What’s the most relevant business and/or creative lesson you learned in 2020 and how will you apply it to 2021?
Remember 13 months ago when we thought 2019 was a tough year and wished for a better 2020? Who would’ve guessed 2020 would turn out to be the roughest year of our lives. And though we’re keeping our fingers crossed for a better 2021, I’ve learned one thing – never be surprised by surprises. Mike Tyson famously said, “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” And despite all the plans we made last year, the world got a barrage of sucker punches. But the response to creativity didn’t change that much. Ideas that were authentic, non-cliché and even entertaining were welcomed. Innovative applications of technology led to unimaginable adoption and growth of e-Commerce. And virtual finally became reality where new ways of working, selling, happy hour-ing, reuniting and consoling showed us that creativity always wins no matter what year it is. Thanks for the lessons 2020.
Gazing into your crystal ball, what do you envision for the industry–creatively speaking or from a business standpoint–in 2021?
Creativity always has, and always will be, the silver bullet for brands to survive and thrive. Apart from a few exceptions, 2020 wasn’t a bumper year for creativity. Though 2021 will continue to be challenging, brands will need to differentiate and seek new levels of creative innovation from agency partners. How can a brand’s relationship with people become more meaningful when the connection between them continues to be contactless and virtual? Can we augment technology to feel more human? Not just remove friction but create unique brand experiences online, in-store, virtually, on social or with A.I. And with the promise of 5G, just imagine the new ways people can experience products, spaces, learning and events. The crystal ball may be hazy but when you supercharge technology with creativity, the future is clearly limitless.
