Cannes Lions 'Tipping Point': Creators & Brands Matchmake for $185B Ad Spend
I talk to execs at YouTube, MediaLink & more as digital programming overtakes traditional media spend for the first time and influencers cool on one-off deals
I write about the business of creators. I reported on the writers’ civil war at Substack, wrote about the boom in microdramas and covered the talent war between Netflix and YouTube. Send me tips, memes and ideas at natalie@theankler.com
Bonjour! I’m coming to you with a très special Monday dispatch from my first day at Cannes Lions, where I’ve got a fun story about why the once-niche advertising confab is now the hot new conference for creators (even as VidCon gears up to start in a few days back in Anaheim).
But first, have you signed up to attend all of the fun IRL programming Team Ankler has planned for you this week? Here’s a reminder where to find us along the Croisette — and be sure to check back in later this week for more dispatches from me, including a report on the invite-only creator lunch we’re hosting in partnership with Meta at the Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc.
YouTube is Playing to Win TV Now
Tuesday, June 17
11:15 a.m. - noon
ADWEEK House Cannes Lions
YouTube CEO Neal Mohan joins Ankler Media CEO Janice Min for an invite-only live taping of The Ankler podcast inside ADWEEK House Cannes Lions at Le Majestic Hotel, one day before Mohan takes the festival’s main stage as a keynote speaker. (Invitation only)
The New Fame: Engaging Fans on Every Platform
Tuesday, June 17
4 p.m. - 4:45 p.m.
DPAA Space: Hôtel Martinez, Room Citrus 3
In coordination with DPAA, the global trade marketing association, and its Cannes Curated Experience, I’ll lead a fireside chat with digital entertainer, comedian and podcast host Jake Shane and Paul Wachter, founder and chief executive officer of Main Street Advisors.
RSVP here!
Beyond Virality: Building a Creator-Led Media Powerhouse
Wednesday, June 18
4:45 p.m. - 5:15 p.m.
ADWEEK House Cannes Lions
I’ll host a live taping of The Ankler podcast with investor, advisor, entrepreneur and digital creator Josh Richards and Chris Sawtelle, CEO of CrossCheck Studios.
Register here!
Now, whether you’re a Cannes Lions veteran or a relative novice like me, you’ve probably noticed that the International Festival of Creativity has become inundated with creators in recent years. So many digital-first stars have been flocking to the fest that programmers launched an official Cannes Lions Creators programming track last year with participation from Caspar Lee, Madeline Argy, Jay Shetty, Alix Earle, Josh Richards and others.
This year, Cannes Lions Creators is back with a lineup of even bigger names, including Kai Cenat, Amelia Dimoldenberg, Jake Shane, Keith Lee, Colin Rosenblum and Samir Chaudry. Earle is also returning for a conversation about her partnership with (and investment in) Poppi, the beverage company recently acquired by PepsiCo for nearly $2 billion.
Many festivals have been catering to creators and creator economy business leaders in recent years (see SXSW’s creator programming track), but given that Cannes Lions has served as a meeting place for the advertising community in one way or another since the 1950s, it makes a lot of sense for creators to be here. They’ve completely changed the game for marketers, after all, and sources tell me that both brand executives and creators themselves have been asking for the chance for more face time.
In this newsletter, I’ve got lots of intel on why creators’ profile is rising at Cannes Lions, who’s coming and what they’re hoping to accomplish.
What’s inside for paid subscribers:
A look at the latest research on just how massive creators’ impact on global advertising is now
Insights from a MediaLink VP, YouTube’s head of creators, a UTA Next Gen exec and more insiders about the importance of Cannes Lions for both creators and brands
The strategy behind YouTube’s bigger-than-ever splash at the festival this year
Which top creators are being jetted in by major platforms like YouTube and TikTok
Creators’ move to ditch the grind of one-off brand deals, and how Cannes helps them scale
How brands like EOS are capitalizing on creators’ growing focus on Cannes Lions
Brands’ shift from relationship building to “content KPIs” from their creator partners at the fest