So many tectonic decisions have been made yet so much remains worryingly uncertain. In all the years that Campaign has been publishing this Annual, it’s never been harder to explore what’s happened and draw some convictions for what is to come.
There is clarity, of course. Our awards for the best companies and the brightest talent in our industry have been conducted with our usual forensic examination and concluded with confidence.
We offer no guarantees that excellence confers immunity from the challenges ahead, but being brilliant is by far the best position from which to contemplate the coming upheaval. So if you’re placing bets on winners and losers, this Annual is the perfect guide. All our winners have proved themselves best of the best – and when the only certainty is uncertainty, these are the companies and people you want on your side.
One point worth making here: we’ve tried to get a proper gender balance on our lists, but it’s still harder than it should be. This is one challenge the industry certainly has not fully met yet.
2016 has been a big year for Campaign too. In the spring we brought our sister brands Marketing, Media Week and Brand Republic under the Campaign banner to better reflect the breakdown of silos within the industry at large. The new Campaign has set its focus firmly on the new breed of marketer who believes creative excellence (in advertising, in media, in marketing, in tech) builds businesses and drives profit. Whatever 2017 has in store for us all, this will be our guiding light and we hope it will be yours.