80% of our listeners are only just managing financially. The creative industry has taken a pummelling over the past few years. From an unstable economy, unpredictable politics, a rise in the cost of living and staffing costs… It’s harder than ever to make money as a creative business.

But how are the ‘big’ studios really doing? From their LinkedIn feeds, all seems well – but we wanted to ask them about the reality of their accounts.

In this episode, Cashflow & Creativity, we speak to studio founders Caterina Bianchini (Studio NARI) & Max Ottignon (Ragged Edge) about how they’re managing in such an unstable climate. Are the budgets shrinking? How do they pay their staff a fair wage? And, perhaps most importantly, are they making a profit?

Don’t miss this unprecedented peek into their P&Ls.

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Stats: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1454650/number-advertising-agencies-worldwide/

https://www.creativementornetwork.org/news/cost-of-living-survey

https://www.itsnicethat.com/features/ones-to-watch-new-views-a-gen-z-outlook-on-the-creative-industry-050625

Scott Galloway podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moIfa0IqlO0

Nils Leonard talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzER-_odM30

Stories: Lucie Kim / Michu

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The NDA Podcast is created by Lucky Dip. Hosted by Katie Cadwell & produced by Hatty Wytton.

Edited by James from Be Heard. Original music 'The Theme from NDA' by Jamie Ellul & Toby McLaren.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're back with Season Three.

Debating and debunking all the biggest secrets in the creative industry. Joined by leaders from all the best design and advertising agencies, we'll be talking about the issues usually kept under NDA – and hearing from our listeners with anonymous stories, to really hear what's going on in our studios.

Tune in every Wednesday.

–

The NDA Podcast is created by Lucky Dip. Hosted by Katie Cadwell & produced by Hatty Wytton.

Edited by James from Be Heard. Original music 'The Theme from NDA' by Jamie Ellul & Toby McLaren.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join your host & producer, Katie Cadwell & Hatty Wytton, as they reflect on Season 2. With a whole host of new listener stories and opinions, we look back on all the great conversations from the past 10 episodes – and talk about what’s next.

Huge thanks to all our guests and contributors.

—————

Comments from:

Pearse O’Halloran / @pearseohalloran

Mirella Arapian / @mek.studio

Mike Andrews / @mandrews.studio

Victoria Mackintosh

Algy Batten / @algybatten

Sonia Uznadze /@sonia.uz

Emile Chen / @spottedbyem

Mark Adams / @markadamspictures

Sophie Bowyer / @sophierbowyer_creative

Natassia Swulinska / @swulinsta

Isaac / @isaacnnz

Kim Majkut / @kimmajkut

Graham Wood / @grahamwood7

Hannah Gander / @gander.hannah

Design Business Council / @designbusinesscouncil

Jamie Samman / @jamiesamman

Maisie Benson / @_maisiebenson

Sarah Grech / @grechsar

Lucy Hobbs / @lucykhobbs

HB Thompson

David Nichols

Ben Mottershead / @_studiobnd_

Ash Schofield / ash_scho

Rachel Lewis / rachel.lewis.design

Roy Murphy / @g3nr8

Laura Shepherd / @ls528

Adnaan Narot / @loveandmoney.agency

Alister Shapley / @alistershapleyprint

Eve Warren / eveawarren

James Horwitz / @twotimeselliott

Tim Perry / @timperryconsulting

Mentions:

https://cleancreatives.org/ / @clean_creatives

https://withjack.co.uk/ / @_withjack

https://www.nevernotcreative.org/never-not-finishing-school / @nvrnotcreative

https://www.itsnicethat.com/authors/katie-cadwell / @itsnicethat

Refs:

Clean Creatives on the Edelman Trust Barometer:

https://cleancreatives.org/news/edelman-trust-barometer-fact-check

Richard Prince lawsuit - ​​https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/26/arts/design/richard-prince-copyright-lawsuit.html

Andy Warhol lawsuit - https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/warhol-foundation-settles-lawsuit-lynn-goldsmith-prince-series-1234700191/

Anthropic AI lawsuit - https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/anthropic-asks-court-to-prune-universal-lawsuit-to-focus-court-battle-on-whether-it-is-fair-use-to-train-ai-using-copyrighted-works/

Arts and Crafts movement - https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/arts-and-crafts-an-introduction

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

83% of NDA followers have pitched for a project.

