Growth, creativity and trust: the B2B story of Cannes Lions 2026

In this special edition of Trust & Influence in B2B, Joel Harrison is joined by Fiona McKenzie of Marketbridge to make sense of Cannes Lions 2026. Fresh from five days of multi-stream content, installations and fringe events, they let the dust settle and distil what actually matters for B2B marketers – viewed through a growth lens, not creativity for its own sake.

They unpack why B2B is visibly on the rise at Cannes, the tension between creativity and commercial measurement, and the CFO buy-in conversation (brand as future cashflow). They dig into three important releases from the week: the FT's work on trust (including the finding that 82% trust a source more when it challenges than when it agrees), Bloomberg on reputation pulling weight across the full funnel, and Bain & Co.'s new model positioned as a rival to NPS, scoring a buyer's likelihood to choose you before any deal is on the table.

The conversation moves through the B2B Lions winner – an obscure Swedish ball-bearing company using tidal energy in the Faroe Islands, and why a big idea told as a wider go-to-market story is a step in the right direction – the rise of creators and influence in B2B, Joel's framework of five "trust champions," and a notably optimistic read on AI: a technology that surfaces existing misalignment and removes grunt work rather than replacing human judgment. They close on what Cannes could do better for the B2B community.

In this episode:

What Cannes actually is, and why it's so hard to navigate. B2B moving up the agenda. The growth-versus-creativity lens. CFO buy-in and brand as future cashflow. Why CMOs are exhausted by the measurement debate. Three key releases: FT on trust, Bloomberg on reputation, Bain's NPS rival. The B2B Lions winner and what it signals. Creators, influence and Joel's five trust champions. A grounded, optimistic take on AI. What's missing, and what would take Cannes to the next level in 2027.

Reports and resources mentioned (links below):

FT – research on trust in B2B https://dimensionsofinfluence.ft.com/Bloomberg – reputation across the funnel, B2B Summit presentation https://www.bloombergmedia.com/blog/corporate-rep-study-2025/Bain & Co. – new buyer-choice model positioned against NPS https://www.bain.com/insights/raising-the-odds-on-a-deal-how-likelihood-to-buy-rewires-b2b-growth/

Chapters:

(00:00) Welcome and why we waited for the dust to settle(01:13) What Cannes actually is, and how to navigate it(03:04) B2B on the rise at the festival(04:28) The growth lens: creativity anchored in commercial value(05:21) CFO buy-in and brand as future cashflow(07:54) Why CMOs are exhausted by measurement(10:23) Is B2B creativity judged by the wrong (B2C) playbook?(11:26) Three key releases: FT, Bloomberg and Bain(16:45) Talking the language of the boardroom(19:36) The B2B Lions winner: a Swedish ball-bearing story(24:29) Creators, influence and the five trust champions(30:11) AI: surfacing misalignment, not taking our jobs(35:17) What Cannes could do better(37:46) Wrap-up and how to share your own take

Connect with Joel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joelharrison/

Connect with Fiona on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fiona-mckenzie-8a16921a/