So here we are at the start of another year with the cloud of the global pandemic still hanging over our heads and effecting the way we work, communicate and live our lives.

Thankfully we’ve got two years of experience under our belts at dealing with the issue and the good news is we are making it work.

As we write this one of the industry’s tent pole events, CES in Las Vegas, has had to pivot and transform itself back into a hybrid event and deal with the loss of high profile sponsors and delegates just days before it opened this week – due to the new covid variant – but somehow it still works and is bringing a sense of togetherness for those from the industry who have made it. Yes, it’s not ideal for those hoping to have the unexpected accidental meetings and connecting opportunities in the live space, but it is making the best and still providing virtual and live touch-points.

On the back of this it will be interesting to see how the other events – determined to get back into the live space – such as AdWeek and Cannes Lions deal with the potential of similar issues closer to their own start dates. It will be intriguing to see how they set up and what they look like and what they can now deliver in a live space for clients who have not attended for two years. It’s a real challenge and could well go some way to shaping how the industry comes together in a global format. From our conversations with brands around the world it is clear there is a need for some live networking, but perhaps not the same pre-pandemic lust for live content and learning, which have always gone hand in hand with the connecting. It’s not ideal for the organisers, but equally it does allow them to align themselves with the rest of the industry in being far more creative.

With regards to the global advertising, media and marketing space it should be another year of driving business back to pre-pandemic levels, but in the main in a more emphatic and creative way.

What do we mean by this? Well thanks to our award programmes around the world we are in the privileged position of having a holistic view of the key trends and insights driving global media.

And one of those – having been privy to seeing the entries from our APAC 2022 awards programme and last year’s global programmes – is cause and impact. We don’t just mean those campaigns that feel like they are ticking boxes, but those campaigns who have had a real impact on helping to make the world a better place, no matter how small or big the impact. It could be helping change cultural perceptions, contributing to helping eradicate plastic waste, or generating awareness around important issues and causes.

Marketing is often derided for diving consumerism and as a result wastage, but some of the work it is doing in the cause space is fantastic and the sector can certainly be a force of good for the industry. From the early entries we have seen into our awards programmes this year this it is becoming more and more prevalent and long may it continue to help people, places and the planet.

Other key take outs from the entries so far have been an increase in the level of creativity, which is in response to clients demanding more innovative approaches and a far better use of data, but which also showcases a greater level of client and agency collaboration, which is key going forwards. Collaboration across all levels is definitely a way to help rebuild and future-proof the industry.

We feel it’s going to be another year of building, learning and setting ourselves up for a more empathetic, caring and loving industry.

Here’s to the next 12 months.