#CannesYouFeelIt – Professor Green & Sarah Wood On ‘The Anatomy Of Great Video Content’

Cannes Lions is officially in full swing, complete with emoji walls, rosé and lots of great panels.

The festival was kicked off yesterday with a talk on ‘The Anatomy Of Great Video Content’, featuring Unruly’s own Sarah Wood, British rapper and songwriter Professor Green, Barcroft Productions’ Sam Barcroft and Yolande Waldock, Head of Global Brand Team, Lexus International.

The session was moderated by The Sun’s Chief Strategy Officer Derek Brown and explored the secrets behind great video – from predicting sharing and the success of video content, to understanding what audience are looking for. They also talked about the future of video.

Professor Green spoke about the importance of authenticity, especially when planning brand integrations and celebrity spots, and warned advertisers, “you should never underestimate your audience”.

Sarah also talked extensively about how making an intense emotional connection with audiences, understanding how they feel and what they want, is pivotal to cutting through ‘content shock’.

With the panel taking place just after Unruly launched its vertical video player, Sarah also talked about the opportunities presented by vertical video.

She said: “45% of all videos are viewed on mobile, so connecting with users authentically, intimately in the way that they’re using their device – well, you can do that right now today.”

The panel was rounded off by Sam Barcroft, CEO of Barcroft Productions, who talked about the wide appeal of storytelling, and how we should look to emerging markets like China to get a glimpse into the future of advertising and social media.

Stay tuned to the Unruly blog for more Cannes Lions updates throughout the week!