Create. Group was awarded the Digital Agency of the Year 2024 title at the Campaign Agency of the Year Middle East Awards.
Part of the Agency Speciality Categories, the Digital Agency of the Year award celebrates agencies who specialise in the digital fields while showcasing outstanding business growth, a strong workplace culture, effective leadership, and a commitment to diversity and inclusion in 2024.
Tom Otton, CEO, Create. Group shares his reflections post the agency’s award win.
How does this award reflect the culmination of your efforts in 2024?
Our team has worked tirelessly over the past 12 months to deliver stellar products; from award-winning digital experiences to producing content that really moved the needle, whilst rethinking how we deliver social. I’ve enjoyed the challenge of integrating AI into our workflow and seeing the team build some fascinating tools for our clients in the destination marketing space. We’re at this point today because we consistently focus on change; we listen and move fast to meet market demands, building agility into our operation as a competitive advantage. This process works on a foundation of trust within our culture, everyone shows up knowing the person next to them is ready to roll up their sleeves and help. Compound this across teams in a market like this and special things will continue to happen.
Despite a challenging start to the year, we’re ending the year on a high note. The team reacted to the challenges, renewed key partnerships and brought on some really interesting new ones; we delivered work at scales we’ve never achieved before; our digital experience team alone clocked over 45 per cent growth this year. We are in the position we are today because of the efforts of an immensely talented team that has worked so hard this year, backed by client partners who believe in what we are trying to do and have put their trust in us time and time again. I’m incredibly grateful for both.
As you soak in the win, what top learnings from 2024 will you take into the year ahead?
1) Investing in our culture, remaining agile as we grow, and always being resilient to endless change are the keys to longevity in this market.
2) The region’s ambitions keep growing, as does the level of competitiveness. This keeps us laser-focused on improving what we do week in and week out. The second we take our eye off the ball, in this rapidly changing region, is when we would get left behind. The reason we are here for the third year in a row is that come Monday morning, it’s back to work, focusing on building.
3) Brands and agencies actually have the power and even moral obligation to fight back against the tidal wave of meaningless AI-generated content, with impactful, intentional and empowering content.
What do you think the industry needs to change or fix on priority in the months ahead?
With the advent of major changes, we all face due to the adoption of AI, the industry would do well to remember that people are at the centre of everything we do and that we mustn’t lose sight of the emotional connection that our work must make in order to cut through the noise. Much of what we do as an agency is storytelling about our region to the world; whether educating, inspiring, or captivating audiences by weaving a narrative that is often different to the one they may expect. Whilst there is definitely a role for AI to be integrated here, this is clearly something that can’t be outsourced, so let’s stay focused on the intended end result, not just the shiny new ways in which we think we can get there.
In your opinion, what do consumers really want, and how can agencies help brands meet this need?
Consumers are now part and parcel of the process. Technological literacy has never been this high, and they are increasingly savvy with every new generation entering the market. With the veil on marketing broadly being lifted, consumers are looking for candour, connection and relatability. They also want products that make their lives easier. So in a sense, honesty and user experience are really key. We’ve never been more distracted, and we’ve never wasted so much time, going nowhere fast. There’s a space for a non-invasive digital experience that facilitates lives but doesn’t involve us looking at a screen constantly and having notification anxiety. In pockets, we’re waking up to that.
What are the key facets to securing client wins and sustaining client retention?
In the region, it’s never been more difficult to win work, and the current pressure on budgets is palpable. Requirements are getting tougher. As for the key facets to securing and retaining work, well, that list starts with culture. It’s people who win, build relationships and retain business, not the agency itself. Everything starts there. Invest in your people, hire exceptional talent, stay hyper-focused on what you are good at and be open to collaboration.
What are your agency’s New Year’s resolutions for 2025?
Stay focused on creating an environment where team members can do the best work of their lives, consistently. It’s a big ask, and we won’t always get it right, but if we can take more steps along that path, then we will find any other successes we may be hoping for.
