Mediaweek held its inaugural Power Lunch in October, celebrating the successes of the media industry and the people who make it.
Taking the 11th spot on the Agency 50 list was Imogen Hewitt, CEO of Spark Foundry. Mediaweek caught up with Hewitt as she reflected on leading the agency’s through its growth and shared her thoughts on the industry and the year ahead.
Mediaweek: Congratulations on making #11 on our Mediaweek Agency 50 list. What was your reaction to your placement?
Imogen Hewitt: I was delighted, of course. The list is a representation of the strength of leadership across the industry, and it’s company I am very proud to be a part of. Do I have my eyes on the top 10? Without a doubt, I do.
MW: How does your position on the list reflect the achievements made by Spark Foundry?
IH: It might be my name on the list but the achievements of the agency as a whole are absolutely the force behind every success we have experienced and continue to experience. We have seen extraordinary growth over the last few years. It is genuinely unlike anything I have ever experienced in agency life in over 25 years.
However, growth is not the only metric we consider when thinking about success. We very intentionally look at new client growth and existing client happiness. Profitability to fuel enhanced client and people initiatives and staff happiness. I could not be more proud of the way we have managed those key metrics – with growth, client engagement, NPD and staff happiness all at record levels.
MW: How would you describe your leadership style and work with your team?
IH: My style is all about communication. Transparent, honest and open. We share detailed plans and progress with every member of the agency, from the newest recruit to the most experienced leader. Our leadership team is a very safe place, comprised of phenomenal people that have been invested in the agency and one another for a long time.
We hold one another to account. We constantly push one another to ensure there is no room for complacency ever. If we see an opportunity to tackle a challenge in a better way for our clients or our teams; we build it. We invest time and effort in internal innovation, not just external client or campaign innovation – because at the heart of what we do is people – and having them happy, supported, thriving and inspired is what gets me and the leaders of this agency fired up and consistently energised.
MW: What are three industry issues on your mind, and in your opinion, how can they be solved or achieved?
IH: The global economy – Whilst not confined to the industry, the economic outlook for 2023 is looking challenging. How we support our people and our clients successfully and empathetically through the next year is very front of mind.
Quantifying our value to clients – Proving the difference we make to the bottom line of client business is an ongoing obsession at Spark. We have entire teams dedicated to quantifying delivery beyond media metrics. Revenue, subscriptions, policies, goods sold. It has never been more important, or indeed more compelling.
Corporate citizenship – This one is not about competitive advantage, in my opinion. Ensuring the industry takes its impact on people, community and the environment seriously is too important to be treated as a game of one-upmanship. Join forces. Share lessons. Focus on the rising tide that lifts all ships before it’s the rising tide that drowns us.
MW: What is your outlook for Spark Foundry in 2023?
IH: We’re ending 2022 having exceeded our own expectations, and we’ve done everything we possibly can to set ourselves up for whatever 2023 brings. My 2023 outlook is sunshine with a chance of ‘I wasn’t expecting that’ – and that sounds just fine and full of promise to me.
MW: What are your hopes for the industry in 2023?
IH: Industry happiness is at an all-time high. Perhaps the challenges of the pandemic, the intensity of the scrabble for talent and the looming economic uncertainty has helped to raise the bar for all. I hope we collectively keep pushing in the direction of being a destination industry for the best, brightest and most diverse talent in the land. This is an incredible industry. One that I love. We shine when exposed to challenge, and I think our best is yet to come.