Stuart Smith, Ogilvy PR

Erin Gentry, Hill+Knowlton Strategies

Fiorenza Plinio, Cannes Lions

SImona Morar, Cannes Lions

How to Win at Cannes

FIORENZA PLINIO, HEAD OF AWARDS DEVELOPMENT

fiorenzap@canneslions.com

simonam@canneslions.com

SIMONA MORAR, PR LIONS AWARDS MANAGER

WHAT ARE THE COMMON INGREDIENTS OF GREAT CREATIVE PR WORK?

CHANGES TO THE STRUCTURE OF THE PR AWARDS

HOW TO CRAFT A WINNING ENTRY?

PR LIONS ENTRIES GROWTH

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Num

ber

of E

ntri

es

Festival Year

2209 entries in 2016

2000 entries in 2015

1850 entries in 2014

1296 entries in 2013

1130 entries in 2012

819 entries in 2011

571 entries in 2010

431 entries in 2009

WHAT IS CREATIVITY IN PR?

CREATIVE PR WORK

• Puts things in a new light

• Causes me to rethink

• Resonates and is relevant

• Evokes emotional response

• Creative PR work is brave

AT CANNES LIONS WE BELIEVE THAT CREATIVITY DRIVES BUSINESS RESULTS

THE CASE FOR CREATIVITY

“At McDonald’s we’ve seen 54% higher ROI with creative that wins Cannes Lions than creative

that doesn’t.”Matt BiespielSr. Director of Global Brand Development McDonald’s

WHAT DRIVES CREATIVITY IN PR?

DATA/TECHNOLOGY

AUTHENTICITY

PURPOSE

DATA & TECHNOLOGY

Let’s hear what 2016 PR juror Kat Thomas thought about this winning case…

(from the Inside the PR Jury Room panel debate, Cannes Lions 2016)

AUTHENTICITY

PURPOSE

CUSTOMERFOCUSSEDAPPROACH

2017 CHANGES TO PR LIONS

PR Lions DefinitionDesigned in co-operation with global PR industry leaders, it explains the kind of highly creative PR work that is suitable for the category at the same time highlighting what differentiates the PR discipline from advertisingImproved Entry FormRefreshed questions, increased word count where necessary and rewrote Results question in line with industry measurements (i.e. outputs vs outcomes, etc.)PR Agency CreditingRemoval the crediting clause regarding the splitting of points for Special Awards between the agency named in the ‘Idea Creation’ role and the PR agency credited in the ‘PR Agency’ role.

PR LIONS – NEW DEFINITION

The PR Lions celebrate creative work which successfully builds trust and cultivates relationships with credible third-parties, utilising mainly earned-media tactics or channels to influence public dialogue and ultimately change perceptions and behaviours in ways that protect and enhance the reputation and business of an organisation or brand with its target audiences.

D01. Research, Data Analytics & Insight GenerationAdded category specific questions as per committee recommendation – focusing on Data Targeting / Data and/or insight integration and impact

D02. PR Excellence in Effectiveness &G02. Costs / Creative Performance PR CampaignReviewed additional category specific questions. Now asking for breakdown of costs

CATEGORY ENTRY FORM CHANGES FOR 2017

OPPORTUNITY CATEGORIES

Healthcare & WellbeingCrisis Communications & Issue ManagementPublic AffairsLuxury Goods & ServicesPR Reports

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS: UPDATE

No binders! Electronic PDF ONLY

One campaign can be entered UP TO 4 TIMES

Case film is highly recommended

PR AGENCIES ACCOUNT MANAGEMENTMEDIA LIBRARYCREDIT LIBRARY

OTHER IMPROVEMENTS INCLUDING

MEDIANETBURRELLES

LUCE CARMA MEASUREMENTPRACTICE

PR LIONS: DATA & MEASUREMENT ADVISORY SCHEME 2017

GORKANA

AMECPRIME

RESEARCHISENTIA

DeLANGEANALYTICS

KANTARMEDIA

HOW TO CRAFT A WINNING

ENTRY

BE SUCCINCT

‘You’re dealing with professionals who are perfectly capable of grasping whether a project has merit based on a concise, coherent explanation’

Mark Tutssel, Chief Creative Officer, Leo Burnett

“Less is more. So many case films fail to communicate a clear idea and a compelling strategy that isn’t cluttered and confusing. The need for focus and clarity cannot be underestimated”

David Gallagher,Senior Partner, CEO of Ketchum EU

SIMPLICITY

…Avoid using unnecessary build up or stylistic filler. Treat your case film like a piece of editorial. All the key information early on –expansion of the idea to follow

Explain the idea upfront and quickly so the jury can understand the dimensions of the idea and consequences ...

