What's in our sights for 2024?

We bring you great learnings (and some predictions which I may well regret at a later date having put into writing)

Fresh from Sookio 's 2024 planning session with Julia Latif and Katherine S. at the Novotel Hotels Cambridge North (which is much more salubrious than it sounds and will soon become the hip, happening joint where all the coolest cats hang out), I wanted to tell you what’s in our sights for the coming year.

Untanglers! The exclusive client events formerly known as Sharpeners are back, kicking off with a session on sustainability in marketing on 25 January, followed by AI for comms professionals, and other hot topics like: how to spend your marketing budget. Slide into my DMs to reserve your place.

Podcast! This would have come out a year ago but girl’s got a business to run. It’s about comms – of course it is – and we’re going for early February. Oooh, the guests are good.

Boosting careers! We’re proud to have supported well over a hundred young people with our homegrown work experience initiatives . We’ll be launching Bootcamp No.5 in August, followed by year two of the marketing challenge with our new official partners Long Road Sixth Form College .

Insights! This year we spoke at events with Innovate UK . Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) . The Agency Collective | B Corp Certified . Small Business Charter . One Nucleus . Cambridge Arts Network. Digital Leaders .

And this month's packed-out event with Cambridge Network on building your strategy for 2024 (above) with Hector Corey , Katherine S. and Gavin O'Brien - Honorary Doctorate BA MInstLM joining me to share insights.

We’re already getting bookings for the coming year so talk to us if you want a Sookio specialist on your panel, show or stage.?

Strategy, content and campaigns! I’m so proud of the work we’ve done this year with the Cambridge Trust , CellRev , Alzheimer's Society , The Ogden Trust , BioMed Realty , Cambridge Judge Business School , COGITAMUS LIMITED , Vivan Therapeutics , Fluent , Syplex Ltd and more.

Over 3m impressions, with live projects in 55 countries.

Our new partnership with Clearhead means we’re taking a fresh approach to video and animation too.

2023 has been a funny old year, to put it mildly.

But coming up we?have the General Election (I’m calling it for 2 May), the US election, energising events like the Paris Olympics to put a smile on our faces and get us moving, travelling, spending.

I predict a year that feels sluggish, then lurches forwards, then stalls again, then finally gets its act together.

In the midst of this, rather than get distracted by the neverending wait for things to settle down, focus hard on your business and seeing what works for you.

With the big shifts in social media platforms and the acceleration of AI, now is exactly the time to look afresh at your communications strategy and try a new approach. What's the worst that could happen!

Now is a good time to...

Build your marketing strategy for 2024 with expert tips from our specialists in strategy, campaigns and video. Give it some thought over the festive break!

Curiosity, sparked

Find out how Pantone decided upon their colour of the year (above). That insipid coral. A total drip of a colour. A shade that sits down, mutters about being chilly then says, "No, I'll be alright" when you offer to close the window. Then pulls its cardigan around itself and shivers. Comment below if you disagree!

Listen up to how Spotify delivered this year's Unwrapped campaign . An idea which everyone is stealing. Badly. According to Monzo I'm in the top 2% of Stagecoach fans after my son used my card to buy a bus ticket.

Get out your highlighting pen, settle down in front of the telly and dig into this history of the Radio Times .

Merry Christmas!