Experiences and technology come together at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES)

As the largest technology show in the world,  CES now goes beyond products and prototypes and has established itself as a global gathering of ideas and experiences that transform and enrich people’s lives.  

Indeed, as tech companies have evolved into lifestyle brands, the E in CES has increasingly come to stand for “experience” rather than “electronics”. Hyper-personalisation, human connectivity, and experience all dominated the conversation at the WPP Terrace.

Highlights from the WPP Terrace:

Recognising the innovations, among thousands, that will impact the future remains one of the most valuable takeouts of the show. Here's my four key trends from CES 2020:

Connected living

Connected living means a world where everything – homes, offices, cities – are connected via smart devices. These bring together data, voice, video and more to provide a continuous experience, according to our personal needs. This year will see increased connection, reasonable pricing and seamless presence in everyday life, resulting in increased consumer investment and adoption.

Beyond major players such as Amazon Echo and Google Home, plenty of third-party devices demonstrated the power of connected living in the home, car and office at an accessible cost. More importantly, many extend beyond simple voice assistance and tout the power of embedded smart screens to connect sound, touch and sight.

As screens become increasingly embedded into devices of all sorts and sizes, there’s potential to explore new spaces. Understanding opportunities for integration and screen share could be useful ways to reach consumers in unexpected but practical ways.

Personalised health tech

This year at CES, non-invasive health monitoring, fitness tracking, sleep hygiene, virtual care, fertility, artificial intelligence, bio-hacking devices, and femtech generated the most buzz.

Health tech will continue to change the healthcare experience both at the doctor's surgery and at home. Increasingly, at-home diagnostic testing and examination devices (like TytoCare and the MedWand) replace the need for a doctor to examine you IRL, at least for at-home acute-care situations.

There were many examples of technology-based solutions to help with the management of existing medical conditions. Brilliant Company, who use sensors, cloud and analytics “to track the quality of the air you breathe”, exhibited their Pico Go device which allows for real-time data tracking and potentially life-saving interventions to help with the management of paediatric asthma patients. Smart wearable non-invasive continuous glucose monitoring product Glutrac was another notable example.

Technology-based health monitoring and self-treatments will become a solid segment within the world of technology and are ones to watch closely in the future. 

The future of mobility

From concept cars to improving safety and entertainment for passengers, 2020 was another prominent year for transport. There was no shortage of ‘wow’ moments in automotive innovation at CES. Mercedes and James Cameron teamed up to develop an avatar-based vehicle, Uber and Hyundai debuted their flying taxi, Honda unveiled a concept car known simply as the Augmented Driving Concept and Sony’s ultra-wide panoramic dashboard screen demonstrated what in-car entertainment experiences in driverless cars could be like.

Companies also addressed the “last mile” problem among commuters – which stipulates that most businesses are located further from transport than people are willing to walk to, so brands are coming up with answers and solutions in the form of new foldable bikes and advanced scooters.

Content as the great connector

Connecting with consumers requires a story, and content’s power will only grow as the technology that delivers it becomes more powerful.

The ‘great streaming war’ between incumbent platforms (such as Netflix and Hulu) and emerging competitors (such as NBC’s Peacock and HBO Max) was evident on the convention floor. This year’s show floor featured more streaming platform reveals and announcements of licensing deals, original content, tech platforms and pricing than any previous year. We’re already seeing how technologies such as 5G, AI, gaming accessories, wearables and new TV/mobile form factors are driving entertainment experiences like never before.

With new platforms come new promises and stories. Content consumption in all its forms isn’t slowing down. As the battle between the platforms plays out, consumers’ want to be served hyper-personalised content experiences. This means more utility, more screens, more content and more opportunities for advertisers.

Consumers Downloaded a Record 204 Billion Apps

● Annual worldwide downloads have grown 45% in the 3 years since 2016 and 6% year over year, which is particularly impressive given this excludes re-installs and app updates. 

● Downloads are largely fueled by emerging markets, including India, Brazil and Indonesia. 

● Consumers in mature markets like the US, Japan and Korea have seen download growth level off, but are still seeking out new apps. Downloads in 2019 alone topped 12.3B, 2.5B and 2B in the US, Japan and South Korea, respectively.

Mobile Is Our Go-To Device, Capturing 3 Hrs 40 Min Per Day

● Across the markets analyzed, consumers are spending 35% more time in mobile in 2019 than 2 years prior.

● Mobile-first emerging markets like Indonesia, Brazil and India continue to spend the most time in mobile each day. 

● France, India and Canada saw strong growth with the average user spending 25% more time in mobile each day in 2019 than in 2017. 

Mobile-First Companies Saw 825% Higher Avg IPO Valuation

● The 3 largest initial public offerings (IPOs) in 2019 were companies with mobile as a core focus of their business: #1 Alibaba Group ($167.6B USD), #2 Prosus & Naspers ($100B USD), #3 Uber ($82.4B USD).

● Mobile-focused companies had a combined $544B valuation, 6.5x higher versus companies without a mobile focus. 

● These are further indications that mobile is essential to succeeding with customers in 2020 and beyond

60% More Sessions Per User in Top Apps Than Older Demographics

● 98% of Gen Z (born 1997 - 2012) report owning a smartphone. 

● Gen Z is expected to surpass Millennials as the largest generation by the end of 2019, comprising roughly 32% of the population.

● It is imperative to win Gen Z on mobile, or risk missing out on a mobile-native generation of consumers.

“Millennials and Gen Z have over $1 trillion in direct spending power, and will continue gaining influence in 2020 and beyond. In order to reach them, marketers need to take advantage of immersive mobile platforms like Snapchat, where we build engaging mobile experiences and drive powerful incremental reach among younger audiences.” Kathleen Gambarelli, Group Product Marketing Manager, Snapchat

2020 Is Set to Be Mobile’s Biggest Year, With Advertising Fueling Revenue

Mobile ad spend to reach $240B as brands harness mobile’s potential. 

● The streaming wars will heat up in 2020 and consumers will decide where they spend their 674B hours on mobile. 

● Apple Arcade and Google Play Pass will result in innovative new games for consumers and new revenue streams for publishers.

● 5G Is the next battleground, and gamers will be first to reap the rewards. 

● Consumer and mobile ad spend to top $380 billion globally in 2020. 

