At Cannes Lions 2024, executives from Omnicom Media Group, MediaSense, and AAR discussed three key challenges for agencies: how to run pitches that attract new clients, how to implement AI systems into workflows, and how approaches to influencer ads are evolving. The main takeaway for brands: pitches are a compatibility check with your partner, and blogger advertising requires integration with your overall media plan and analytics.
Pitches as a compatibility check, not a perfect media plan
Victoria Fox, CEO of consulting firm AAR, compared an agency pitch to an insurance policy: a brand evaluates not a guarantee of results, but the reliability of choosing a partner. Ryan Kangisser, strategy director at MediaSense, added that clients are looking for partners, not flawless presentations. A pitch should show the agency's vulnerabilities—only then does it feel honest and realistic.
Dipti Prakash, operations director of Omnicom Advertising Group, pointed out the gap between pitches and reality: top brand executives sign off on one thing, while teams on the ground face different tasks and KPIs. When technology moves fast, agencies need flexibility, not rigid adherence to documents from six months ago.
AI systems in agencies: culture beats technology
Janzen Bridges, global president of Credera (Omnicom's transformation consulting division), and Paolo Yuvienco, chief technology officer at Omnicom, discussed implementing AI systems that complete tasks without constant human oversight. Conversations about their use are already happening, but the technology is still in its infancy.
The main barrier isn't AI capabilities—it's employee readiness to use it. At Omnicom, they solved this through creating a learning environment and an innovation culture. On the brand side, implementation requires top management support: if leaders back the tool, teams adopt it faster.
A new approach to influencer ads: scale, data, integration
George Manas, director of development and solutions at Omnicom Media, presented an updated approach to influencer ads. First principle: influence is not just about blogger reach, it's about analytics. Brands need tools that cut through information noise and deliver measurable results.
Effective influence requires integration and a unified consumer experience across all touchpoints—from a blogger's post to a banner in an app.
Second principle: blogger advertising should be part of a unified media plan that accounts for all channels. Influencer ads work best when integrated with other formats, considering CPM, frequency, and attribution. Third principle: agencies use media buying and partnership data to unlock previously unavailable formats for brands—for example, sports sponsorships through bloggers.
Manas emphasized that over the past year and a half, Omnicom Media significantly strengthened its creative team and expanded its sports division, enabling them to offer clients solutions that didn't exist in 2023.
What this means for Russian brands
Russian influencer ads are moving in the same direction: brands expect agencies to deliver not just blogger selection with the right reach, but KPI forecasting, integration with other channels, and transparent analytics. A pitch is a compatibility check between the agency team and your brand's internal processes, not a final media plan. Process flexibility when adjusting strategy after campaign launch becomes a competitive advantage. An experienced influencer agency, such as the ETC team, builds this flexibility into the process: from blogger selection to media buying and reporting, adapting strategy based on real results.
Frequently asked questions
What is an AI system for marketing task automation
It's an artificial intelligence-based system that performs tasks without constant human supervision—for example, selecting bloggers based on KPIs or optimizing a media plan. The technology is just beginning to enter agencies, and the main barrier is employee readiness to use it.
How to choose an influencer agency for blogger advertising
A pitch shows team compatibility and agency culture, not guaranteed results. Look for process flexibility, analytics transparency, and the ability to integrate influencer ads with other channels in your media plan. An agency's openness about challenges is a sign of honesty, not weakness.
Why integrate influencer ads with other channels
A standalone blogger campaign doesn't create a unified consumer experience and makes attribution difficult. Integration lets you account for frequency, CPM, and synergies with other formats—this improves budget efficiency and simplifies KPI forecasting.
In brief
- Agency pitches are a compatibility check of teams and culture, not a flawless presentation of future work with a fixed media plan.
- AI systems are entering agency workflows, but the barrier isn't technology—it's employee and client readiness to implement them.
- The approach to influencer ads now rests on three principles: scale plus analytics, integration with other channels, and using media buying for partnerships.
- For brands, agency flexibility matters: the ability to adjust strategy after campaign launch, not just follow pitch documents.
- Blogger advertising works more effectively when integrated into a unified media plan that accounts for reach, CPM, and attribution across all touchpoints.
Want to see where the market is heading before your competitors do? The ETC team builds a media strategy and media plan for your niche — with reach forecasts and KPIs fixed in the contract.