Pepper turns nine – piece of cake?

In a few days pepper turns 9.  Here are 9 lessons I’ve learnt:

  1. I’m a dinosaur.  The new media is nothing like press/radio and TV and new media is the future
  2. Outsourcing is not a sign of weakness.  Done right, it can be a competitive edge
  3. T&T market (clients and agencies) is weak on strategy and has a strong affinity for tactics.  Big Opportunity to differentiate yourself/company
  4. There are two main types of people.  People who take ownership and people who make excuses
  5. There is a huge opportunity to differentiate your company/agency on Customer Experience
  6. Continuous learning is not a nice to have.  It’s mandatory and the internet has made it easier
  7. Pepper is a brand.  It needs to be treated like the brands we serve (right  pricing not low pricing, product improvements/new products, how we are accessed and promoted)
  8. A HR Director is as important as a Creative Director to the modern agency business
  9. Free lancers, in-house agencies and direct media buying are not going away.  One way to insulate your agency?  One word.  Strategy

We’ve had many sweet moments in the past nine years but we can’t say that getting here has been a piece of cake.