"As most growth marketers know all too well, driving performance through programmatic channels, be it CPA, ROAS or LTV, comes down to two things: (1) having a broad set of high quality unbiased, fraud-free user data, and (2) a rigorous practice for building and testing ad creatives. To successfully scale UA on mobile, marketers must invest equally in each." Dennis Mink, VP Marketing, Liftoff

Mobile Gaming — All Other Gaming (Home Console, PC/Mac Gaming, Handheld Console)

● Mobile games in 2019 saw 25% more spend than in all other gaming combined.

● Call of Duty: Mobile and Mario Kart Tour launched on mobile in 2019 — evidence of console migrating to mobile to capitalize on the larger market.

● Mobile gaming extended its global lead in consumer spend to 2.4x PC/Mac gaming and 2.9x home game consoles in 2019. 

● Mobile has democratized gaming, allowing for a portable gaming console to be in the pocket of nearly every consumer. 

● Mobile gaming is on track to surpass $100B across all mobile app stores in 2020.

Globally, Consumers Are Migrating More of Their Financial Activities to Mobile 

● Globally, consumers accessed Finance apps over 1 trillion times in 2019, up 100% from 2017. From stock management to mobile banking to payment apps, this showcases mobile’s central role in managing our daily finances.

● Loyalty and referral programs can help cultivate deeper engagement in finance apps. Citi reported 83% of consumers — and 94% of millennials — are more likely to participate in a loyalty program if it’s on mobile. 

● Both Apple and Google have both recognized the power of mobile as our financial hub, with Google offering checking accounts and Apple offering a credit card.

User Base Growth of Top Fintech Apps Topped Traditional Banking Apps

 ● Globally, the average MAU of top 10 Fintech apps grew 20% year over year in 2019, while Banking MAU grew 15%. While Banking apps tend to have higher existing user bases, this illustrates Fintech’s disruption — enabled and accelerated by mobile — of traditional banking services.

● The key to mobile is ease, accessibility and simplicity. Features like face or finger recognition streamline the user journey. This underscores why companies can’t port over an existing experience to mobile. Mobile requires deliberate planning to meet consumers’ expectations.

● After all, a good mobile experience can make trading stock or transferring money as fun as leveling up in a game or as engaging as social media. 

Shoppers Turn to Mobile for Research, Consideration, Purchase and Loyalty

● Increased time spent in Shopping apps is driven by both growing user bases and increased engagement. 

● Global Shopping app downloads grew 20% from 2018 to 2019 to over 5.4 billion, an indication of strong demand.

● Time spent in Shopping apps in Indonesia grew 70% from 2018 to 2019 — highest among markets analyzed.

● With more companies adopting mobile platforms and experiences for their users, businesses are enhancing mobile experiences to streamline usability, personalization and services offered. 

Brick-and-Mortar Retailers Made Strong Gains in Mobile Engagement 

● Bricks-and-Clicks apps saw strong gains in total sessions year over year, often out-pacing Digital-First apps in their respective markets, a notable change from past years. 

● However, among markets analyzed, Digital-First apps still had up to 3.2x more average monthly sessions per user than Bricks-and-Clicks apps in 2019. 

● Mobile is central to growing retail businesses in 2020 — for both Brick-and-Mortar and E-Commerce brands. In Q3 2019, Nike’s digital business grew 42% — driven by mobile and app experiences. 

● Nike has also focused on innovative app features that enhance the in-store experience, including product reservations and foot scanning technology to give shoppers an accurate shoe size.

Consumers Choose the Small Screen: Mobile Is Our Go-To Device for Entertainment

● Globally, consumers spent 50% more sessions in Entertainment apps in 2019 than in 2017. 

● The ever-growing adoption of video streaming apps    on mobile devices to watch movies, TV shows, and live events on-demand helped bolster demand for Entertainment apps. 

● High quality streaming, growth in user-generated content, and offline mode becoming standardized were industry advancements that helped tip the scales from screen size to on-the-go viewing. 

● Competition in the video streaming space will bolster better user experiences to drive growth in downloads, usage and revenue, and ultimately lead to partnerships and consolidation to win the wallets of consumers long term.

TikTok Tidal Wave: Time Spent Exceeded 68B Hours in 2019 

● TikTok has grown to become both a social networking app and a source of entertainment, showcasing short, user-generated videos, often featuring lip-syncing or comedy. Musician Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” started as a meme on TikTok and went viral on the platform, landing at #1 and breaking Billboard Hot 100 records. 

● Global time spent in TikTok grew 210% year over year in 2019, both from expanding user bases and increasing time spent per user. TikTok’s advertising platform positions this engaged and growing audience for brands to reach through videos designed to show value and entertain. 

● 8 of every 10 minutes spent in TikTok in 2019 were by users in China, but the app’s usage has also skyrocketed in other markets. 

Consumers Spent Over $2.2B in Dating Apps, 2x As Much As in 2017

● Tinder dominates for global consumer spend in dating apps. Tinder was the 2nd highest non-gaming app for consumer spend over the last decade, seeing strong success from in-app subscriptions. 

● While the most popular dating apps are still growing, companies are also growing by creating a portfolio of apps that cater to a variety of dating interests, as opposed to trying to fit all needs in one app, such as JSwipe, Single Parent Meet, Chispa, and OurTime. 

Ride-Sharing Apps See Strong Growth in Total Rides in 2019

● Ride-sharing apps saw strong growth in sessions in most markets analyzed, with South Korea being the main outlier. 

● UK is the most concentrated market among those analyzed. It will be interesting to see if the November 2019 licensing changes in London will impact this in 2020. 

● As sessions continue to grow, more mobility options proliferate. Some come from larger players looking to diversity (e.g. JUMP by Uber), while others are focusing solely on a sub category such as scooter-sharing (e.g Bird). 

Consumers Turned to Mobile to Stream Their Favorite Sports Matches

● Globally, time spent in sports apps has grown 30% from 2017 to 2019. 

● However, during the same time period, total megabytes used has grown 80%. This indicates that sports fans are increasingly turning to mobile to stream matches — whether from a connected device casting to a TV or on-the-go from their always-on device: their smartphone. 

● In the US, ESPN and MLB.com at Bat were the top two sports streaming apps, respectively, by time spent on Android phones in 2019. In the UK, the top two were BBC Sport and Sky Sports, and in Japan the top two were Sports Navi and DAZN. 

● 5G stands to lead to advancements in augmented sports viewing in 2020 and the years to come.

Consumers Spent 130% More Money in Health and Fitness Apps in 2019 vs 2017

Globally, consumers spent $1.5B in Health and Fitness apps in 2019.Mobile offers new pathways to meal planning, training regimes, exercise tracking and wellness and meditation — carving into the time and money spent at the gym. 

