10 standout quotes from insights and marketing leaders on the Cannes Lions stage

The best thing about Cannes Lions isn't the trophies — it's the people. 

Every year, some of the world's most influential marketers and insights leaders gather on the French Riviera to share their ideas and the opportunities shaping the future.

There have been so many incredible sessions we’ve attended and conversations we’ve had that have already given us so much to think about well beyond this year’s event! 

To share the inspiration, here’s a list of some of the most impactful quotes we’ve heard at the festival so far. 

1. "If you need more than one slide for your distinctive brand assets and your positioning, it's over."

Straight from Mark Ritson in his session with Byron Sharp on marketing truths they agree on, this standout quote from Ritson emphasizes how distinctive brand assets (the visual and sensory cues that make a brand immediately recognizable) are absolutely essential. Full stop.

He shared that consumers notice a brand, on average, only twice a year — arguing that when those rare moments of attention occur, the brand must be instantly identifiable or else that moment is wasted. 

2. "The real test of a brand is if people keep telling your stories when you're not in the room anymore."

Leandro Barreto, CMO at Unilever, delivered a passionate keynote speech on why modern marketing has lost its way. His core argument being: You need to stop asking what your brand wants to say, and start asking what others want to say about your brand.

He stated that the real test of a brand is whether people keep telling your stories when you're not in the room — which is a test most brands fail. Not because the creative isn't working, but because the content wasn't meaningful enough to their audience to be shared.

3. “Data is not important if you don't use it." 

At FQ Beach, Fabiola Torres, Global CMO at GAP, took a moment to highlight the importance of consumer data and how it’s the glue that connects GAP to their consumer and ultimately to emotion — with the great reminder that that's only possible if you actually use it across your business to make decisions. 

4. “Go deep. Go to that place. A lot of the best things are just from being a genuine student of the world — seeing what's out there." 

Todd Kaplan, CMO North America, Kraft Heinz beautifully shared during the session “Variety in the C-Suite: The Dynamic Intersection of Brand & Culture” alongside Taylor Montgomery, Global Chief Brand Officer, Taco Bell — two brand leaders known for their culturally resonant work. 

This was during a moment where the two honed in on the idea that great cultural insight comes not only from formal, legitimate research processes, but also having a genuine curiosity and being out in the world. 

5. “What is the job of advertising? People need to understand what brand it is for. 70% of ads fail on that.” 

Brand recognition has certainly been a hot topic this year, with Oksana Sobol, Vice President Insights, Analytics and Data Science at The Clorox Company also stressing the importance of using consumer insights to recognize brand recall in advertising in her session “Insights to Impact Throwdown: Rigour vs Intuition.” 

This debate-style panel addressed today’s most pressing questions through the lens of creative development and research, where Sobol landed this shining point — that brands not only need to know what the goal of their ad is, but that consumers also need to understand it and be clear on who it’s an ad for. Otherwise, what was its purpose?

6. “Segment people by passions, not demographics.” 

Julia Goldin, Chief Product & Marketing Officer / Executive Vice President at the LEGO Group, shared this refreshing take on segmentation during The Female Quotient’s “Owning the Growth Mandate” CMO session at FQ Beach. 

She explained how people shouldn’t simply be segmented by their demographics, but by their likes, interests, values and passions. After all, you can’t truly understand who you’re speaking to and what their wants and needs actually are if they’re being solely limited to statistical characteristics.

7. “Greatness comes with trust. With the right people alongside you, you can take risks together.”

Marcel Marcondes, CMO at AB InBev, shared this while being awarded the title of Creative Marketer of the Year (for the third time!). This was in reference to the company’s 15 different agency partners they work with to make everything happen — what Marcondes calls their "Justice League." 

He shares that these relationships are built on constant communication, shared ideas and genuine trust, which is ultimately what leads them all to be able to achieve greatness, together.

8. “Participatory entertainment is the future.”

David Tinson, Chief Experience Officer at Electronic Arts (EA), aptly explained a behavior we’ve noted as the new norm as well. The age-old big budget ads aren’t always what captures the greatest attention in marketing anymore, even at large scale events like the World Cup. 

People want to feel like part of the experience and part of a conversation, meaning the brands that win are those that become part of the fan experience rather than interrupting it.

9. “Stop trying to predict what the future is; start leveraging what is today. The future is already here.” 

In his closing keynote session earlier in the week, Kirti Singh, Chief Analytics & Insights Officer at P&G, offered insight into the one constant at P&G: the consumer is still the boss. 

He shares that in order to create products consumers truly want and love there has to be a tireless effort to deeply understand their needs and habits — something that requires a constant pulse to know where they are now and see where they are headed.

10. “For a very long time I resisted being called a brand. I felt it took away from my authenticity. I now realize my heart is my brand.”

While not a marketing or insights leader, we simply couldn’t leave Oprah out of this list of inspiring quotes from Cannes as she received the 2026 LionHeart Award. 

This quote magnificently illustrates the notion that you should keep your heart at the center of what you do. Whether you’re an icon like Oprah or a brand in the traditional sense — keep your values, your people and your mission at the center of everything you do.

Long after the final Lions are handed out, the ideas and insights shared by these marketing leaders will continue to influence conversations across the industry. 

Stay tuned throughout the week for more content from us at Cannes and be sure to follow along on LinkedIn for an inside look at this year’s big event!