1) I hope this is the year the industry stops focusing on channel agnostic ideas and instead starts thinking about big brand ideas that seamlessly move across channels. Technology has a nasty way of distracting brands from their purpose. Too often we see technology for technology’s sake. In these examples you can usually swap out one brand for another, sometimes even an entire category for another. It’s lazy and it doesn’t serve the brand. I think we will also start to see brands offering consumers actual utility as opposed to passive engagements. The trick will be to do this while still serving the brand’s greater purpose. Again not utility for utility’s sake, but utility to serve the greater brand narrative. I have a feeling we’ll see some of the most interesting advances in this area come from mobile.
2) Do more that scares me.
3) Make sure your work is relevant. Always ask, “Will anyone care?” Because chances are they won’t. Which means you have to keep starting over until you’re pretty sure they will.
4) I was in the very fortunate position of having a few months off between jobs this year. In those months, I was never tethered to my cell phone during family time. My New Year’s resolution is to keep that up in my new job.
