First 2020 Festival theme reports released

We interviewed more than 100 senior agency, creative and marketing leaders to find out more about what matters most to our community and the challenges keeping them awake at night. We’ve distilled what we learnt from our research down into the key data. An infographic from our partners at Raconteur tells the story of the topics that are top of mind for the industry in 2020.

Those conversations helped us to define the eight themes that will shape our programme in 2020. In the run-up to the Festival, we’ll release a series of eight original Theme Reports that dig deeper and place our themes in the context of the wider creative landscape. Each report surfaces original research, relevant data and examples of best practice Lion-winning work, combined with commentary from market experts and global brand leaders. 

Our first two Theme Reports look at Creativity is the Business Growth Engine and Let’s Get Back to Brand.

The first of our Theme Reports lays out the evidence behind our argument and digs down into the what, the why, the how and the ‘who’s doing it?’ of growth-driving creativity.

We believe that creativity is the only way for brands to drive non-incremental growth. An introduction from Charlotte Williams, our VP, Content, sets the scene with research from McKinsey and the results of Burger King’s recent meteoric rise

• Essity’s Gael de Talhouet, VP Brand Building, on why marketers need to shift their mindsets to become growth-obsessed
• Joe Mcdonnell, Head of Insight for trend forecaster WGSN on how to grow by giving consumers what they need in the ‘end-of-more’ era
• Lucy Aitken, Managing Editor, Case Studies, for marketing effectiveness authority WARC, with a strategy for re-prioritising and ‘selling in’ creativity

Eight key learnings to Lucy Aitken, Managing Editor, Case Studies, for marketing effectiveness authority WARC, with a strategy for re-prioritising and ‘selling in’ creativityelp you harness creativity as a tool to unlock growth and make sure it’s getting buy-in from the board.

The second of our Theme Reports sets the scene on the recent industry shift back to brand and unearths insights into the real value of ‘long-termism’.

Top of mind for marketers and creatives in 2020 is the need to re-balance the investment made in performance and direct response marketing with long-term brand-building activities. An introduction from Charlotte Williams opens up the ongoing debate around what it really means to build a brand, and we hear from:

• Simon Peel, Senior Director of Global Media, Adidas on finding balance and combining short and long-term activity to reach a common goal
• Joe Mcdonnell, Head of Insight, WGSN on what Gen Z are looking for from your brand
• Lena Roland, Managing Editor – WARC Knowledge, WARC with insights into where budgets are being spent, and the metrics global brands are using to measure activity

Eight key learnings on how to prioritise brand-building activities that drive brand health, reduce price sensitivity and grow market share.