Does Asia Pacific need Lions or Merlions?

There is often debate about how relevant big global events can be for marketers working in specific regions and markets. That’s been a perennial issue with regard to Cannes, particularly. Should we be celebrating Lions or perhaps Merlions, the mythical creature with the head of a lion and body of a fish, that is popularly regarded as an icon of Singapore, for example. 

In a room full of senior marketers based in the Asia-Pacific region, less than a quarter had ever been to Cannes. So what, if anything, were they missing out on when it came to creativity and connections? And how could Cannes be more attractive and relevant to this audience?

One of the key benefits of going to Cannes is that increasingly it’s not just about creativity.

As Lex Bradshaw-Zanger, Chief Marketing & Digital Officer, SAPMENA, L’Oréal, summarised, the main benefits of Cannes can be based around three pillars: Creativity Awards, Content and Inspiration and Social Connections.

With Creativity Awards replicated in APAC through the Spikes Asia festival, the aim of #NotinCannes was to give WFA members a taste of La Croisette’s content and inspiration, and social connections. This would allow them to gain additional information on current trends such as AI and sustainability, while also delivering Cannes-style deeperhuman interactions, which can lead to new deals or simply strengthen existing partnerships.

Our panel of senior marketers – featuring Lex Bradshaw-Zanger from L’Oréal, Julie Nestor, Executive VP Head of Marketing and Communications Asia Pacific, Mastercard, and Kenneth Lim, Assistant Chief Executive, Marketing Group, Singapore Tourism Board, reflected on how to improve Asian participation Cannes and make the world appreciate the great creativity that is happening across the region.

While Asia is the home of many emerging trends which the rest of the world can learn from, it is highly underrepresented at Cannes (reflected in this year’s disappointing trophy haul). To change this, the regional marketing community has an active role to play and could challenge itself to showcase more great regional work at prominent events such as Cannes.

Beyond the showcasing of creativity, platforms and publishers could better support the Asia-Pacific region, celebrating opportunities for marketers to get inspired and build deeper connections for instance around Spikes Asia. The question asked was why there’s such a comparatively low level of support in regional tentpole events compared to Cannes Lions.

And Cannes Lions could take action too. To attract more Asian brands and business owners, educational initiatives are needed as from an Asian perspective (or someone who’s never been), the festival can look quite intimidating. Organisers or sponsoring platforms could for instance provide resources explaining the benefits of participation and make the journey look worthwhile. Without this, potential participants may misunderstand the event's value.

What attendees at #NotInCannes said Cannes might be missing, is an opportunity to be more forward thinking and address emerging trends that could shape the future of marketing. This could support marketers around the world then focus on how to integrate these insights effectively to stay ahead. For instance, the hype around the metaverse was prominent last year, but it quickly faded and was replaced by AI this year.

Our panel also postulated that perhaps Cannes Lions doesn’t matter to the Asia Pacific region because of the way marketing and creativity are often viewed through a performance-driven lens in the region.

Creativity as a concept has evolved, with many brands increasingly focusing on addressing long-term and real-world issues using branding and creativity. However, across the region the emphasis still tends to be on spending a specific amount on a campaign and then closely monitoring the return on investment. Advice from our panel to marketers in the region to build stronger brands that can inspire globally included:

 “There's a need to balance functional and pragmatic work in Asia Pacific with more long-term, brand-building efforts. This approach can harness the best of both worlds to achieve comprehensive solutions. Secondly, there's a significant divide between multinational and local brands in terms of marketing, creativity, and innovation approaches. Greater cross-pollination is crucial for multinational brands to grasp local relevancy while maintaining brand equity. By addressing these bridges, we aim to spotlight the innovative work emerging from the East, ensuring it receives the recognition it deserves across global platforms and forums,” said Lex.

 “Demonstrating how long-term brand building contributes to market share growth and ultimately leads to higher revenue is essential. In Asia and similar regions, evidence-based data and information play a critical role in convincing business owners of the benefits of investing in brand building strategies. This approach can enlighten them about the tangible outcomes and advantages of prioritising long-term brand equity over short-term gains,” added Kenneth. 

“It's always been a challenge in Asia Pacific to balance investments between top-of-funnel brand building and lower-funnel performance marketing. Creativity should not be an end, but rather a means to achieve broader objectives. Looking ahead, it's crucial for companies to consider their relevance in addressing broader societal issues. Whether it's sustainability, financial inclusion, or other community-focused initiatives, there's a significant opportunity for private organisations in Asia Pacific to make a meaningful impact. Private enterprises can play a pivotal role in driving positive change across the region through creativity,” said Julie.

And in Asia Pacific, as in every other part of the world, great work, now driven by data utilisation and technological advancements rather than just the campaign concept itself, can’t simply be left to agency partners.

It takes both sides to achieve great work. Good clients lead to good work, while bad clients lead to poor outcomes. The magic of creativity today lies in the collaboration between different functions. Creativity now is about creating comprehensive experiences and journeys, not just about graphic design or colours. Our role as clients is to better integrate strategies, ideas and executions, by being good clients with good partners, producing superior work,” concluded Lex.

To learn more about WFA's initiatives in Asia Pacific, please reach out to Laura at l.forcetti@wfanet.org