Cannes is packed today with more people arriving for the festival. We’re straight into the first seminar of the day – 'You Can’t Trust Marketers' led by Adobe, and head for the side rows where we sit quietly and pretend we’re creatives. Data is discussed as our best new weapon to convert perceptions of marketing as a cost centre to a revenue generator, with BMW’s Steven Althouse nicely redefining metrics as voodoo currencies. A great question is raised – thanks to all this data, will the CMO have a better pulse on business in future than the CFO?
Nobody is giving up their seat with Jack Black on stage next to discuss personalised video content with Yahoo. After admitting he’d had a few drinks the night before, he is pure entertainment throughout the session.
A world away from winter back home, it’s 27-degrees out and the beach is begging us to make our way to the Google Sandpit. Collecting four free sun loungers for the crew deserves a Lion in itself and we make the cut. As the afternoon wears on, the fruit smoothies turn to Coronas and Laura upgrades to a shady Cabana. Filled with cushions, in case she wasn’t comfortable enough. It’s a tough gig being a Young Lion.
Tomorrow we’ll be briefed for the marketing category, we’re looking forward to it.
Young Lions (Marketing)
Tim Seow, RACV
Laura Bindon, AMP Capital Dynamics