CANNES LIONS’ annual state of creativity report has painted a mixed picture for the industry. The report, based on 3000 global responses from industry stakeholders, found that 51% of brands and agencies anticipate stronger growth in 2024 than 2023. At the same time, however, it identified “significant strain” in the client–agency relationship, while marketers are frustrated by their own ‘play-it-safe’ leadership.
Discussing the study, which is titled Communication Breakdown On The Road To Recovery, Lions senior vice-president, business lead, advisory Spencer Fox said: “Although the sentiment is outwardly optimistic, inwardly the industry is at odds.
There’s optimism around progress and investment, but tensions that need to be worked through if we’re going to realise the potential of creativity as a growth driver.”
Picking up on the state of client-agency relations, the study identified “glaring discrepancies” in how brands experience the agency–client relationship compared with their agency partners. When asked about the partnership, brands expressed a more positive attitude towards it, while creative partners painted a starkly different picture.
With the LIONS International Festival of Creativity just a couple of months away, the survey suggests brands and agencies need to take a leaf out of their own book, developing the kind of high-quality communications that will be on show in Cannes.