ow? Think like a brand: create emotional resonance The importance of brand was on display at the recent Cannes Lions advertising conference in the south of France, where the event explored the emotional levers that drive consumer action.  Kleenex picked up multiple gongs for ‘The Kleenex Score’, a campaign created in partnership with IMDB to show people how tear-jerking a film might be so they could prepare the tissues. The campaign transformed Kleenex into a cultural companion during emotional moments. Meanwhile, Ikea slid into people’s DMs and walked away with two Cannes Gold Lions with a campaign that recognized the intimate ways people connect via social media. Following Valentine’s Day, Ikea Canada surprised followers with heartwarming, personalized content delivered directly via Instagram direct messages. By showing up in moments that matter, in ways that feel personal and culturally relevant, retail brands can build deeper connections that go beyond the transaction. Act like a retailer: performance, trust and strategic reinvention Prior to the Cannes Lions, retail industry leaders gathered at the World Retail Congress, where the message was clear: simplicity, speed, and strategic transformation will define who survives.  At the event, Tesco’s Ken Murphy and Morrisons’ Rami Baitiéh drove home messages of clarity, simplicity, and speed. Meanwhile, an EY-sponsored WRC report laid out six growth levers for the next five years – among them, repurposing store space as community hubs, expanding into B2B services, and launching new monetization models like retail media. Tours of Selfridges, Gymshark and Primark demonstrated how stores are becoming emotional touchpoints – blending service, entertainment, and design. For all retailers, it’s a reminder: store formats must evolve not just functionally, but experientially. Crucially, trust is now a performance metric. Cybersecurity – often left to the IT department – emerged as a core brand issue. Data integrity and ethical infrastructure are now critical to brand equity.  Publish like a media house: connect data, storytelling and platforms The role of the retailer is expanding. You’re not just managing stock and staff – you’re managing scrolls, searches and screens. And strategies need to reflect that shift. Retail media, once an industry sidenote, took centre stage at the Cannes Lions event. Amazon, Walmart Connect, Instacart and Tesco Media were all present and making the case for retail’s new role in the media ecosystem. Retail strategist Kiri Masters summed it up when she said: “Retail media is evolving fast, but bridging the gap between creative strategy and commerce data is crucial. Unifying these will unlock smarter, performance-driven campaigns.” Retail media expert Colin Lewis pointed to players like Albertsons, who are thriving by aligning e-commerce, merchant and media functions into unified brand systems. The takeaway? Don’t chase creative gimmicks – build infrastructure that lets you test, adapt and scale creatively. From off-site retail media on connected TV and Meta, to content-rich experiences that spark purchase, the smartest retailers are building systems that function like publishers. They’re not just talking to customers – they’re telling stories, publishing campaigns, and monetizing their own media real estate. Change is urgent, and systems need rebuilding. Retailers need the technology to successfully capture attention, use data, and communicate creatively. Together, this points to a singular reality: the old model of retail is over. The next steps for retailers are clear. Invest in store formats that operate as service hubs and media stages. Bridge the gap between creative, commerce and customer data. Elevate cybersecurity as a brand asset, not just risk mitigation and build test-and-learn systems that support both operational and creative agility. Further reading: AI, tariffs and secrets of success: What retail leaders talked about at WRC