On May 26th, Mediaweek’s Next of the Best awards celebrated the best of under 40s talent across the media industry – including TV, radio, media agencies and PR.
Taking home gold for Media Agency Specialist – Independent as well as Grand Prix for the night was the founder and CEO of This Is Flow, Jimmy Hyett.
Hyett established the independent full-service media agency, This Flow, in 2015. The agency has a future-focused approach, combining innovation through science, proactive thinking through art, and competitive advantage through value.
Mediaweek caught up with Hyett about his Next of the Best win and the future of the industry.
MW: Congratulations on winning gold and the Grand Prix, how do you feel about the win?
JH: Individual awards always make me feel a little awkward, besides the spotlight shining too bright, we’ve all only got to where we are now in our careers because of all the people around us. Over the last 20+ years in media, I’ve had incredible support from family, friends, teams, mentors and even been inspired by those I haven’t met. You take on motivation and learnings from so many places inside and outside the industry… so when you try, fail, and succeed in stitching it all together – it’s quite a proud and humbling feeling to receive such recognition when so many have contributed along the way.
MW: How does this award reflect the work of you and your team?
JH: Without a doubt, this award is a direct correlation of where Flow started, and to where the agency sits today. Starting your own business is a leap of faith in any industry – but the stages of start and survive, to identifying your personality, to building a reputation, pushing boundaries to stand out, and proving it all with consistent results, take years of hard work.
But the core factor we can’t forget, we wouldn’t have a business if it wasn’t for our clients. They’ve put their trust in us and our work, so this award is built from the strong partnerships forged over the years, and the team’s ability to understand and deliver on real business challenges. As we only grow if our clients grow.
MW: This Is Flow has had a successful string of big client wins – what has been the key to making that happen?
JH: Client wins come from happy and incredibly passionate staff. That’s been a key focus for us as an agency, from recruitment to the impact we have on our people and how much THEY drive the culture of Flow. If we can harness this passion, support it with professional, personal and emotional development – the pride and love for what we do shines out and you see the magic it can produce in the work, and the relationships we have with every client. I believe this has been the biggest driver of success and as we grow, we will never lose sight of what’s most important – our people and clients.
MW: The Next of the Best is an under-40s award, how will today’s upcoming talent impact the industry in the future?
JH: Our industry is in very good hands, a true new generation of talent, minds and ideas that are already re-writing how the industry could be run. Looking around the room in the first year of Next of the Best, there could have been many receiving this award that have already achieved so much – and you can only imagine what the next 10 short years will deliver from this cohort of future industry leaders.
MW: What’s your outlook for the year ahead?
JH: We’ll all ride this wave of negative recession discussion; some will feel the impact and others won’t. But a diversified portfolio of clients, and growth across many businesses in their teams, culture, smarts and technology, will lead to a really exciting 12 months, and I believe growth across the whole industry. AI will become less buzz word and more hygiene in many processes we deliver, but will lead to a shift in time based delivery to value based outcome. An exciting and positive outlook of new and improved, and I can’t wait to see it come to life.
Read More: Mediaweek’s Next of the Best Awards: Winners Revealed
–
Top Image: Jimmy Hyett