Widely debated and often condemned, pitching for creative work is still rife. In an economic climate that gives clients more power than ever, we’re seeing a steady return to speculative work to win projects.

We want to get to the bottom of it, talking to Leo Porto & Felipe Rocha (Porto Rocha), who have publicly declared their anti-pitching stance, and Toby Wilkinson (AUFI), who is privy to more studio pitch decks than most, working closely with brands to help them find the right agency partner.

We also invite the clients in — with anonymous stories from their point of view, we try to unpack who really benefits from the ambiguity of the ‘pitching’ process.

Asking questions like… Why do clients need pitches to choose partners? Do creative teams enjoy working on them? Is the condensed process devaluing creativity? Does it create inequity in the industry? How can we change that?

And, let's be honest, does everyone have a project they would throw their morals away for?

Credits —

Small print:

British Design Association resources - https://www.dba.org.uk/members-area/resources/?keyword=free+pitch

AUFI guides - https://aufi.com/insights/good-agency-relationship

Paul Woods, How to do great work without being an arsehole - https://www.amazon.com/Great-Work-Without-Being-Asshole/dp/1786273918

Mentions: No free pitches - https://nofreepitches.com/

Stories: Rita Juárez / Jenny Powell

Sponsored by Lucky Dip

luckydip.studio

Get in touch hello@thendapodcast.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Who has the best ideas – humans or robots?

The topic on everyone’s feeds. AI is snowballing faster than anyone can keep up with, with billions of dollars being invested, new models appearing everyday, and a plethora of opinions to boot.

But, how does this relate to the creative industry? Some are embracing it, others fear it, and some feel underwhelmed by it. In today’s episode, we want to understand its role in our process.

Joined by our guests Pip Bingemann (Co-founder of springboards.ai) & Jess Macintyre (Co-founder of Mac+Moore) we discuss whether it’s homogenising creativity. How it impacts those at the start of their career. Whether it adds or subtracts value from creatives. Who we’re trusting to build the models – and to what extent it’s perpetuating the worst parts of society.

A great summary conversation about AI and creativity – a good place to start if you’re unsure how it can benefit your practice. But remember, use responsibly.

Credits —

Small print:

Midjourney - https://discord.com/invite/midjourney

Runway - https://runwayml.com/

Not Content - https://www.notcontent.ai/

Monika - https://m-o-n-i-k-a.com/

Paige - https://air.inc/paige

It’s Nice That, Shades of Intelligence

https://www.itsnicethat.com/shades-of-intelligence

Marcus Byrne, 101 prompt secrets

https://marcusbyrne.gumroad.com/l/101promptsecretsbook

Mentions:

Zoe Scaman, Strategy in the era of AI

https://zoescaman.substack.com/p/strategy-in-the-era-of-ai

Orlaith Wood, Why AI is the kick up the arse copywriters need

https://www.creativereview.co.uk/ai-copywriting-reed-words/

Stories: Jack Wimmer (Monika) / Engy Elboreini (@engythedesigner)

Sponsored by Lucky Dip

luckydip.studio

Get in touch hello@thendapodcast.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is the agency model as we know it dying out? Big office spaces, permanent teams, mandatory in-person working, rigid processes and hierarchies — all symbols of the traditional creative studios that have been pillars of the industry for decades.

But the pandemic accelerated the rise of the small agency. Those working in a nimble way, remote from anywhere in the world, with bespoke freelance teams built for each project.

So, which one is better? Together with Ayo Fagbemi (Explorers Club) & Andy Cooke (Creative Director) we discuss how the different models impact creativity, hiring talent and building a culture — and what clients are looking for; if they want to be seen with the latest ‘underdog agency’ or have the kudos of working with one of the legends.

