Cannes Lions Ep 6: Trust, Creativity & Commerce

AI is changing how consumers discover products. But as automation accelerates, trust has never been more valuable.

Recorded live from the Vudoo Podcast Van at Cannes Lions 2026, Nick Morgan and Paul Blackburn are joined by Lou Barrett and Jess Gilby from News Corp Australia, Anna Checa Molins from McKinsey & Company, and Nick Titmus from SeenThis.

Together they explore why trusted brands are becoming more valuable in the age of AI, how creators are reshaping media planning, why commerce media continues to mature beyond retail, and how creativity remains one of the biggest untapped opportunities in performance marketing.

From AI agents and commerce journeys to premium publishing, retail media and trusted content, this episode explores what comes next as technology and human influence increasingly work together.

What you’ll learn from this episode:

Why trusted brands become even more valuable in an AI-driven world (Lou Barrett & Jess Gilby)

As AI changes how people discover information, News Corp explains why trusted journalism, premium brands and authentic storytelling become even more important—not less.

Why AI agents will automate routine decisions, but not human judgement (Anna Checa Molins)

McKinsey explores where AI will fundamentally reshape marketing workflows, while arguing that creativity, strategy and major purchasing decisions will remain distinctly human.

Why creativity is becoming the missing layer in commerce media (Nick Titmus)

SeenThis explains why retail media has become highly data-driven, but still lacks compelling creative experiences that move consumers through the consideration phase.

Soundbites to listen out for:

"The brands are the original influencers." (Jess Gilby)

"AI will manage the repeatable decisions—but humans will make the meaningful ones." (Anna Checa Molins)

"The biggest opportunity in commerce media is creativity." (Nick Titmus)

About the guests:

Lou Barrett is Managing Director, Client Partnerships at News Corp Australia, where she works with Australia's largest advertisers to develop integrated media, content and commerce partnerships across News Corp's portfolio of premium brands.

Jess Gilby is General Manager, Digital at News Corp Australia. She leads digital commercial strategy and innovation, helping brands navigate emerging technologies including AI, trusted publishing and evolving digital consumer behaviour.

Anna Checa Molins is a Partner at McKinsey & Company, advising global organisations on growth strategy, AI transformation, commerce media and marketing operating models. She specialises in helping businesses redesign the way marketing and technology work together.

Nick Titmus is VP of Commerce & Retail Media Partnerships at SeenThis, where he works with retailers, brands and agencies to deliver high-performance creative formats that improve digital experiences while extending commerce opportunities beyond traditional retail environments.

About the hosts:

• Nick Morgan: Nick is an entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in digital marketing and eCommerce. He founded Vudoo in 2018, a platform that enables in-stream content commerce across articles, videos, and images. Nick's work transforms every ad impression into a potential shop front, offering a seamless eCommerce experience.

• Paul Blackburn: Paul is a digital media innovator with over 20 years of experience. At News Corp Australia, he launched the "Intent Connect" data platform and led innovation in shoppable video and the "Total Commerce" framework. Now as Chief Growth Officer at Vudoo, he helps brands, publishers, and agencies unlock new ways to monetise content through immersive, commerce-enabled experiences.
  
  

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