Cannes Confessional #3: The Funnel is Now a Tunnel

Cannes Confessional 3In today’s episode of Cannes Confessional, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Paul Longo, GM of AI in Ads at Microsoft Advertising. Microsoft was actually the first to embed ads within the native chat experience of an LLM, which gives them a front-row seat to the evolving future of advertising in AI. Later, I dropped in on a compelling panel from the Women in Retail Media Collective event hosted by Criteo. Elisabeth Rommel of eBay delivered some powerful advice on leadership, navigating male-dominated executive teams, and knowing your own value. And to cap it all off, we hear a riveting snippet from Andy Jassy's acceptance speech as Cannes Media Person of the Year. He makes a persuasive case for speed and experimentation as cornerstones of innovation at scale. It's an energizing listen from start to finish.Timeline Summary:[00:00] - Kicking off the conversation with Paul Longo of Microsoft Advertising.[01:00] - How Microsoft refreshed ads in Copilot and why emotional intelligence matters.[01:53] - Real performance metrics: 73% higher CTRs and 33% faster customer journeys.[02:43] - The evolving consumer journey: from funnel to tunnel.[03:00] - Elisabeth Rommel of eBay on breaking through the noise and leading with data.[04:27] - Advice on career empowerment and staying curious when you don't have a seat at the table.[06:00] - Mission of the Women in Retail Media Collective: gender equity in industry voices.[06:39] - Andy Jassy on how Amazon maintains startup agility and embraces smart risk-taking.[08:29] - Final reflections on speed, leadership, and keeping up with the pace of change.Links & Resources:Elisabeth Rommel, GM, Global Seller & Brand Development, Advertising Growth at  eBayPaul Longo, GM, AI in Ads at Microsoft AdvertisingWomen in Retail Media CollectiveSubscribe to Retail Media Breakfast Club's daily newsletterFollow Kiri on LinkedInIf this episode inspired or intrigued you, please don’t forget to rate, follow, and share Cannes Confessional. I’ll be back tomorrow with more insights and commentary straight from the Croisette!