Happy people, famous work, healthy balance sheets in 2024: Hayden Scott, Virtue Worldwide

The start of a new year is seen as bringing in new operational efficiencies, stronger strategies, and a far greater emphasis on building deep bonds with various stakeholders and consumers. In keeping with the current market ecosystem, technology and a human approach are seen as going hand in hand. As 2024 kicks off, Adgully has approached key industry leaders to Crystal Gaze into 2024.

Crystal gazing into 2024, Hayden Scott, Creative Head - APAC, Virtue Worldwide, predicted that AI will continue to dominate conversations, though not falling into the trap of tech over the idea. He further shared how this generation will remain consistent in a job for a long time if they feel respected, valued and guided by the right mentor. According to Scott, the major focus areas for Virtue Worldwide in 2024 are healthy balance sheets, happy people, and famous work.

Key trends dominating and impacting the industry in 2024

We will see AI continue to dominate water cooler conversations and boardrooms. The big conversation will continue to be around how we can use AI to become more human and more prolific and not fall into the trap of tech over the idea. Besides this, the gig economy will come into its own in 2024. We will see more companies hiring fractional C-suite executives. And more young talent refusing to be tied down to jobs and choosing to branch out as hired guns. This, I must admit, is something I have been looking forward to for a long time.

Major expectations from 2024

More time, more mentorship, more money. To break it down:

1. As an industry we need to start getting serious about time. We need to push harder for the time to craft and chisel our work. Perfection will never go out of fashion.
2. We need to start taking people’s careers seriously. I’m tired of hearing agency heads complain about how this generation can’t hold a job for long. The truth is, this generation will stick around if they feel respected and valued. And most importantly, if they have someone who is actually taking the trouble to nurture them.
3. Advertising has sold itself short for far too long. Now is in fact the very best time to be a creative company - so let’s start putting a premium on the time and talent that goes into creating a potentially multi-million dollar idea for a brand.

Key focus areas for 2024

Happy people, famous work and healthy balance sheets!

Media, Marketing & Advertising ecosystem in India in 2023

2023 has been a good year for our industry. We seem to have shaken off the doldrums of the pandemic and come out stronger. I have seen so much good work this year, it’s almost as if the industry is making up for lost time.

Key trends and developments in 2023

The rise of AI – this is not an unprecedented development, but it is certainly arrived faster than a lot of us expected. The future is equal parts scary and exciting with AI. Scary, if we use it as an alternative or proxy for real human creativity; exciting, if we harness its benefits to allow us the space to focus on creating.

Virtue Worldwide performance in 2023

2023 has been a very good year for us. In the year gone by, in response to the uncertainty surrounding the sale of our parent company, we chose to double down on culture and focus on our people – their happiness, fulfilment and growth. We continue to work remotely and allow our people flexibility and freedom. In addition, we have stabilised key accounts, beefed up the creative leadership with some exciting talent and created fame and money for our clients with every single piece we have put out.