The new initiative marks a significant expansion of the market’s focus on branded entertainment, following its introduction into the MIPCOM programme last year. MIP BrandWorks aims to broaden the international ecosystem of content producers, distributors and commissioners by fully integrating brands and agencies into the global media marketplace represented by MIPCOM CANNES.
The three-day programme will be co-produced in partnership with Doug Scott, co-founder of UNXNOWN, Emmy-nominated producer, founder of OgilvyEntertainment and former Cannes Lions Jury President for Branded Content.
MIP BrandWorks also reflects a broader transformation taking place across the 2026 edition of MIPCOM CANNES, where the Creator Economy, AI and Microdrama/Vertical Series are expected to play an increasingly strategic role, mirroring the global evolution of content creation, financing and distribution.
“MIP BrandWorks signals the next evolution of MIPCOM CANNES, reaffirming it as the gateway to the global media and content business,” said Lucy Smith, Director of MIPCOM CANNES. “Across the industry, companies are no longer operating separately — they are building together, and MIPCOM is where those partnerships can flourish.”
She added that Doug Scott’s experience in global brand storytelling, together with the expanded focus on creators and artificial intelligence, will help reinforce MIPCOM’s position as the central meeting point for the international entertainment industry.
Doug Scott described MIP BrandWorks as “the evolution of branded content into something far more systematic,” emphasizing how brands are increasingly moving beyond traditional campaigns to develop always-on programming, proprietary IP and commerce-driven storytelling ecosystems.
A Marketplace for the New Entertainment Ecosystem
MIP BrandWorks has been conceived as a curated marketplace where brands, creators, studios, agencies and rights holders can meet to develop, finance and scale projects across multiple genres and platforms.
Among the key elements of the initiative:
The Brand Showcase — sessions connecting brands acting as commissioners directly with producers and creators.
Curated Matchmaking — thematic networking sessions spanning microdrama, vertical series, scripted and unscripted content.
Brand x Creator Pitch Fest — a live marketplace pairing global brands with leading production companies and creators.
A central component of the initiative will also be the CXO Summit, an invitation-only forum co-produced with David Freeman, Founder and CEO of Kynetic Media Ventures. The summit is designed for senior executives involved in shaping the future of brand-funded entertainment and IP, bringing together leaders from brands, agencies, studios, creator businesses, platforms and emerging AI companies.
“My partnership with MIPCOM CANNES to launch MIP BrandWorks CXO Summit is about building the connective tissue the industry has been missing,” said Freeman. “This creates a system aligning creators, capital and IP to transform audiences into long-term enterprise value.”
Companies and agencies participating in MIP markets over the last year have included Ancestry, Banijay Entertainment, BBC StoryWorks, Blink49, CAA, Dentsu, Digitas, Fremantle, Hasbro Studios, IPG Mediabrands, Little Dot Studios, Mattel, McCann World Group, Publicis Groupe, Sugar23, Toys “R” Us, UTA and WPP Media.