● Growth in engagement and spend were strongest in APAC among markets analyzed. Consumers in China spent 330% more in Health and Fitness apps and in South Korea, 570% more time in them from 2017 to 2019. 

● Cashwalk, a pedometer app, saw incredible growth in time spent in Korea at 175% year over year. 

Wunderman Thompson Intelligence forecasts the

100 trends that will shape the new decade.

From Optimistic Futures to openness and change in attitude towards once taboo topics, “The Future 100” annual report looks ahead to the defining trends in consumer behavior and innovation for 2020~

As we head into a fresh decade, Wunderman Thompson Intelligence unveils “The Future 100” report.

“The Future 100” helps readers prepare for emerging consumer behavior with 100 original trend predictions from the Innovation Group. Split into 10 categories, each trend delivers a digestible snapshot of movements so far, while clearly explaining why brands and marketers should pay attention.

From complex cocktails and digital spas, to subscription insurance and scientific expeditions, “The Future 100” predicts 2020 will usher in an era that’s realistic yet imaginative at the same time, leveraged by tech innovation and a redefined experience for shoppers on the high street. The report is packed with insights and fresh takes on the year ahead and beyond.

Emma Chiu, Global Director of Wunderman Thompson Intelligence, says of the report: “A real cultural change has taken place, with purpose and transparency leading customer loyalty, while imagination is trumping data for consumer appeal. ‘The Future 100’ is a way of keeping up with the big shifts and smaller fast-moving trends, offering marketers an opportunity to get ahead.”

The report’s 10 trend segments are: Culture, Tech & Innovation, Travel & Hospitality, Brands & Marketing, Food & Drink, Beauty, Retail, Luxury, Health and Finance.

2020 highlights

Optimistic futures—Unsettling political, economic and environmental times have left consumers feeling anxious. From Pantone’s fierce Flame Scarlet red shade for spring/summer 2020 to Lego’s challenge to “rebuild the world,” forward-thinking companies are brightening the gloom with a realistic and optimistic outlook.

The privacy era—Once seen as an aid to consumers, data collection is now viewed as underhanded and unethical, with consumers at breaking point amid frequent and severe data breaches. 2019 initiatives were the first step on a path to redemption for some brands and the idea that consumers can control their own data is becoming a clear possibility. 

Climate positive brands—As climate concerns remain headline news, brands are focusing on ensuring they have real sustainable business plans and carbon-neutral policies and are transparent about their responsibilities. This will not only build trust but also earn customer loyalty as consumers get wise to environmental impacts.

Untabooing in the East—A shift in openness around traditional taboos and gender straitjackets in Asia is initiating a fresh approach to the market. Attitudes to mental health, sexual health and gender are changing, supported by technology and rapid economic development.

New beauty playgrounds—Experiential shopping matches with a line of best fit for today’s beauty consumers, who still prefer to try out and buy cosmetics in store. Spotting the trend, beauty brands are developing a veritable playground of experiences and reimagining the beauty counter as a destination where consumers can spend time playing and, of course, purchasing.

Subscription goes East—Subscriptions are no longer just for news, gyms or music. The ecosystem for a subscribed life is at its zenith in Japan, where you can now subscribe to everything from bar drinks to hair and beauty treatments, work wear and even Lexus cars.

Elevated airports—From Singapore’s Jewel Changi, which hosts the world’s tallest indoor waterfall, to Beijing’s Daxing International Airport designed in a starfish shape by the late Zaha Hadid, airports are going beyond facilitating travel to becoming unique cultural destinations in their own right.

Reed Hastings, Netflix CEO, to open new French headquarters in the heart of Paris -- home to 40 employees and a space for the entire creative community. Netflix will significantly increase its investment in France -- with 20 new French productions, and partnerships with leading French creative institutions.

Netflix celebrates the opening of its new Paris office in the heart of the 9th arrondissement. This new office reflects Netflix’s long-term commitment to France's creative community, including over 20 French productions in 2020.

Netflix’s French HQ: dedicated to the creative community

Located in the heart of Paris, the French HQ is Netflix’s fourth office in Europe. Netflix France currently employs 40 people, across films and series, partnerships and marketing.

"It is a real honour to be in France, with its rich culture and history of storytelling. This office is a sign of our long-term commitment to the country, and will enable us to work even more closely with the French creative community on great shows and films that are made in France and watched all around the world”, said Reed Hastings, Founding Chairman and CEO of Netflix.

French series and films for French people, showcasing local creativity in France and around the world

To reflect the diverse tastes of our members in France and our 158 million+ members around the world, Netflix has, since launching in France in 2014, developed 24 French titles, including 6 films, 9 series, 5 stand-up shows, 3 documentaries and 1 unscripted series.

2019 was a year of great success for original stories in France, with the horror and YA sci-fi series Marianne and Mortel, comedies Plan coeur and Family Business, the film Banlieusards, and Grégory, the documentary series about a case that touched France. 

The French content executives today unveiled several original shows to be produced by Netflix over the coming years as well as a range of series and films made by production partners for Netflix. They include:

BigBug, the new film by César Award Winner Jean-Pierre Jeunet, based on a script written by Jeunet and Guillaume Laurant -- a comedy set in the future with a cast including César Award Winner Elsa Zylberstein, César Award Nominee Isabelle Nanty, and Manu Payet.

Fanny Herrero, the hugely admired screenwriter, is developing a 6-part series following the lives of four young comedians trying to make it in the Paris stand-up scene. 

The renewal (Season 2) of the original YA Sci-fi series Mortel, created by Frederic Garcia.

Sentinelle, an action-packed film starring Olga Kurylenko, directed by Julien Leclercq (Braqueurs and La Terre et le Sang).

This comes on the back of a range of original shows already announced for 2020:

Arsène Lupin, starring Omar Sy, and created by George Kay in collaboration with François Uzan. The first three episodes will be directed by Louis Leterrier.

La Révolution, a historical thriller series created by Aurélien Molas.

The Eddy, Damien Chazelle’s series created by Jack Thorne, that reunites Leïla Bekhti and Tahar Rahim.

Vampires, starring Oulaya Amamra and Suzanne Clément, and created by Benjamin Dupas and Isaure Pisani-Ferry.

Two documentaries, one about Nicolas Anelka, developed by Franck Nataf, and the other featuring Maître Gims, directed by Florent Bodin.

