our four takeaways from Cannes 2024.

AI: Not if but how

Last year, AI dominated conversations at Cannes, but often with a focus on its potential and the excitement surrounding emerging technologies. This time around, industry leaders were no longer asking if AI should be implemented, but how to do so responsibly and effectively.

Panel discussions and keynote speeches delved into the ethical considerations of AI in advertising. Topics ranged from ensuring algorithmic fairness to protecting consumer privacy in an age of hyper-personalization. As industry leaders, we should lean into the ethics of artificial intelligence. What kind of world do we want the models trained on? How do we contribute to a future with unbiased data and generative outputs?

Data: From information overload to actionable insights

While big data has been a buzzword for years, this year's Cannes festival emphasized the importance of making data sets truly actionable. The focus has shifted from simply collecting vast amounts of information to intelligently layering and integrating diverse data sets for deeper, more meaningful insights.

At Cannes, Razorfish announced a measurement solution called R-Index that uses Google Cloud’s data and AI offerings to analyze data and measure brand sentiment and equity. R-Index is currently in alpha with a broader rollout scheduled for later this year.

The rise of social commerce

The concept of omni-commerce was impossible to ignore this year, both in formal presentations and casual conversations along the Croisette. As consumers increasingly expect seamless experiences across all touchpoints, brands are racing to integrate their online and offline presence more effectively.

The rise of social commerce was also a hot topic. TikTok launched generative AI avatars that brands can license for commercial use through its Symphony suite of AI ad products. TikTok also launched AI dubbing, allowing brands and creators to translate their content into different languages. And Instacart extended its first-party retail media data to YouTube, allowing brands to make their YouTube ads shoppable. Publicis Media is one of the first pilot testers.

Authenticity still matters

We often talk about authenticity in clichés because it’s difficult to measure, even when inauthenticity is easily recognized. Many, if not all, of the Cannes Lion winners were authentic and relevant manifestations of their brand’s purpose. While authenticity tied to a higher purpose tends to win big—like grand prix winner ORANGE by Publicis Marcel—others like More Tide remind us that authenticity need not always be serious.

While much of the work in the Palais and on the award stage represents traditional creative (just 12% of Cannes award entries in 2024 used AI), the vast majority of conversations happening on the sponsored beaches and fringe event panels were wrestling with the future: data, emerging tech, AI, and more. As the festival drew to a close, the distinct conversations seemed to converge on a shared truth: Brands that hope to stay relevant must embrace the changing times and remain focused on the human behind the numbers.