Navigating Ad Tech’s New Rules with Adform, RTL and OMG at Cannes Lions 2025
The French Riviera is delivering more than just sunshine and rosé this week at Cannes Lions. At the iconic RTL Beach, industry leaders tackled advertising's most pressing question: How do brands expand their transparency, accountability and control of their digital media spend? What does “media sovereignty” really mean?
Compliant CEO Jamie Barnard joined Adform's panel, "A CMO's Guide to Winning: Navigating Adtech's New Rules," to explore how European CMOs can navigate privacy, compliance and media quality while still delivering media results and business grwoth. With 79% of European budgets still flowing through U.S. tech platforms, the question, and timing, couldn't be more critical.
Panel Highlights:
- The panel featured Dr. Oliver Vesper (RTL), Clare Ritchie (OMG), and Stefan Sommer (Adform), highlighting this critical point in time as well as the industry shift to media quality through a privacy lens.
- Clare Ritchie led off the conversation by saying: "Media sovereignty is a truly global problem – but one which requires regional and local solutions. It's a market-first, regional-first approach which wins."
- Jamie's perspective struck a chord: "Buying media from Google and Meta is like eating a doughnut. It's quick, easy and effective. Open web programmatic may require more preparation, but that effort can pay off in terms of quality and transparency."
- Dr Oliver Vesper spoke about the urgency for publishers to take leadership, control and further challenge ad tech platform and vendors to deliver more value back to the companies who create the high quality content which others profit from.
- Stefan Sommer spoke about Adform’s commitment to privacy, transparency and sovereignty as well as how European brands are increasingly looking for alternative solutions to U.S. tech platforms and tools.
- Jamie summed up the panel’s feelings in saying “Privacy is now a competitive advantage. The ones who get it right are the ones to beat”
The Path Forward: European brands who prioritize privacy can lead rather than follow. Advertising transparency, accountability and control isn't just a regulatory necessity – it's a strategic advantage for those investing in media quality.
Thanks to Adform, RTL and OMG for advancing this essential discussion and providing the framework for brands to succeed in a privacy-first world.