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buying. A real standout has been the growth of BVOD minutes, particularly among younger audiences. In the first half of 2022, compared to the same period last year, kids viewing was up 10%, 18-to-24-year-olds were watching almost 20% more BVOD and 25-to-39-year-olds did the same.
This will be remembered as the year consumers embraced the digiti- sation of TV with consumption of live-streamed BVOD content increasing exponentially. If the Olympics in 2021 introduced a host of new viewers to watching live stream TV content anywhere anytime, 2022 was the year they wholeheartedly embraced it.
On a more personal note, it’s been great to get back to some sort of normal living after Covid. The evolution of where we work – office, home, hybrid and everything in between – became less important than what really matters: productivity that comes from partnerships with the right amount of flexibility and work life balance.
So, what lies ahead in 2023? I would say caution and bravery in equal measures. Caution because we are in the midst of interesting macroeco- nomic conditions and bravery because it takes a strong brand and busi- ness to continue to innovate, communicate and support their customers through economic headwinds.
The brands and businesses that hold fast and continue to invest in their future despite the turbulent conditions will benefit most as we come out of this cycle toward the end of 2023.
In terms of the challenges and opportunities in the new year, we have work to do ensuring the next generation of leaders – from brand managers to media buyers – have a voice in where the industry is heading.
We can also look forward to the ongoing refinement of VOZ to ensure today’s TV measurement remains relevant and useful to advertisers and agencies.
I’m excited to see what surprises 2023 will bring our ever-changing industry. The last couple of years have shown me that together we do more than just survive, we can thrive.
So, bring on 2023 and, with a bit of luck, series two of House of the Dragon. Like a lot of you, I need my regular Westeros fix.
FPete Bosilkovski, co-founder, It's Friday
or me, 2022 can be summed up as ‘everything you want is on the other side of fear’.
Taking the plunge and starting an agency has been anything but fearful for me though. It’s been unbelievably liberating and rewarding, a feeling I haven’t experienced in a very long time. This has been driven by the fact, that I’ve got back to what matters most – influencing the work. Often when you sit at the top of a big agency, you become a political handler and a fire- fighter, none of which impacts the work, nor your client’s business or brand. Influencing the shape of the work or direction of the brand is why I fell in love with the industry. Now, add 25+ years of experience and getting back to influencing the work, and I’ve fallen back in love. And it runs so deep. You truly underestimate how much value you add and the impact you make, when you have your hands on the wheel of a brand. Everything from busi- ness strategy to developing timelines, I’m loving it all. The mindset we’ve instilled in our company, is don’t wait for the brief. We have the ability to be more agile and act as an extension to the brand’s marketing department. We have a better understanding of a brand’s issues and consumer tensions. We act on these to create new experiences for a brand. As a result, we play offence delivering more ‘aha’ and ‘ta-da’ moments for clients.
Looking back on previous roles, I realise how removed you are from your client’s business and having the ability to impact it. Our clients are loving this way of working. Having that level of experience and energy firmly engrained in their day to day has been defining.
In 2023, there will be more uncertainty as inflation continues to wreak havoc on brands. It won’t be easy as we will face massive headwinds in all aspects of business, society and culture.
However, more than ever, distinction and differentiation will be the custodian of profits. As brands embrace pricing strategies offering more
The brands and businesses that hold fast and continue to
invest in their future despite
the turbulent conditions will benefit most as we come out of this.
ThinkTV, Kim Portrate
value to consumers in these tough times, it’s those brands that find and unleash their unique brand energy to create distinction and differenti- ation in their respective categories that will set themselves apart. Finding it isn’t easy, as the conven- ient path is most often selected. But in these times more so than ever, how brands show up will determine their fate. Competition on the pric- ing front will be fever pitch, so pric- ing alone isn’t enough.
Employee engagement - or as some are calling it, employee activa- tion – will also need to be deployed. It’s not enough to solely focus on delivering exceptional customer service, product and price. Activating experiences with employ- ees is as important. An engaged work force makes and breaks cus- tomer experiences. As Peter Drucker put it: “culture eats strategy for breakfast”. Doubling down on employee activation across market- ing programs will be key. In 25 years in this industry, I don’t remember this being such an important factor for success. You can have a break- through innovation, product or
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