This time last year, when I sat down to ponder the year that was 2024, I landed on the view that advertising is like riding a high-speed rollercoaster, missing half the track.
Twelve months on, that sentiment is still the same.
I also recall thinking that predictions from advertising executives are like weather forecasts from people selling umbrellas. Usually, they predict little and opine on a future where the services they sell are far more important than they are in the real world.
So rather than preparing a list of predictions, I’m going to put together some advice for future me, or anyone crazy enough to take my advice.
You can’t collaborate if you aren’t curious
The best partnerships start with people who actually want to understand each other, not just wait for their turn to talk. It’s a bit like a great conversation. If you’re not genuinely interested, you’ll never be interesting enough for anyone to want to build something with you.
The benchmark for collaboration is still Pixar and Disney. Pixar had the imagination, Disney had the distribution, and together they minted childhood memories by the billion. One drew toys that came to life; the other sold the lunchboxes. Everyone won.
Embrace learning
Warren Buffett still spends most of his day reading because he knows knowledge compounds faster than money. Richard Branson built his empire by asking “why not” a thousand different ways. My doctor is a lifelong learner, and I wouldn’t accept anything else. Advertising is changing just as fast as medicine. Your clients want you to be the same. The lesson is simple: stay curious, keep learning, and you’ll never go out of date.
Be flexible
I heard a great line from a crusty old sailor many years ago while sitting on the rail of a yacht in the middle of nowhere. He said, the pessimist complains about the wind, the optimist expects it to change. A good sailor switches to the number three headsail, adjusts the backstay, calls for weight on the rail and most importantly contemplates what sails to fly on the downwind leg. Be the good sailor.
Do hard things
Somewhere along the way, we decided comfort was the goal. Heated seats, instant coffee, Wi-Fi everywhere. But nothing worth doing ever came from being comfortable. The great ideas come when you’re cold, wet, and your phone has gone dead.
The opposite of ‘do hard things’
Resilience is like a bucket. You can’t keep dipping into it without topping it up. Every late night, stressful client call, or dodgy sales rep eats away at the reserves, and before you know it, you’re scraping the bottom, wondering why everything feels hard. The trick is to recognise when you’ve taken too much out and start pouring something back in. I know what works for me. Less booze, more exercise, time with people who don’t talk about CPMs.
The happiest people aren’t the ones who never empty their bucket; they’re the ones who know how and when to refill it.
So as we farewell 2025, ditch the predictions and fill your bucket instead.
Perhaps next year I’ll come up with some crap about hanging out in the metaverse, eating NFTs while working on a beach in Portugal, and never coming into the office.
