Live from Cannes: The State of Digital Media with LUMA’s Conor McKenna

You’re in for a treat this week, CAOs! We’re airing not one but two—count ‘em, two ✌️—special episodes of the Media Roundtable! 

First, if you missed out on Cannes Lions 2024, we have you covered. Dan Granger (CEO & Founder, Oxford Road) jumped in the booth at Spotify’s Podcast Studio at Cannes to talk with Conor McKenna (Partner, LUMA). 

Together, they channel all the excitement and buzz from the festival into an engaging conversation, packed with insights from their week on the Riviera. We’re talking about creativity's role in marketing, forecasts for the macro environment in 2025, the value of AI in audio, and so much more. Here’s a teaser: 

  • Rethinking Creativity at Cannes 🤔: People familiar with David Ogilvy may remember his famous quote; “Creativity is the most dangerous word in the lexicon of advertising.” While creativity and originality might not be the only elements bringing in revenue, they’re a HUGE part of the equation for crafting meaningful ads. Dan and Conor discuss the merits of creativity in marketing coming off of Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2024 and dive deep into why it’s at the heart of any strong ad campaign. 

  • Surviving, Reviving and Thriving 📈: Conor shares his insights from LUMA’s recent State of Digital presentation, breaking them down in detail on the pod— TL;DR 2023 was a year of layoffs where many brands prioritized tech over people. In that context, 2023 was about Surviving. 2024 is about Reviving. And 2025 will be about Thriving. 

  • Podcasters are Creators—Not Brands 🧑‍🎨: When we think about monetizing audio, especially in podcasts, it’s important to keep in mind what makes this medium unique. Podcasters forge authentic connections with their listeners through their own creative practices and personal endorsements. Conor views podcasters as creators akin to musicians—even though we don’t hear ad breaks in the middle of a Beyoncé album. Podcast ads need to recognize and fit into the creative angle of the medium and the host. 

Listen to the full episode here, to hear audio advertising insights you won’t find anywhere else.

Bianca Gorodinsky