In this special edition of Trust & Influence in B2B, Joel Harrison is joined by Fiona McKenzie of Marketbridge to make sense of Cannes Lions 2026. Fresh from five days of multi-stream content, installations and fringe events, they let the dust settle and distil what actually matters for B2B marketers – viewed through a growth lens, not creativity for its own sake.

They unpack why B2B is visibly on the rise at Cannes, the tension between creativity and commercial measurement, and the CFO buy-in conversation (brand as future cashflow). They dig into three important releases from the week: the FT's work on trust (including the finding that 82% trust a source more when it challenges than when it agrees), Bloomberg on reputation pulling weight across the full funnel, and Bain & Co.'s new model positioned as a rival to NPS, scoring a buyer's likelihood to choose you before any deal is on the table.

The conversation moves through the B2B Lions winner – an obscure Swedish ball-bearing company using tidal energy in the Faroe Islands, and why a big idea told as a wider go-to-market story is a step in the right direction – the rise of creators and influence in B2B, Joel's framework of five "trust champions," and a notably optimistic read on AI: a technology that surfaces existing misalignment and removes grunt work rather than replacing human judgment. They close on what Cannes could do better for the B2B community.

In this episode:

What Cannes actually is, and why it's so hard to navigate. B2B moving up the agenda. The growth-versus-creativity lens. CFO buy-in and brand as future cashflow. Why CMOs are exhausted by the measurement debate. Three key releases: FT on trust, Bloomberg on reputation, Bain's NPS rival. The B2B Lions winner and what it signals. Creators, influence and Joel's five trust champions. A grounded, optimistic take on AI. What's missing, and what would take Cannes to the next level in 2027.

Reports and resources mentioned (links below):

• FT – research on trust in B2B https://dimensionsofinfluence.ft.com/
• Bloomberg – reputation across the funnel, B2B Summit presentation https://www.bloombergmedia.com/blog/corporate-rep-study-2025/
• Bain & Co. – new buyer-choice model positioned against NPS https://www.bain.com/insights/raising-the-odds-on-a-deal-how-likelihood-to-buy-rewires-b2b-growth/

Chapters:

• (00:00) Welcome and why we waited for the dust to settle
• (01:13) What Cannes actually is, and how to navigate it
• (03:04) B2B on the rise at the festival
• (04:28) The growth lens: creativity anchored in commercial value
• (05:21) CFO buy-in and brand as future cashflow
• (07:54) Why CMOs are exhausted by measurement
• (10:23) Is B2B creativity judged by the wrong (B2C) playbook?
• (11:26) Three key releases: FT, Bloomberg and Bain
• (16:45) Talking the language of the boardroom
• (19:36) The B2B Lions winner: a Swedish ball-bearing story
• (24:29) Creators, influence and the five trust champions
• (30:11) AI: surfacing misalignment, not taking our jobs
• (35:17) What Cannes could do better
• (37:46) Wrap-up and how to share your own take

Title suggestions

Following your [Hook] | [Elaboration], with [Guest] format:

1. Cannes decoded | Cutting through the noise to find the B2B signal, with Fiona McKenzie from Marketbridge
2. Creativity anchored in growth | What Cannes Lions 2026 really told B2B marketers, with Fiona McKenzie from Marketbridge
3. Trust is the scarce resource | Reading the room after Cannes 2026, with Fiona McKenzie from Marketbridge
4. A ball-bearing company won | Why the B2B Lions winner is a step in the right direction, with Fiona McKenzie from Marketbridge
5. Brand as future cashflow | The CFO conversation B2B marketers need to have, with Fiona McKenzie from Marketbridge
6. It's not boring, it's mismeasured | Rethinking B2B creativity after Cannes, with Fiona McKenzie from Marketbridge
7. Five days, one signal | Making sense of Cannes Lions 2026 for B2B, with Fiona McKenzie from Marketbridge
8. The five trust champions | Creators, influence and where B2B is heading, with Fiona McKenzie from Marketbridge