Merman's Spencer Dodd Reflects on 2023
I hit 50 this year. One of the few advantages about the youth of old age is that you understand things tend to go in cycles. Things evolve, people move on, fashions change, recessions come and go. Nothing lasts forever. If I look back at my review of 2022 perhaps things didn’t move at quite the pace many of us would have liked, but I’m optimistic they will as consumer confidence returns. I guess, 'when?' is the question we're asking ourselves. It’s unsettling and no one seems to be able to give a clear concise reason as to why or when this might be.
2023 was another sticky year.
Things started up, then they stopped, then they started up again, and on it went... A lot of false dawns seemingly. More war, more political instability, more economic stagnation.
There’s a way to go until we’re out of the woods but interest rates are starting to level off as inflation has come down, there’s a general election in the offing and the national living wage will rise by a record amount in 2024. Advertising is growing at 4.6% each year, set to be the biggest entertainment and media sector in 2026 and overall the standard of work was better. Although the Christmas offering was a bit of a mixed bag. Predictably, brands seem to have gone for price and a bit of humour rather than anything too earnest in the current climate but ask me again once I’ve judged the British Arrows.
We’ve been lucky compared to most, perhaps benefitting from our diverse offering, creating some popular entertainment, some repeat business, whilst picking up enough new business to make it a reasonable year overall. We have much to be proud of and much to look forward to.
Warburtons 'Mad About The Bread', Specsavers 'Airport', GWR 'Five Race To The Coast', DePaul 'Marcus and Lisa', Starfield were particular highlights of ours. 'Bad Sisters' continues to pick up awards. 'Bad Sisters 2' is in production. Our feature film 'Your Monster' is opening up The Sundance Film Festival and our podcast 'People Who Knew Me' with Rosamund Pike received rave reviews and has thrown up some exciting opportunities which are set to kick off in January 2024.
We’ve signed some outstanding talent in Dearbhla Walsh, Margot Bowman, KC Locke and Hannah Berry George who I fully expect to blossom in 2024.
Are these the green shoots of recovery? Let’s hope so.
Whilst we hope that we’re coming to the end of a cycle, things will inevitably have evolved and so must we. If we’ve learned anything from 2023 it’s that the long list of deliverables we receive, reflect the fact that around the world digital advertising dollars are getting spread more thinly as the media landscape has fragmented and become more complex and nuanced with more innovative and sensitive ways to captivate our audiences.
As Janet Marwick and Rhona Glazebrook put it in a recent APA seminar, “Companies need to continue to reassess and refocus to remain nimble and resilient to changes. Creativity must now extend into multiple dimensions harnessed to a purpose to meet our clients’ needs.“
So, alongside the work we produced, 2023 was spent laying the foundations for growth and success moving into 2024 and beyond.
Diversity and sustainability remain a key focus and we’re always keen to explore what more we can be doing on all fronts.
2023 saw us open our branded entertainment department with Dannie Stewart which is starting to take shape. Branded entertainment is designed to help brands and agencies build emotional connections with audiences through the co-creation of original formats. The development follows the significant expansion of advertising-funded entertainment programming across the sector, and thanks to being a market leader and integrated producer with our links to talent… Writers, show runners, producers, actors and directors we’re well placed to move into this area and already have a couple of projects set to move into production in the new year.
Our promo department opened too with Marisa Garner at the forefront. We’ve produced a number of videos and the stage visuals for Depeche Mode’s world tour with Anton Corbijn; and KC Locke continues to smash it out the park with his youthful, fresh, innovative and exciting approach to filmmaking.
So let’s hope with some planning, the good times roll again in 2024.
