83% of creatives are already using AI. 

16% of marketers in the UK and US plan to increase their generative AI spend by at least that much. 

And with global ad spend set to hit $1 trillion next year, the stakes have never been higher.

So it’s only natural that AudioStack returned to the Croisette to lead and take part in the conversations around advertising’s new window of opportunity: AI audio.

Here’s just a few of the big picture takeaways we want to share from our time on the Croisette.

Where: "Audio HQ" - Little Black Book (LBB) and Friends Beach

1. If context is king in advertising, AI audio is the kingmaker.

We have access to more unique data signals about our audiences than before; like location and local weather.

The more we personalize our ads using these data signals, the greater we can capture our audience’s attention.

We already knew this: but the limitations of the traditional audio production workflow stopped us from turning that data into impactful creative.

With AI audio, that barrier is removed. 

Now agencies and brands need to know that they can version thousands of personalized ads in terms of minutes and hours (not days and weeks).

It’s a complete game-changer, meaning those nationwide, highly-targeted campaigns that benefit sectors like retail and automotive are achievable – when they simply weren’t before.

Where: LBB Beach - “The Future of Audio in an AI-Driven Creative Landscape”, a panel with Don Sklenka (Claritas), Rohit Agarwal (The Weather Company), Silke Zetzsche (AudioStack), and Penri Jones (Arloesi)

2. The right partnerships are the key to success in the AI-driven future

Agencies and brands know that single-channel and even multi-channel activations may not engage the consumer of today.

It’s a daunting prospect for brands and their agencies managing complex campaigns, but it’s the new reality. Omnichannel, always-on activations need to reach more people at more touchpoints, with more relevant messaging.

We already know that only AI audio can achieve that personalization at scale. But that vastly streamlined, AI-powered workflow is only as effective as the partnerships putting it to work.

If agencies and brands aren’t building AI divisions in-house, they are putting a high value on the partners they choose to turn creative concepts into commercially successful campaigns.

Where: “From Funnel to Frenzy”, a panel with Silke Zetzsche (AudioStack), Don Sklenka (Claritas), Nadia Carta (Google), Shiv Singh (Savvy Matters), Lauren Russo & Kate Comerford (Horizon Media), Mark Anthony Edmonson (GoGo SqueeZ), and Johnny Shaw (VCCP)

3. AI is turning audio advertising into an ROI machine

Still vastly underappreciated as a portion of total media spend, audio is a medium where advertisers are finally waking up – and it’s thanks to the new paradigm AI is introducing.

As Scott Walker, Chief Revenue Officer of SiriusXM put it at a panel with Horizon Media, Claritas, Barometer, and AudioStack:

“[AI] is going to be pervasive across every element of how we interact with our listeners… There are really interesting things happening in the R&D space around decisioning in real-time. How do we align the right creative with the right audience at the right times?”

In other words; if AI is allowing ad spend to go further (creating content at scale for new formats) it’s also allowing us to spend much more efficiently (with the high ROAS potential of hyper-personalized creative).

It’s why we at AudioStack are enabling not just more ambitious broadcast radio campaigns: but campaigns anywhere audio can deliver personalization: like CTV voiceovers and dynamic ad insertion tailored to the podcast the listener is listening to.

Where: “The Sonic Boom”, a panel with Erik Lundberg (Claritas), Silke Zetzsche (AudioStack), Lauren Russo (Horizon Media), Tamara Nelson (Barometer), and Scott Walker (SiriusXM Media).

4. Everyone has a seat at the audio table with AI.

The spotlight has been on agencies, their holding companies, and global brands – and not without reason: Cannes is the place where knowledge is shared and deals are made.

But in the realm of AI audio, they’re far from the only ones to benefit: as the diversity of guests at our 5 roundtables and 100+ meetings showed!

A reimagined workflow that democratizes audio production and a platform to deliver content at scale, change the art of the possible for anyone creating media.

For publishers, it means turning written content into article reads, audiobooks, and podcasts naturally as part of the editorial workflow – creating new avenues for inventory when old revenue streams are less certain. 

For broadcasters, it means new ways of delivering audio with video; accompanying TV ads with dynamic audio ads, and on radio, even getting an AI host to cover the night shift.

For AdTech providers, it means widening access to self-serve advertising, automating unproductive AdOps workflows, and unlocking elusive revenue streams in the deep pool of small and medium-sized advertisers.

Where: Just one of the many (delicious) AudioStack breakfasts

Last words…

A huge thanks to all of our partners who joined us, collaborated with us, and shared ideas with us throughout the week. It’s clear that the future of audio and creativity is bright — and we’re just getting started!

Where: LBB Beach. The AudioStack & Katz Digital teams