Each year, StopPress asks a group of talented professionals in the local industry for their reflections on the year that was. Brought to you by NZME, this year we speak to individuals who made their mark on 2022 and brought us truely impactful work.
For Olly King, Head of Strategy at Spark Foundry, 2022 has been the year of continued growth along with some significant personal and professional achievements.
2022 summed up in three words…
Russia invades Ukraine / Roe v. Wade
A personal achievement I’m most proud of in 2022…
As you get older these become less personal and more shared achievements.
Helping launch and establish Spark Foundry into the NZ market with some amazing people. Transitioning one child from school into university (harder than you think).
Transitioning another child from university into the workforce (equally as tricky).
Supporting my wife with her ever expanding art career.
Managing to have an exhibition myself.
Something surprising you’ve learnt during your time as Head of Strategy at Spark Foundry?
You need to keep learning to grow.
Listen to others, be aware of what’s going on around you and read lots. It is really important in this time of constant change, climate emergency and social upheaval.
Ask for help, as you don’t know everything. I am surrounded by interesting and talented people who may surprise you on what they can offer. Diversity of thought is vital to grow. My voice is often the least important.
What strategy trends do you expect to take off next year?
The most obvious answer is Open AI and Chat GPT and how this is going to affect the loss of jobs, bias and discrimination, security and privacy, and loss of human autonomy. However, this tool is still a while away yet as it is still in the research phase.
Once again it will be a year of cultural trends…
The cost-of-living crisis is only going to get worse for the average New Zealander. How can we show empathy in our comms? How can we help? Things will get worse before they get better.
The election will dominate conversations around economic and social issues next year. Will we see more cultural divides in New Zealand much like we did through Covid? Urban vs rural, young vs old, rich vs poor.
How will ongoing climate events impact governments and social behaviour?
How will the interconnected relationship between culture and media continue to manifest in social platforms and communities for better and for worse?
How did this year’s events change the way you approach your work?
We all have a responsibly to create work that can have a positive outcome or impact on society. Growth comes from caring for our future.
To be agile and flexible as we are in a state of constant flux. There is nothing wrong with evolving, updating and adapting.
What has been the most rewarding strategy work you’ve done this year?
Redefining what media strategy is within Spark Foundry for our people and clients. Helping embed this into the agency culture and operationalising it. It’s been exciting to see the outcome of this across the work already.
A professional highlight in 2022 was…
Co-creating our vision and values which sets the foundations of our culture, the work we produce, and the types of clients we will grow with in the future.
What were the biggest lessons brands learned in 2022?
The importance of a channel agnostic idea that can come to life in channel in different ways, for different audiences.
It’s no secret that media consumption is fragmented, and ever changing. Now we have multiple channels, second screening and access to endless content in the palm of our hand. Culture and media have never been so intimately linked giving us unprecedented access to information and means of content production. Essentially, mobile phone technology and social media have democratised production and influence. Now, anyone can create content and get it seen by hundreds, thousands and sometimes millions of people. The unilateral, curated and controlled way brands have traditionally communicated simply cannot hold up in these platforms, because the content and conversation are interpersonal and user generated – it is living, breathing and always changing.
We hold a lot of muscle memory when it comes to the way we do things. We all need to unlearn a little in order to adapt and thrive in these platforms and engage with new audiences.
Best innovation/invention/launch of 2022…
Donald Trump’s NFT collectable cards.
A person who inspired me the most this year was
The Iranian protestors.
In 2023 I want to perfect the art of…
Growing more hair.
Quick fire 10
Most memorable local campaign: Skinny – Radio ad recording service.
Favourite international campaign: Cadbury Celebrations; Not Just a Cadbury Ad. This data-driven campaign creating advertisements that doubled as ads for Cadbury and thousands of local businesses. Depending on where the viewer was located, they would see a personalised ad for a local business that they could support.
Campaign I wish I worked on: Although it’s two years old I love Boards of Change for City of Chicago. Plywood boards that barricaded storefronts during Black Lives matters protests, filled with messages of unity and justice, were turned into voting booths.
Best news of 2022: Elon Musk asking the Twitter audience if he should continue as CEO and Twitter responding No.
Biggest flop of 2022: Liz Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng and ‘that’ mini-budget.
Top artist on Spotify Wrapped: Black Country, New Road.
Best part of being back in the office: Not having to meet people on Teams every day.
A 2022 trend I’m looking forward to leaving behind: The tripledemic.
Furthest place travelled in 2022: Alice Springs.
Best book I read in 2022: Everybody – Olivia Laing.
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