By Henry Tam, Jr., SVP of Sales, Affinity Solutions
It’s been a week since Cannes wrapped, and the buzz has started to settle. But in looking back, one thing is clear: the marketing industry is in the middle of a reset.
This isn’t just about the usual buzzwords—AI, retail media, clean rooms. It’s about a shift in expectations. Marketers are being asked to prove value, not just promise it. AI must be guided by human intent. Media platforms must align with business goals. Data collaboration must lead to real decisions. And across all of it, we must agree on a core question:
What outcome are we trying to achieve and how do we prove we’ve achieved it?
Cannes 2025 didn’t just showcase what’s new. It revealed a new mandate: from possible to provable. Here’s where that came through most clearly:
1. AI Is Everywhere, But It Needs an Outcome Mindset
AI was everywhere at Cannes, but the conversation is shifting from what it can automate to whether it’s optimizing for the right outcomes.
At The TV Measurement Maze panel, Horizon Media’s Alex Stone warned that unchecked AI can drive media into the wrong environments—technically efficient, but disconnected from brand goals like equity, safety, or sentiment.
At EY’s “Purpose and Precision” event, panelists raised a key point: AI will get us to the answer faster. But if we’re asking the wrong question, it’s a liability.
It’s not enough to deploy AI. We have to define the intent behind it. Whether it’s attention, conversion, loyalty, or cultural resonance, the desired outcomes must be set before automation begins. Without clear goals, AI risks optimizing noise, not value.
The takeaway: AI isn’t the strategy. The outcome is.
2. When Everyone Wins
Retail media has always been outcome-driven, but Cannes revealed a broader shift: it’s not just about proving performance, it’s about designing systems where value is shared across the ecosystem.
At the Beet.TV Retail Media Exchange hosted by CVS Media Exchange, and in sessions with Reddit and Haleon, the conversation moved beyond campaign efficiency to focus on partnership. CVS spoke about being a decision partner, using health and behavioral data to inform how brands show up. Reddit offered a vision of media as cultural context, where Haleon could join real conversations before the moment of purchase.
The result isn’t just media delivery, it’s mutual benefit:
- Retailers bring data and access.
- Media platforms contribute cultural fluency.
- Brands shape the message and intent.
- And consumers receive experiences that are timely, relevant, and useful.
This isn’t about ownership, it’s about co-creating value. The most forward-thinking players aren’t optimizing in silos; they’re aligning around shared outcomes and building the infrastructure to support that alignment at scale.
3. Clean Rooms Are Hot, But Clarity Is Lacking
Clean rooms are everywhere but too often they feel like infrastructure in search of alignment.
On the Prove It panel, Damian Garbaccio of Affinity Solutions called out the gap: most clean rooms prioritize data security, but overlook user experience, actionability, and strategic purpose. Too many partners are uploading data, and too few are leaving with insight they can use.
What’s missing isn’t technology, it’s intent. Why are we collaborating? What are we trying to answer together? Until those questions are clear, clean rooms will remain underutilized.
The real opportunity lies in turning clean rooms into decision spaces where shared data surfaces shared metrics, tied to shared business goals. That’s what makes collaboration provable.
Closing Reflection
Cannes 2025 wasn’t just a showcase of innovation; it was a clear signal that the rules are changing:
- AI can scale execution, but only if it’s anchored in clear, human-led intent.
- Retail media is evolving into a shared-value system where outcomes are designed, not just measured.
- Clean rooms will only matter if they facilitate not just access, but aligned action.
Across every conversation, one truth kept surfacing: Outcomes aren’t just metrics, they’re choices. They reflect what we prioritize, how we partner, and whether we’re willing to define success before we try to measure it.
The next phase of marketing belongs to those who can align early, collaborate openly, and prove value—together.
