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Opinion

Kindness is not about being nice. It is about caring enough to be direct, honest and committed to everyone’s professional growth.

The platforms have taken the Croisette, the beaches keep changing hands and the AI companies are arriving in force. We asked senior figures across brand, agency, media and adtech who the festival is really for in 2026, and what that says about where the business is heading.

Are we, in our quest for standardised processes and automated solutions, sacrificing the very strategic, bespoke thinking that defines truly impactful media planning? asks Caroline Manning.