Kicking Off with the Institute for Real Growth's IRG Cannes Summit 2024

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What a way to start the festival! Our journey began at the Institute for Real Growth's (IRG) Cannes Summit 2024 on June 14-15^th.  

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The event set a powerful tone for the festival, bringing together some of the brightest minds of our industry.

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We explored the evolving relationships between Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) and other C-Suite members, with remarkable insights from thought leaders like Marcel Marcondes, Global Chief Marketing Officer at AB InBev.

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At MINT, we aligned closely with the “Humanized Growth” approach championed by IRG.

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As leaders in AI and automation, we see it as our mission to help CMOs leverage technology to enhance their teams' work lifestyles and drive sustainable growth.

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The common vision is to facilitate the global brands’ shift from mere Size to meaningful Scale, ensuring that technological advancements are harnessed to foster a more human-centered, growth-oriented business environment.

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Women Sports’ Rising at the Female Quotient Equality Lounge

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Today’s audiences seek stories that resonate with their diverse experiences, making inclusive and varied representation not only a strategic necessity but also a crucial business imperative.

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While women's sports are now gaining the attention they rightfully deserve, discussions have mainly highlighted female viewpoints.

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Nevertheless, men are becoming more involved, using their brands to support and promote women's sports and athletes.  

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Federico Salvitti, our VP Growth US, represented MINT at the Female Quotient Equality Lounge on June 18th, participating in a unique panel titled "Beyond the Bleachers: Men Championing Women’s Sports", exploring the power of diverse storytelling and its profound impact on audience engagement, brand building, and overall business success.

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The distinguished “manelists” also included Jonny Sonkin, EVP, Marketing & Operations, Front Office Sports; Jamie Stenziano, SVP, Client Officer, Media & Entertainment, Ipsos; Rich Routman, President, Minute Media; Kevin Arrix, Chief Growth Officer, XR Extreme Reach; Damaune Journey, Global Chief Growth Officer, 72andSunny.

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Federico Salvitti emphasized our year-long collaboration with Vero Volley teams, illustrating how it has been a valuable investment for MINT in terms of added value, reach, and engagement. The panelists concurred that the power of authentic and inspirational content is crucial for both B2C and B2B segments.

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They also agreed that maintaining momentum requires a commitment of time, robust editorial plans, and supportive budgets.  

The full panel is available at the following link.

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The Role of AI for the Omnichannel Marketer

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Federico Salvitti was also featured on the "Cannes Captures" series hosted by Ed Steer from Sphere, exploring the impact of AI for modern marketing teams.

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As Federico pointed out, “AI is not going to take jobs aways, but it is going to take tasks away”, enabling marketing and media professionals to spend more time and energy on strategic and enriching activities. Brands and agencies need to develop strategies to create cross-functional teams, supported by four key drivers:  

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• The right attitude to change management;
• A structured training plan;
• A new approach to budget management;
• A consolidation of their technology.

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Watch the full episode of "Cannes Captures" on Sphere’s LinkedIn page.

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Exploring the Investment Gaps for Diverse Segments  

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On June 20th, Josh Casarona, our Customer Success Specialist, joined the stage at the ANA Alliance for Inclusive and Multicultural Marketing (AIMM) Panel to tackle the pressing issue of persistent under-investment in diverse media segments.

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Despite the substantial opportunities available, 6 in 10 advertisers continue to underfund Multicultural and Inclusive (MC&I) segments, with ad spending levels falling significantly short of their growth potential. Additionally, many marketers remain uncertain whether their campaigns achieve their goals, especially in a cookie-less environment.

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The panel, which included prominent industry leaders such as Alexandra Kennedy from My Code, Michael Roca from Omnicom Media Group, and Jessica Ricaurte from Adsmovil, explored strategies to change this paradigm. The group highlighted the importance of brands committing to increased funding and delivering targeted messaging to optimize growth within diverse segments.  

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Josh Casarona emphasized that effective DE&I efforts go beyond one-time campaigns.

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"It’s about integrating diversity into our everyday practices and thinking strategically about reaching the whole market, not just parts of it," Josh noted.

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“By consistently including diverse voices and perspectives in our communications and assets, we create stronger connections and achieve better results. This approach isn't just the right thing to do — it’s good for business too”.

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Technology is the right ally to bridge these gaps and foster real inclusivity, setting a new standard for how the advertising industry can and should operate.

Looking Ahead to Next Year

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Once again, the Cannes Lions 2024 were a testament to the importance of the human element in advertising.

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From fostering humanized growth to addressing media equity and championing women's sports, MINT is proud to be at the forefront of these critical conversations.

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We remain committed to leveraging our expertise in AI and automation to drive sustainable, inclusive growth across the advertising industry.  

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Here’s to more inspiring events and impactful discussions for next year!

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