Michael Kassan on AI Disruption and the Future of Media Companies

Michael Kassan, founder and chief executive of strategic advisory firm 3C Ventures, noted the accelerating pace of change and interconnectedness across businesses, largely driven by artificial intelligence. Kassan, a 26-year veteran of the Cannes Lions festival, founded 3C Ventures in 2024 to address the complexities leaders face in navigating a rapidly evolving market.

"Leadership teams have always dealt with complexity. What feels different today is the pace of change and the degree of interconnectedness across the business, much of it accelerated by AI," Kassan stated. He explained that technology, consumer behavior, media, commerce, talent, and economics are all evolving simultaneously, often influencing one another.

3C Ventures focuses on implementation, partnerships, and execution, aiming to help clients translate insights into tangible business outcomes. Kassan mentioned that clients frequently ask, "What should we do now?" seeking guidance on rethinking agency models, building AI plans, evaluating technology partners, or sharpening go-to-market strategies. His firm emphasizes separating substance from hype, helping clients discern what is important, what can wait, and who to trust.

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Kassan expressed bullishness on businesses that focus on attention, commerce, identity, and culture. Commerce media is a particular area of interest due to the shrinking gap between product discovery and purchase. He also sees significant momentum in sports, which continues to command live attention, community, emotion, and scale in a fragmented media world. Creator-led businesses, modern measurement, identity infrastructure, and AI-enabled workflows that help marketers make better decisions with existing data are also on his radar.

This year's Cannes Lions festival, according to Kassan, is dominated by discussions around AI, commerce and retail media, sports, creators, measurement, and the evolving agency model. However, he believes the conversation about how companies need to adapt their operating models is lagging behind the technology advancements.

"AI can make organizations faster, but speed only helps if the organization knows where it’s going," Kassan said. He pointed out that many companies still operate with decision-making structures, approval processes, and talent models designed for a slower market.

Regarding AI's impact on the advertising and content creation industry, Kassan noted that while AI drives efficiency by making tasks like production, reporting, and analysis faster and cheaper, the real value shift is occurring in areas harder to automate. "Judgment matters more. Taste matters more. Originality matters more," he stated. The ability to ask the right questions and deeply understand a brand, customer, cultural moment, and business problem simultaneously is becoming incredibly valuable.

Kassan described the modern Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) role as one of the most complicated in the C-suite. Beyond traditional responsibilities like brand, media, and customer experience, CMOs must now understand data, technology, AI, commerce, privacy, and measurement, and how marketing integrates with the broader business model. He characterized the best CMOs as "translators" who can communicate effectively with the CEO, CFO, CTO, creative teams, and consumers.

He also commented on media and advertising consolidation, noting that successful acquisitions require more than just scale or efficiency. A clear view of how the combined company will create value for clients, customers, talent, and shareholders, along with leadership alignment and cultural fit, are crucial. "Deals are financial transactions, but companies are human systems," Kassan said.

When considering launching a new media or marketing company, Kassan would prioritize talent and a clear reason for existence, followed by technology and data. He believes that while tools and data are essential, great people make the critical choices about how these components come together. "The tools become available to everyone over time. The advantage comes from judgment, creativity, speed, relationships, and the discipline to focus on a real customer need."