At this year’s Cannes Lions, once you moved past the overwhelming buzz of AI-generated everything, you could hear two quieter, more meaningful conversations taking root. These conversations cut through the noise and signaled a real shift in how we build brands.

They weren’t just about technology. They were about people.

1. AI’s Role Isn’t to Replace Us, It’s to Free Us

While the industry continues to debate the ethics and implications of AI, the leading voices at Cannes focused on a more practical and inspiring truth: AI isn’t here to automate creativity, it’s here to liberate it. 

As Tor Myhren, Apple’s VP of Marketing Communications, put it:

“Marketing is an industry built on creativity, and that doesn’t change. You are the ones who need to define what AI will look like in the world of creativity.”

This was echoed in panel after panel: AI should be a partner in the process, not a replacement for human ingenuity. 

One standout example came from Claudine Cheever, VP of Global Marketing at Amazon, who shared how their team built an internal AI tool, humorously named Queen Claudine, whose job is to strip “empty, salesy talk” from their copy.

That’s not just automation, it’s amplification of clarity and voice. The real opportunity for marketers isn’t to generate more, it’s to be more intentional, more human, and more strategic in what we create. 

2. B2B Marketing Is No Longer Just Rational, It’s Deeply Emotional

Perhaps the most powerful shift being discussed was the evolving nature of B2B decision-making. For decades, B2B has been positioned as a logical, ROI-driven world. But that belief is officially outdated.

A yet-to-be-published  2025 B2B Marketer Sentiment Research study by LinkedIn revealed that two-thirds of the “jobs to be done” in B2B decisions are emotional or social, not purely rational. In other words, the core question isn’t just “What’s the ROI?” but rather: “Will I look smart for choosing this? Can I defend it if things go wrong?”

As Dr. Marcus Collins, author and professor, said in his session: “People don’t buy products. They buy into what people like them do.”

We’re seeing this play out across the biggest B2B brands. Tim Hoppin, Chief Brand & Creative Officer at SAP, is leading a human-centered transformation at the 50-year-old tech company, one that puts authenticity and emotional resonance at the core of its brand strategy.

This isn’t just theory; it’s a proven growth strategy. The data shows that companies are 8 times more likely to be bought if the entire buying group knows and trusts them.

At BlueOcean, we saw this shift firsthand. Our founders, Grant McDougall and Liza Nebel, were on the ground all week, meeting with brand leaders, creatives, and CMOs. Over and over again, the most forward-thinking companies weren’t just talking about features or funnels, they were talking about trust, confidence, identity, and belonging.

So What Does This Mean for the Future of Marketing?

The real opportunity isn’t just to use AI to speak to more people, it’s to use AI to better understand the emotional, social, and strategic needs of the people we’re trying to reach.

At BlueOceanAI, that’s the core of our mission:

• To provide clarity that empowers creativity.

• To help brands not only move faster, but also connect deeper.

• To make bold decisions easier, because they’re backed by intelligent, human-centered insight.

So, what do you think? Are you seeing this shift in your own work?

We’d love to hear how your team is thinking about the role of AI, creativity, and emotion in your brand strategy.