How did your agency adjust/adapt to the marketplace in 2021 (new strategies, resources, technology, health/safety expertise) and what is the most relevant business and/or creative lesson you learned in 2021 and how will you apply it to 2022?
We were fortunate enough to grow in 2020 because of our clients. In 2020, we learned how to navigate the very early waters of COVID-19. How to do a production through Zoom. How to manage teams and clients only on Zoom, Slack, iMessage and email. 2020 really set a foundation for how to work in the new world. We took those learnings and were able to hit the ground running in 2021. Our output this year was 4x higher than it’s ever been.
How are the events of 2021--from the pandemic to the call for diversity, equity and inclusion--impacting the content you create and/or the way you work?
Our clients have always been sensitive to diversity, equity and inclusion. Year over year they continue to push for a more even ratio when it comes to talent we cast. From an agency stand point, we continued to learn how to ensure the culture of our agency survives in a world that is more remote than physical.
What are your goals or New Year’s resolution, creatively speaking or from a business standpoint, for your agency or department in 2022?
I hope TDP is fortunate enough to continue the trend we’ve been on since the agency was founded. Doing smart, creative work for great clients. We have a very healthy new business pipeline and a lot of production coming down the pipe, so selfishly, adding one more producer next year wouldn’t be a bad thing.
Gazing into your crystal ball, what do you envision for the advertising and/or entertainment industry--creatively speaking or from a business standpoint--in 2022?
I’m hopeful that more work will focus on bringing people together, especially after the last two years. It’s nice to see industry talk about events that will be a hybrid / more in person attendance. It’ll be interesting to see how our industry embraces the new world - things like return to office (if that ever happens), award shows, and more in person production.
Tell us about one current commercial or branded entertainment project you are working on for early 2022.
We’re preparing for a client sponsorship for the LPGA and we’ve specifically been instructed not to put it through a COVID-19 lens. That was nice to hear.