Simon Cook’s Post

Creativity is our common language. Creativity is a force for change. People may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them 'feel'. Is my work driving 'me'. If you're creating alone, you're creating wrong. So many good messages in this clip for #canneslions2024. What brand has made you feel something through their story-telling? It most likely was memorable - whether it was a feeling of enlightenment, joy, sadness, pride, admiration, inspiration, motivation, maybe even anger (hopefully not confusion) - then it probably worked to build an impression, make you think, act, or feel something that you'll remember when you go to purchase, or alleviate tension if service was poor one day. #makeemotionalconnections #creativemarketing #takerisks #followyourexperience #followyourgut #insightsdrivecreativity #culturaldifferences #loyaltystillmatters

It's time to participate in Young Lions Finland 2024 and create your own spotlight! 🦁 In this creativity competition you can put your skills to test outside of everyday agency life on a national level, and for the winners, on an international level. Competition has seven categories: Design, Digital, Film, Marketers, Media, Pr and Print. The Winning Teams (Gold) of each category will get to represent Finland at the Cannes Young Lions Competition at the festival week in Cannes in June. If you're 30 years old or younger and you work in marketing and/or communication, this competition is for you! You must enter as a team of two. Team members do not have to be employed by the same company. The competitions pre-registration is now open! Pre-registration will ensure a place in the Young Lions Finland info webinar 1.2. and an invitation to the competition brief 9.2. After briefing session you can make the final decision and sign in for the competition. 👉 Read more about the competition: https://lnkd.in/daVbB9CW 👉 Pre-register here: https://lnkd.in/dFzE9zKH #younglionsfinland #younglions #cannes #canneslions #creativity

Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, we need to talk… Year after year you have challenged me to be bold, be creative, be effective, be efficient. Immerse myself in the business, build strong agency partnerships, and fuel my strategic thinking. For a long time, I believed that self-improvement was the key to joining the elite conversations at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. After years of learning from industry giants like Peter Field, Mark Ritson Byron Sharp Orlando Wood James Hurman I felt ready to be part of that dialogue. But Cannes, we seriously need to talk. The reality is that attending to the “Athens of marketing and creative effectiveness” remains a distant dream for many of us as the cost of participation is prohibitively expensive. To my fellow marketers who feel the same: I HEAR YOU! We are expected to push the boundaries of creativity and effectiveness, yet we are often left out when it matters most. And to Cannes, you are truly an inspiration for many of us, but when talking about consumer centricity, you need to revisit your business model to give us some entry level. Common, be creative 😊! Until we can meet physically, I will continue to advocate from the distance the spirit of Cannes Lions—effectiveness’s, boldness, creativity—as a state of mind. Looking forward to meet in the upcoming years, Gaby #MarketingLife #CannesLions #CreativeExcellence #IndustryChallenges #StayConnected #MarketingCommunity

Is Cannes Lions useless, or is Chinese creativity running out of steam? The 2024 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity has come to an end, and this time the voice from China seems to be even "weaker". This year's Lions Awards for China were one silver and three bronze. In addition, there was only one speech from China at the festival, no Chinese brands or companies landed in Cannes, only 6 judges from China participated in the final judging of the Lions, and the official statistics of the number of registered participants from China was the lowest ever. As we all know, 2024 is the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France, and also the year of the Olympic Games in Paris, under the double buff superimposed, this year's Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity failed to ride on the wind of the wave of Chinese brands going to the sea, is Cannes losing its charm? Read the article here: https://lnkd.in/g_4pxknV

What I've learnt from judging awards Recently, I chaired judging the Asia Pacific Stevie Awards in a couple of categories, and here's my takeaways: ⭐ Proof is key: Surprisingly, many entrants didn't provide attachments to back up their claims. Adding evidence strengthens your case and boosts credibility. ⭐ Show me the money: Whether it's percentage increases or actual dollar figures, seeing the growth adds a whole new level of clarity to your success story. ⭐ Answer the question: If asked about the innovation behind a strategy, it's crucial to be crystal clear about what sets it apart. Don't beat around the bush, highlight exactly what makes your approach unique and innovative. ⭐ Keep it simple: Don't drown your entry with unnecessary jargon or repeat yourself. Bullet points are your friend - make it easy to understand and engage with your message. ⭐ Attention-grabbing title: Give your entry a title that demands attention, whether catchy or a thought-provoking question. Make sure it hooks your audience right off the bat. ⭐ By the way, did you know China's big into art exhibitions? Their mall culture is next level, with tons of captivating displays—it's a whole scene. Have you judged awards or entered any? #steviesawards

Yes ❤️❤️❤️ Jeg er veldig glad at jeg fant et team for å debattere på fransk. the debate team to debate in French in Zurich is complete. Dear "Joutes sans Frontiers" Team, Greetings from JCI World Headquarters! Congratulations on your approved team! We are looking forward to hosting you for the French Debating Competition at the 2023 JCI World Congress. I hope you are all doing well and are as excited as we are for this upcoming event! I wanted to confirm some important details with you to ensure a smooth registration process. First and foremost, here is the schedule for both rounds of the French Debating Competition. Please note that there might still be slight changes. Preliminary Round: Tuesday, November 14, 2023, at 14:00 PM (Zürich Local Time) Final Round: Friday, November 17, 2023, at 09:00 AM (Zürich Local Time) Please take a moment to confirm that the following information is accurate, including the names and roles of your team members: Captain: Yann-Amael Aubert Member 1: Anna Levina Member 2: Arnaud Calas Language: French As your team consists of members from different national organizations, we require the name of the national organization your team will be representing. Please provide us with the name of just one national organization to complete your registration. #debates #jci #leadershipdevelopment #challengeyourself

