The Future 100 Club: Why courage is so important in media
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A courageous approach is core to the Future 100 philosophy, yet it’s not always easy to be brave when the industry is facing so many challenges as budgets continue to be pressured.
In partnership with Mail Metro Media, The Media Leader brought together six members of The Future 100 Club to discuss why courage is so important in business decisions and what would be the one thing they would change now to encourage more industry-wide courage when it comes to creativity, media strategy and even business approaches.
Attendees
Mercy Abel — impact and marketing lead, John Doe
Tom Casswell — executive director, worldwide clients, T&Pm
Ellie Costa — client director and head of DE&I, Mail Metro Media
Anna Dilku — senior creative content manager, Aviva
Nina Nguyen — UK marketing director, GroupM
Ollie Shayer — omni-media director, Boots
Tell us about a courageous approach or action you have taken in your work.
OS: One of the most courageous decisions I’ve made was leaving my role as head of media planning for western Europe at Diageo — an incredible position with a fantastic company — to move to Amsterdam and join Booking.com as its global head of media planning.
At that time, there wasn’t a formal media department at Booking.com and I was stepping into a completely new life, in a new country. It was a leap into the unknown, but it transformed my career and led to opportunities I could never have anticipated.
MA: I graduated in 2020 at a time of lockdown and social unrest. And, to make matters more challenging, my initial plan after graduating was to travel. I had to quickly pivot and made the decision to start reaching out to people online. This landed me a mentorship programme, which led me to my first industry job, my Gen Z careers podcast Audacity of We and building a network of incredible people.
EC: Alongside a brilliant team, I spearheaded the launch of a thought leadership virtual event into our retail strategy, despite initial pushback from traditionalists. This required significant investment and work from across multiple departments, but it successfully transformed our perception in the market and set the blueprint for future ways of working.
In my current role, I have also championed the introduction of a DE&I taskforce, pushed for mandatory bias training and diverse talent pipelines. And I’m proud to say it has created a more inclusive culture, which drives innovation through diverse perspectives.
TC: My first significant leadership role was a considerable step up. I moved from my London agency to lead an in-house team at the client’s office, managing larger budgets than ever before and tasked with building a new team and culture almost instantly. While the transition wasn’t smooth or easy, in retrospect I’m grateful I took the risk. It accelerated my career and provided invaluable learning experiences.
NN: Leading the launch of groundbreaking research that changed how the TV marketplace and its audiences are measured (Thinking Inside the Box phase four — attention research with Amplified Intelligence). This initiative was bold because it challenged long-standing industry norms, but it was necessary to push the boundaries and drive innovation. The success of this research not only validated our approach but also positioned us as thought leaders in the industry.
AD: Having been through multiple restructures, I’ve pivoted my career more times than I can remember. Colleagues have asked: how can you move from advertising to brand, from event management to creative content, from internal communications to social media? I’m a huge advocate of “squiggly careers” and, rather than seeing potential redundancy situations as a risk, I’ve embraced them as opportunities to add more strings to my bow and widen my marketing expertise.
The courage to take on new challenges has kept a 20-year career fresh and exciting, enriching the diversity of thought I bring to each role.
What does courage mean in modern media? Why is it important?
EC: It’s about evolving; being adaptable and proactive in adopting new technologies that can reshape consumer engagement. This includes embracing AI, leveraging data and sustainability practices. Courage in modern media is important because staying still means falling behind in a highly competitive landscape.
AD: Courage means being bold, especially in an era when audiences value authenticity. Transparency is crucial for building trust so, if a business makes a mistake, it should openly admit it. Taking calculated risks keeps us relevant and competitive.
Businesses shouldn’t be afraid to test and learn, whether that’s exploring new content formats or experimenting on TikTok. The key is being willing to fail, but fail fast and learn. Businesses also need to foster an environment where teams feel safe to voice their ideas and challenge the status quo. Inclusive leadership underpins the most successful brands and ultimately leads to more innovative campaigns.
NN: Courage means daring to disrupt the status quo and innovate beyond conventional boundaries. Whether operationally or in planning, it involves taking calculated risks to stay ahead of the curve. While agencies share common values like DE&I and sustainability, they must also embrace their cultural uniqueness to foster creativity and ensure long-term success. Our unique cultures create unique environments where clever and creative people can thrive.
OS: Courage in modern media means taking calculated risks to follow where consumers lead. It’s crucial because consumer behaviour shifts faster than industry norms and sticking to what’s familiar can leave businesses lagging behind. Often, the easy path is to continue doing what you’ve always done, but true courage means adapting to evolving trends — even when it feels uncomfortable. This willingness to pivot and take risks is what allows businesses to stay relevant and deliver what customers really want.
