Knock at Cannes Lions 2025: Takeaways on Brand-Building Conversations

A common thread of this year’s Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity? The future of brand marketing is deeply human—even when powered by technology. I witnessed brand leaders and the creative community agree that brand-building requires craft and emotion, something only humans can deliver. The week-long event also filled my cup with inspiring conversations on purposeful storytelling, cultural relevance, and the strategic use of AI.

We’ve captured some of the most thought-provoking insights and trends shaping the creative and brand-building industry today.

The Power of Human Touch for Brand Building

Some of the most beloved global brands, such as Apple, Netflix, and American Express, emphasized the importance of emotion in shaping their brand strategy. When paired with creativity and passionate collaboration from internal teams and agencies, these brands are able to transform consumers into loyal fans. There were many discussions about the importance advertising in moving the needle in commerce. As Cannes Lions focuses on creativity, attendees were especially engaged in conversations about the pairing of art and science to deliver meaningful brand experiences to consumers.

Marketing Effectiveness Fueled by Creativity

I spent the week with the first ever Effie Academy at Cannes Lions, exploring with a cohort that included agency professionals and brand marketers from companies like Bayer, Duracell, Netflix, AB-Inbev, and Saudi Tourism Authority. We were immersed in conversations focused on tackling consumer and business challenges to drive results. Every day, we heard from industry veterans such as Marcel Marcondes, Global CMO at AB-Inbev, who underscored that creativity and effectiveness go hand in hand. Similarly, the former Nike CMO, DJ van Hameren shared his wisdom on leadership and creativity as a tool to make work that inspires hearts and moves products out of the shelves.

Moving to a Professionally Generated Content Era

What does professionally generated content mean? This new term emerged in the conversation at the Tubi Beach. While the authenticity and originality of user-generated content still has its place to engage social audiences, streaming services like Tubi and Netflix spot a shift in the content production business. Audiences crave short-form shows with higher production value. Don’t be surprised if you see more social media creators being backed by production investments and new show formats appearing on streaming platforms — a move that will help these companies meet evolving viewer expectations and find a new generation of storytellers.

Passionate Teams Deliver More Effective Work

Team alignment and a shared sense of purpose are non-negotiables. In high-performing marketing organizations, Chief Marketing Officers spend the majority of their time with their teams. They make sure people across the enterprise have what they need to be successful and build high-performing brands. Amex’s CMO, Elizabeth Rutledge, a veteran in the company with over 30 years of experience and seven years as CMO of the 175-year-old financial enterprise, positioned her role as a strategic touch point for building highly collaborative teams.

Consistency is the Secret of Successful Brands

Cannes Lions 2025 was lit up by all things brand-building. Experts were in agreement with the idea that “the brand is the business and the business is the brand.” Conversations around balancing short-term performance to long-term brand goals were top of mind. Most importantly, solid brands are able to build successful experiences for their consumers with consistent brand messaging. It’s not a secret that marketers are often chasing the next viral trend and trying new ways to engage consumers. However, audiences need the repetition for memorability. If we use consumer insights to find ways to keep brand messages consistent yet fresh, we’re doing our job well.

Storytelling and Brand Experiences for Inclusive Growth

This year, I had the opportunity to join a panel discussion with our friends from AIMM (Alliance for Inclusive and Multicultural Marketing) to discuss how inclusive marketing and cultural storytelling are keys to unlocking authentic audience connections. The panel was formed by AIMM’s Co-Founder and Data Insights Lead, Carlos Santiago, and Tammy Johnson, Chief Revenue Officer for Alpha Precision Media, Inc. In this conversation, I shared how KNOCK’s approach to storytelling and brand-experiences design drive inclusive growth for companies and move brands beyond superficial messaging.

Bonus Trends!

In our downloadable presentation deck, dive into the highlights above and some additional thoughts we couldn’t resist covering—like the importance of adapting narratives for brands to win new audiences; or the promising role AI is playing, not as a replacement but as a catalyst for faster insights and more efficient workflows.

I hope you enjoy these thematic insights from Cannes Lions 2025 that help predict where the industry is headed and hopefully get you inspired to reimagine your brand-building strategy.