Non-Endemic Marketing at Cannes 2016 – Insights from Our Visit to the Global Film Industry Event

During our visit last month to Cannes 2016, the annual 12-day event in the South of France, it was hard to miss the marketing campaign for The Harmonist.

There were 17 two-story high banners for The Harmonist (see full size photo) posted across the front of the historic InterContinental Carlton Cannes on The Promenade de la Croisette, the busiest street in the city during the event.

In addition to this eye-catching promotion, there was a wallscape, a massive ad for The Harmonist attached to two sides of the exterior of a building, at a high-traffic intersection on the Croisette across from The Palais des Festivals, the official venue for the Festival des Cannes, and co-located b2b component, Marche du Film.

Add to this outdoor advertising a star-studded launch party for The Harmonist on the beach at Cannes 2016 that generated major media coverage.

We highlight this major campaign because it was not for a film but rather for the launch of a new fragrance line.  This non-endemic marketing program was one of several that we saw for companies that are not in the film industry.

From the campaign for The Harmonist and advertising in the trade pub show dailies, such as a three-page ad for Grey Goose, to official partnerships with the festival organizer, which provided a high-profile marketing activation platform for Renault, Nestle, Kering and other leading companies across multiple industries, non-endemic marketing was pervasive at Cannes 2016.

Non-endemic marketing enables sponsors and advertisers to access new audiences at exhibitions and events that sync with their demos and over index on buying potential, and provides show organizers a way to drive incremental revenue by expanding the sponsor and advertiser prospect universe beyond the specific industry of the show.

We have also seen favorable results from the use of non-endemic marketing for attendee acquisition campaigns for our clients’ exhibitions and events.

While some non-endemic marketing may be obvious to you providing low-hanging fruit which you can go after first, other non-endemic opportunities will be far from obvious, and require a different mindset, resources and time to recognize and leverage.

Start thinking beyond your specific space… you may find it very beneficial!

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Posted on June 8, 2016