A Lesson in Longevity

As professional creatives, we seek inspiration everywhere and staying up-to-date with the latest industry trends is crucial. So I jumped at the chance to attend the Birmingham Design Conference, a biennial event where I could immerse myself in all elements of the creative world, from typographers to puppet masters, that left me brimming with creative energy.

At Finn, we recognise the importance of nurturing young talent and fostering the next generation of creative minds – like our recent involvement with the School of Thought programme and our upcoming partnership with Channel 4. So as a creative team, we embarked on our visit to the Leeds Arts University Next Gen Degree Show on Thursday, 22nd June, when we arrived we were greeted with loud music and crowds of people, not quite what I was expecting, but it just so happened to be the same day as the live fashion show and film premiers, the space was bustling with aspiring young creatives and their families, which definitely took me back to experiencing days like these when I first graduated. The Leeds Arts University Next Gen Degree Show serves as a dynamic platform for emerging talents from the graduating year to showcase their artistic prowess. As an annual event, it provides a glimpse into the future of the creative industry and features a diverse range of disciplines, including fine art, photography, fashion, graphic design, and more. We were keen to see the Creative Advertising coursework having seen some of the graduates' handy work already a few weeks previous at their School of Thought presentations. Playfully christened ‘Leeds Br Adford Airport’. Our focus on creative advertising led us to not only explore the incredible work on display but also ponder the ways in which we can contribute further to nurturing younger individuals entering the creative industry this year. We witnessed firsthand the innovative ideas and creative brilliance exhibited on the course, the class looked to have completed some fun briefs from Pizza Hut, Robinsons Fruit Juice and a recruitment drive campaign from McCann. Their copywriting was playful and thought provoking and quite a few got a laugh from me. We also reflected on the significance of nurturing and supporting these young individuals as they embark on their professional journeys. How can we as creatives and agencies create space for these minds to grow? What support would they need? So, here are a few key insights and suggestions on how we can contribute to their growth: Mentorship Programs: Creating mentorship opportunities for aspiring creatives is crucial. By pairing experienced professionals with emerging talent, we can provide guidance, share industry insights, and offer constructive feedback. Mentoring programs foster a supportive environment and help young creatives navigate the challenges they may encounter in the early stages of their careers. Internship and Apprenticeship Programs: Similar to the ones I’ve already mentioned, School of Thought and the Channel 4 Creative Partnership – offering internships and apprenticeships within our agency or partnering with educational institutions can provide hands-on experience and practical knowledge to students entering the creative industry. These programs allow young creatives to gain valuable insights into the industry, develop their skills, and build a strong foundation for their future careers. Collaboration and Networking Opportunities: Encouraging collaboration and facilitating networking opportunities is vital for young creatives to expand their professional circles and learn from their peers. Organising events, workshops, or industry panels can connect emerging talent with established professionals, fostering a community where ideas can flourish and creativity can thrive. Continued Learning and Development: I mentioned this in my last blog post – the creative industry is ever-evolving, with new technologies, trends, and techniques constantly emerging. Encouraging and supporting ongoing learning and professional development is essential. Providing access to training resources, industry conferences, and educational programs can empower young creatives to stay abreast of industry advancements and continuously hone their skills. Embracing Diversity and Inclusion: This one’s a biggie! I was happy to see the gender diversity in the Creative Advertising course, having been something the industry has struggled with for years. Celebrating and fostering diversity within the creative industry is vital for creating a rich and inclusive creative landscape. By actively seeking out and supporting individuals from diverse backgrounds, we can ensure a breadth of perspectives and experiences, leading to more innovative and impactful campaigns and less advertising mistakes being made (I’m talking to you 2020 Stay at Home Covid Ad). Our visit to the Leeds Arts University Next Gen Degree Show was a source of inspiration and a reminder of the immense talent and potential of the next generation of creatives. At Finn, we remain committed to supporting emerging talent and continuing our journey as a catalyst for creativity and innovation in the creative advertising industry. There’s large communities of agencies and creatives out there and by actively engaging in mentorship, internship programs, fostering collaboration, and embracing diversity, we can contribute to creating an environment where young creatives can flourish. Together, we can provide the guidance and opportunities needed to nurture and inspire the creative stars of tomorrow.

Efficient and seamless project management has always been one of my work-related passions, which I think links back to my obsession with organization and planning in my personal life. Throughout my career I have enjoyed honing my skills in this area, and now teaching them to my colleagues, so they can flourish too. Here are a few of my project management top tips:

The top 5 takeouts.

