I’m biased because I’m half French. But I genuinely believe the best marketers, and those I heard from on stage at Cannes, are the ones translating the world of marketing for the world of finance.
I came to Cannes Lions expecting to hear a lot about AI. And I did. It was everywhere.
It dominated conversations on stage, came up in almost every chat I had over coffee (or rosé), and even in the occasional sprint between brand hubs in 31+ degree heat.
What I didn’t expect was how often the conversation would turn to finance.
Not in a doom-and-gloom, budget-cutting kind of way—more in a “how are marketers actually demonstrating value and ROI on their marketing budgets today?” way.
Some of the most interesting discussions I heard throughout the week came from a Campaign House panel at Cannes. CMOs and brand leaders talked candidly about their relationships with CFOs and finance teams—especially how important those relationships have become as marketing leaders fight for investment, influence, and a seat in the boardroom.
Although I’m in an agency, I see it constantly: comms people and finance leaders often speak completely different languages.
As communicators, we’re used to talking about reputation, awareness, audience engagement, media impact, share of voice, and brand visibility. We spend our waking minutes thinking about how brands show up in culture, how they build trust, and how they create connections with the audiences they desperately want to reach and influence.
Finance teams are focused on a different set of metrics:
- Revenue growth
- Forecasting
- Pipeline
- Margin
- Customer acquisition
- Long-term profitability
Ultimately, both are working toward the same goal: brand success and legacy.
One of my biggest takeaways from Cannes was this: the marketers who seem to be having the most influence aren’t necessarily the ones shouting loudest about marketing. They’re the ones translating marketing into commercial impact.
One session that particularly stayed with me featured the CMO at Paddy Power and Škoda Auto, talking about how they engage their CFOs.
Rather than focusing on click-through rates or awareness metrics, they talked about bringing hard business outcomes and finance-first data into the conversation, along with questions that help frame what’s really at stake:
- What will happen if marketing investment is reduced?
- What will happen if fewer people discover the brand?
- What will happen if demand generation slows?
For Meredith Kelly, CMO at Škoda Auto, budget conversations are framed around how many vehicles might have to be removed from the future sales pipeline if marketing investment is cut.
That’s the real hitter for finance teams: what happens to the all-important sales pipeline if marketing gets cut, or worse, if it stops turning altogether?
That’s the language finance leaders understand immediately. Not because they don’t value marketing or don’t want to learn comms lingo, but because they’re accountable for overall business performance.
And the more I thought about it, the more I realized the same principle applies across our industry.
Relationships matter. Connections Matter.
Not just with journalists, creators, clients, and prospects—but internally too.
One reason some marketing leaders may secure budget more effectively than others is that they’ve invested time understanding the pressures their CFOs face. They also understand it’s not “the CFO,” it’s a colleague.
It’s someone they’ve built a relationship with, and someone who may actually fight harder for the budget because of the relationship you’ve taken the time to build.
It’s no different from agency life.
The strongest client relationships aren’t necessarily built when you’re presenting campaign results. They’re built through regular conversations, mutual understanding, offering advice and counsel, and consistently demonstrating value over time.
The same is true with finance. People don’t buy from brands they’ve never heard of. They buy from brands they recognize and trust.
That visibility might come from a creative campaign. It could come from an influencer partnership. It could come from a digital-out-of-home ad on the Elizabeth Line, a digital campaign, a conference appearance, or thought leadership in a key trade or national publication.
More often than not, it’s a combination of all of those things working together.
Marketing and communications create the conditions for growth long before somebody enters a sales funnel
Why PR Now Has an Even Bigger Role to Play Than Many People Realize
As consumers increasingly turn to AI platforms alongside traditional search engines, earned media is taking on a new level of importance.
People are asking AI and LLMs about brands, products, providers, and services. They’re comparing options and looking for recommendations before making decisions.
Where do those answers come from?
Often from the very publications and thought leadership programs PR teams work so hard to secure every day — built on years of relationship building and trust.
The visibility we create isn’t just shaping reputation anymore; it’s shaping brands’ discoverability.
And if discoverability influences consideration, and consideration influences sales, then perhaps communications professionals need to get more comfortable explaining our value in commercial terms too.
For me, that was one of the most interesting lessons from Cannes.
The best marketers are becoming translators. They’re doing another communications classic: connecting creative with commerce—creatively.
And perhaps most importantly, they’re learning how to tell the story of marketing in a language everyone in the boardroom can understand.
FAQ
What was the biggest takeaway from Cannes Lions this year?
Marketers are increasingly expected to translate brand and communications activity into commercial outcomes, in terms that resonate with CFOs and business leaders.
Why are relationships with CFOs becoming more important for marketers?
Marketing budgets are under increasing scrutiny. Trusted relationships with finance teams and a shared understanding of business objectives, help marketers secure investment and influence.
What does the article mean by marketers becoming translators?
It means connecting brand-building, reputation, and creativity to measurable business outcomes such as growth, demand, and revenue.
How does PR contribute to business growth?
PR builds trust, visibility, and authority through earned media, thought leadership, and third-party validation, shaping perception and influencing consideration.
Why is AI making PR more important?
As consumers use AI-powered platforms to research brands and products, earned media and authoritative coverage increasingly influence what those systems surface for discovery and recommendations.