After a year of uncertainty, change and restructures making headlines, return-to-office mandates, and waning DEI and ESG promises, a new year is a time for reflection. It's time to review what habits to keep or ditch from 2023, and also what to start anew.
Campaign reached out to agencies in the region to find out the ways of working, strategies, mindsets, and practices ought to be stopped, started, or continued for a fresh start. From ditching siloed working to loving people and human-driven creativity more, AI a little less, getting serious about mental health and abandoning false urgencies—the list is focussed and fun.
Andreas Krasser
CEO, DDB Group Hong Kong
KEEP
Empowering our team to speak up and be part of the solution by supporting our culture advisory board, providing them with an annual budget, and encouraging them to represent the agency's voice in management meetings. This initiative has not only highlighted grievances but also sparked various positive agency policy changes, significantly impacting our culture and working environment.
DITCH
Allowing financial considerations to dictate the overall agency agenda. In 2023, I succumbed to the pressure of accepting too many RFPs, fearing we might fall short of our goals. Unfortunately, this decision left our team stressed, tired, and burntout.
START
To become more serious about mental well-being, moving beyond mere token efforts like mental health awareness days. I hope to spark a dialogue involving not just agency folk but also marketers and procurement teams, discussing healthier pitch practices, extended timelines, the significance of concise briefs, and more.
Adam Harriden
Executive creative director, INVNT Group APAC
KEEP
Trusting my gut instinct.
DITCH
Pitching products over people. Balance is key.
START
Love our people more and AI a little less.
Katya Obolensky
Managing director, VCCP Singapore
KEEP
Being open to experimentation with new technologies and remaining agile. We want to embrace every new tool available to us to enhance our creativity, and as the world changes quickly we need to be adaptable. Do away with processes that are no longer fit for purpose and embrace flexibility and change.
DITCH
This year I hope we can all ditch siloed working. Collaboration across different marketing functions like content, social media, analytics, and sales always leads to more cohesive and effective strategies. The very best work we've created has come when we've been able to bridge the gaps between these silos. We all need to foster a culture of collaboration to ensure a holistic approach to marketing that aligns with overall business objectives.
START
Using AI to make my life easier—diaries, to do lists, meal plans, travel plans, timesheets—turn it into my PA.
Chris Iki
Chief operating officer, TBWA Hakuhodo
KEEP
Continue to embrace AI and harness the synergy between human creativity and the latest technological advancements. While AI significantly boosts our output capabilities, the crux of our success will continue to depend on human-driven creativity, which is essential in developing impactful and disruptive ideas.
DITCH
Eliminate inefficiencies in our workflows by cutting down on unnecessary resource consumption, time expenditure and cumbersome processes. Aim to optimise our operations for greater effectiveness and agility. Embracing technology and emerging platforms will play a big part in what we do and how we do things.
START
Be more disruptive... than ever before. Our aim is to shake up and disrupt conventional norms, not only for brands but also for society. We are dedicated to challenging the status quo, bringing innovative and inspiring ideas to the table that can truly make a difference. This is who we are and what we do, and our creative product must reflect this.
Suzie Shaw
CEO, We Are Social, Australia
KEEP
Actively employing AI to enhance what we do.
DITCH
Responding to new business briefs where the brand is not willing to effectively engage in the process or provide clarity on budgets.
START
Exploring more innovative approaches to identifying a new breed of creative talent.
Sraman Majumdar
Senior VP and executive creative director, Brave New World Communications
KEEP
One thing to keep doing this year would be to keep finding natural creative strengths in young talent, mentoring and validating successes in those areas, and offering an early safe space for creative confidence that can grow outwards into new areas. Everyone deserves a first love.
DITCH
This one may sound obvious but it’s a big one—abandon false urgencies.
The industry momentum against it is large and legacy. It is absolutely essential to take time and joy in the creative process in order to deliver outstanding work.
START
It’s going to be tough to give just one answer. But gun to head, spotting and inventing new ways to integrate generative AI in ways that are more anchored in human insight than just the shine of emerging tech. AI is the new gold rush and all that glitters is not.
Bilal Khan
Group director, strategy and media integration, Lion & Lion
KEEP
Creating high impact insight driven integrated creative solutions.
DITCH
One size fits all approach.
START
More customised marketing solutions for our clients.
Humphrey Ho
Managing partner, Hylink group
KEEP
Continue to automate the agency with AI this year, promoting both the creation of assets and output with AI but also to optimize and automate agency operations in order to minimise errors and improve productivity. AI is our secret weapon to increased quality of life for our teams.
DITCH
Remote work (we're only hiring near our offices/starting new offices).
START
Bring integrated (creative, media, tech) solutions in every single proposal.
Rachelle Raymundo
Managing director, Redcomm
KEEP
Adapting to consumer evolution and market conditions
DITCH
High dependency on vanity metrics as business become more challenging and consumers seek values and meaning in brands.
START
Do more social responsibility and advocacy campaigns as the generation becomes more aware and involved in social issues.
Kuswantoro Gunarya
Managing director, Redcomm
KEEP
I will continue to focus on driving brand values and creating campaigns worth paying attention to, especially through influenced marketing.
DITCH
Stop relying only on organic performance, but combine it with social ads and/or influencer marketing.
START
Embracing AI especially in the hyper-competitive landscape nowadays, enabling marketers to cater to various individual preferences and approaches.
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