Cannes 2013: 'Good technology is not an excuse for a bad idea'; ‘Marketing now isn't just marketing’

Leo Burnett's newly appointed appointed global head of social and mobile James Kirkham, and Paul Kemp-Robertson, co-founder and editorial director, Contagious Communications, took the audience through the future of advertising on day three of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2013. The duo looked ahead to the next five years and the advancements technology could make during the time in their session titled 'Wildfire'.

Robertson said, "The impact of new technology will change the lives of consumers. Some of the technology we're expecting in the next five years seem like miraculous wonders right now, but we won't be able to do without it, once it’s implemented. Marketing now, isn't just marketing. The deeper you engage your brand with the consumer, the better it will be for your brand."

"No point being the first or the fastest with technology unless it brings value to people. Consumers can't be programmed. In a world of algorithms and numbers, human creativity is still extremely important," added Robertson.

Kirkham then spoke about something he and his team were discussing at agency Holler. "At Holler, we have been talking about symbiotic relations between brands and people for a while. People will talk about brands and promote them, if the latter works for them."

With the help of visuals, the duo then described three hypothetical situations one could face in the next five years and how technology will be a major help.

The three situations were titled Manflu 2.0, Haptic Hijack and Augmented Ally.

Under Manflu 2.0, the duo explained how technology would help a man who woke up, slightly ill, to have a complete check up of his body by the time he finishes brushing his teeth. Face-recognition, cognitive computing and epidermal electronics were the three technology enablers in this scenario.

The second situation, Haptic Hijack, was based on how a man, who hadn't used his suit for a year, could get a new one that fit perfectly without having to visit a store. Sitting in his office, a man with the help of a computer screen as an haptic device could get the feel of what cloth he required and even get the perfect fit. The same man was then shown getting to his house and seeing his kid play a game on a console. Using 'IllumiRoom' technology, the player would get a feeling of reality, through the game.

Through the third situation, Augmented Ally, the duo explained how a lady who entered a party could check the LinkedIn profile of each and every person in the room, without having to access a device. A chip in her eye would help her gain all the information she required about the people at the party.

"If these developments take place in the next five years, privacy (space and time) will be the new commodity consumers will be looking for," said Kirkham.

The duo ended the session by stressing on the importance of creativity. Robertson said, "Good technology is not an excuse for a bad idea. Best is better than first, so brands would rather take their time, but develop something strong."