The divide between Michael Kassan’s earlier agency, MediaLink, and his new child 3C Ventures appeared particularly stark at this yr’s Cannes.
Final yr, Kassan and MediaLink had been lately divorced, 3CV had simply been introduced in ADWEEK, and MediaLink charged into the week-long occasion with the power of Kassan’s connections, most notably iHeartMedia, who introduced Lenny Kravitz to the famed and unique MediaLink bash at Le Grill on the ultra-luxe, ultra-expensive Lodge du Cap-Eden-Roc.
On the time, Kassan stood on a balcony above the soirée, the place he had a way more non-public gathering.
This yr, he held a Monday dinner on that very balcony, 24 hours earlier than MediaLink had scheduled its personal “dinner” under at Le Grill. I take advantage of the time period “dinner” loosely as a result of it has at all times been a set of hors d’oeuvres to seize by the fistful so that you don’t slur your phrases too badly as you schmooze with high execs.
This yr, Kassan’s dinner was a bona fide sit-down, sponsored by Disney and iHeart—firmly aligned with Kassan and bringing Questlove to DJ an after-party of over 400 folks, per 3CV. Each Disney adverts chief Rita Ferro and iHeart CEO Bob Pittman welcomed the 240 dinner company with a number of opening remarks.
Kassan’s energy to attach folks with the highest decision-makers was very a lot in impact. Milling round his dinner had been Walmart’s chief progress officer, Seth Dallaire, Google’s president of the Americas, Sean Downey, and Mattel’s chief model officer, Lisa McKnight, for example. It was a dinner overloaded with energy gamers, and due to that, the networking felt concentrated. Additionally, as a result of it took an interminable period of time between programs, folks tended to stand up and mill about looking for dialog and maybe bread.
The MediaLink dinner had extra folks, with 650 company, barely greater than final yr, in response to a spokesperson.
By the way, I’m posting the numbers as a result of I believe individuals are curious, however I don’t imagine evaluating the attendance of 3CV and MediaLink is a extremely great way of evaluating the success of both.
In my opinion, the MediaLink dinner this yr didn’t have the manager energy that Kassan tends to carry. As a substitute, UTA activated its roster of movie star purchasers. Some, like Josh Duhamel and Paris Hilton, had advert companies or ad-adjacent companies to pitch, however others, like Patrick Schwarzenegger, didn’t. The MediaLink dinner had its share of advert trade brass—X CEO Linda Yaccarino confirmed up for each, for example—but it surely wasn’t wall-to-wall with decision-makers.
So, based mostly on two entire dinners, it feels that MediaLink’s function within the trade goes to alter, whereas Kassan’s function, via 3CV, is more likely to stay what it at all times has been. Executives are fiercely loyal to the person. In speaking to a handful of individuals aware of each 3CV and MediaLink, if you would like the ear of individuals with energy within the advert trade, you’re employed with Kassan and 3CV. MediaLink, nonetheless, has a deep bench of consultants who will help advise on a product and go-to-market technique.
That’s to not say that MediaLink can’t put you in contact with a decision-maker, or that 3CV doesn’t have inside enterprise consulting chops, however that was the divide that was articulated to me a number of occasions all through the previous few days.
Yet another factor about Kassan and Cannes: He famously introduced lots of adtech cash to the pageant nearly a decade in the past. Now, he’s supporting lots of AI corporations—he touted Alembic Applied sciences a number of occasions on stage, together with at his personal fireplace at ADWEEK Home. As AI in promoting and advertising and marketing matures, it wouldn’t shock me if there’s one other spherical of corporations—and their cash—pouring very visibly into the Cannes Lions within the coming years.
