The AdNews end of year Perspectives, looking back at 2024 and forward to next year.
Nick Grinberg, Head of Strategy, Next&Co
Let’s face it—2024 wasn’t exactly a champagne-and-confetti kind of year for most in our space. Between budget cuts, performance pressure, and enough restructuring announcements to make anyone wince, it often felt like an endurance sport. It’s been a challenging year. But amid these challenges, one thing became crystal clear for me: empathy was our greatest strength.
Turns out, the biggest innovation of the year was simply being nice to each other. Whether it was giving your overworked team member an extra coffee break, cutting your client some slack when they needed to make miracles happen with half their usual budget, or just choosing not to send that passive-aggressive email—2024 was all about the human stuff.
This year, we learned that being accommodating didn’t mean lowering the bar; it meant being smart enough to realise that none of us are at our best when we’re stressed, stretched, and five coffees into a long day. Empathy became the secret sauce that held everything together, making it easier to work, create, and occasionally laugh through the chaos.
For clients, it showed up in work that spoke to real people, not just demographics on a slide deck. Ads that said, “We get it; times are tough,” rather than, “Buy this shiny thing now or regret it forever.”
For teams, it meant showing everyday leadership—the kind that’s less about big speeches and more about the small stuff, like asking, “How are you doing?” and meaning it.
My babushka (grandma in Russian) used to always tell me ‘Drug poznayotsya v bede’ – which translates to ‘A friend is known in trouble’. I used to think that she was being dramatic, but nonetheless it has been great to see how many relationships we had deepened with staff, clients and suppliers in a challenging year.
Algorithms are great and strategy is key, but nothing beats a workplace, a partnership, or a campaign that feels good to be part of.
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