An analysis of the winning advertisements from this year’s Cannes Creative Effectiveness Lions, which honor the quantifiable effects of creativity, was published today by WARC, the world authority on marketing effectiveness.
This year’s jury president Raja Rajamannar, Chief Marketing & Communications Officer at Mastercard, commented on the value of awarding creative effectiveness, saying: “Marketing as a profession is living an existential crisis: it’s losing its legitimacy, its gravitas, its stature. CEOs and CFOs view marketing as frivolous, and they have little faith in the ability of their marketing departments to spur company growth.
“The marketing function is becoming more dispersed, with some businesses even eliminating CMO jobs. Because of this, it’s crucial to concentrate on creative effectiveness: By demonstrating how marketing affects businesses and generates a return on investment, it will be reseated at the C-suite table and accorded the gravitas and respect it merits.
The findings in this study are crucial to understanding how marketers influence corporate success, according to Chiara Manco, Commissioning Editor, Case Studies, WARC. To learn more about how the creative has produced measurable benefits, we have analyzed data from all of the entries, spoken with the judges, and spoken with the winners.
Our insights will help advertisers, agencies, and media owners leverage the power of creativity to boost marketing effectiveness, along with the award-winning case studies that are featured in this research.
Utilizing fans to boost creative ideas. Fan-first strategies can encourage participation in particular fandoms while serving as the foundation for campaigns with a wide audience. This year, more brands are using “participation” as a creative strategy thanks to the exploration of fan engagement by Cheetos, Michelob, and McDonald’s.
McDonald’s Vice President of US Marketing, Brand, Content, and Engagement Jennifer “JJ” Healan, a jury member, stated: “Fan truths’ were vital to unlocking our brand voice. They are now at the core of all of our creative efforts and help us portray McDonald’s from the perspective of a fan.
The new growth engine for brands is ecosystems for change. A new emphasis on long-term platforms capable of delivering business development while addressing systemic concerns has emerged as the conversation around purpose changes. Three and Renault developed ecosystems to demonstrate their products in use, and Michelob revamped its supply chain to assist farmers in switching to organic farming.
The Global Chief Strategy Officer of Dentsu Creative and a jury member, Patricia McDonald, made the following observation: “We’ve witnessed a clear transition from effective advertising to platforms and ecosystems for growth. Brands are doing more than just spreading awareness of a problem; they are changing the world and fostering corporate growth.
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