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Lions Unleashed 🦁

What Cannes 2025 Got Right (and Missed) About Brand
✍️ By Sam Carter, CEO of Fospha

At Cannes Lions this year, one word kept surfacing: brand.

In a performance-obsessed world, brand feels harder to defend. It doesn’t show up in ROAS or fit neatly into a reporting cycle. But that doesn’t mean it’s not driving results.

As Rory Sutherland put it, “A brand is like a pension… one day you wake up and go: bloody hell, where did all this equity come from?”

He’s right. Our data at Fospha shows brands investing more than 10% in upper-funnel activity see 2x the overall marketing efficiency. But belief isn’t the issue — buy-in is.

To protect brand budgets, we need better evidence. That’s why we’ve identified early signals—like branded search and engaged visits—that connect brand activity to business outcomes.

👉 Read the full article
📊 Download the Glow Report to explore the data behind the brand debate.

Sector Spotlight 🎥

STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS

STRCH Partners With Warner Bros. for New Character-Inspired Activewear Collection

STRCH, an activewear brand, partners with Warner Bros. for a 3-year deal, introducing a collection featuring Superman and Wonder Woman characters. This collaboration merges pop culture with performance fashion, offering marketers insights into brand alliances enhancing product appeal. These legally licensed garments exemplify how aligning with popular franchises can drive consumer engagement and brand differentiation, vital strategies for effectual marketing in competitive markets.

FASHION COLLABORATION

Balenciaga and PUMA Collaborate on Performance-Driven Speedcat Sneaker Collection

Balenciaga and PUMA's collaboration introduces performance-enhanced apparel and footwear, merging the high fashion of Balenciaga with PUMA's technical sportswear prowess. Featuring redesigned Speedcat sneakers and a mix of materials, this collection emphasizes flexibility and heritage references. It caters to fashion-savvy consumers seeking innovative, stylish designs that do not compromise on athletic performance.

ACTIVEWEAR INNOVATIONS

Fabletics Activewear Trends Leading the Global High-Performance Fashion Movement

Fabletics has transformed activewear by blending technology and fashion, offering reasonably priced, high-quality products. Their innovations include smart fabrics and augmented reality shopping, enhancing the customer experience and setting industry standards. Focusing on sustainability, Fabletics uses recycled materials, appealing to eco-conscious consumers.

FASHION COLLABORATION

Nike Postpones Kim Kardashian Activewear Line Launch Over Production Challenges

Nike and Kim Kardashian's Nike Skims collaboration is delayed due to production issues, affecting a planned disruption in the activewear market. Originally intended to provide innovative solutions for women athletes, the delay comes amid Nike's ongoing struggle with competition and declining sales, highlighting a significant concern for marketing professionals focusing on brand management and competition strategy.

🏆 Announcing the ClickZ 25 of 25 Awards –
Powered by Fospha

While the world’s eyes were on Cannes last week, we’ve been spotlighting a different kind of creativity.

The ClickZ 25of25 Awards spotlights 25 standout DTC and digital-first campaigns that drove real impact this year — across five key sectors: luxury, beauty, wellness, home, and fashion.

Each winner represents smart, scaled, creatively sharp marketing — and we’re thrilled to celebrate their work.

You’ll find the full list — plus sector breakdowns and creative highlights — in our full awards report.

📥 Download the full report below

👉 Got a standout campaign or behind-the-scenes story to share? ClickZ is always looking to spotlight fresh creative — reach out to us, we’d love to hear from you.

Performance Pulse 📈

OMNICHANNEL STRATEGIES

Omnichannel Plans Elevate Customer Retention Through Seamless Engagement Across Platforms

Implementing an omnichannel strategy is crucial for enhancing customer loyalty by integrating diverse communication platforms like SMS, email, and WhatsApp. By offering consistent and personalized experiences, businesses can foster customer engagement and retention. Regular assessment and adaptation ensure responsiveness to evolving customer needs, vital for marketers aiming to build strong, lasting relationships.

RETAIL MEDIA SPENDING

Brands Overspend But Miss Personalized Experiences Crucial For Loyalty

Marketers are excessively investing in retail media without achieving genuine customer loyalty due to inadequate personalization, per SAP Emarsys research. Only 32% of US marketers report their campaigns as truly personalized, hampered by fragmented data and outdated tech, despite 60% of consumers valuing such content. Achieving effective engagement necessitates real-time customer insights and infrastructural improvements to convert data into relevant experiences.