As I walked onto the buzzing streets of Cannes for the first time, my senses were immediately captivated by the energy that filled the air. I’d heard plenty about Cannes Lions, the globally revered International Festival of Creativity, but being in the midst of it all was an entirely different ballgame.
1. A visual extravaganza
From the moment I woke up from my two-hour nap, (Seattle was a long way to travel to Cannes), I was awestruck by the grandeur of the festival. Usually known for its tranquil beauty, the city was alive and brimming with imagination. Massive installations, eye-catching billboards, and immersive media experiences were scattered over the two-kilometer stretch of La Croisette, transforming the city into a canvas of creativity. I saw firsthand how abstract concepts could be turned into palpable realities, especially those of Spotify, Yahoo!, and Stagwell’s Sport Beach with their basketball court with stadium seating setup.
2. Nuggets of wisdom shared in panels
The festival’s days were jam-packed with thought leadership panels – each a masterclass in the ever-evolving universe of AdTech. Fortunately, as a member of the Experian team, I didn’t have to travel far for unique panels; we hosted four panels throughout the week, and I was immersed in dynamic discussions about new trends, groundbreaking ideas, and the challenges ahead.
One recurring theme that resonated with me was the intricacies of authentically connecting with consumers. Finding genuine human connections amidst digital chaos can be challenging in today’s tech-driven world. These dialogues provided incredible insights into how we could maintain the delicate balance between personalization and privacy and effectively use artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance customer engagement without compromising the human essence in advertising.
3. Connect with your peers
If Cannes Lions is known for anything apart from its creative inspiration, it’s the unparalleled networking opportunities. The festival allowed me to interact with professionals from all corners of the world. Each exchange was not merely about exchanging contact details but building meaningful relationships. Will these first arcs lead to meaningful friendships? I sure hope so.
4. A comprehensive learning opportunity
The most crucial aspect of the festival was the immense opportunity it offered for learning. I found myself constantly absorbing new information and insights from the panels, every conversation, and every chance meeting.
5. Juggle your time
Effective time management was crucial for maximizing my Cannes experience, with many things happening concurrently. I would give myself a B- for this. During the day, when I had some downtime, I could have ventured to another panel, attended a networking event, or taken in a view of the city I didn’t get. That’s the biggest challenge, and the beauty of Cannes Lions is its unique blend of professional learning opportunities set against the backdrop of a picturesque seaside town, but how do you do it all?
6. Relish the experience
My week at Cannes was filled with intense learning, insightful conversations, and eye-opening experiences, leaving me mentally drained and intellectually stimulated (I think those can happen concurrently). The festival left me with a renewed appreciation of why we do what we do in the AdTech industry: supporting the pursuit of creativity, the drive for innovation, and the desire to forge meaningful connections.
Cannes Lions was more than just a festival – it was a week of stepping out of my comfort zone, gaining deep insights, and establishing relationships that I hope will last a lifetime. As I boarded my flight out of Nice, surrounded by adults with layers of event access bracelets, I was inspired and stacked with knowledge and ideas that will help drive meaningful marketing opportunities with our content and partnerships.
The grandeur, the learning sessions, the networking, and the profound lessons exceeded all my expectations. My week at Cannes Lions was unique, intense, insightful, and unforgettable. It was an experience I can’t wait to repeat!
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In our Ask the Expert Series, we interview leaders from our partner organizations who are helping lead their brands to new heights in adtech. Today’s interview is with Georgia Campbell, Head of Strategic Partnerships at Kontext. What types of audiences does Kontext provide, and what are some top use cases for these insights in marketing strategies? Kontext leverages its 1st-party, deterministic shopping data to generate real-time online audiences. What sets Kontext apart is our ability to see the entire consumer journey, from shopping interest to intent and purchases, at a SKU-level. This comprehensive visibility allows us to create purchase-based audiences across various consumer verticals, such as frequent online shoppers, consumers shopping for beauty, segments using Mastercard, or Black Friday enthusiasts. Our data engine, built on a foundation of approximately 100 million consumer profiles and over 10 billion full-funnel, real-time shopping events, enables the creation of precise audience segments. This real-time 1st-party shopper data is invaluable for partners aiming to understand and engage with consumers more effectively. Whether a brand wants to activate past shoppers in a specific category or reach new audiences with a propensity to buy, Kontext provides the insights needed to make informed decisions. Some examples of audience types include these (and hundreds more): In-Market Shoppers: Consumers showing high intent to purchase specific categories, like skincare or electronics, based on recent online behavior. Past Purchasers: Shoppers who have made verified purchases within specific time frames, such as beauty products in the last 18 months. Frequent Shoppers: High-frequency buyers identified through repeated purchasing behaviors. Seasonal Shoppers: Consumers active during key shopping seasons, like Black Friday, Mother’s Day, Valentine's Day, etc Premium Buyers: Shoppers who used a premium CC (eg. Amex) and a higher AOV (average order value) Beauty Buyers: an audience that has indicated intent to purchase beauty products (deterministic past purchasers also avail) By using Kontext data, brands can identify the right audiences across multiple