Written by Nicole Webb

At first glance, the conversation between Stella McCartney and eBay CEO Jamie Iannone looked like it would be another discussion about sustainability. 

It wasn’t. 

Instead, it explored something much bigger: how the circular economy is becoming a cultural force that is changing the way people think about ownership, value and identity. 

Fashion may be leading the shift, but the lessons extend far beyond the runway. 

Whether you’re in retail, technology, finance or professional services, the session highlighted a new reality for brands: consumers increasingly value longevity over newness, participation over transactions, and evidence over promises. 

For communicators and marketers, that has profound implications. 

From ownership to stewardship 

One of the most compelling ideas was that consumers are no longer simply owners of products. They are becoming stewards. 

Rather than buying something, using it and discarding it, consumers are increasingly extending a product’s life through resale, repair and reuse. 

This changes the role of the customer. 

A handbag, jacket or watch no longer has a single owner or a single story. Every resale creates another chapter, another experience and another connection with the brand. 

As Jamie Iannone explained, eBay sits at the centre of this movement by enabling anyone to buy, sell and extend the life of products. It is less a marketplace than a community where millions of people participate in keeping products in circulation. 

For brands, this means the customer journey is no longer linear. 

Today’s buyer may become tomorrow’s seller, advocate, collector or curator. 

Communications strategies should reflect that reality. The story shouldn’t end at purchase. It should continue throughout the entire lifecycle of the product. 

Designing for a second, third and fourth life 

The session also challenged traditional thinking about product design. 

Historically, innovation has focused on convincing consumers to buy something new. 

The circular economy asks a different question: 

How do you create products that become more valuable over time? 

For Stella McCartney, quality, craftsmanship and durability are no longer simply features of luxury. They define luxury itself. 

As she observed, “Luxury is when you pass things down.” 

That single idea reframes the role of brands. 

Success is no longer measured only by first-time sales, but by whether products retain their value, relevance and desirability years later. 

It’s a mindset that extends well beyond fashion. 

Content, ideas, intellectual property and customer experiences can also be designed for longevity rather than short-term impact. 

Trust becomes the engine of circular commerce 

One of the strongest themes throughout the conversation wasn’t sustainability. It was trust. 

Circular commerce only works when people believe the products they’re buying are genuine and the information they’re receiving is credible. 

eBay shared that it has authenticated more than 15 million luxury products without a single counterfeit item passing through its authentication service. 

Trust wasn’t presented as a marketing campaign. It was designed into the customer experience. 

Stella McCartney echoed the same philosophy through transparency around materials, ethical sourcing and environmental reporting. 

Both speakers reinforced the same principle: consumers increasingly trust evidence over claims. 

It’s a lesson that aligns closely with what we’re seeing across communications. 

Whether audiences are people or AI systems, credibility is increasingly built through verifiable proof rather than polished messaging. 

Community creates culture 

Perhaps the biggest shift discussed was that brands are no longer simply manufacturers. They’re becoming ecosystems. 

Consumers don’t just purchase products. They participate in communities, create content, influence others and extend the cultural relevance of brands long after the initial sale. 

That participation creates value that traditional marketing alone cannot. 

The conversation also reinforced another emerging trend from Cannes: community is becoming one of the most powerful forms of media. 

The brands winning attention aren’t simply broadcasting messages. They’re creating spaces where people actively contribute to the story. 

Five key takeaways 

1. Build for longevity, not just launch. Products, content and campaigns should be designed to create value long after they first appear. 

2. Engineer trust into the experience. Transparency, authentication and independent verification are becoming competitive advantages. 

3. Recognise that customers are participants, not endpoints. They increasingly shape brand reputation through resale, advocacy and community. 

4. Use AI to remove friction rather than replace people. eBay demonstrated how AI simplifies product identification and selling, making participation easier while preserving the human experience. 

5. Stop measuring success by the first transaction. In a circular economy, the strongest brands continue creating value through every owner, every interaction and every story that follows.