by Viv Woodward, President of Bloom North and Client Director at the Guardian One of the most uplifting moments for me over the last 12 months (well actually, over most of my lifespan tbh), was on 20th January 2021 - The US inauguration day. First of all, it felt like we were all about to step back into the light. One where the dark, chilling, and to be brutally honest, quite terrifying film set we had been sitting through and experiencing for over 4 years with Trump at the helm, had metamorphosed into something more uplifting, where the supervillain had [...]

What is the future of the high street and what does it mean for agencies? By Sue Benson, MD, The Behaviours Agency I feel like I’ve been writing about this topic and its ugly sister, the death of the high street, for most of my 20 years in retail marketing. And every year it gets slightly more depressing, chipping away at little moments of optimism I experience. Clearly, in the middle of lockdown high streets are barren places. But I’m hopeful that at some point soon they’ll be open again. And it’s this post-COVID world that I’ll be exploring here. [...]

By Caroline Moran, MD, Clear New month, new mindset… and as we are nearly at the 12-month mark since the events industry fell off a cliff, an ideal time for reflection. I don’t mind sharing that Lockdown Part 3 has been the hardest one for me. A combination of cold weather and 4pm sunsets has been a slog. Home schooling has ramped up which is brilliant but comes with pressure, guilt, swearing at technology and wishing I wasn’t Mum, teacher and the IT department all rolled into one. (Not forgetting school cook, cleaner and occasional truancy officer). We are all [...]

By Nicky Unsworth, CEO, The BJL Group Our senior leadership team at BJL has reflected endlessly on 2020 – and I'm sure we'll carry on analysing and debating what worked / what didn’t work for a long time to come. As we look ahead to the challenges and opportunities of 2021, it’s important to consider the learnings that we can take away from last year, and how these apply to a world where so much is still uncertain. The latest lockdown has felt like Groundhog Day, bringing with it more disruption and pain for everyone. For businesses it can feel [...]

By Jon Minchin, Director at Form With the pandemic still with us, continuing economic uncertainty, and climate change at a critical point, the world is undoubtedly changing. It can feel like around every corner there’s a fresh test, every day well-laid plans are disrupted, and the way society operates ever-shifts. As a leader, this environment of uncertainty can be daunting. But there is hope on the horizon, and with change comes new opportunities. Our leadership journey is never complete and new perspectives and approaches can help us navigate uncertainty. So what skills can we work on to help us get [...]

by Christian James, MPA Chair and MD of The IF Agency "For millions of working parents, this time of year is normally a bit of a relief as the kids return to school and life falls back into a more stable routine. But this isn’t any year and relief is hardly what parents (or anyone else) are feeling right now. Hundreds of our members are still on furlough and many offices remain mothballed as business leaders battle to draw up new working practices that will keep their teams safe and motivated for the coming months. Like most out there, my [...]