Detch Singh’s Cannes Diary #2: Yacht panels, Super-Cannes views and creative M&As

Detch Singh, Hypetap Co-founder and CEO, shares key insights from day 2 in Cannes, exclusively for CB.

Woke up on Tuesday feeling like I had a slightly better handle on how this place works. Everyone tells me to have a plan, but be ready to ditch it at a moment’s notice for something better. Sage advice tbh.

My morning started on the Criteo yacht for an event called ‘Reignite the Joy in Shopping’. I’ll admit, the way it caught my attention was when I saw that one of the session’s key insights was “What shoppers really want from online discovery (hint: not more influencers)”. The big reveal? It wasn’t an anti-creator panel at all, but definitely a clever way to get some haters on a yacht. To be fair, the actual discussion was a really interesting look at how the modern shopping journey has evolved and the different touchpoints that matter today.

The rest of the day was filled with the kind of back-to-back meetings that I won’t bore you with, running between beaches and hotel lobbies.

The late afternoon took things up a notch, literally. I headed up to a villa in Super Cannes for a panel called “Own Something or Own Nothing: M&A Is Reshaping the Creative Industries.” The views from the hills overlooking the beach were incredible. It was a nice change of pace to be away from La Croissette. The discussion was just as good, focusing on what kind of businesses are thriving in the current climate. The hot topic? Businesses built around creators, social platforms, and data-led insights. I’m obviously self selecting here, but there’s no doubt the creator economy is as big a topic as ever this year.

No selfies for this diary entry – I think everyone has seen enough of this mug for a week.