Dentsu Hosted Session with Heineken and Netflix at Cannes Lions Titled “Why Entertainment Goes Beyond Brand Marketing”

Dentsu (Brand: dentsu; Headquarters: Dentsu Group Inc.; Location: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President & Global CEO: Takeshi Sano, hereinafter Dentsu Group Inc. and its group companies are collectively referred to as “dentsu”) hosted a session titled “Why Entertainment Goes Beyond Brand Marketing” in Cannes, France, during the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2026, the world's largest creativity festival.

Dentsu is accelerating the global expansion of its Sports & Entertainment business as a key growth area while positioning the creation of lasting relationships between brands and fans at the core of its entertainment strategy. Against this backdrop, the session was designed to explore how brands can evolve their relationships with entertainment IP and create sustained value alongside fans.

Panel Discussion

From the left:
Moderator: 
Cathy Boxall, Global Head of Entertainment, dentsu
Speakers:
Chris Price, VP Media and Connected Consumer Experiences, Heineken
Aarti Thiagarajan, Senior Director, Brand Creative Studio, Netflix
Yoshimasa Nakano, General Manager, IP Growth and Solutions, EBC, dentsu Japan

Entertainment IP is increasingly influencing trends, people’s behaviors, and values. By viewing such IP not simply as assets to be used, but as partners for co-creation, companies and brands can build deeper connections with fandoms^* that go beyond the scope of traditional advertising and brand marketing.
The discussion explored how brands can unlock value through strategic collaborations with entertainment IP, how data can be leveraged to better understand audiences, how to navigate the nuances of global markets, and how to execute partnerships that deliver genuine value and cultivate “forever fans.”

Dentsu will continue to contribute to the creation of new entertainment business opportunities and drive global growth through co-creation with a wide range of partners.

* A fan community that passionately supports specific content, brands, or artists.

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Contact:
Jumpei Kojima, Akiko Shimadzu, Emi Harada
Group Corporate Communications Office, Dentsu Group Inc.
Email: group-cc@dentsu.com