If 2023 was a buzz wire game, the wire coil was particularly bendy, requiring more skill, agility and patience to navigate the loop along the wire and I couldn’t be prouder of how our Team at MediaHeads 360 has navigated the year.
At a recent staff event one of our top creatives remarked that part of the year end fatigue is in the fact that this has been a year of seeing people. Workdays have settled into blended hybrid models and many homes have reclaimed the dining room to no longer double as a home office. Meetings with agencies and clients have been over coffee and “you’re on mute” has slowly been replaced with “the traffic lights are out due to loadshedding I’ll be there shortly”. We’re seeing more people in offices and meetings and the year has been an acclimatisation to this physical engagement. There is a collective energy when people are in a room together and I’m pleased with how our team have changed gear into the next phase of the new normal.
The economy is under pressure and more than once in my personal life I thought the loop might touch the wire and the buzzer would go off. I think it’s important to take stock of global factors, local pressures with inflation that has seen everything from petrol to paint increase in price, placing many below, or dangerously close to, the breadline. There has never been a year where the need for companies to support community organisations has been as great. We acknowledge that we can always be more creative in our approach, and we are pleased that we’ve been able to grow our support for community media through our on-going relationship with Alex FM.
A steady hand and agility gets the loop further down the wire. With a blend of deep experience and new knowledge, the MediaHeads 360 collective has grown with seven new specialists as part of our team. We’ve relished the opportunity to broaden our client offering. We’ve always loved radio and the work we’ve done on bespoke campaigns. Our work in radio dramas and in sponsorships and promotions this year has not only entertained and educated audiences, but it has also added value to our clients and their brands. Television has become an area of focus and we’ve dedicated time and attention in building partnerships through knowledge and learning. We have no doubt that 2024 is going to sizzle on screen!
Thank you for the opportunity to work together. We have amazing clients who despite the challenges of their own live wires, are always keen to do something, try something and achieve something. We are equally grateful to the media platforms for being open to new and ideas and adding value to both audiences and brands.
I’m not sure what the social media catch phrase for 2024 is going to be, maybe “2020 more”? I am however, confident that the live wire that was 2023 has left us ready for the task, excited to execute and keen to create. Thanks to the Springboks for the additional holiday day, I certainly feel like I deserve it with the way they played down to the wire! If I learnt anything from them, it is that your loop might be close to the wire but with focus, attention, teamwork and skills you can win, no matter how many loops! Here’s to winning in 2024.