Sorrell threatens to pull out of Cannes as doubts over ‘value’ and relevance grow

June 29, 2016 10:17

WPP CEO Sir Martin Sorrell has threatened to pull out of Cannes as the cost and complexity of the festival grows and questions continue about the ease of scams winning awards.

sir martin sorrell - wpp Sorrell used an interview with Advertising Age, America’s most influential marketing trade publication, to fire a warning shot at Cannes’ organisers, by claiming the world’s largest marketing communications company and a major financial contributor to Cannes, needed to rethink its involvement.

“I think there are some arguments that it’s got too big and it’s got too sort of hectic, and maybe has got oversized,” Sorrell said.

“Maybe because in the drive to cram revenue in the organisers have broadened it too far.

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Simon Canning

Simon Canning was Mumbrella's marketing and advertising editor from 2015-2017. In a career spanning journalism and communications over more than 30 years Simon has become one of Australia’s most respected analysts and commentators on the advertising, marketing and media industries. A regular commentator on radio and TV, Simon has also worked in media in the US and UK .

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1 COMMENTS

Jon Haywood 6 Jul 16

At last! I thought it was only the likes of Rory Sutherland who recognise when the audience we start trying to impress is our industry peers, we stop innovating.

From the perspective of a Strategic Planner, when the effectiveness part of the puzzle is ignored (i.e.”Did it solve the business problem?”) and it’s judged on a crafting dimension only, then we’re rewarding ideas for all the wrong reasons.

Maybe this will be a wake up call?

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