In today's digital landscape, where there is a vast amount of overwhelming content and the spread of misinformation is faster than ever before, facts serve as the foundation of truth, crucial for fostering trust—the cornerstone of strong customer-brand relationships. Building trust with customers starts with maintaining transparency and authenticity in every piece of content, messaging, and interaction. Great insights were shared in the speech by Maria Ressa, awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and recipient of the 2024 Cannes LionHeart Award. #CannestLions2024

We are thrilled to announce the opening of the ANDY Awards Regional Competition! This is a unique opportunity for creatives from every corner of the globe to showcase their innovative ideas and have them recognized on a regional and global stage. The Regional Competition is a platform that allows entrants worldwide to submit their creative work at no cost. Each region outside of North America is overseen by a Chair and a panel of jurors who embody the region's creative excellence. By entering, your work is evaluated within its local context and language, ensuring it receives the recognition it deserves. Why Enter the Regional Competition? Global Representation: We believe that great ideas can come from anywhere. By entering your work into the regional competition, you ensure it is reviewed with local context and language, giving it the best chance to shine. Esteemed Judging Panels: Each region outside of North America is overseen by a Chair and a panel of jurors who exemplify the region’s creative excellence. They will review submissions with an understanding of the local creative landscape, offering valuable insights and feedback. Why is it Free? We are committed to making the ANDY Awards accessible to all creatives, regardless of financial means. By offering free entry at the regional level, we aim to encourage Diverse Participation, and offering free entry allows participants to test new ideas and innovative concepts without the pressure of financial investment. KEY DATES: Regional Competition: Now Open for Entries Regional Competition Deadline: December 4, 2024 Regional Shortlists Announced: January 2025 Showcase your creativity and be recognized by some of the most influential names in the industry. andyawards.com/enter-now

I usually say that Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity is for network, not for inspiration. But this year I came home inspired. I had the great pleasure of speaking about the Sounds Right initiative (https://lnkd.in/eHkwDi8A) and how we made Nature an official artist alongside Katja Iversen, Cathy Runciman and Adam Cardew hosted by Stan Stalnaker at the beautiful Hub Culture garden. And later, participating in the awe-inspiring round table at the Goals House hosted by Earth Public Information Collaborative about The Most Important Brief (https://lnkd.in/d_q7WmTP).   Both of those sessions were filled with inspirational people who believe in the power of creativity to drive change for the better. Eager to make more brands and companies move from purpose and profit to impact and responsibility. And looking across the winners it seems like we’re not alone in this mission. Not only did a lot of the winners involve a cause. They have also moved from the more gimmicky way of activating against a cause to creating actual long term impact. It is obviously impossible not to mention our own Pink Chip initiative by the amazing Amsterdam crew. But I also love the Sol Cement SightWalks project by Grey Peru. As well as the Mastercard Room for Everyone campaign by McCann Poland. Just to name a few. I do agree with Karen Howe that it is concerning how many cases – especially in the Glass Lions category – are centered on female oppression. Who would have thought that in 2024 we would have such a high need for creative problem solving within this area? But creativity is there. Having an impact. And this year to a higher degree than we have seen in a long time. If awarding creativity really is like smelling your own farts as Mark Ritson said on stage, this year the smell doesn’t really bother me.

Today we would like to wish Joris Bots and Arjen Lemstra🔥®️ the best of luck. Why? They are the people behind EventSummit, the annual trade fair for the Dutch events industry. This fair, which is held in the Royal Jaarbeurs, is the place to be for regional conference bureaus, conference locations and other suppliers to present themselves to potential organizers of conferences and meetings.   We would also like to wish all exhibitors good luck today. Because in addition to doing business effectively and efficiently during EventSummit, they can also gain plenty of inspiration and become acquainted with the latest developments, for example in the field of registration systems or apps.   And last but not least: don’t forget to include the role of the VGF Pre-financing & Guarantee Fund in your conversations. Because at VGF we help organizers of international conferences to get started financially and do everything we can to ensure that the conference continues, even if things don't go as planned. Achterhoek Convention Bureau / Apeldoorn Partners / Congresregio Zwolle / Convention Bureau Event Park Amsterdam / Deventer Vergader- en Congresbureau / Groningen Conventions | Groningen Congres Alliantie / Haarlem Convention Bureau / Noordwijk Marketing Do you want to know more about what VGF can do for you? Visit https://lnkd.in/gasCGpt or feel free to contact Paul Gruijthuijsen via [email protected].   #vgfisready #eventprofs #prefinancing #guarantee #conference #eventplanners #events #locationowners #reunite #MeetinNetherlands #NBTC #location #financialadvantage #evaluate #communication #network #planning #international #funding #tradeassociation #professionalization #EventSummit #JaarbeursUtrecht