We’re a people first agency and believe that our Finnsters do their best work when they’re motivated, happy and their wellbeing is prioritised. Culture and values are key to what drives happiness and our values-led approach helps to create a culture where we have a mutual sense of purpose, in making a difference and building connections. At Finn, we are committed to supporting our Finnsters wellbeing, with a variety of initiatives in place to support them. _01 wellbeing Team Our Wellbeing Champions promote positive wellbeing in the workplace. They meet regularly to chat through initiatives and events that build up our wellness program and are implemented across the business for everyone to get involved with. We also have a monthly wellbeing newsletter which provides our Finnsters with tips, advice, resources and an important monthly wellbeing focus. To support our employees with their mental health, our wellbeing team are mental health first aid trained. These skills equip them to support employees who may be suffering from poor mental health and to signpost to specialist services, such as our EAP, local counselling and helplines if required. _02 wellbeing workshops As well as having qualified MHFA Champions, we hold regular training workshops to help raise awareness on important wellbeing topics. It helps to give our Finnsters a break from their days, reflect on their own practices and gain understanding and skills in areas such as financial wellbeing, resilience and stress management. _03 wellbeing Wednesday We introduced a dedicated focus day, where we can structure our own time and be uninterrupted. No internal meetings are scheduled and we encourage our Finnsters to take ownership of their time and structure it however works best for them. _04 Health care Our health care cash plan helps to cover a whole range of everyday health care costs, including glasses, dental treatments, physio, reflexology and more! It also includes a GP service and an Employee Assistance Programme, offering confidential support, assistance and counselling, as well as medical information from health care professionals. _05 exploration days In addition to annual leave, we offer all our employees the opportunity to take 3 exploration days a year. All Finnsters get to decide how they spend their days - these can be used for learning, exploring new areas of interest, volunteering, or taking the time to reset and focus on their wellbeing _06 Socials We also have a whole host of monthly activities to bring our Finnsters together outside of work such as our book club, yoga and breakfast club. Alongside this we organise regular socials… anything from karaoke, lino printing, life drawing to darts! _07 Day-to-day We offer our Finnsters multiple channels to have a voice and to air any concerns, giving everyone psychological safety to be honest and share their opinions. Approachable line management also ensures we have regular 1:1s and creates an environment dedicated to supporting our Finnsters, being open about feedback and helping them develop. We want to continue to grow our culture - one that champions and prioritises the wellbeing of our Finnsters; providing a supportive work environment, fostering collaboration and creativity, providing each Finnster with a sense of purpose whilst working towards a common goal, but having fun whilst doing so!  If you’d love to join the team or just want to find out more about how to get into the industry, our amazing team are always happy to chat

The new Super Mario movie, like any successful movie, will likely have a lot of valuable lessons for brands. Here's my takeaways: _0 1 Stay true to your brand: Super Mario is a beloved and iconic video game character, and fans have certain expectations for how he should be portrayed. Brands can learn from this by staying true to their own brand identity and not straying too far from what their audience expects from them. The movie was a masterclass in this area even down to the emotive messaging hook "as long as we're together... everything is gonna be okay!" _0 2 Build on existing fanbase: The Super Mario franchise has a huge and dedicated fanbase, which loved the film (more than the critics!). Brands can similarly focus on building a dedicated following and engaging with them to create a community that truly understands them. _0 3 Embrace new mediums: The Super Mario movie is a departure from the traditional video game format, but it's still staying true to the brand. Brands can similarly explore new mediums and channels to reach their audience, as long as they maintain consistency in messaging and branding. _0 4 Collaborate with other brands: The Super Mario movie showcased a huge amount of collaboration. Brands can similarly partner with other companies to create unique experiences that benefit both parties and appeal to a wider audience the highlight for me was seeing the Red Wing collaboration. _0 5 Take risks: The Super Mario movie is a bold move for Nintendo, but it could pay off if done well. Brands can similarly take risks and experiment with new ideas, as long as they stay true to their brand and their audience. They basically killed it, making the Sonic series of films look pretty lame.

James Clear's best selling book Atomic Habits outlines a beautifully simple way to change our personal behaviours by making incremental changes to our lifestyles. James Clear's best selling book Atomic Habits outlines a beautifully simple way to change our personal behaviours by making incremental changes to our lifestyles. One of the key lessons is the idea that small changes make a big difference. In life we often look for the game-changing moment or a short-cut hack. Atomic Habits are the small changes we can make that are known as the concept of marginal-gains, seeking small 1% improvements. Seemingly tiny increments have a major impact over time: 1% a day equates to a 37% improvement in a year. In marketing we are often looking for the single big event to make a difference. The game-changing next big thing. Quite often that comes in the form of a stunt brief - the quest for an idea that will grab the headlines and change the world. Go visit FamousCampaigns.com and ask yourself how many have you heard of? Are they actually famous? At Finn we advocate an atomic habits style approach for brands: define what you want to be and then make incremental steps to get there. Continuously test and learn, observe what the data are telling you and make small improvements. We have just deployed that approach for one of our clients and they have grown brand penetration a ridiculous 318% to become the number one in their category. Now to be clear that is mostly due to it being a brilliant product, perfectly positioned to capture unmet demand and it has grown a ton of distribution thanks to the herculean efforts of the sales team. However, a disciplined approach to delivering effective communications has made a significant and proven impact. Silver bullets and big bets are not healthy habits for brands.

In a global economy where consumers are pushed to purchase more and more, is deinfluencing a move towards sustainability or a marketing tactic?