verticals, such as retail, CPG, health & wellness, auto, business, energy & utility, financial, and travel. Additionally, our collaboration with Experian allows further refinement of these audiences through layered data from specialty categories like demographics, lifestyle & interests, mobile location, and TV viewing habits. How is Kontext’s data sourced, and what differentiates it from other data providers? Kontext’s data is unique because it is deterministic, 1st-party, and collected as transactions occur. We capture the entire path-to-purchase, down to the SKU-level product detail, across 100 million consumer profiles and more than 10 billion real-time shopping events. Our proprietary technology, embedded in widgets across our 5 million premium online destinations, tracks the full consumer journey—from reading an article of interest to clicking on our dynamic commerce modules, adding items to cart, and completing purchases. This real-time data collection ensures there is no lag between digital events and their connection to consumer profiles. Unlike other providers, we do not aggregate data from multiple platforms; instead, we focus on building our models and insights based on authentic online consumer behavior. Our data stands out due to its: Deterministic Nature: We capture 1st-party data as transactions occur (all in real time) Full-Funnel Coverage: We capture consumer journeys from awareness to purchase, providing a complete view of consumer behavior. Real-Time Insights: Our data engine processes events in real-time, enabling timely and relevant marketing actions. How does Kontext ensure the accuracy and reliability of its audience data? Kontext ensures accuracy and reliability through our unique technology and direct data sourcing. By not aggregating data from other platforms, we maintain control over the quality and integrity of our insights. Our continuous investment in refining our models around online consumer behavior further enhances the precision of our audience data. What types of brands or verticals might resonate the most with Kontext audiences for activation? Any brand looking to understand and activate online shopping behavior – informed by 1st-party transaction data – will resonate with Kontext audiences. Essentially, any vertical that benefits from understanding real-time shopping behaviors, such as retail, health & wellness, auto, and financial services, will find our data invaluable. We have particularly strong insights in beauty, hair care, health & wellness, and values-based online shopping habits, as well as the food & beverage space. Retail & Consumer Goods: Leveraging shopping behavior data for targeted campaigns. Health & Wellness: Identifying consumers with specific health and wellness interests. Automotive: Targeting potential buyers of electric vehicles or eco-friendly products. Financial Services: Engaging high-value shoppers with premium credit card usage. And many more How does Kontext’s data help advertisers navigate the challenges posed by the deprecation of third-party cookies? As third-party cookies become less reliable, Kontext’s 1st-party data becomes invaluable. Our deterministic data engine, which does not rely on cookies, offers: Direct Consumer Insights: Accurate and consented data directly from consumer interactions. Privacy Compliance: Our data collection methods are fully compliant with privacy regulations, ensuring secure usage. Cross-Device Coverage: We use verified digital identifiers, allowing seamless unification and targeting across multiple devices. What measures does Kontext take to maintain data privacy and compliance, and how does this benefit advertisers? Data privacy and compliance are fundamental to Kontext. We meet or exceed all privacy compliance and security standards, ensuring that our data sourcing and usage are transparent and comply with regulations (CCPA, CPRA, VCDPA, etc). Kontext prioritizes data privacy and compliance through: Consented Data Collection: All data is collected with explicit consumer consent. Robust Security Protocols: Data is encrypted and secured with industry-leading practices. Compliance with Regulations: We adhere to global privacy laws, including GDPR and CCPA. User Control: Consumers have the ability to opt-out and manage their data preferences. Can you share success stories / use-cases where advertisers significantly improved their campaigns using Kontext’s data? To give you a sense of how Kontext data can be applied, here are two use-cases: Beauty Brand Campaign: An agency hoping to activate an audience of beauty purchasers for a Major Beauty Brand could utilize Kontext's custom audience of high-value beauty product purchasers. By targeting those consumers who had bought similar products in the last 12 months and had an average cart size of over $50, the campaign would significantly increase performance and ROAS. Electric Vehicle Launch: For a major auto manufacturer’s EV launch, Kontext could be used to identify eco-friendly consumers who had not yet purchased an EV but had shown interest in sustainable products. This precise targeting could lead to higher engagement and conversion rates for the campaign. Thanks for the interview. Any recommendations for our readers if they want to learn more? For those interested in learning more about Kontext, reach out for a personalized consultation. Contact us About our expert Georgia Campbell, Head of Strategic Partnerships, Kontext In her current role as Head of Strategic Partnerships at Kontext, Georgia plays a pivotal role in shaping the company's strategic direction within the data space. With a deep-seated expertise in leveraging data to drive impact for companies, Georgia has been forging key partnerships that enhance the effectiveness and reach of Kontext's offerings. Georgia comes from a background in emerging technology, where she has been focused on cultivating partnerships and employing data-driven approaches to spearhead market expansion efforts. She started her career in finance, managing investments across equity, debt, and alternative assets at Brown Advisory. In this Q&A, Georgia shares her insights on Kontext's Onboarding partnership with Experian, offering perspective on how Kontext's unique insights can unlock new opportunities for advertisers and brands alike. Latest posts
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