GRAB ATTENTION

It’s an international jury. English is not always the first language. Respect this diversity.

Entries that hinge on a cultural nuance or unfamiliar cultural context may require additional information

Do not assume that the jury will anticipate ambiguities. Subtitles, supporting materials and introductory slates are all encouraged and welcomed

CULTURE & CONTEXT

“You may have lived and breathed the work, but the jury hasn’t. Look at the idea with a fresh pair of eyes and distil it down to its core for a new audience”

Pascal Beucler, MSLGROUP's Chief Strategy Officer

A FRESH PERSPECTIVE

TELL A STORY.Structure your explanation around a simple, powerful and succinct narrative.

NARRATIVE & STORYTELLING

“Carefully consider the best category for your entry and ensure that it demonstrates both relevance and specificity for its audiences”

Dave Senay, Former FleishmanHillard's president and CEO

CATEGORY SELECTION

If you have a strong piece of work and intend to enter it into lots of categories, ensure that the case film is tailored and adapted as necessary

Package your entry in a way that highlights the relevance to each category

TAILORING

Avoid industry jargon and marketing speak. Don’t sell… EXPLAIN.

A case film with excessive hype and empty statements with no tangible back-up will not impress the jury

Social is everywhere – listing social networking sites and ‘free media’ coverage is not a thing.

INDUSTRY JARGON & HYPERBOLE

Make sure you provide them and they are robust. Meaningful, measurable results are crucial.

Be honest, specific and provide workable, quantative figures and stats. In some categories, results count for 30% of the mark.

Clearly link results back to original goals, strategies and objectives to illustrate effectiveness

RESULTS

“Write and design the entry elements with all the care you put into the work itself. See it as an extension of the process rather than an another hurdle”

MARK FITZLOFF, CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICERWIEDEN+KENNEDY, PORTLAND

DON’T FALL AT LAST HURDLE

PR LIONS: KEY DATES

LateFeeAppliesfrom 23March2017

FinalEntryDeadline: 20April2017

PreliminaryJudging April– May2017

LateFeeIncrease 13April2017

ShortlistAnnounced 18June2017

AwardsCeremony 19June2017

PRLIONS@CANNESLIONS.COM

SUPPORT

THANK YOU

“If you’re already involved, double down. If not, dive in because it will definitely change you and inspire your business in ways you won’t

know unless you’re there.”

Lynne Anne Davis, former PR Lions President, Fleishman Hillard Asia Pacific

PR Category

2 0 1 7 C a n n e s L i o n s

It’s competitive…

Over 500 entries pre-judged by each member

2209 entries, up from 2000 in 2015

65% with a PR agency credited for the work, up from 41% in 2015

Who are the Jury?

The jury is comprised 21 people from up to 20 different countries. Don’t assume that cultural in-jokes will be

understood

The Best of PR Not Entering

The 1565 entries judged in Cannes do not represent the best, most creative work we are producing. Several

“heartland” PR categories are under-entered: internal communications, crisis are two big ones

Cannes entry writing is an art…

It alienates the PR Jury when the entries are untailored, carelessly worded and not showing tangible results

Make Sure No One Else Enters Your Work

Get your name on the entry when you’ve been working with another agency, especially if they are the lead agency

A warning on multiple entries

Carpet bombing entries is a bad idea

Each juror evaluates several categories. Make sure you tailor your entry to each category as exact copies can

make entries irrelevant

It’s a Festival of Creativity…

To get gold, we have to show creativity. In the insights, the idea, the strategy, the execution

Show the beauty of our craft…

PR juries want to award intentionally PR programs (by PR agencies). Make sure earned outcome is deliberate and

the earned strategy clearly articulated.

Show how we earned it..

Show the influencer strategy.

Where was the elegantly orchestrated chorus of support for the idea behind the campaign?

It’s not all about the Film!

The changes to the entry form make it now easier to clearly explain your work. However, the Jury

have only limited time in Cannes to re-read your written entry, so do make sure you include essential

information if you do submit a video

2016’s magic formula

Brand promise converted into

brand purpose for social good is a winner

Why Should You Bother?

1. Cannes matters in our converging world

2. Industry entries don’t show us in best light

3. We can and should own the PR category

4. We can and should enter other categories

The Call To Action

Show Up!

It’s there for the taking

QUESTIONS?

THANK YOU!