“We are incredibly proud of the productions we’re currently filming, the ones we are developing and the ones we’ve unveiled today. The establishment of a new French creative hub brings new opportunities for us to work with the best and most exciting creative talent in France and to bring diverse genres and content to everyone who loves French storytelling,” added Damien Couvreur, Netflix’s Director of Series in France.

Betting on the creative talent of tomorrow and promoting diversity in all its forms

Netflix also today announces a series of partnerships with major French creative institutions, to support new voices and to increase diversity within the creative community. Those partnerships include:

Strengthening Netflix’s existing partnership with La Fémis by supporting their ‘Residency’ programme, an 11-month full-time training course that helps young people from disadvantaged backgrounds get into film and TV. 

1000 visages, an association founded in 2006 by Houda Benyamina, which provides a number of training programmes in the visual arts and promotes access to jobs within the creative industries. Netflix will become the main partner in the programme dedicated to series’ screenwriting, to be launched in January 2020. Houda Benyamina is also the director of two episodes of The Eddy. 

Since 2019, Netflix has partnered with GOBELINS L’École de l’Image, giving one graduate every year the opportunity to work alongside Netflix’s animation experts in Japan. In addition, Netflix will now contribute to Gobelins' training program by funding four-year scholarships for five students as part of their Master of Arts in "Character Animation and Animated Filmmaking". 

• Gender parity is represented in the President line-up for the first time in Cannes Lions’ history • The Presidents will lead the Cannes Lions 2020 juries, including the New Creative Business Transformation Lions jury

Cannes Lions has announced the Jury Presidents selected to lead the juries at the 2020 Festival of Creativity (taking place from 22-26 June 2020).  The Presidents are chosen from among the world’s very best industry leaders. Together, they combine a diverse wealth of creative expertise, skill and talent, from both clients and agencies, to benchmark and award global creative excellence and effectiveness that will set the bar for the year ahead.

Among the global spread of elite industry experts, 53% of Presidents are also women for the first time (up from 33% in 2019) – ensuring global female talent is equally represented at the head of the juries. The new Creative Business Transformation Lions will also be awarded in 2020, alongside the refreshed PR Lions.

Simon Cook, Managing Director, Cannes Lions, said, “We’re delighted to present such an impressive global line-up of experts from all over the world. The Cannes Lions Jury Presidents represent the many facets of the creative global industry and will play a fundamental role in defining the creative benchmark on the global stage in 2020. As the uses of creativity expand and diversify, so does the work and so do our expert juries. This year, we have established gender parity in our President line-up as part of our on-going commitment to appoint outstanding global talent that represents the full breadth of our diverse community.”

The 2020 Jury Presidents are announced as follows:

Communication Track

Titanium Lions - Susan Credle, Global Chief Creative Officer, FCB, Global

Global CCO of FCB since January 2016, Credle has reignited the network and bolstered its creative reputation. The creative brilliance behind iconic multiple Lion-winning work including M&M's "Human" and Allstate's "Mayhem", Credle has received numerous industry accolades. Named as one of AdAge's "100 Most Influential Women", Business Insider's "Most Creative Women in Advertising" and in 2017, Susan was also named a Matrix honouree by New York Women in Communications.

Design Lions - Pum Lefebure, Co-Founder \& Chief Creative Officer, Design Army, USA

Award-winning creative director and savvy business leader, Lefebure is the Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Design Army, leading global brand campaigns for clients including the Hong Kong Ballet, the Academy Awards, PepsiCo, Karl Lagerfeld, Adobe, and The Ritz-Carlton. The Thailand native was named one of Adweek’s Creative100, Graphic Design USA’s Top 50 People to Watch, and a Rising Star by the Washington Business Journal's Women Who Mean Business. Pum has also been featured in Forbes, Entrepreneur, The New York Times, and Fast Company.

Film Lions - Richard Brim, Chief Creative Officer, adam&eveDDB, UK

Since Brim joined adam&eveDDB in 2013, the agency has won seven Grands Prix at Cannes Lions, as well as being named Agency of the Year in 2014 and 2018. In 2019, Brim was awarded AdAge’s Chief Creative Officer of the Year, as well as Campaign Magazine’s Creative of the Year. Recent notable creative highlights for his Creative Department include the Lion-winning John Lewis Christmas work, Project 84 for Calm, the launch of FIFA 18 and the Marmite Gene Project. 

Mobile Lions - Andrew Keller, VP, Global Creative Director, Facebook, Global

Keller’s work has been globally recognised at Cannes Lions, picking-up three Titanium Grands Prix Lions in his career. Keller leads the development of experiences and creative across all surfaces for Facebook’s business audience around the world. Prior to Facebook, he spent 18 years working with creative agency CP+B. Under his leadership and tenure, the agency was named Agency of the Year 13 times by Ad Age and Adweek, as well as Agency of the Decade by Ad Age.

Outdoor Lions - Luiz Sanches, Chairman, Chief Creative Officer & Partner, AlmapBBDO, Brazil

Sanches has received more awards than any other Brazilian creative, including over 180 Lions at the Festival. In 2018, he also served as President of the Cannes Lions Film Jury. Almap is a four-time Cannes Lions Agency of the Year and the best-performing Brazilian agency in the Festival’s history. In 2013, Sanches became a partner at AlmapBBDO, where he is now Chairman & CCO and serves on BBDO's Global Creative Board. The Gunn Report once named him the best creative director in the world.

Print & Publishing Lions - Liz Taylor, Global Chief Creative Officer Leo Burnett / Worldwide Chief Creative Officer Publicis Communications NA

Taylor’s canon of creative work has earned her clients’ numerous Lions at the Festival, alongside other awards. Liz oversees the global creative vision for Leo Burnett, the third most-awarded creative network in the world (The Gunn Report) and leads creative for Publicis Communications North America.  Liz has been named an Ad Age “Woman to Watch” and a member of the Adweek “Creative 100,” thanks to her commitment to creative excellence.

Radio & Audio Lions - Ted Lim, Chief Creative Officer, Dentsu Brand Agencies, Dentsu Aegis Network, APAC

Lim has led on creative work that has won multiple Grands Prix Awards at Cannes Lions and in 2017 he stood as the Direct Jury President. Lim repositioned the work Dentsu Asia-Pacific produces as “Innovative Business Solutions” and he was selected by AdWeek as one of 2019’s 13 global creative leaders whose ideas are advancing advertising worldwide. His team at Dentsu has produced globally recognised work for global clients including: Coca-Cola, Sprite, Zespri, Prudential, Unilever, Adidas, Qantas, Uniqlo and Yamaha.

