The business world is preparing to descend on the French Riviera for Cannes Lions 2023, where artificial intelligence is top of the agenda.
ChatGPT is already rewriting the storybook when it comes to content, what does the intensive deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) and other disruptive technology mean for the creative communications business?
As brands, advertisers, marketers and media come together on the sun-drenched French Riviera for this year’s Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, it’s bound to be a hot topic of conversation.
Ahead of the event’s 70th edition, we caught up with its CEO, Simon Cook, to get the lowdown on this annual pow-wow of creative minds.
‘Creativity can come from anywhere’
Cook told Euronews Next: “It’s a really exciting year for us. In 2023, it’s about looking forward to the next 70 years: supporting the ‘becoming’ and driving progress.” Using creativity.”
“Today, creativity can come from anywhere. We are not just talking about the creativity that resides in communication, at the Cannes Lions we now have awards that recognize creativity that exists in areas such as business transformation, commerce and gaming. have been
“It’s in a range of really interesting places and that means creativity is permeating everything in a really positive way”.
AI: A creativity killer?
AI is fast becoming a household name, with the much talked about ChatGPT making waves around the world.
While some creatives welcome the growing use of AI in the communications business, others fear it’s a creature hungry for dinner.
This year’s Cannes Lions have come hot after the European Parliament endorsed the world’s first set of comprehensive rules for AI, as the EU races to regulate and get a grip on its rapid and expanding use.
“I think it’s safe to say that the debate about the role of AI in our industry will dominate the Cannes Lions stages this year,” Cook explained.
James Manica, Google’s senior vice president of technology and society, is going to talk about how AI is helping solve the world’s biggest problems and what’s coming next.
“In separate sessions, both Goodbye, Silverstein & Partners and Axel Springer will consider ChatGPT”.
Another ‘palette in a paint pot’
According to the State of Creativity Study 2023 released by Cannes Lions, 65 percent of brands and agencies cite AI The most important tech trend this year.
According to data from tech research and consulting company Gartner, by 2025 10 percent of all data produced and 30 percent of all outbound marketing messages from large brands will be from generative AI.
It is a type of AI that can create text, images or other media content by responding to prompts.
“I remember talking about big data on the Cannes Lions stage about 10 years ago and the threat it posed to our industry. Today we don’t hear about big data because it has become invisible,” Cook shed light on
“Overall, I think AI will eventually become an invisible part of our ecosystem. It will serve as just another palette in the creativity paint pot. But the journey to get to that point will be very interesting”.
Virtual Influencers: Say Hello to Rai
Virtual influencers and computer-generated characters are nothing new in the communications and marketing business, but the Cannes Lions will welcome one to the stage for the first time this year.
Since debuting in 2019, Rai is one of the biggest virtual names to come out of Asia, with over a million fans on Instagram and Weibo.
“As a virtual human who moves seamlessly between fantasy, technology and reality, she brings a unique perspective through her collaborations with cult labels, musicians, fashion designers and global brands,” Cook told Euronews Next. Is.”
But virtual influencer is not everyone’s cup of tea.
Italy’s tourism authorities thought they were onto a winner earlier this year when they came up with a digital version of Venus, the goddess of love, to entice visitors to the country.
But critics described her as the “new Barbie” who destroyed Italy’s cultural heritage.
Consumer expectations ‘too high’
More sophisticated and intelligent technology may make virtual influencers more difficult for consumers to figure out what’s real and what’s not in the future.
In a world driven by data and polluted by misinformation, there is a growing awareness of privacy and fact-checking.
But, as creative minds gather in Cannes, Cook says the industry now has consumers who are more confident sharing data in exchange for certain services.
“Consumer behavior is changing rapidly and I think expectations are very high. We are also seeing a very discerning customer. I think it is interesting to see that customers are increasingly losing their data in exchange for hyper-personalization and sophisticated targeting. feel comfortable leaving,” he explained.
“Agency models will keep changing and they need to ask themselves whether they have the right conditions in place for success”.
Proving the Value of Creativity
Today’s global uncertainty weighs heavily on most sectors. The participants of this year’s Cannes Lions face the tough challenge of proving their creative mettle.
“The significant focus on effectiveness at this year’s festival reflects the immense pressure on marketing budgets,” Cook said.
“The brands that are embedding a culture of creativity and showing a sustained commitment to creativity as a driver of growth are the brands that are going to see sustained success. It is about sustained creativity that drives sustained growth.” does”.
Sorry Comments are closed