Michael Roca’s Post

My dad always say: "Opportunities are everywhere, you just have to take them" As marketers at CROING l Creative Agency , marketing events have presented huge opportunities to us, After meaningful conversations and speaking engagements in huge Adweek, Fast Company, and Campaign events, we've pitched our capabilities to amazing Fortune 500 companies. Sounds like a dream for a Latina-owned, women-led company that started 8 years ago, right? My dad also tells me to pay it forward, so I want to share our upcoming events with my LinkedIn community and hopefully see you at the next one, here are a few: ✅ Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity with ADWEEK , Amazon, Meta and more companies having huge events and activating the whole city ✅ We Are All Human Foundation and The Hispanic Star have a whole week of events planned to make the latino voice heard at Cannes Lions, so stay tune because we’re gonna be there and bring their amazing data to our community here ✅ Axios and Deep Blue Sports + Entertainment invited us to Women’s sport house and we’re going to keep bringing visibilization to women in sports and speaking about the subject ✅ last but not least after Cannes Lions comes VidCon in Anaheim where we’re going to be speaking about Creator Economy with the best of the best If you've been to any of this give advice, and if you haven't ask questions, we're here to help. #marketingevents #marketerstuff #marketing #canneslions

Enter the Lions' den 🦁 Last week was the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, the largest gathering for those who work in creative communications, advertising and related industries. The week-long event celebrated the best in advertising with the Lions awards and educated attendees with talks on industry trends. Some of the key branding takeaways: 🤖 AI is here to stay Artificial intelligence and its impact on the industry was heavily discussed with many brand activations at the festival involving the usage of AI. While some talked about the capabilities that allowed for better work, others talked about the pitfalls such as the lack of diversity in AI-generated images. 🤝 The business case for inclusivity Due to diversity fatigue and culture wars, many companies have begun defunding their diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. However, one panel at the festival highlighted the commercial benefits of more progressive advertising, citing it helps brands sell more and retain customers. ⚖️ Brands can’t shy away from politics Sessions highlighted the importance of brands getting involved in politics. According to Research Live, 60% of consumers buy brands based on their politics. 🎨 The power of the creator economy This year was the first time the festival included a Creator Pass, an initiative designed specifically for content creators to learn about the advertising industry. Simon Cook, the CEO of Lions, acknowledged the major contributions influencers have had in advertising and the potential growth of the creator economy. Creators with a real connection to their audience are who brands should be partnering with, not necessarily the biggest names. 🏎️ Embrace the now The “Coors Lights Out” ad campaign, born from a pure accident that went viral, was a Lions Award winner. Shohei Ohtani, a baseball player, damaged a billboard featuring a Coors Light ad with a foul ball, and within 48 hours, Coors responded with a special edition can that replicated the damaged ad. Brands should be moving fast to capitalize on what’s happening in culture. Want to learn more about the Cannes Lions Festival? Visit canneslions.com 📸 Contagious ---------- #canneslions #cannes #branding #globalbranding #brandingcontent #brandingmanagement #strategicbranding #brandingforbusiness #professionalbranding #brandingstrategies #svanyc #mastersinbranding #svamastersinbranding #svamib #schoolofvisualarts #sva #svabranding #branding #gradschool #mpsbranding

Advocates of diversity and inclusion in the advertising industry have been citing better, more impactful, culturally relevant work as just one of the multitude of reasons as to why DEI is essential. When looking at award winning work Cannes Lions it's clear to see this theory in action. This year's clutch of winners underlined that inclusive campaigns are able to resonate most with audiences and as a result took home Grand Prix and Titanium Lions in abundance. In this article, explore the key takeaways from a recent ‘Is DEI smashing it at Cannes?’ webinar, by the Creative Equals team, which unpicked the reasons why campaigns with diversity and inclusion at the core created the most waves at this year’s festival of creativity. “It is clear that diversity and inclusion is a driver of creative excellence.” – Ali Hanan CMRS Hanan, Founder & CEO, Creative Equals   Read all the key takeaways from the event here: https://lnkd.in/eNGZpQzP