Craft Track

Digital Craft Lions - Jax Ostle-Evans, Managing Director, Stink Studios, UK

Over the course of her career, Jax has won 16 Gold and 15 Silver Lions and other accolades at leading industry awards. She was also a member of the Film Craft Lions Jury in 2015. Ostle-Evans joined Stink Studios London as Executive Producer, becoming Managing Director in 2017. Her combined knowledge of film and digital have enabled her to spearhead a slew of innovative integrated projects, whilst helping to transition Stink Studios from a digital production company to a strategic and creative agency.

Film Craft Lions - Kerstin Emhoff, President, PRETTYBIRD, USA

Emhoff is co-founder & president of PRETTYBIRD, a hybrid production company and creative studio producing entertainment properties and original IP alongside filmmakers, studios and brands.  For over 10 years, PRETTYBIRD has developed a diverse body of work from music videos and advertising to award-winning feature documentaries.  Emhoff recently finished producing Ready For War, a feature documentary that premiered in 2019 at TIFF and was acquired by Showtime.  Under her leadership, PRETTYBIRD has collected numerous Lions Awards, alongside Grammys and MTV Video Music Awards.

Industry Craft Lions - Jayanta Jenkins, Global Executive Creative Director, Samsung Mobile, Cheil Worldwide, Global

With an industry track record of 17 years as a creative leader, Jenkins is currently responsible for creative direction for Samsung Mobile Communications global account, heading up a dedicated global creative team. Before becoming global executive creative director for Samsung Mobile, Jenkins was Twitter’s former global group creative director and more recently the global executive creative director at HP. He was also the global creative lead at Apple’s Beats by Dre.

Entertainment Track

Entertainment Lions - Jae Goodman, CEO, Observatory (A Stagwell and CAA Company), Global

Jae Goodman is CEO of Observatory, an agency for the content era. Observatory leverages the power of popular culture to create campaigns that drive business results for the world's leading brands. Jae was the inaugural Entertainment Lions Jury President in 2016, has won four Cannes Lions Grand Prix in four different categories, 26 Lions in total, and has been named as one of Fast Company's Most Creative People in Business 1000, Adweek's Creative 100, Ad Age's Creativity 50, and PR Week's Hot List.

Entertainment Lions for Music - Wyclef Jean, President and Chief Strategy Officer, Carnival World Music Group, USA

Wyclef Jean has written, performed, and produced as a solo superstar and as founder of the Fugees and has been a consistently powerful, pop cultural force for over two decades. In 1996, the Fugees released their monumental album The Score. Since then, Wyclef has released eight albums as a solo artist, that have sold nearly nine million copies worldwide. Jean has previously been on the Entertainment Lions for Music jury and now returns in 2020 as President.

Entertainment Lions for Sport - Ben Hartman, Chief Client Officer, International, Octagon, Global

Ben Hartman is the Chief Client Officer, International, for Octagon, a creative agency with a specialism in sports and entertainment. Ben is viewed as one of the next generation of industry leading stars and oversees a team across APAC. Ben has worked on award-winning campaigns on behalf of brands such as Unilever, Standard Chartered Bank and Mastercard, winning numerous times at Cannes Lions. He was also a member of the inaugural Cannes Lions Entertainment Lion for Sport jury.

Experience Track

Brand Experience & Activation Lions - Vicki Maguire, Chief Creative Officer, Havas, UK

Maguire is one of the most awarded creatives in the industry today. She is also one of the few creatives to be awarded outside of the industry, picking up a British Comedy Award for The Angina Monologues, a programme that aired on Christmas Day to an audience of 7 million. A vocal advocate of diversity and inclusion, Vicki was the first female chair of Creative Circle and helped set up the Creative Circle foundation; a charity that helps fund students from diverse backgrounds enter the industry. 

Creative Business Transformation Lions - Ronald Ng, Global Chief Creative Officer, Isobar, Global

Ronald Ng leads the creative charge across Isobar’s 85 offices to deliver world-class experience-led transformation, powered by creativity. Joining in 2018, Ronald steered Isobar to their most successful year at the 2019 Cannes Lions Festival – establishing Isobar’s strength in the ‘Creative Experience and Commerce’ space with a Creative eCommerce Gold Lion for KFC and Isobar China. Ng was previously Global CCO at Digitas where he helped transform their creative offering and won the 2017 Creative Data Grand Prix.

Creative eCommerce Lions - Tiffany Rolfe, EVP Chief Creative Officer, R/GA, USA 

As EVP Chief Creative Officer US, Rolfe champions R/GA’s creative vision across its six U.S. offices. She works in partnership with Richard Ting, EVP Global Chief Experience Officer + US Chief Creative Officer, to lead creative teams that work at the intersection of business and culture to deliver transformational work to global clients. She was named one of Ad Age’s “Women to Watch” and is currently on the board of The One Club and the Ad Council Creative Committee. Tiffany is well-known for developing strategic creative solutions that lead to business and cultural impact, and she brings over 20 years of design and creative experience.

Good Track

Glass: The Lion for Change - Karen Blackett OBE, WPP UK Country Manager and Chairwoman MediaCom UK & Ireland

Karen Blackett OBE is a renowned business leader with a track record in creating vibrant cultures and consistently delivering business growth and success. With over 20 years’ experience at the forefront of the media industry, and after an enormously successful period as CEO of MediaCom UK, in January 2018, Karen became the first UK Country Manager for WPP, the world’s largest communications network, overseeing 14,000 people across multiple operating brands.           

Sustainable Development Goals Lions - Eduardo Maruri, VP Global Creative Board & President/CEO Europe, Grey Worldwide, Global

In 2012, Maruri Grey won the first Lion for Ecuador. That Lion, a Gold, sits at the Presidential Palace Museum. In the last 8 years, different offices under his direct creative leadership have accumulated 109 Lions, including 21 Gold, 2 Grands Prix and two Regional Network of the Year recognitions. Maruri is the Founder and CCO of Maruri Grey in Ecuador, as well as President & CEO of Grey Latin America, President & CEO of Grey Europe and VP of the Grey Global Creative Board. Eduardo is a former politician, elected congressman, and member of the Constituent Assembly.

Health Track

Health & Wellness Lions - Tom Richards, Chief Creative Officer and Chairman of the Havas Health Global Creative Council, Havas Lynx Group, Global

2018 saw Havas Lynx Group crowned Cannes Lions Healthcare Agency of The Year and in 2019 Havas Lynx Group appeared in the UK’s top 10 creative agencies. In an astonishingly short space of time, Richards has grown the creative department to over 100, including 12 hugely talented Creative Directors. Richards is also Chairman of the Havas Health Global creative council and responsible for driving creative standards across the network.