MA: You need to have the courage to follow through on that big and transformative idea. I feel our industry spends so much time speaking about things but rarely acts enough to bring a transformational project to life. Yes, be thorough, but don’t second-guess everything. That was the approach I took when co-founding an internship programme called Unlocked, helping emerging creatives access the creative industry in Scotland.
TC: Both agencies and brands must be willing to dismantle and rebuild long-standing structures and silos to create more integrated communication solutions. While specialised expertise across disciplines is valuable, connecting the dots between these areas is now more critical than ever. Just because brand, media and analytics teams traditionally operated in silos doesn’t mean they should continue to do so. Challenging these established structures and taking the risk to reorganise them requires courage, but the payoff is substantial.
What is holding back truly courageous innovation in the industry at present? How can it be encouraged more widely?
NN: The industry faces several barriers for truly courageous innovation, including budget constraints and a lack of diverse perspectives. Be willing to invest in bold ideas that might not have immediate returns but have the potential for significant long-term impact.
AD: The media landscape is highly competitive, so it can be difficult for new ideas to gain traction. However, investing in the talent pipeline can help to counteract this and drive innovation. Encouraging continuous learning and providing opportunities for professional growth are key to attracting and retaining such talent, especially in a rapidly evolving industry. Equally, we need to actively foster a culture of innovation and genuinely value experimentation, so that there is a safe space for employees to test new ideas without fear of failure.
MA: People are too afraid to fail or be called out. If you have a transformative idea, and as long as you have answers that you are comfortable with to the questions that may come your way — you should be good! Don’t let others stop you from making strides in the industry.
TC: A significant factor is the increasing scrutiny of marketing spend. Understandably, in the current economic climate and post-Covid era, the emphasis on evidence-based investment is greater than ever. To be taken seriously as marketers, we must be prepared to demonstrate a return on investment.
EC: Fear of failure and short-term revenue pressures. Encouraging innovation requires creating a culture that rewards calculated risk-taking and providing safe spaces to experiment without immediate ROI expectations. I would also say that lack of education around the value of DE&I can hold back courageous action. To encourage more courage, we need strong leadership that prioritises long-term equity goals over short-term optics.
OS: Today, there’s immense pressure on companies to prioritise effectiveness and efficiency, which often leads to playing it safe. We’re more inclined to take proven routes rather than pursuing riskier, innovative paths. To encourage courageous innovation, the industry needs to strike a balance — celebrating the reliability of tried-and-tested methods while continually pushing boundaries. This is how we’ll drive not only innovation but also growth, which is essential for standing out in a competitive market.
Taking a courageous approach doesn’t necessarily mean avoiding risks. How can true innovation prepare for (potentially) uncharted risk?
OS: True innovation isn’t about putting everything on the line for one bold idea. It’s about balancing tried-and-true strategies with new, disruptive initiatives. You need to understand what works while still being willing to invest in the unknown. I believe in having a measured approach — don’t bet the house on risky innovation, but don’t shy away from it either. It’s essential to deliver consistent results while also nurturing the innovations that will drive future success.
TC: Agencies have a responsibility to partner with clients, connecting the dots and providing a framework to test investment effectiveness, especially for new and innovative solutions. The 70/20/10 approach remains valid, but adapting it into a more modern and robust framework for measuring performance based on desired outcomes is crucial. This also helps navigate challenges along the way.
MA: You must be courageous to take a risk! If you are leaning in to innovation, this means you are doing something that no-one has ever done before. So, embrace the journey and learn from the mistakes as you trailblaze your way to hopeful success. A practical piece of advice is troubleshoot before going live — think of all that could go wrong and then find solutions to each of those problems so that you feel more secure in your innovative venture.
NN: This means having contingency plans in place, staying informed about industry trends and being willing to pivot when necessary. In my experience, having a clear vision and a flexible strategy allows for navigating uncertainties while staying focused on long-term goals. Never underestimate encouraging a culture of investing in continuous learning and development — we should never sit on our laurels and let our brains rot from staying static.
EC: I see true innovation as anticipating future trends and consumer behaviours, then testing new approaches in smaller, controlled environments. This allows us to mitigate risks while exploring uncharted opportunities like AI-driven solutions. In terms of DE&I, initiatives are often seen as risky because they challenge the status quo. However, these risks are mitigated by ensuring that leadership develops teams who are fully educated on DE&I’s tangible business benefits, like increased creativity and broader audience reach.
AD: Collaborating with diverse partners is one way to bring a wealth of different perspectives and expertise, which can help us to navigate unfamiliar risks. These partnerships can create more innovative solutions and help companies stay ahead of industry trends. By leveraging the strengths of different collaborators, we can create stronger, more resilient strategies, ensuring we are better prepared for unexpected challenges.
Does courage in thinking look different in other regions and businesses? What courageous thinking from outside your work do you admire?
