What’s the most relevant business and/or creative lesson you learned in 2020 and how will you apply it to 2021?
I have learnt that everything was/is in a constant state of flux, so we have to be flexible. In 2020, we saw huge shifts in creative asks as the world faced significant health, social justice and political issues. Creative agencies must approach work and business challenges with adaptability and quick-wittedness. While this has always been true for agencies that I’ve worked with, it’s increasingly critical now and in the year ahead as our world culture and business communities continue to tackle unique and complex challenges.
How will the events of 2020--from the pandemic to the call for social and racial justice--impact the content you create and/or the way you work?
We have all had to adjust and push ourselves to meet the tough issues that blew up in 2020.
This is not just making us better as people but also better at our jobs; it is testing us, opening up our apertures and ultimately teaching us the importance of true empathy. Our business is built on understanding our consumers and adapting to their needs, so this experience is absolutely teaching us valuable lessons and sharpening our skills in useful ways.
Gazing into your crystal ball, what do you envision for the industry--creatively speaking or from a business standpoint--in 2021?
As the world starts to get back to some level of normal in the months ahead, the creative we will be confronted with will draw from notions like “victory” and “freedom.” I imagine there will be a tone that’s not too dissimilar to communications that were seen at the end of World War II. While the circumstances are entirely different, I suspect similar emotions will be front and center in the work ahead, and that there will be a lot of it.
What are your goals, creatively speaking and/or from a business standpoint, for your company, division, studio or network in 2021?
We have many goals for 2021. From a creative development standpoint, we’ll continue to push the boundaries and test out new things. Diversity is also a primary focus for our company, both in our staff and in the diversification of our services. From an offering standpoint, we believe that “small bets can lead to big bites” as we expand our expertise and provide our clients with more innovative ways to grow their brands. It’s exciting to scale a business this way, and we’ll be embracing more of these opportunities for our agency and our clients this year.
Tell us about one current project you are working on for early 2021.
We’re finalizing a number of exciting campaigns that are launching in Q1 for clients Traeger Grills, Taylormade Golf Company and Ultimate Kronos Group. The Traeger work in particular is providing a fun opportunity for Zambezi as we’re handling all integrated strategy, creative and media duties for the brand, and given our in-house FIN Studios is leading all production, direction and post production of our campaign work.
How did your company, agency, network, service or studio adjust/adapt to the marketplace in 2020 (new strategies, resources, technology, health/safety expertise) and what of all that bodes well for 2021?
As a smaller, independent agency, we were able to adapt quickly to 2020 challenges and support our clients and staff in positive ways. We were also very fortunate to have a big growth year during an extremely challenging time for the industry. This largely came through continued investment and expansion of our services. We heavily invested in our Media + Analytics practice, amped up our design expertise, and recently launched a new social and content division. We’ll be focused on more of this cross-communications, integrated discipline growth in 2021.
Additionally, we’re very focused on our employees and supporting them on a personal level during these strange times of isolation, as well as juggling parenting and teaching responsibilities while working. Empathy and a huge focus on health and safety will continue to be our guide in the months ahead.
What’s your New Year’s resolution, creatively speaking or from a business standpoint, for your agency, department or company?
It’s the same every year. The work comes first.