Mark Jablonowski’s Post

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President & CTO @ DSPolitical and Optimal | Driving Innovation in Digital Advertising and Political Technology

A few thoughts from my first Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity... I can categorically say it was worth the long flights, nonstop meetings, and lack of sleep. Everyone I spoke to was fascinating - so many intriguing lines of work and engaging conversations. As a technologist, the high-level meetings with vendor and partner C-suite execs were incredibly valuable. We provided direct feedback and gained insights into new products and roadmaps, allowing us to continuously enhance our partner network, push the boundaries of innovation, and deliver even better solutions for our clients. I've already set up great follow-ups with experts from across the industry, and even connected with a few fellow Portlanders. Beyond that, the connections and insights I gained will carry through to events like Advertising Week NY, CES, and even Cannes 2025. The inspiration at Cannes was endless - from meetings with DSPolitical partners like Beeswax (Acquired by Comcast) and Yahoo, to an interview with The Current (TTD), to hearing Andre 3000 and the American Express CMO share their perspectives. I even attended a political panel, where Mark Penn summed it up best: "this election is about policy, not personality." Another highlight was the event Optimal co-hosted at the Saturnalia Chateau, which brought together leaders from across the creative industries to reimagine the future. The diverse perspectives were super energizing. And of course, the McLaren F1 experience and Chainsmokers performance were just icing on the cake... not to mention my cameo in Terence Kawaja's legendary parody vid. Last but certainly not least, it was awesome catching up with friends like Michael Bassik, Xander Kotsatos, Dallas Lawrence, Leeann Leahy, Perdy Mullins, Scott Stedman, Lizzie Serber, Brad Audet, Ross Siegel, Grace Briscoe, and Jennifer Helm -- especially in such an idyllic setting away from the day-to-day grind. I left Cannes feeling invigorated about what's to come, both for our organization and the industry. Would love to hear about your Cannes experiences. #CannesLions #CreativeIndustries #Innovation #Election2024

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Tom Tempe

VP of Atlas Influence Targeting @ Unearth | Advertising Sales Expert Ex-New York Times | USA TODAY | The Atlantic

1w

Sounds like an amazing week! I can’t believe you met Lando to top it all off.

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Lee H.

Head of Strategic Sales @ Origin | Creative Technology

1w

Please tell me you caught any of the SportBeach talks. The Kelce's, Myles Garret and Joe Burrow were some massive highlights!

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Michael Bassik

Chief Executive Officer at Optimal

1w

Amazing, fun, and productive week together. Best, Mikey / Mickey

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Xander Kotsatos

Building the Buy-Side at Freewheel

1w

What a week!

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