Pharma Lions - Anne de Schweinitz, Global Managing Director, Healthcare, FleishmanHillard, Global

For four years in a row, Anne has been honoured as one of the most influential people in healthcare communications on Medical Marketing & Media and PR Week’s “Health Influencer 50.”  In 2016, she served on the Pharma Lions Jury and as Healthcare Jury President for the eurobest Awards.  Anne de Schweinitz leads an award-winning team of more than 300 healthcare communications specialists around the world at FleishmanHillard’s healthcare arm.

Innovation Track

Innovation Lions - Claudia Cristovao, Head of Google Brand Studio, APAC, Google

Cristovao has previously sat on the Titanium Lions jury and returns to lead the Innovation Lions as President in 2020. She has been a guest speaker at both Cannes Lions and Spikes Asia. Cristovao has worked as a writer, brand developer and creative director for a range of global brands including Google, Honda and AMEX. Her projects scan disciplines from art installations to digital experiences to business transformation and her artwork has been exhibited across the world.

Impact Track    

Creative Effectiveness Lions - Ann Mukherjee, Chairman and CEO, Pernod Ricard NA

In her distinguished career, Mukherjee has been the recipient of numerous Lions Awards. She was named by Business Insider as one of the top 100 most innovative CMO’s in the world. She also has been named as an Ad Age Women to Watch, Brand Week Marketer of the Year, and on the Forbes Top 50 Most Influential CMOs list. She was also a member of the Cannes Lions Creative Effectiveness Jury in 2017.

Reach Track

Creative Data Lions – Maurice Riley, Chief Data Officer, Digitas, Australia & New Zealand

Riley has led the charge on the development of creative data over the course of his career. He has delivered data-fuelled creative for P&G, BMW, Campbell’s Arnott’s, Virgin Australia, Samsung, and Tourism Australia. Award wins include numerous Lions and he previously served on the Cannes Lions Creative Data Jury. He has been a guest speaker many conferences around the world.

Creative Strategy Lions - Suzanne Powers, Global Chief Strategy Officer, McCann Worldgroup, Global

At McCann Worldgroup, Powers is responsible for the strategic development of the company and its clients' brands across all regions and agencies. Under her leadership, McCann was ranked the number 1 advertising agency network for creative effectiveness in the 2019 WARC Effective 100 rankings. As a known advocate for talent ideas and creativity, she was named "2019 Chief Strategy Office of the Year" by Ad Age.

Direct Lions - Sonal Dabral, Chief Creative Officer, South & SE Asia & Vice Chairman, India, Ogilvy, South & SE Asia

Over his 30-year career, Dabral has led agencies to the top position in three different markets across Asia. At Ogilvy Mumbai, he helped drive it to become India's Number 1 creative agency. He also led Ogilvy Singapore to become Number 1 in Asia, and the third most awarded office in the world at Cannes Lions 2007 – a first for an Asian agency. He has judged or chaired every major international and regional award show and has spoken at major festivals and events across the globe.

Media Lions - Philippa Brown, Worldwide CEO, PHD, Global

As CEO, Brown oversees the running of the global network at PHD Worldwide, consisting of close to 6,000 staff across 100 offices. Brown took the helm in July 2019. Since then, she has been instrumental in transforming the network’s approach to helping brands create and harness ideas that go beyond expectations, as well as ideas that enable them to make the leap above their competitors and enjoy disproportionate growth.

PR Lions - PR Lions - Gail Heimann, President & CEO, Weber Shandwick, Global

Under Heimann’s leadership, Weber Shandwick has won nearly 100 Lions at the Festival, in partnership with leading brands around the world. Gail has served on three juries at Cannes Lions: President of the PR Jury in 2012; a member of the inaugural jury for Glass: The Lion for Change in 2014, and a member of the Titanium Lions Jury in 2018. Gail is chairwoman of the PR Council and she sits on the board of The LAGRANT Foundation. She was named PRWeek’s Global Agency Professional of the Year in 2019. Earlier in her career, she was named an Ad Age “Woman to Watch.”

Social & Influencer Lions - Debbi Vandeven, Global Chief Creative Officer, VMLY&R, Global

Under Vandeven’s leadership, VMLY&R has experienced unprecedented growth and recognition, earning a wealth of top awards. At the 2019 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, the agency received 31 Lions, including two coveted Grands Prix in Glass: The Lion for Change and Social & Influencer categories; 69 shortlists, as well as Agency of the Year in the Reach and Good Tracks.

The Presidents will join their juries at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity where the winning work will be awarded and celebrated each evening from 22-26 June 2020.

Entries to the Lions Awards open on 16th January 2020. 

Following a week filled with over 20,000 product debuts unveiling the future of technology. More than 4,400 exhibiting companies launched their latest tech products to some 170,000 attendees across more than 2.9 million net square feet of exhibit space. From global tech brands to pioneering startups, the innovation at CES 2020 will revolutionize markets and change our world for the better.

“CES 2020 inspired and connected every major industry across the globe,” said Gary Shapiro, president and CEO of the Consumer Technology Association (CTA)TM, owner and producer of CES. “The innovation unveiled at CES 2020 will reshape industries, create jobs, fuel the global economy and improve lives around the world.”

“This week at CES illustrated that every company is truly a tech company,” said Karen Chupka, executive vice president, CES. “Global technology brands blended with non-traditional tech companies to showcase how innovation is furthering business across all markets – setting the stage for the decade ahead.”

Key Themes at CES

CES 2020 featured the entire spectrum of transformative technology that will redefine markets and shift business models, including:

Artificial Intelligence

AI was dominant throughout the show floor and will be a ‘key ingredient technology’ over the next decade. Companies debuted their latest AI solutions, including Brunswick, Doosan, John Deere and Kyocera. 

5G and Mobile Connectivity

CES is the only show where the entire 5G ecosystem – the backbone for connectivity, transportation, augmented and virtual reality, digital health and more – comes together. Carriers and mobile operators, such as Verizon, Sprint, AT&T, Nokia and Ericsson, demonstrated the latest advancements in 5G’s speed, reliability and efficiency.

Non-Traditional Tech Companies at CES

Non-traditional companies used CES 2020 as a platform to launch products. Impossible Foods returned to CES 2020, debuting its Impossible Pork; John Deere was featured in the AI & Robotics Marketplace and other companies, such as Bell, Delta Airlines, L’Oreal NBCUniversal and Procter & Gamble, unveiled how they’re transforming their businesses through technology.

