Why media should invest in talent — and this is how we do it

Opinion

Initiative’s annual training programme for junior and mid-level talent not only preps them for the Young Lions but creates space to think bigger, move faster and stretch new creative muscles.

In a world where media agencies are chasing the next bit of tech, scale advantage or another award for the cabinet, the smartest long-term investment is still the most human one: people. Not platforms or pixels.

At Initiative, we’ve seen what happens when you back people properly, not just with praise but with time, training and trust.

This year, we invested in our junior and mid-level talent with a training programme designed to sharpen their skills and confidence. Through hands-on workshops, they deepened their knowledge of our Fame & Flow proposition and prepared for our annual Fame & Flow Day.

On this day, teams tackled a live client brief, supported by mentoring in presentation and storytelling, before pitching their ideas in a high-energy, competition-style showcase to a judging panel.

The result? A culture that’s led to over 15 major award wins (including one silver Media Lion for our Bupa campaign), brilliant work and happy clients. It’s proof that when talent is nurtured, creativity thrives and so do results. Not to mention the four consecutive wins at the UK Cannes Young Lions Competition.

But it’s about more than Cannes. It’s about what happens when you create the right conditions for talent to thrive and why, in a business built on thinking, that should be the starting point for all of us.

Media is a people-powered business. Strategy, insight, creativity and innovation don’t fall out of dashboards. They come from sharp, curious minds.

Yet, across the industry, training still too often ends up under the “nice to have” banner or the first thing to get dropped when everyone is swamped.

We see it differently: it’s non-negotiable. It’s the foundation of future growth.

Building a launch pad for brilliance

Initiative’s month-long internal programme doesn’t just prep people for competition; it creates a space to think bigger, move faster and stretch new creative muscles most people didn’t know they had.

Here’s how it works.

Expert-led learning: Past winners and runners-up across IPG Mediabrands lead sessions, covering everything from Young Lions 101 to building bold, measurable ideas that genuinely cut through.

Real-world simulation: Our one-day bootcamp mimics the intensity of the competition, with a live brief (last year’s from Make-A-Wish, which we support pro bono), developed and pitched in a single day, with expert mentors guiding the way.

Tailored mentorship: Each team is paired with a mentor based on their strengths and needs — not for pep talks, but for proper strategy interrogation and executional rigour.

Culture that fuels creativity: During the competition weekend, the energy across the agency is electric. We turn the office into a live creative studio, music playing, snacks flowing, teams deep in debate and wireframes.

Over 20 teams take part and we even train up our client partners. The thing that makes it special is it’s entirely self-selective: no pressure, no posturing — just passionate people who care about great ideas and great creative work.

The support isn’t just performative; it’s properly felt. From assistants to executives, the whole agency gets behind it. There’s tip-swapping, pitch-cheering and just the right amount of side-eye competitiveness. It’s the one time a year PowerPoint starts to feel like a contact sport.

And, not to sound like a soppy mess, but the pride is real. It’s heartfelt, high-energy and usually powered by a Deliveroo order that could feed a rugby team.

The results? Something bigger than a win

This isn’t about a trophy cabinet. It’s about how much the agency genuinely cares. People get hyped. We get behind our teams like it’s the World Cup of ideas. And when someone wins, it feels like we all do.

For me personally, Cannes Young Lions means more than any gold or Grand Prix I’ve had the luck to be part of because this is about our people. It’s about belief in good ideas. It’s about genuine teamwork and spirit, and showing what happens when you back talent not just in principle, but in practice.

Building an industry we want

At its core, this programme isn’t about one weekend in Cannes. It’s about embedding a culture of ambition, generosity and creativity into the bones of the agency. It’s about proving, year after year, that when media invests in people, the right way, the outcomes take care of themselves.

This year’s programme was led by our most brilliant strategy director Ewan Killeen, who also just so happens to be part of the 2024 UK winning team. A fitting full circle and proof that when you create space for brilliance, it shows up.

Ewan says: “The Young Lions Competition challenges you to think beyond your day job, gives you the confidence to form opinions outside your craft and opens doors to exciting new opportunities. The connections you build with teammates and fellow competitors are some of the strongest you’ll form in your career. Start early and get a few practice rounds in!”

Rachel Coffey is UK chief strategy officer at Initiative