OPR's Foster: Creative thinking in the era of earned attention

“Earned creativity is having a moment, and that’s really exciting. Today, some of the most impactful ideas are designed to earn attention rather than buy it, and I think this is an exciting moment for us as practitioners.”

Chris Foster, CEO of Omnicom Public Relations (OPR) sees the 2026 Cannes Lions as an important moment for his sector, with AI the key driver.

“In the age of AI, earned media isn’t just influencing people, it’s influencing the systems that people use to get information,” he told Lions Daily News.

This means a resurgence in importance for press releases, corporate websites and journalism alike, with AI models treating them as credible sources when returning information for users.

“There’s a credibility and an authenticity around earned attention that you’re just not going to get from the traditional paid. As we think about our ability and the opportunity we

have to influence those (AI) systems, it does create a new moment for us,” Foster said.

OPR is navigating these new waters while also emerging from a period of reorganisation following its parent company’s acquisition of Interpublic Group (IPG) last year.

“It’s been a challenge, but also an opportunity. We’ve had an opportunity to streamline the portfolio a little bit with some mergers and integrations, which has been good,” Foster said.

“It’s hard for clients of any size to get everything they need from one agency, but they can when you have a capability that’s as diverse as ours.” Foster feels that OPR’s future is in

good hands with its younger staff, and the company is fielding two teams in this week’s Young Lions.

“There’s a fearlessness and a courage that I see with young people that is inspiring for someone like myself, who’s 30 years-plus in the business. They see their role as change-agents much earlier in their careers than we did,” Foster said.

He hailed the way that young PR practitioners “live in culture, and culture lives in communities” as an important trend for brands to engage with. “Progressive brands who are not afraid to be in living communities will probably dominate the creative space in the next year or two,” Foster said.

AI will of course be part of that evolution, but humans will stay in the driving seat in Foster’s view. “In partnership with AI, the human element gives us nuance, timing,

perspective and cultural relevance in a way that I don’t think the technology has really caught up to.”