EDITOR ’ S QUESTION
JACQUES DU BRUYN , MANAGING DIRECTOR , FLUME DIGITAL MARKETING
solely to make money . Now that we ’ ve established that , let ’ s talk about purpose .
2022 was an interesting year on all fronts . It ’ s the year that business returned to somewhat of a normality post the COVID-19 pandemic . In some instances , it felt as though the market was trying to make up for lost time , hence the pace seemed faster than usual . As a result , there are a few lessons that I learnt from what we call the ‘ new normal ’.
Remote vs in-office
There still seems to be a raging debate between the ‘ at-homers ’ and the ‘ at-officers ’. However , there is no case study that exists that proves which option works best . It may apply differently to different business types . What I ’ ve learnt in a business such as ours , that relies heavily on people and ideas , is that personal growth can only happen around other people . Those who have entered the job market recently can only learn by observing how those with more experience behave and produce work . That can only take place in a physical environment . Perhaps a hybrid solution caters for what ’ s best . Time to learn and time for self .
Mental health
What was once a term only found on academic papers is now mainstream . We ’ ve learnt this year that mental health matters . It matters more than we care to know . It ’ s not only about depression , it ’ s actually about pacing workload and looking out for a work-life balance . The more balanced work and life is , the better the output at the end of the day .
Looking forward
2023 I believe is going to be the year that business decides whether it believes in a physical world or a virtual world . With the interest in Meta gaining traction , businesses will need to decide whether they should start investing in virtual interactions or whether they believe in the world of physical interactions . Which horse they back will either win or come back to bite them . x
Businesses needing to grow up
Over the past while , and more so this year , we ’ ve noticed brands using ‘ virtue ’ marketing as a way to gain awareness and relevance . However , this hasn ’ t always worked out . There have been brands that have been found wanting . Social media has somewhat grown up this year . The audience is looking for authenticity ; the next generation cares about this . What I ’ ve observed is that businesses first need to make sure that they cover the bases of authenticity before venturing into the world of ‘ virtue ’ marketing . This starts in-house . If your employees don ’ t believe what you ’ re doing is authentic , you ’ re never going to convince a wider audience of the same . Be honest . Business exists
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