Live in Cannes: Creative strategy in a changing world

It's Day 1 of Cannes Lions! Today, new research reveals that the top 10 ads preferred by AI versus humans are almost completely different, BYD’s extraordinary journey from homegrown China brand to global automotive giant, and lessons in localising global brands from Heineken. Hosted by WARC's Rica Facundo. This podcast is sponsored by Circana. Check out Circana.com/warc for more info.

Guests:
Sir Martin Sorrell, Executive Chairman, S4 Capital
Stella Li, Executive Vice President of BYD Company Limited and CEO of BYD Americas, Europe, Middle East and Africa
Siew Ting Foo, CEO, Soul for Profit Advisory
Tom Roach, VP - Brand Strategy, Jellyfish
David DuBois, Associate Professor of Marketing, INSEAD
Natasha Wallace, Chief Solutions Officer & MD, Jellyfish
Dana Katz, Heineken® Integrated Communication Director
Stephan Schwarz, Executive Creative Director, LePub Singapore
Rica Facundo, Managing Editor - APAC, WARC

Chapters:
00:00 – Intro: WARC Cannes Lions 2026 Special
01:17 – Retail Media Measurement with Circana Liquid Mix
03:11 – Creativity for Dual Audiences: Introducing Jellyfish & INSEAD Research
04:20 – Humans vs AI: How Ads Differ When Machines Do the Judging
06:32 – Emotional Storytelling vs Rational Signals in AI-Era Creativity
07:59 – Luxury & Premium Advertising: When AI Misreads Desire Cues
10:34 – Influence Mix, YouTube and Advocacy: Training the Models on Your Brand
13:21 – What Is Contextual Brand Architecture?
18:53 – China’s Second Chu Hai Wave: How Chinese Brands Go Global with Soul
21:02 – From Price to Meaning: Explaining the Chu Hai Brand Growth Model
23:12 – Martin Sorrell on Geopolitics, China and the New Global Expansion Playbook
26:33 – BYD’s Globalisation Strategy: Localising Chinese EV Innovation for the West
29:22 – Speed, Agility, Emotion and Culture: What’s Next in the BYD Playbook
32:37 – Cultural Relevance in APAC: Heineken and Le Pub on “No Single Asia”
39:23 – Balancing Global Scale with Local Nuance

For 40 years, WARC has been providing the marketing industry with rigorous, unbiased evidence and expert effectiveness guidance. The WARC Podcast publishes a new episode every Tuesday and Thursday.

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