CANNES LIONS WRAP-UP: PART TWO – FROM EFFECTIVENESS TO GROWTH, FROM VOLUME TO TRUST

28. 6. 2026 Another part of the overall round-up of the Cannes Lions festival was a panel discussion featuring the heads of content from three platforms: Lions, Contagious and WARC. They took their seats at a table on stage to review the main themes of the past week.

WHAT STOPPED WORKING IN MARKETING—AND WHAT LEADERS ARE DOING INSTEAD

11. 2. 2026 Across marketing, a quiet reckoning is underway. Practices that once felt settled are no longer delivering the same returns. As platforms evolve, audiences fragment and cultural cycles compress, many of the industry’s most familiar playbooks are starting to show cracks.

THE AI THREAT TO MEDIA QUALITY

7. 1. 2026 Digital video and social media are a focus for UK brands and agencies in the year ahead, but many are worried about their output being shown next to questionable influencer content or AI slop. What’s happening

THE MAJORITY OF THE POPULATION DISTRUSTS PAID INFLUENCER PROMOTION

17. 9. 2025 Paid promotion by influencers is trusted by 39% of those who have an opinion on such posts. But more than three-fifths do not trust such promotion, according to research by ResSolution Group.

STUDY USA: CONSUMERS DISTRUST INFLUENCER MARKETING MORE THAN ADVERTISING

4. 8. 2025 A new report from the National Advertising Division reveals the trust gap.

AI INFLUENCERS ARE ON THE RISE, BUT INTEREST IN THEM IS CONTRADICTORY

30. 7. 2025 With the development of artificial intelligence, more and more AI influencers are emerging. However, brands that use them are not guaranteed consumer interest.

MARKETING TO GEN ALPHA: HOW BRANDS CAN WIN OVER THE NEXT GENERATION

29. 7. 2025 The cohort represents a major opportunity for advertisers, keying them into future trends in areas like gaming, according to research from Horizon Media.

CONTENT FIRST: GOOD CONTENT LIES IN DATA, AUTHENTICITY AND PERSONALISATION

12. 5. 2025 How can you remain relevant in a digital world where a high-quality product is no longer enough? The key lies in data, authenticity, consistent work with the community and the courage to adapt to new technologies, according to the Content First conference.

THE OLYMPICS IS FIGHTING FOR YOUNG VIEWERS. SERVING THEM A VIDEO WITH A POPULAR SINGER AND LURING INFLUENCERS TO PARIS

18. 7. 2024 The Summer Olympics are trying to target Generation Z, who watch sports differently - often in short segments instead of live broadcasts.

THE ALPHA GENERATION WILL GIVE LESS IN ADVERTISING TO CELEBRITIES AND ATHLETES

15. 7. 2024 The technical prowess of the alpha generation presents a new challenge for brands. Celebrities and athletes in advertising appeal to them less than content creators.

DO CONSUMERS TRUST CELEBRITY ENDORSEMENTS ANYMORE? NEW RESEARCH TAKES A LOOK

9. 3. 2024 Celebrities and product advertising have been matched together since the ancient days of marketing. Authenticity wasn’t a big concern back in the day—it was just the way things were done, and often with great results. Whether it was the endorsement or the sheer visibility that moved the needle is a discussion for another day, but a large part of the ad industry is still built around this pairing, although with diminishing impact on an integrity-starved digital culture.

JENNA STUDT FROM CRITICAL MASS: HOW CAN BRANDS EFFECTIVELY REACH GENERATION Z?

1. 3. 2024 In an interview with AdForum, Jenna Studt, "social strategy director" at Critical Mass, says employers and brands need to actively engage in culture, sustainability and social responsibility to reach Generation Z.

STUDY USA: BIGGEST INFLUENCE ON GEN Z TV VIEWING DECISIONS IS SOCIAL MEDIA

30. 1. 2024 95% of Gen Z viewers aged 18 to 24 decided to watch a TV show or movie because it was trending on social media

TRAVELERS REACT TO AI-GENERATED TRAVEL ADS

25. 7. 2023 AI has dominated the news for this first half of 2023 and using new artificial intelligence tools to help create ads has been all the buzz lately. So much so that NPR recently published an article and released a related podcast episode on how to recognize AI-generated images. The travel marketing space has been no different; AI has begun its integration with travel—including providing recommendations, booking, forecasting, creating itineraries, and now advertisements. Case in point, an AdAge article published in March explored how Lithuania Travel deployed the generative AI software Midjourney to make tourism ads for one of their campaigns.