Peter Wiltshire: Creativity Beats Commodity

The Cannes Lions, if nothing else, sends a welcome and much needed burst of oxygen in to the world of media, marketing and advertising.

No one globally can deny that the recent economic pressure the world has endured, forced advertisers to seek further cost reductions in their price of media, pushing the media and the agencies, into a more commodotised trading environment. Auditors, procurement teams, and consultants have been the winners, feeding off the GFC to champion lower costs.

Not many of us signed up to be commodotised, we signed up to work with clients on communications solutions that ultimately see them prosper, and if they prosper, then we will all benefit.

Having the opportunity to observe the worlds greatest creative work here in Cannes gives me great confidence there is a future full of opportunity in this dynamic and highly competitive industry.

The Cannes Lions "is a great advert" on what will make us all more successful. That is, great ideas, created via trusted relationships with clients, agencies and the media.

You pay for what you get in this world, in all industries, marketing is no different. If we remain driven on commodotisation, we will lose what we all do best. Thankfully Cannes Lions is not that, it's about great advertising.

Peter Wiltshire
Nine Entertainment Co.