Having let the train take the strain, Stuart Button, our Executive Creative Director, shares his first impressions of Cannes 2024: “Cannes is here again . . . as adland's hopefuls descend on southern #France for some much-needed vitamin D. “The commercialisation of this 70+ year old creative festival continues with more brands showing up than ever before. “Judging by the fringe event talks, AI is still top of the agenda - only this time, it's less: 'We're all doomed!' and more 'we're all going to be rich!'. “As well as AI and D&I, sports is sticking its hand in the air for some much-needed attention (Stagwell's awesome sports beach by Cheerful Twentyfirst is now double the size). “What with the #Euros and #Olympics coming to #France (although you wouldn't know it - it's pretty mute from what I've seen), they’re even parading the old torch thingy down La Croisette tomorrow. “The other topic that's still going strong, is that dirty word 'effectiveness'. The thing that all clients want and creatives struggle to care about. “With stuff like ‘advertising value chain’, ‘digital waste’ and ‘closed-loop attribution’ being thrown around . . . If I didn't know any better, I'd say marketeers were making up stuff just to sell more things. Sneaky little buggers. “Is it any wonder that advertising has only just dropped off the top spot of the UK's LEAST trusted industry for the first time in a decade. “According to Simon Stone, of LoopMe GM International: ‘There is no point in creating the next Guinness Surfer if fragmented viewing habits, skippable ads, and decreasing attention spans prevent it from being seen. Creative remains essential to branding, but only when supercharged with data-driven media placement.' “I mean, I'd love to write the next Guinness Surfer ad - effectiveness be damned! “But then, what's the point in doing what we're doing if absolutely no one cares? And, according to Mark Ritson, no one does. “Hey ho - off to my first event I go.” #cannes2024 #canneslions #events #festivalofcreativity

It’s the first year Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity is officially recognising creators in their programming - which in my world is a pretty massive milestone, as it signifies the maturity and centralisation of creators in advertising and entertainment- and that these Creators are the future leaders of our industry (👀) And of course, Billion Dollar Boy is back at Cannes, for what we’re calling - rightly so - ‘The Creator Era’. Edward East, Thomas Walters and I are really excited to be sharing some of the major trends we’re seeing and work we’ve been building: - The subversion of advertising and entertainment formats - How linear programming is being disrupted by Creator built IP - How creators can build brands and the opportunity for brands in that journey - AIs influence on the creator economy - The need for greater representation of all women in advertising, and how creator marketing is pushing this like never before! ✉️ DM me if you’re there and I can share our programming… or we can catch up for a ☕️🍷 And big thank you to Olga Kim and Ed Davidson - it’s been so great to be part of this big moment for Cannes Lions, and I’m so grateful for the time and effort you spent in learning about the industry to build something curated to the needs of creators and this industry. #cannes #creatormarketing #influencermarketing

Is it time for Cannes Lions to have a Multicultural Category? Like many of you, every year when I leave the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity, I leave inspired. And since I’ve had the honor to a judge a few times in my career, I’m always challenged to do my part to move the industry forward. First, I would like to give credit where credit is due. Cannes Lions has done well when it comes to supporting and encouraging diversity and inclusion, especially for people of color. This year I saw more folks that looked like me strolling La Croisette than ever before. This is thanks in part to Inkwell founder, Adrianne Smith and the Cannes Do Initiative, and recently Peter Ukhurebor of BLK@ and Imani Laners’ The Impact of Color Cannes.  Kudos when it comes to agencies, brands and companies bringing in talent from the entertainment, music and sports industries respectively. But with all of that, I find it lacking in The Work itself. At the end of the day, isn’t that what we are celebrating? Having a dedicated multicultural category would go a long way to set the stage for more entries that have truly targeted multicultural creative, strategic consumer insights, PR, media, activations and data executions. This also applies to the opportunity for multicultural agencies, brands and media companies that unceremoniously contribute so much to the industry, to be seen on the world stage. Many Bronze, Silver, Gold and even Grand Prix Lions have been taken home that have borrowed, tapped into or have been influenced by trends that were created from multicultural communities. It’s past time to give multicultural the opportunity to get its flowers. Or better yet…it’s Lions. #CannesLions2024 #CannesLions #Creativity #CannesDo #BlackAtCannes

Just back from the exhilarating rollercoaster that is Cannes Lions! 🎢 Days filled with encounters and experiences. Here's what I took away: Trends were everywhere. Adtech was the star of the show, even more so than last year. Panels were buzzing about addressability, retail sustainability, and CTV. CTV, or Connected TV, was the buzzword on everyone's lips. Retail and audiovisual professionals couldn't get enough. It's all about deepening customer relationships, optimizing campaign performance, and boosting the bottom line. As we move towards a world without cookies and mobile identifiers, trust-building technologies are more important than ever. Brands are jumping on board. Women in tech were also in the spotlight, with dedicated panels and initiatives. Visibility in the adtech universe is key. Fun fact: Cannes Lions is the third biggest event in Cannes, right behind the yacht and real estate shows. To wrap up, Cannes Lions was a whirlwind of insights and networking. Can't wait for next year! 🦁🎉

