And we’re again, so let’s take a while to beat our lately acquired social anxiousness and mentally put together ourselves. One solution to get again into the swing is to remaster the artwork of buzzword-ery. Sure, the time has come to confound your purchasers and alienate your folks with probably the most trendy phrase salad you may concoct in 2022, and we’re right here to assist. No, thanks

Clearly, ‘Web3’, ‘NFTs’, ‘the metaverse’ and something referring to Mark Zuckerberg’s dystopian and barely naff imaginative and prescient for the long run would be the discuss of the city. Simply airdrop the phrases ‘decentralization’ or ‘digital twin’ into the dialog and watch everybody round you concurrently glaze over and nod alongside knowingly. What you positively gained’t hear at Cannes in relation to Web3 are the phrases ‘mass surveillance’ and ‘exploitative promoting’, as a result of that’s the kind of discuss that may get you turfed out of the Meta get together.

Arguably probably the most sustainable factor about this trade is its means to generate and recycle buzzwords. Aptly sufficient, ‘sustainability’ is without doubt one of the most re-used of those. ‘Sustainability’ works so properly as a result of not solely does it have an inherent worthiness, it’s unbelievably obscure. As a result of the phrase itself is so sustainable, it’s possible for use as a verbal fig leaf by this trade till the top of time – which, because the world goes up in smoke round us, shouldn’t be for much longer now.

This yr, there may even be a lot ado about ‘model activism’, ‘recalibrating function’, and ‘human-centred design’. And in distinction to the dearth of precise variety and inclusivity at Cannes, the phrases ‘variety’ and ‘inclusivity’ can be in every single place. As fairness is incessantly mistaken for equality, anticipate some fudging over the ‘E’ phrase.

In the meantime ‘storytelling’, a buzzword we hoped by no means to listen to once more, is making a resurgence. Ryan Reynolds is bringing storytelling again. In keeping with the Cannes Lions programme, the Deadpool star is planning to speak about “subsequent technology storytelling”. It’s a tricky ask, but when anybody could make storytelling attractive once more, it’s Ryan Reynolds.

Let’s additionally give a shout out to these ‘phrases’ that appear concocted particularly for occasions like Cannes Lions however don’t stand an opportunity of catching on. Enter ‘collaborativity’, an abomination that Alma DBB and Pepsi noticed match to place within the title of their session on the Palais this yr: “Yielding Unapologetic Creativity By ‘Collaborativity’”. A mouthful too far, even by promoting trade requirements.
Alma DDB and Pepsi, cease attempting to make ‘collaborativity’ occur.

Lastly, we’ll be saying goodbye to a buzzword that has all-too-rapidly fallen out of favour. Like bathroom roll, ‘empathy’ was vital through the early days of the pandemic, however the final two years appear to have exhausted the trade provide. So stop complaining as a result of it’s again to work individuals. Up the employees.

Jane Austin is Founding father of Persuasion Communications.
{Photograph}: Bronac McNeill