Cannes: Relationships over algorithms
Insights from an Earned First/Zeno dinner that brought together marketing and communications leaders as Cannes 2026 drew to a close.
As Cannes Lions 2026 drew to a close, Earned First and Zeno Group convened a small group of senior marketing and communications leaders to discuss the insights they are taking away from this year's festival.
The discussion was framed in part by Zeno's Clarity 2030 research, which examines how CMO mandates and attitudes to reputation are shifting. Participants brought perspectives from technology, media, non-profit and professional services sectors, and several geographies. The conversation ranged across AI adoption, the CMO-CCO relationship, brand trust in an era of LLMs, and changing media consumption habits. All remarks are unattributed under Chatham House rules.
Participants:
- Abhinav Kumar, CMO, TCS
- Anusha Alikhan, chief communications officer, Wikimedia
- Arun Sudhaman, founding editor, Earned First
- Barby Siegel, CEO, Zeno Group
- Dr Candace Steele Flippin, VP, thought leadership & professional development, Page Society
- Dani Siemon, SVP, consumer technology, Zeno Group
- David Blecken, research & insights editor, Earned First
- Ellen Ryan Mardiks, chair, Golin Ketchum
- Nishita Virkar, acting director of strategic communications, DCT Abu Dhabi
- Prerna Suri, VP, communications Asia & Middle East, Sony Music Entertainment
- Rebecca Wagstaffe, head of business development Europe, Zeno Group
- Thomas Bunn, chief client impact officer, Zeno Group
