Cannes reflections: Digital audio bloomed amid maturing infrastructure and strategy
Opinion
Conversations around audio matured along the Croisette this year as brands and agencies increasingly recognised the opportunities in digital audio.
As the sun sets on another year of the biggest date in the advertising world’s calendar, it’s time for the obligatory thoughts and reflections.
If I had to pick one defining shift at Cannes Lions 2025, there’s probably no surprises that it’s the rise of AI. But this year it’s about more than conversations — we’re seeing actual use cases and strategic launches.
For the first time, AI didn’t feel like hype. It felt like infrastructure. Throughout the week, AI moved from a creative gimmick to a core engine for production, media buying, and content distribution; in audio, where the tech is already live and scalable, this is already fairly pronounced.
Another clear trend is that of creative efficiency. Bold ideas are no longer enough -—brands are looking for impact, scalability, and real-world outcomes. As a result, formats that last, resonate, and drive action are finally getting the spotlight they deserve.
All ears on the Croisette
Audio bloomed at Cannes, moving from a channel often regarded as creative, to one that is a measurable, strategic driver in media plans. Conversations were noticeably more mature, and it was inspiring to have brands show up with real business challenges, not just surface-level curiosity.
We saw a big leap in audio literacy with brands and agencies increasingly understanding digital audio and the benefits it offers.
Getting a bit deeper, there were some recuring themes:
- The role of AI in audio: from contextual targeting to voice generation and personalisation, brands want to understand what’s live, what’s scalable, and what’s next.
- The growing need for cross-media measurement: especially when comparing digital audio and radio or understanding how audio complements video strategies.
- The rise of programmatic audio: the infrastructure is finally solid — with robust tech connections now enabling scale, precision, and automation.
We know that planners need numbers, and we have invested heavily in proof-based selling to put real-life metrics on the table. Demonstrating uplift in brand recall or store visits, for example, has been key in shifting the conversation around audio adoption.
It’s also rewarding to see how audio usage itself is evolving and creating new media opportunities. One of these is audio in-video formats — when people listen to videos but don’t watch them — which is emerging as way to complement traditional digital audio campaigns.
As audio becomes more embedded in daily lives, whether through podcasts, connected cars, smart speakers, or video mute scenarios, it’s becoming clear: audio is not a niche. It’s a core media pillar.
And at Cannes 2025, that message came through loud and clear.
Cannes is still relevant
There is always a lot of post-event debate about whether Cannes is still relevant. In our opinion it’s a resounding yes, absolutely — and perhaps even more so for the adtech world.
What was once a playground for creatives has become a strategic arena for tech platforms, data companies, and programmatic leaders.
For us, Cannes is rightfully a celebration of creativity. But it’s also a chance to connect deeply with brands, agencies, and partners who want to make media smarter — and this year audio was firmly on that agenda.
Tips for next year
Cannes is an intense, one-of-a-kind (and this year sun-drenched) festival. To drive the conversations, such as those outlined above, that will ultimately deliver business outcomes, we stuck to a few simple rules:
- Plan ahead but leave space for serendipity. Cannes is built for spontaneous connections — make room for them.
- Stay open. Really open. The magic of Cannes is that everyone’s there and unexpected collaborations can end up making perfect sense.
- Hydrate! It’s seriously hot and meetings are intense — a bottle of water might just be your best business tools.
See you next year.
Elie Kauffmann is head of sales, EMEA at Audion