How AI, Quality, and Collaboration Are Redefining Cannes Lions 2025 for Publishers
Each year, the Croisette takes centre stage of the global advertising industry, where beachfront cabanas host strategy sessions, rosé-fueled discussions spark creative ideas, and the industry’s most innovative trends are shaped. At Cannes Lions 2025, the spotlight is on moving beyond AI hype to practical applications that help publishers thrive in a privacy-first and performance-driven world.
The buzzwords are still present - AI, clean rooms, curation, but they’re now attached to real-world business applications. Industry leaders are no longer theorising; they’re implementing. This year, the focus is clear: outcomes over optics.
From Potential to Performance: The Rise of Data Collaboration
Publishers who were once hesitant about sharing data now find themselves central to some of the industry's most innovative strategies, thanks to privacy-preserving tools like clean rooms.
"While in previous years at Cannes we've heard a lot of talk about the potential of data clean rooms, we now have numerous tangible examples we can use to illustrate just what can be achieved through smart and secure collaboration,” says Alistair Bastian, CTO at InfoSum.
“Brands are working with publishers and other stakeholders to build private data networks that facilitate some of the most innovative advertising strategies we've ever seen, unlocking new opportunities and driving better outcomes."
Clean rooms have become increasingly essential, enabling publishers to use data responsibly while protecting user privacy.
AI: The ‘Artificial’ Elephant on the Beach
Artificial Intelligence is no longer a novelty. It’s a necessity. For publishers, AI represents both an existential challenge and a generational opportunity. This year will see actual AI models being implemented at different levels of the digital advertising ecosystem.
“As economic headwinds are reshaping the industry’s budgets (and their priorities), I expect Cannes this year to focus on the ‘artificial’ elephant in the room – AI,” says Geoffroy Martin, CEO at Ogury.
“The media ecosystem finds itself at a turning point, with zero-click searches and custom-generated pages on the fly having a significant impact on publisher traffic and ad revenue."
Martin anticipates meaningful discussions on how AI intersects with the fundamentals of publishing.
“I expect discussions on the Croisette to be centred around real challenges like data usage, search traffic and regulation of AI platforms and tools, and how the advertising industry can leverage those tools to optimise spend and efficiency.
“The need of the hour isn’t a spectacle, it’s real outcomes and improvements – and that is what AI is poised to accomplish for brands, agencies, publishers and adtech providers… We’re now in an era of moving beyond the hype, the buzzwords, the quick wins, in favour of long-term results.”
Media Quality Takes the Centre Stage
As programmatic advertising evolves, publishers are being pushed to prioritise media quality, not just for buyer trust, but for sustainable monetisation.
“As we all get ready to meet in Cannes again, there’s a foundational topic that we need to address: media quality,” says Tyler Romasco, SVP, Global Publisher Development at OpenX.
“We’ve gotten to a place where scale is often prioritised over quality and performance, but with issues like MFA, fraud, bot traffic, and multi-hop reselling, it’s time for a mindset change."
“Yes, scale matters, but there’s a finite amount of real, high-quality inventory in the market. The truth is that quality is what drives better outcomes. Media quality is going to be a huge differentiator moving forward. We’ve already seen buyers get really smart on things like MFA, and now they’re digging into gamification tactics like multi-hop reselling and multi-tapping.”
For publishers, the takeaway is simple: quality isn’t optional—it’s a competitive advantage.
Curation and Privacy: The New Rules of Engagement
With user privacy tightening and demand for efficiency rising, publishers are turning to curation, not only of audiences but of inventory, as a way to differentiate themselves from competitors.
“At Cannes 2025, conversations with publishers will likely revolve around two key themes—curation—of both inventory and audiences—and the evolving privacy landscape,” says Sarah Robertson, Chief Product Officer, Experian Marketing Services.
“Historically, publishers have been cautious about curation. However, recent advancements in sell-side curation technology are shifting that perspective, making it a topic worth discussing. On top of that, curation—especially on the sell-side—means developing audiences in a way that’s attractive to advertisers. To do this effectively, publishers need rich, reliable data and while many publishers are advancing their first-party data strategies, scaling and enriching that data remains a key challenge.”
“In addition, the shifting privacy landscape and the push for more efficient supply paths are also reshaping how advertisers and publishers interact.”
“Direct relationships are becoming more common, and data collaborations are enabling innovative, contextually relevant campaigns that enhance user experience. This makes Cannes a pivotal moment for publishers—not only to deepen relationships, forge new ones and unlock new opportunities.”
Cannes Lions 2025 is more than a hub for creativity; it’s where strategy takes centre stage. For publishers, it’s a chance to reset, with AI, data, and quality in sharp focus. The real value lies in developing lasting strategies founded on trust and performance.
