How can APAC representation be improved at Cannes Lions?
This years Cannes Lions is a reminder that APAC is yet to make headway at major awards compared to its Western counterparts. On top of that, PR agencies still struggle to match creative networks when it comes to scooping major awards, perhaps due to a number of reasons including a smaller number of submissions. Leaders discuss ways PR can be elevated at major awards, particularly in this region. Michelle Hutton, vice chair, APAC and CEO of Australia, Edelman & president of the PR Jury at the 2019 Cannes Lions  "We live and work in one of the most creative regions in the world, with a talent base to match. APAC PR agencies need to be in it to win it. Its as simple as that. We are under-represented in the major award shows, and we need to change that, and do it at pace. I saw this when I was President of the PR Jury in Cannes in 2019 and it hasnt improved. We have brave and bold clients who understand the power of earned creative work to help them build and protect their brands, we need to package that work, understand the award show process better, lean in and get in. And importantly PR agencies are demonstrating the impact of what we can do for brands by winning outside of the PR category in the big award shows. We are enormously proud that Edelman has just won a Grand Prix in the Entertainment Lions for Sport for our Eternal Run campaign for shoe brand Asics. This is the first for a PR agency as a standalone entrant, meaning we did everything from ideation to execution. We are at an important tipping point right now." Shashikant Someshwar, SVP, business operations, APAC; managing director, India, Current Global  "I think its difficult to discuss the representation of APAC PR agencies at major awards programmes over the past year without considering our context. With the unique circumstances of 2020, many APAC agencies were negotiating lockdowns, civil unrest, slashed budgets, broken supply chains, and so much more at the arguable frontline of the pandemic. Against that context, I am actually very inspired by the representation of our sector and our region in this years awards programmes. But, speaking more generally, I think our chief barrier has always been cultural understanding. APAC is made up of so many different cultures. If juries are not equipped with sufficient experience and understanding of those cultures, it can be very difficult for programmes to recognise the creativity and intelligence that goes into our campaigns in Asia. Fortunately, I do think many awards bodies are already trying to foster greater cultural understanding. We just need to continue to build on that approach." Calvin Choong, creative group head, Zeno Malaysia  "For agencies, its simple: do work that makes us worthy of being there. That means doing not only whats proven to work, but also pursuing whats new, exciting, and slightly uncomfortable. Either way, its a challenge. And it starts with the work. But event organisers can also play a role by creating categories that recognise the specific challenges that APAC agencies face. For example, a Best Campaign on a less-than $50k budget category would ensure that agencies regularly working with restricted budgets do not miss out on the chance to participate and hopefully, win." Roberto Pace, managing director, Eleven & FleishmanHillard (TBWA Oceania)  Behind every great idea is a team of people who were smart enough to see the opportunity and brave enough to make it happen. Rarely do briefs come in with the directive to create award-winning workbut every brief has a problem to solve. How we choose to solve it is up to us. It takes a lot of time and energy to take ideas from good to great, but its most definitely worth it, and when people and partners can see the potential in something, theyll typically rally behind it. The region is full of great talent. Create the opportunity for big ideas to happen.  Click here to subscribe to the FREE Asia PR & comms bulletin to receive dedicated news, features and comment from the region straight to your inbox. Make sure you register for the site to access more than one story per month. To submit a news, comment, case study or analysis idea for the Asia bulletin, email Surekha.Ragavan@haymarket.asia