Content creators to take centre stage at Cannes Lions on June 20

New Delhi: On Thursday, June 20, 2024, Cannes Lions 2024 will spotlight creators and the creative economy. Sessions will explore topics such as redefining B2B dynamics in the creator economy, strategies for building empires like creators, the role of creators in entertaining audiences, leveraging culturally relevant content, and the impact of moment marketing.

As per Goldman Sachs estimates, the size of the creator economy in 2023 was $250 billion and is estimated to surpass $480 billion by 2027. 

The analysts at Goldman Sachs expect spending on influencer marketing and platform payouts fueled by the monetisation of short-form video platforms via advertising to be the primary growth drivers of the creator economy.

Goldman Sachs Research expects the 50 million global creators to grow at a 10-20% compound annual growth rate during the next five years. 

The presence of content creators at Cannes Lions has been steadily growing over the past few years. Research conducted by the Cannes Lions team suggests that the festival is well-positioned to help creators unlock their optimum potential when it comes to brand marketing.

Therefore, Cannes Lions has introduced a Creator Pass, a two-day program crafted specifically for creators.

A Cannes Lions spokesperson said, “Creators want brands to better understand their creative potential and also want to form relevant partnerships. Not just that, creators are also looking forward to collaborating with other creators, to better understand how to optimise the use of their budget and drive business growth.”

“Platforms want to maintain and build relationships with creators for obvious reasons. The creative agencies know that they need to be involved in this and are trying to find a way to advance their role. With the presence of these different parties in one place, the festival is well-positioned to facilitate the conversation and help every party achieve some progress,” added the spokesperson.

For Lions Creators’ first year, Cannes Lions has partnered with Viral Nation, the leader in social-first transformation. 

This new experience includes a curated mix of exclusive learning and networking opportunities for creators and those in the wider creator economy. 

The programme will include a full day of creator-centric content on the Terrace Stage, recognising the creator economy as a rapidly growing and increasingly important part of the marketing mix.

On Thursday, June 20, 2024, at 10:00 a.m., Saatchi & Saatchi New Creators’ Showcase will provide a global platform for up-and-coming creators, celebrating the very best in creativity, storytelling, and visual innovation. The session will answer questions such as, How can the industry continue to raise the creative bar? What can we learn from working with emerging talent? How does advertising give new creators a platform into other creative industries, e.g., filmmaking? The speaker of the session will be Franki Goodwin, CCO, Saatchi & Saatchi, London. 

Another creator-specific session that will take place on June 20 is ‘Creators Count: Building Bridges, Not Barriers, in Content Partnerships’. The speaker of the session is Kahlil Greene, owner of Gen Z Historian. The session will cover pointers such as what brands can learn directly from creators. How do you empower, uplift, and reward creators to achieve better performance for your brand? How do you create mutually beneficial, long-lasting partnerships?

The third session to be held around the creator economy on the same day is ‘Beyond the Hype: Unlocking the Power of the Creator Economy’. The session will address questions such as how brands and agencies should work with creators as the creator economy matures. What does the new creative energy mean for advertising agencies' talent strategies? When everyone can be a creator, how do you take your business to the next level?

The fourth session on the creator economy on June 20, 2024, is named ‘Changemakers: Inspiring Creators Driving Change’. In this session, female leaders will have a candid conversation about the road less travelled, pivotal moments, and tangible insights on impactful change.

On the same day, the world’s top creators will come together on the Terrace Stage to spill the beans, shatter stereotypes, and show why their growing influence is backed by mad skills, credibility, and hard work.