I’ve sent more newsletters than I typically do in a week, but after catching up on sleep all weekend, I finally had time to reflect on my week at Cannes and the major highlights and takeaways.
Cannes Lions felt like a week in a fake world. Kind of like SXSW on steroids, where tech companies, ad platforms, creator platforms, creators themselves, brands, and agencies all meet in one place. While a lot of the panels started to feel the same, with everyone repeating AI and “creating culture,” the people you met and the intimate dinners were worth being there for. People are willing to take meetings and meet new people because that is quite literally what you are there to do.
I heard multiple stories about a brand casually meeting with a creator and it turning into a year-long partnership or larger campaign. This was my first time at Cannes, but I heard from plenty of vets that this felt like the first year creators were truly at the center of every conversation. Below are a few of my key takeaways:
Even Paris Hilton was talking about AI and how amazing it is that people can now build things like apps more easily. She also called herself “the mother of creators.”
There was a lot of conversation around the difference between “content creator” and “influencer,” and why influencer still feels like a dirty word.
Sephora was everywhere: activating with Pinterest, taking meetings at UTA, showing up on panels, and generally making their presence known. Supergoop also got a great shoutout as an SPF sponsor at many activations as the temperatures kept rising.
I heard multiple stories about people’s luggage going missing during travel and having to go out and buy new beauty products. Between the heat and travel issues, it feels smart for beauty brands to host their own beach booths with travel-size products for discovery, especially for a tapped-in, loyal audience of marketers.
Women’s influence in sports was another major thread. It feels impossible to talk about culture right now without talking about the rise of women’s sports. And sports in general.
CatGPT was the most mentioned creator of the week.
In addition to AI and creator, curiosity was another word I heard over and over again.
Every panel hosted by a brand, platform, or agency seemed to have a creator guest star, whether that was a reality star, mega influencer, podcaster, athlete, or writer.
Bravo was everywhere.
Brands like Adobe are creating partnership roles for “new media” to partner with newsletter writers, podcasters, marketing-focused creators, etc. A new industry is booming, and it is not too late to be a part of it.
I watched A-Rod take notes at Mel Robbins and Microsoft’s panel…Celebs, they are just like us.
Balenciaga x Substack x Plum Sykes hosted a panel where they announced that Balenciaga will be one of the first brand sponsors on Substack. The conversation felt especially relevant to where luxury and newsletters are heading.
Substack writers are becoming the new front row because they actually own the relationship with their audience. She talked about how at Vogue, you had the platform, but you did not own your audience. On Substack, you do.
Brands should treat writers the way they have always treated editors. They are not “just” newsletter writers. They are tastemakers with direct access to their audience.
Ralph Lauren and Tory Burch were both called out as brands working with Substack writers around their shows, which feels like a sign of where luxury is going.
Casey Lewis, Emily Sundberg, and their manager, Max Stein, also hosted a panel at Collins House called The Publisher is the Product. The conversation picked up on a lot of the same questions around what we actually call people building modern media businesses.
Both Casey and Emily said they do not necessarily identify as creators, but they would not be offended if someone referred to them as one.
Brands often have trouble figuring out how to work with them because they do so much more than just write. They write, consult for brands, create reports, host webinars, and build larger projects around their expertise.
Max said his perception is that a creator is often trying to promote themselves, while Emily and Casey are writing newsletters that report on other things, which goes back to the question: are they media, journalists, creators, or something else?
The quality of the reader matters more than scale. If CMOs are reading your newsletter, that is more important than 10 readers who are not movers and shakers. You can also target specific readers because these writers know their audiences deeply, and Substack gives them those insights.
I loved how Casey described how she thinks about After School and her career: “I think of After School as a multi-prong studio because the newsletter drives larger projects. I recently did a report with Spotify, followed by a webinar, and then they sponsored a newsletter. I think about After School as something that allows me to do all of these projects. If I still worked at Teen Vogue, I wouldn’t be able to consult with these brands, and I’m able to scratch the itch on all these things. Thinking about what is next is what drives me.”
At the end of the conversation, they circled back to how they would describe themselves and landed on: Creative Professionals, New Media, and Professionally in the Know.
Thank you again to Fohr for giving me the opportunity to attend Cannes and leave with a refreshed outlook on my career and what Following Up could become in the next year.
Now for the typical Open Tabs, because influencer happenings did not stop while I was in France:
Cartier hosted influencers in New York City to celebrate their new Clash Collection.
Liz Joy’s hosted a brand trip for her brand, Marea, in Nantucket with a lobster beachside dinner, a workout class hosted by FORM instructor Gracie Freyre Sands, and custom Marea gifts displayed in each hotel room. Content from the trip is already live on the site to shop.
Birkenstock hosted a brand trip in Newport, Rhode Island. I love all the New England summer content!
Banana Republic launched a campaign to highlight their latest archive collection drop with 70+ pieces.
Ilia Beauty x Crown Affair launched a collaboration for “The Out-the-Door Ritual,” including ILIA mascara and moisturizer, Crown Affair Leave-In Conditioner, and a limited-edition pink hair towel. In addition to seeding the collaboration mailer and partnering with influencers on content, they hosted an event at From Lucie in New York with a limited-edition sweet treat.
Rothy’s hosted a picnic in Central Park with moms and their kids to kick off summer in their Rothy’s shoes. There was painting, bubbles, a beautiful picnic spread, and plenty of games.
Molly Ford hosted a Toast Night with Book of the Month where everyone was given a copy of Nymph by Sofia Montrone.
Notes by MERIT launched a new mascara this week. In addition to mailers going to their influencer community, they hosted a community event in New York and a larger influencer dinner in LA, where the mascara, eyelash curler, and compact were presented on lacquer serving trays. The evening looked stunning!
Saie launched three new SuperSuede blushes and hosted an event in New York where people were able to try the product and get color matched.
Ralph Lauren hosted an event in their New York store to kick off their partnership with Wimbledon. Ball boys and girls were dressed in their uniforms to greet guests, with the Wimbledon Ralph Lauren merch on display. There was also a panel on sportsmanship, legacy, and timeless style. All my favorite pieces are already sold out from this rugby to this sweatshirt!
Well Said By Madewell hosted influencers out East to celebrate their new store in Sag Harbor. Everyone was dressed in head-to-toe Madewell to celebrate over cocktails. Honestly, it looks like a great place to shop ahead of the 4th of July weekend.
Other Things I Saw This Week: Hill House Home x Williams Sonoma launched this week, Thom Browne sat influencers front row in Milan, Kit Keenan x Roller Rabbit announced a partnership, Shopmy x Puck hosted a dinner in London, and Meta launched their new glasses with a New York party and a campaign featuring Kylie Jenner.
Things I’ve Been Influenced By: Jessie Randall’s substack on packing influenced me to take photos of my outfits ahead of travel, which made packing in a carry-on so much easier. It also made it easier to not overthink what I was wearing each day and night. I had fun documenting everything I wore on my trip (and plenty of LR was coincidentally included)!
Looove all the Cannes notes!!!
Oh good morning 🤍 love it!