It’s a classic David vs. Goliath story. We try to guess who will come out on top. And ask if the established agencies don’t adapt, are they destined for extinction?

Credits —

Small print:

Dan Salkey (Small World), Hub and spoke creative agencies

https://www.contagious.com/news-and-views/hub-and-spoke-creative-agencies-why-this-time-its-different

Stephanie McCarty, Here’s my beef with ad agencies

https://www.adweek.com/agencies/cmo-ad-agency-model-broken/

Comprehensive flexibility

https://hbr.org/2023/08/the-radical-promise-of-truly-flexible-work

Mentions: Collins New York Coffeehouse

Stories: Naomi Dacosta (NDC Creative) / Dylan Young (Koto)

Sponsored by Lucky Dip

luckydip.studio

Get in touch hello@thendapodcast.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today’s episode, we’re tackling one of the industry taboos – ageing.

Joined by two creatives proudly in ‘mid-life’, Michael Johnson (Johnson Banks) & Jane Evans (Visible Inc.) we’re asking all the questions no one else dares.

Hearing the statistics on age diversity in the industry, it’s obvious there are empty seats where older creatives should be. To figure out why that is, we discuss how ageing is perceived. And how these outdated views of ageing are impacting our agency diversity.

We talk about clients, and whether they care about the age of their partners. Do they want energised young scrappy upstarts, or mature teams with a proven track record?

We hypothesise why there’s a big drop off, as our guests reflect on where their peers are now. Asking them when they were doing their best work, and if their creativity is as fierce now as it was in their 20s.

And what next? Talking about how to ‘be relevant’ in an ever-changing landscape, and what retirement looks like for this generation.

Ultimately, our guests believe that mid-life creatives are a huge untapped resource, ready to help us access the largest consumer group. So if that’s true, where are they? And why isn’t anyone harnessing their power?

Credits —

Small print:

Invisible to Invaluable: Unleashing the Power of Mid-Life Women, Jane Evans

Visible Start - https://visiblestart.com/

Olivia Stubbings ‘The Late Radicals’ for the IPA Excellence Diploma in Brands -

https://ipa.co.uk/knowledge/ipa-blog/the-late-radicals

Mentions: Vera Wang / JR Tolkein / Barabara Beskind / Anne Rothenstein

Stories: Brett Allan / Belinda Hubbal

Sponsored by Lucky Dip

luckydip.studio

Get in touch hello@thendapodcast.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we want to understand what it’s like for juniors entering the creative industry. We’re asking who’s responsible for their success, and if we might be failing them.

We talk to DINES (STUDIO BLUP) & Ellen Ling (LINGO) about whether the expectations we’re placing on our newest creatives are unrealistic. Can we really expect them to be multi-disciplined? What about having side hustles, or knowing what their creative passions are? Job role descriptions seem to be asking for all that and more.

We learn that juniors are feeling undervalued, overworked, and underpaid — as though their development is the last on the priority list. We also discuss veteran creatives’ experiences working with young talent. Some think juniors are having an easier time today, and others feel they are coming out of universities less prepared for agency life than ever before.

Ultimately, we unpack if we, both as individuals and the industry at large, support the next generation. Are we expecting too much? Do we secretly want them to have the same (traumatic) initiation as some of us did?

Or is the fact they’re raising the bar better for us all?

Credits —

Small print: Blup Academy - https://studioblup.com/academy/

Somerset House, ‘Upgrade Yourself’ - https://www.somersethouse.org.uk/inclusive-talent-engagement/upgrade-yourself-creative-industry-placements-participants

Shillington - https://www.shillingtoneducation.com/uk/

Mentions: Mother / Dixon Baxi / Havas / Wolff Olins / New Blood / D&AD

Stories: Jenny Potts / Hello Katy Studio

Sponsored by Lucky Dip (luckydip.studio)

Get in touch hello@thendapodcast.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.