Originally published on euronews.next

Artificial intelligence, the metaverse, and Web3 will transform businesses but it’s important that leaders do not lose sight of the media and communications tools available to them today.

That’s according to Chrissie Hanson, the chief strategy officer of the global media agency OMD.

Speaking at this year’s Cannes Lions event, she said focusing solely on future technologies and going too fast in the pursuit of growth could mean companies miss opportunities to test and learn in the present.

“Sometimes speed can make people panic unnecessarily and that’s where you’ve got to operationalise your thinking so that you’ve always got a clear vision for why you’re doing something,” Hanson told Euronews Next.

“What is my measurement framework so that I have the confidence with which to seize each of those different technologies at the right time, in the right geography, and for the right business?”.

Together with the implementation of new, emerging technologies, Hanson also spoke about the importance of bringing macro thinking into strategies and business decisions to manage risk.

Regulations, ethics, and politics – particularly as emerging technologies are embraced and adopted – need to become more “front and centre into the thinking that we do,” she said.

“Virtual influencers, for example. The ethics around that – when a brand is potentially owning every aspect of the decision making. It is fundamental to great decision making to understand the regulation of the legislation and the future ethics of decisions,” Hanson added.

As well as the impact of new technologies to businesses, talk at Cannes Lions has largely focused on the future of work and how companies are adapting to the new realities of the post-COVID-19 landscape.

After two years of testing and learning from hybrid work models, Hanson believes there is a greater understanding of the value of coming together in a work space to spark creativity and share perspectives, but also when it’s okay to work alone or at home.

“I’ve had the most electrifying conversations about work that really cuts through. I think it would be harder to do virtually. We took about four hours to do work virtually, whereas in person it took us longer because we were doing it in a much more rigorous and thoughtful way, it took about eight hours. We loved it”.