Every brand has a story to tell in the modern era of reaching consumers across a multitude of platforms. Storytelling is key to leaving a lasting impact for the brand on the audience. The job of leading marketing for a major Fortune 500 brand is now the art of deciding how, when and in what manner to express that message.
This was one of the major conclusions from a lively panel held June 22 at the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity. Variety Brand Entertainment for Fans, presented by Walmart Connect, was held at the retail giant’s Walmart Connect/Vizio installation at the Hotel Majestic in Cannes. The session brought together Seth Dallaire, executive VP and chief growth officer for Walmart U.S.; Tim Ellis, CMO of the NFL; Dustee Jenkins, chief public affairs officer for Spotify; and Han Wen, chief digital and marketing officer of L’Oreal USA, for a candid conversation about the challenges and opportunities of reaching consumers and building brands.
Even a brand name as ubiquitous as Walmart is always looking to strengthen its customer base. When Walmart made reaching Hispanic men a priority, the marketing team turned to Major League Soccer is a vehicle for position Walmart as a friend to soccer fans by giving heavy promotion to marquee matchups in a way that fans had not seen in English-language media.
