The April 6, 2020 issue of Ad Age is now available. Read it in PDF form below.
Cannes is canceled: Cannes Lions has canceled its 2020 Festival of Creativity and Awards. The event will not take place in October as previously planned but will run June 21-25, 2021. Cannes said that the “difficult decision” came after consultation with its “partners and customers” and that it reflected the “unprecedented societal, health and economic challenges currently facing the world, as well as our desire to remove any uncertainty about the running of the awards and event for our partners and customers.”
CMO strategies for the pandemic: The growing coronavirus pandemic has forced brands to scrap campaigns, alter media buys, boost philanthropy and craft new ads with turnaround times of a week or less. And marketing execs must oversee all this while working from home, many of them working part-time as a teacher to suddenly home-schooled kids. Ad Age caught up with seven executives for a behind-the-scenes look on how they are managing it all.
What’s next for brands: Consumer panic buying seems to have peaked, but brand panic may have just begun. While many brands have slashed spending, research suggests that cutting now will make it harder when the recovery arrives. The current crisis is also creating new opportunities for brands old and new—as uncomfortable as that may be to think about.
Consumer trends that will endure after Covid-19: The pandemic has yet to peak, yet many consumers have already changed their behavior in ways that will have lasting implications for brands. Our exclusive report has the Top 5 trends, which present both danger and opportunity for marketers.
How a classic Chicago shot drink got into the hand sanitizer business: Scores of breweries and distilleries have pledged to make hand sanitizer, but no alcohol brand got the same kind of reception that Jeppson’s Malört did when it confirmed it also was getting involved in the goodwill effort. “Malört already tastes like hand sanitizer, so this makes perfect sense,” jokes Dan Janes, director of marketing for Malört owner Chicago-based CH Distillery, summarizing some of the initial feedback.