EC: I admire how supermarkets like Tesco have embraced sustainability by trialling zero-waste initiatives, such as refill stations, despite the potential for disrupting traditional shopping habits. This shows bold thinking in putting environmental responsibility ahead of convenience. And a great example in DE&I is the push to make workplaces accessible for people from all walks of life. I admire how the BBC introduced its 50:50 Equality Project, which committed to equal gender representation in content and panel discussions — a gigantic step in promoting fairness and representation in media.
MA: Courage can come in a variety in forms. There’s courage in going it alone; there’s courage in asking for help; there’s courage in trying something new; there’s courage in deciding to give something up! Doing anything out of your comfort zone is courageous and anyone who does this, I will likely admire their bravery.
OS: While courageous thinking may take different forms depending on the region or business, it always comes down to bold innovation. I deeply admire startups that have disrupted their markets by taking significant risks, like Netflix in streaming or Uber in ride-sharing. They didn’t follow traditional industry practices; instead, they pushed boundaries and changed consumer expectations. That spirit of doing things differently — disrupting markets by ignoring “how things are done” — is what I truly admire.
NN: I admire the courageous thinking of companies like Wildflowers of London set up by Louise Nylander. She left her 9-5 after heading marketing teams for PubMatic and Unruly and set up a dynamic networking collective for professional women. She creates inclusive spaces where women can connect, share ideas and support each other’s growth — I know I’ve benefited greatly by attending her events.
TC: Timpson is a company with admirable principles that permeate its entire business model, from how it hires and trains employees to how it interacts with customers. Its commitment to employing former offenders and providing them with opportunities to rebuild their lives is a significant but rewarding risk. This philosophy, driven from the top down, exemplifies how courageous leadership can effect positive change.
AD: I admire Netflix’s journey from DVD rental service to the streaming giant it is today. Its transition was a bold move that redefined media consumption. Its shift from a content distributor to original content producer allowed the company to control its library, garnering huge global audiences, making it the binge-watching phenomenon we love. Its sophisticated algorithm personalises content recommendations, enhancing user engagement and satisfaction. Its innovation and ability to pivot and take risks mean it continues to attract and retain subscribers, keeping the company ahead of the competition. We can all learn from this culture of experimentation and data-driven decisions.
Are there industry-wide challenges that are crying out for a more courageous solution?
MA: Peak challenges from my point of view will always be the continued work of equity, diversity and inclusion until the pay and representation gaps no longer exist in our industry. Courageous solutions would be to increase the attention on these challenges and work on it versus a decrease — which we are sadly seeing more of today.
NN: The lack of diversity. Despite ongoing efforts, there is still much work to be done to ensure that all voices are heard and represented. Right now, there’s a growing deprioritisation of DE&I. Recent IPA data shows a slight decline in ethnic diversity at agencies, with non-white employees at 23.3%, down from 23.6% last year. Stats don’t lie. Courageous leadership is needed to push for systemic changes and foster environments where everyone can thrive.
Another challenge is the industry’s lack of standardisation across measurement. We have plenty of information available to us, but a lack of actionable insights. It will take a while until we reach simplicity. However, embracing new technologies and methodologies to better capture audience behaviour and engagement requires bold thinking and a willingness to challenge the status quo.
OS: One area ripe for a courageous overhaul is how we plan media. In many cases, we still rely on traditional methods, despite the wealth of data available and our deep understanding of consumer behaviour. The entire media planning landscape is ready for disruption. By leveraging data more effectively, we can be far bolder in our approaches and make more dynamic, consumer-driven decisions, rather than relying on old-fashioned models that don’t align with today’s realities.
EC: The advertising industry needs a courageous approach to representation. Moving beyond tokenism to truly embed diverse voices into every level of decision-making, from C-suite executives to creatives, will take boldness. Brands that lead the way will be future-proofing their businesses in a better, diverse world.
AD: The lack of diversity in the industry remains a significant issue. So many groups are still underrepresented in content and behind the scenes, which is perpetuating stereotypes and limiting perspectives in storytelling. Even when diverse groups are represented, they’re often portrayed in a one-dimensional or negative way, reinforcing stereotypes. Systemic barriers are preventing diverse talent from entering and advancing in the industry, with limited access to opportunities.
How do we address these challenges? By holding ourselves accountable, with clear goals and regular reporting on diversity metrics. More inclusive hiring practices, like creating pathways for underrepresented groups to enter the industry, can help to create a more diverse workforce. Authentic and diverse storytelling can help to break down stereotypes and provide a broader range of perspectives. Mentorship can support the growth of diverse talent, helping to bridge the gap and provide opportunities to progress.
TC: Diversity seems to be the only appropriate answer here. Despite positive changes, many diversity statistics are either improving too slowly or even declining. Deep-seated biases related to gender, race, upbringing, education and background persist. Those of us fortunate enough to have had clear paths to advancement should acknowledge our privilege and strive to create similar opportunities for those who face greater obstacles.