The start of a new year is always full of hope and opportunity and we feel 2021 is no different. What is different is starting it having experienced 2020 and everything that came with it. 

At the start of 2020, we had never used Zoom, experienced lockdown or heard of furlough – fast forward 12 months and these are now everyday terms! It was a very challenging year for businesses and individuals, and although it wasn’t the year we anticipated at it’s start, it did offer some unexpected and valuable lessons, some of which can be taken forward into 2021.

Agility to adapt to the market

The idea of ‘business as usual’ became almost irrelevant in 2020; there was no usual and we were constantly adapting to the ‘new normal’. We have always understood the importance of agility in business, both for ourselves adapting to the constantly evolving media landscape and for our clients when advising on shaping their business communications, but no one could be prepared for the constant need to adjust we experienced in 2020.

Business owners have had to continuously adapt their approach and how their business ‘should’ be run to meet the changing business landscape and whilst we hope for more consistency and things to settle in 2021, this ability to flex and shift as needed will be a beneficial skill for the future.

We’ve learnt that things can literally change overnight, and we need to be able to react to those changes with almost immediate effect. Not how we would want to operate on a long-term basis but a sign of what is possible when we need to adapt businesses quickly. 

Time for balance   

In 2020, many individuals and businesses found they had more time on their hands than they ever had before. Whether that was due to furlough, reduced demands on their business or the simple fact that social activities reduced to nothing, time became a commodity we were not used to having.

It was interesting to see what people did with this newfound time, from physical challenges to new hobbies – and with this time came the ripple effect of the pace of life slowing down for a little while. Weekends were not crammed with back-to-back socials and get-togethers, and we found pleasure in some of the simpler things in life.  

We think that in 2021, carving time for your personal goals as well as professional ones will be a key factor to success and happiness.

Sense of community

Never has community and ‘pulling together’ meant more than in 2020. We have worked with many charities and community projects and in 2020, the campaigns we delivered for our charity clients felt even more important and meaningful. Our work with Bristol’s much-loved charity The Grand Appeal to support their fundraising efforts and with St Pauls Carnival to bring their online event to life are just two organisations that we’ve been lucky to deliver communications for 2020.  and will continue to do so this year.

We will continue to support charities and make every effort to have a positive impact on the communities that we live in.

Happy New year!