Tech for Good

Innovative technologies launched at CES that will change lives and improve our world. Digital health technologies were a major theme, with advancements in digital therapeutics, wearables and remote patient monitoring as digital health addresses real world issues like opioid dependence, mental illness and chronic disease. The Health & Wellness category saw an increase of nearly 25% with more than 135 exhibiting companies at CES 2020, including Humetrix and InBody.  

The Smart Cities exhibit area expanded by nearly 25% over 2019, with companies and organizations including the Department of Transportation, Hitachi and Siemens, highlighting products that will revitalize economies and help communities survive and thrive.   

CTA also partnered with the World Bank Group at CES 2020 on a Global Tech Challenge, calling for companies around the world to create solutions focused on three key areas: health, gender inequality and technologies that enable communities to be resilient. The Health Tech Challenge category is accepting applications through February 25 to connect innovators with healthcare providers in East Africa.

Eureka Park

CES 2020 was also the world’s largest startup event, with more than 1,200 companies from 46 countries featured within Eureka Park, offering disruptive innovations, attracting investors and big-name brands. Technologies unveiled within Eureka Park include the Oval Home smart sensor that analyzes temperature, light, humidity and movement in the home; Yoganotch, which applies motion capture technology to help users improve poses; and Caregiver Smart Solutions with sensors that track movement and patterns to provide caregivers reassurance and patients with more independence at home.  

“CES has the unique ability for startups and young companies to get exposure to major global brands,” said Mara Lewis, Co-Founder and CEO, ID8 Innovation; member, CTA Board of Industry Leaders. “The opportunities for venture funding and growth are incredible here. And the CES 2020 Diversity and Inclusion conference track was mind blowing!”

Diversity and Inclusion

CES 2020 had a large focus on Diversity and Inclusion, with new programming and partnerships. The Innovation for All conference program featured chief diversity officers and leaders from Bosch, HP and Walmart, and explored inclusive ways that D&I is contributing to the bottom line, shifting culture, hiring differently and investing in diversity. 

Travel and Tourism

Delta Airlines was the first airline to keynote at CES. During his address, Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian described the future world of travel through tech, including AI, AR, biometric security, smart incentive programs, and a new Parallel Reality experience, as travel becomes more customized.  

Transportation and Vehicle Technology

CES 2020 was revved up highlighting the future of transportation. Nine of the world’s leading car manufacturers, including Audi, BMW, Daimler (Mercedes), FCA, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Nissan and Toyota, and more than 150 vehicle tech exhibitors unveiled the latest in connected cars, self-driving vehicles and concept cars. Products included the Mercedes Vision AVTR concept car, Audi’s AI:ME and the Sony Vision S.

C Space

CES brought together content creators, Hollywood, the advertising and music industries, media and leading CMOs to explore the future of brand marketing and entertainment, including streaming services, through the return of C Space. The 2020 program featured more than 60 exhibitors, including AT&T Services, Comcast, Google, HP, Hulu, iHeart, NBC Universal, Pandora, Reddit, Roku, SiriuXM, Snap, Twitch, Turner, Univision and WWE.  

Keynotes

The CES stage featured more than 1,100 speakers representing major global industries, including keynotes from Samsung President and CEO of Consumer Electronics Division Mr. Hyun-Suk Kim; Daimler Chairman Ola Källenius; Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian; NBCUniversal Chairman of Advertising and Partnerships Linda Yaccarino; Quibi CEO Meg Whitman and Founder Jeffrey Katzenberg; U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao; Salesforce Chairman and co-CEO Marc Benioff; Unilever CEO Alan Jope; and Presidential Advisor, Ivanka Trump.

Campaigns for global brands including Corona, Dulux and KFC, and local brands such as Babyshop in Dubai, Foodbank Western Australia and Skinny in New Zealand, are among the winners of the Effective Channel Integration category of WARC's Media Awards 2019, a global case study competition recognising communications planning which has made a positive impact on business results.

A total of 11 winners - one Grand Prix, two Golds, three Silvers and five Bronzes - have been awarded in the Effective Channel Integration category, showcasing how sophisticated communications architecture helped boost campaign effectiveness.

The jury, chaired by Americo Campos Silva, Global Head of Integrated Brand, Shell, also awarded three Special Awards for particular areas of expertise:

-  Path-to-Purchase Award - for the best campaign to build an effective integration model around shopper or path-to-purchase insight

-  Effective Cross-Channel Measurement Award - for a campaign that most accurately measured the effectiveness of different comms channels and the halo effect that they achieved together

-  POE Award for the campaign that best showcased how a strategy successfully linked paid, owned and earned media.

The Grand Prix has been awarded to FP7 McCann Dubai for 'Al Umobuwah - Putting 'Mum' into 'Parenthood'', a multichannel campaign for baby retail brand Babyshop.

The Arabic word for 'parenthood' translates into 'fatherhood'. Babyshop created a new Arabic word that meant 'motherhood' and 'fatherhood' and launched it on Mother's Day with an online film, engaging influencers as well as starting a school outreach programme for children to learn the word. Brand love for Babyshop among Arab mothers grew by 32%.

Commenting on the Grand Prix winning campaign, jury member Tejas Apte, Global Media Director, Unilever, said: "It was authentic to Babyshop's brand purpose and was brought to life beautifully. While celebrating mothers, they made it inclusive, about parents."

The full list of winners of the 2019 WARC Media Awards - Effective Use of Channel Integration category is as follows:

Grand Prix

Al Umobuwah - Putting 'Mum' into 'Parenthood' · Babyshop · Landmark Group · FP7 McCann Dubai · Middle East & North Africa

Gold

4:25 Hunger Bar Launch · Oh Henry! · The Hershey Company · UM Canada, Anomaly · Canada + POE Award

Hungry Puffs · Foodbank WA · The Brand Agency · Australia

Silver

The Best 'Freekend' Christmas Ever! · Skinny · Spark NZ · PHD New Zealand, Platform29 · New Zealand + Path-to-Purchase Award + Effective Cross-Channel Measurement Award

Buckethead Army · KFC · Yum! Brands · MediaCom, Ogilvy Australia · Australia

World Without Walls · Babyshop · Landmark Group · FP7 McCann Dubai · Middle East & North Africa

Bronze

Brighter Homes, Brighter Kids · Dulux · AkzoNobel · MediaCom China · China

The Mekong Connection · Sunlight · Unilever · Mindshare Vietnam · Vietnam

Wave of Waste · Corona · AB InBev · PHD Media · Australia

Cross-channel measurement · Shell · Shell Fuels · MediaCom · Hong Kong

A mission to cut sick days by half · Lifebuoy · Unilever · Mindshare Vietnam · Vietnam

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is witnessing huge change and diversification from a natural resources-based economy to becoming a digitally-enabled trade, and an innovation hub powered by digital technology.

