Anushree Ghosh, Head of Digital & D2C at ITC - Foods Division India, was among the few examples from the marketer side who served as a juror at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. In an interview with BW Marketing World, Ghosh shares her experience and insights and also some lessons that can be taken back home to the Indian creative industry.
Being Unbiased In The Jury Process
One of the highlights for Ghosh was the thorough and unbiased approach of the Cannes Lions jury process. "The jury process is holistic," she says, explaining, "It starts with building a community among jurors in each category. The initial virtual meetings help break the ice and build chemistry among jurors. This allows us to understand each other's strengths, weaknesses and belief systems when it comes to evaluating work."
This sense of camaraderie and mutual understanding is further nurtured during the orientation sessions. "The kickoff session is designed to expose us to different perspectives, encouraging us to forget our ethnicities and biases, and come together purely for the love of advertising and good work," Ghosh adds.
Maintaining Objectivity and Quality
"At every step, we are reminded to check our conscious and unconscious biases. The focus is on the quality of work and its potential to go down in history as a reference for future generations. This sense of responsibility makes us more passionate and involved in the process," says Ghosh.
For the Creative Data Lions category, which is still in its early days, Ghosh and her fellow jurors set their benchmarks. "We aimed to cut through the noise and focus on human truth, the core idea, and how it aligns with the brand while driving business results," she explains.
Reflecting On India's Performance
Ghosh acknowledges the potential and opportunities the market presents but some catching up is to be done. "India has so much potential in terms of the stories it can tell. However, in my category, I didn't see much work from India, barring a few notable entries including the Gatorade work that won a Gold."
Highlighting areas where India could focus further on, she says, "In social and influencer marketing, like many global markets if not all, it felt like we are stuck in the past. We need to advance and innovate in these areas. For instance, the Gatorade entry stood out because it was rooted in a pertinent idea from urban planning and civic perspectives while being true to the brand."
Ghosh stresses the importance of long-term thinking and end-to-end consumer engagement. "Consumers today expect demonstrable journeys across mediums. Flash-in-the-pan campaigns aren't making the cut. Brands need to walk the talk and demonstrate what they stand for through comprehensive initiatives."
She also speaks about the need for collaboration between marketers and agencies. "Client-agency partnership is crucial. The responsibility for great work is shared. Marketers need to find opportunities in data, consumer behaviour and brand assets to drive engagement and innovation."
