For years it has been believed that the trends for the communications industry emerge from Cannes Lions. I have had the good fortune of being on the shortlist jury of Cannes this year and I believe that these four trends will dominate our work for the next couple of years:
Not big but bold ideas will make the cut
As they rightly say god lies in details. We must have laser sharp clarity of what one is after when crafting a campaign. Days of fuddy-duddy, feel good campaigns are out. Not big but bold ideas will make the cut and bold ideas will emerge only when there is clarity of goals. People want brands and organizations to call a spade a spade.
Campaigns: NYPL: Missing Sounds of New York, Please arrest me: RIT foundation; Punishing Signal: Mumbai Police
Purpose is clearly the way ahead for brands
The relative acceptance of fun campaigns by brands is lower than purpose-led campaigns. While going through the video entries, I subconsciously went on asking myself, “What is the brand’s purpose?”.
After having reviewed 400 entries from across the world, I can safely say that the problems faced by each of the countries are pretty much the same, varying in intensity. And a collective view of them tells me that we are trying to solve world hunger in its true sense. And while we do that, I see brands, people, and organisations come together as one to build a better, more sustainable, and equitable future.
Technology in comms is going to become bigger and better
Some mind-blowing work done by integrating technology in communications. That said, at no point did I feel that technology and AI will replace the role of communications specialists as predicted by many leaders in the industry.
Campaign: The unfinished votes; Dictators
Brands partnering with government authorities on topics that are of essence will go up
While organizations (more not-for-profit than any other) want to make a difference by working on problems affecting the world, brands give them the much-needed platform to reach out to a large audience and we will see more of these partnerships in the future.
Neha Mehrotra, is executive vice president and national head – PR of Avian WE and the founding member of the Indian chapter of Women in PR.
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