It ranks third globally in terms of smartphone usage at 24.2m users, with almost three-quarters of the population using smartphones. It has over 19 million social media users, a key target for digital marketers. The expansion of e-commerce in the KSA is one of the significant goals with user penetration expected to hit 73% by 2023, up from 66% in 2019. This presents an ideal scenario for the new age marketers who are innovative, creative and tech-forward.

Martechvibe the region’s only marketing technology media brand has announced its premier event – Marketing Innovation Forum in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. A conference series which is regarded as the most authoritative, credible and insightful, attracting global speakers, solution providers and biggest companies.

Scheduled on April 6 and 7, the forum covers several key topics like- right digital marketing strategy, building a data-driven approach, understanding and optimizing MarTech solutions. It will also host the Marketing Leader Awards to recognize outstanding marketing leaders of the Kingdom.

“The marketing ecosystem is evolving rapidly and the role and skills of marketers must evolve too. With the launch of MIF, we are addressing the huge demand for a world-class MarTech conference to be hosted in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. By empowering Saudi companies, brands and marketers we aspire to support Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman’s Vision 2030 to build a long term model for the ambitious and progressive development of Saudi Arabia.” said Sanjay Swamy, Partnership Director, MarTech Vibe.

The initial list speakers include Rami Zahran, Chief Marketing Officer, Saudi German Hospitals; Nicole Duemens, Chief Marketing Officer, Alyasra Fashion; Runaas Deheem, Chief Marketing Officer, Emaar – the Economic City among others.

Speaking ahead of the forum, Rami Zahran in an interview to MarTech Vibe stated “In 2020 I do believe that MarTech will continue to grow at a fast pace, but it will also start to filter out the good from the bad, and we will continue to see a consolidation of tools.” He further went on to add “Tech companies need to develop tools in partnership with the end-users so that ultimately we can provide an excellent experience for our customers.”

Publicis Sapient, the digital transformation hub of Publicis Groupe, has announced two more senior hires to its growing Experience team - Karin Giefer and Quinnton Harris.

The newly inaugurated global Experience team blends data, machine learning, and creativity to craft customer-centric experiences that deliver utmost value to both clients, and ultimately, their customers.

The team will work closely with Chief Experience Officer, John Maeda, to further transform and integrate Publicis Sapient’s data, machine learning, and creative capabilities to best serve clients in their digital transformation efforts.

Karin Giefer has been appointed as Senior Vice President (SVP), Experience and will work closely with John to operationalize Publicis Sapient’s LEAD experience system, which aims to make dataful experiences into the default for clients. An expert in data and Artificial Intelligence, Karin previously held positions at McKinsey & Co, as well as Executive Creative Director at frog Design, and Director of Business Innovation at Wieden+Kennedy.

Both of these new hires bring their own unique expertise in the creative and technology industries, further cementing the global credentials of John’s expanding Experience team.

Quinnton Harris has been appointed as Group Creative Director, Experience and will also serve as John Maeda’s Chief of Staff to maximize global exchange across Publicis Sapient’s Experience team. Prior to joining Publicis Sapient, Quinnton was inaugural Creative Director at Blavity, Inc. and before that, led design at Walker & Company Brands, a start-up consumer products and tech company recently acquired by Proctor & Gamble. He is also an MIT alum, graduating with S.B. in Mechanical Engineering with dual minors in Architecture and Visual Arts and working with the MIT Media Lab’s CityCar Project.

“The expertise brought by Karin and Quinnton will undoubtedly strengthen Publicis Sapient’s ability to help clients thrive in the 4th Industrial Revolution with access to their blended engineering and artistic talents,” said John Maeda, Chief Experience Officer at Publicis Sapient. “At Publicis Sapient, we ground ourselves in a creative and humanistic approach to technology and design in order to deliver the most dataful experiences. In an era when businesses are rapidly learning how to speak machine to be fully competitive, Publicis Sapient works to humanize technology in a world that is increasingly digital.”

In today’s fragmented world, the successful marketer needs to align all their resources to achieve a specific objective. This requires coordination within and without the company to ensure all activities work together in harmony. But the comparison with the role of the conductor goes far beyond the need for harmony.

When the comparison to conducting an orchestra struck me, I went in search of interviews with great conductors describing their art. As a result, I found this TED Talk by Itay Talgram, conductor and business consultant. I encourage you to watch the first four minutes or so, if only to see a joyous performance conducted by Carlos Kleiber. Talgram suggests that part of the art of conducting is to bring together the stories of the composer, musicians, instrument makers, audience and more so that,

“…all those stories are being heard at the same time. This is the true experience of a live concert, that’s a reason to go out of home.”

And in that regard, a great concert is not so different from a great marketing campaign. It inspires people to want to experience something. However, as I suggested above, I think the analogy goes even further. If you think what the conductor has to do to bring off a great performance, there are five things that they need to do well. The same can be said of a great marketer.

First, they must know the principles of their art, be it music or marketing. The problem is that many marketers seem to have either forgotten the principles of brand growth, or never learned them in the first place, transferring into the role from an engineering or finance background.

Second, they must know the original score that is to be performed, and interpret it in a way that resonates for a modern-day audience. A marketer can no more change the heritage of their brand than a conductor can make changes to the score of Beethoven’s Fifth. To do so risks alienating the audience.

Third, now that the conductor has an idea of what might resonate with the audience, they need to communicate that intention to the orchestra, which will require clarity and the imposition of the conductor’s will; they cannot have musicians deciding to do their own thing.

Fourth, they rehearse the orchestra to make sure everyone knows their part, plays coherently and in harmony. One of the reasons Kleiber appears so happy in the video linked to above is that everyone in the orchestra knows exactly what they are meant to do and when (Talgram notes that the musicians hardly even look at the conductor).

Lastly, the conductor ensures that everything comes together to create a consistently positive and memorable experience. An experience that can be repeated to reach as wide an audience as possible.

Written by Nigel Hollis,Executive Vice President and Chief Global Analyst at Kantar’s Insights Division.