Heading to Cannes Lions for the First Time! Excited to attend Cannes Lions as marketer with a solution oriented mindset, I’ve helped companies connect with US Hispanics, Gen Z, and female audiences by: - Implementing genuinely caring strategies - Using a project-based test and learn approach: Quick results, better understanding, and continuous improvement. -Listening to what the audience has to say and reacting to it Let’s figure out together how your brand can better understand US Hispanics, Gen Z, or Female Audiences ❤️ #CannesLions #DiversityMarketing #GenuineConnections #hispanicmarketing

The #AdTech event cycle is so fast-paced that, one month later, most people have moved on from Cannes to ATS, MAD//Fest, the upcoming Programmatic I/O, and other events. Still, we think it’s important to internalize ideas, thoughts, revelations, and trends that were front and center of Cannes events. Luckily, AdTech media did an excellent job of covering an extremely hectic week in in-depth recaps and lookbacks. In our latest blog post, #Xenoss shares our favorite post-Cannes pieces from AdTech and business media: 🔶Ad Age: How AI is Reshaping AdTech: Top Trends From Cannes Lions 2024 by Garett Sloane 🔶The Drum: As advertising AI race heats up, agencies scramble to find their USP by Cameron Clarke 🔶Digiday: Cannes Briefing: Investment bankers and private equity firms turn up en masse — ‘Here to hunt’ by Seb Joseph and Ronan Shields 🔶Fortune: At Cannes, the ad industry contemplates its AI future with a mix of hope and fear by Jeremy Kahn and Sharon Goldman 🔶EMARKETER: Creators and AI shape the conversation—and the awards—at Cannes Lions 2024 by Jasmine Enberg 🔶The Wall Street Journal: At Cannes Lions Ad Festival, Sports and AI Loom Larger Than Ever by Megan Graham 🔶AdExchanger: The Best Of Cannes 2024: Key Moments And Trends For The Year Ahead by Lou Paskalis 🔶InternetRetailing: 8 retail media insights from Cannes Lions that should’ve hit the headlines… by Paul Skeldon 🔶NewDigitalAge: Cannes Lions 2024: What you missed 🔶The Current: Cannes Lions 2024: Much ado about AI, Olympics frenzy and Elon Musk’s apology tour by Ilyse Liffreing 🔶The Media Leader: 3 key themes of sports marketing at Cannes Lions by Maria Iu 🔶AdMonsters: At Cannes News, Publishers Ponder “Are we witnessing the death of journalism?” by Andrew Byrd 🔶Axios: Cannes takeaways: 2024 ad trends by Sara Fischer 📌See the full recap of post-Cannes media coverage in our blog: https://lnkd.in/daatN5Ys #adtech #cannes2024 #canneslions #cannesevents #adtechconference

Earlier this year I willingly (and excitedly) flipped my life upside down to Co-Found a Latina sports culture company, DRAFTED. Equipped with the knowledge and wisdom that founding a PR agency gave me, I set out to build something that ignited my soul. As Latinas we know too often that things are built for us but hardly ever WITH us. So rather than launch with assumptions we instead spent months having hundreds of conversations, collecting data, and asking our community to give us their hard and honest feedback. This bought us trust, loyalty and ignited a vision: a future of sports culture with Latinas at the epicenter. AND 👏🏽 THEY 👏🏽 SHOWED 👏🏽 UP 60% Monthly Boost: Social media & storytelling are our rocketship, fueling a 60% month-over-month growth 9 Million Strong: Our stories are captivating, over 9M views and 30k+ shares, proving Latinas are hungry to be included in the sports conversation Launched a Newsletter: Curating and creating stories through the Latina lens we've grown our audience organically with a 50%+ open rate Added two incredible humans to our Advisory Board: More on that later! This doesn't even include the multiple messages a day we get from our community on how much this means to them to finally have a place they feel seen in sports. For the longest time I've always heard, build it and they will come. But instead I've learned, invite them to build it with you and not only with they come but they'll make it their home too.