New Year's Resolutions

I resolve to take a new route to and from our Leeds office to avoid Buon Apps, the Italian restaurant opposite our building, as since setting up Hatch it has somehow managed to double its staff numbers! The down side to this plan is our strong finish to 2008 looks like continuing into 2009, so taking clients to lunch, at said Italian, looks like a more regular occurrence. Secondly, I need to spend more time skiing off piste rather than in the mountain restaurants. Finally pay attention to key PR messages in articles, especially this one.

GLENN PATTERSON, MD, INTERMARKETING GROUP

I am not really good at giving up stuff as part of resolutions. I’m just planning to find a hobby that does not involve eating or drinking. Business-wise though, I want to make a few lasting resolutions. Firstly, continue to develop and nurture our staff who, throughout 2008, have enabled us to attract both national and global brands as clients. Secondly, focus on adding value by developing client brand partnerships.

GREIG TOSH, MD, CIVIC

Stop mediating, start meditating. Accept there are things I can’t control and accept control for things I can. And yes, yes, yes Sam, I will tidy my desk.

TREVOR FLANNERY, STORM BRAND DESIGN

My resolutions include working smarter and harder and, at long last, enrolling, on that elusive course. I will also aim to improve my communication techniques for the benefit of my colleagues. The main personal resolution is to work harder at relaxing and to make sure my holidays are work free! I also aim to visit the Galpharm Stadium to cheer for Huddersfield Town and not Walsall.

GRAHAM ROBINSON, HEAD OF DIGITAL SERVICES, PEPPERMINT DIGITAL

My resolution for Peppermint Digital is to build on a fantastic first year and win lots more new clients in 2009 in spite of the current climate. Peppermint is going from strength to strength and it’s essential that we build on this momentum. My personal resolution is to be the best dad I can be to our baby boy who’s due to meet us 10 January!

SHONA MACIVER, DIRECTOR, LOCOFOCO

Personally? Fun, glory and money.

Business? To design something really good. To make one of my clients a millionaire. To make everyone I know rich, happy and extremely grateful.

JAMES OLIVER, CEO, SHAKE INTERACTIVE

Plant a few hundred thousand trees, make sausages and help my teams get their first million pound month.

ANDREW BIRLEY, CLIENT SERVICES DIRECTOR, FUDGE

In the year 2000 I made a resolution to only make resolutions in the summer, when the weather was nice and there was a chance I might actually stick to them (this still hasn’t worked). Business wise it will be something spectacular like promising never to go to bed until I have less than 50 emails in my inbox (currently 357).

NICK BRADSHAW, MANAGING PARTNER, AMAZE PLC

Personal – to lose weight; take a three week summer holiday; be a more patient dad, and a better golfer! Business – successfully merge and synergise the three operating companies (Connectpoint Group, Amaze Europe and Pavilion) into Amaze plc. Build our brand and win more new business. Ensure our current clients enjoy the benefits of our new ‘Post Digital’ offering. Reflect on the opportunities now available to us as the largest integrated agency group in Manchester. Focus on improving the quality of the work we produce. We need to deliver against the targets we have set ourselves.

DAVID FREER, CO-FOUNDER, O-STREET

My resolution is to work on my top spin backhand at Table Tennis so O Street can win the golden bat back from Collective Architecture.

JOE CHETCUTI, DIRECTOR, FRONT

Make sure we carry on responding effectively to the tough market conditions. We have faith in what we do and so will focuss on our core strengths of producing great creative work, delivered through the best and most appropriate channels. There will be no knee-jerk diversification within the business and our creative standards will be maintained and built upon. On a personal level....I’ll keep on supporting Sheffield United until they reach the Premiership!

MICHAEL DI PAOLA, OPERATIONS DIRECTOR, STUDIO NORTH

Despite the current climate, 2008 has been good to us as we’ve worked with some great clients and produced some amazing work. My main focus professionally is to keep this at the forefront of every team members mind and to not let any negativity surrounding the wider economic situation affect our creative output and the emphasis we put on CSR. On a number crunching level, I’ll also be keeping a closer eye on credit control to protect against the increased risk of bad debt. Personally, I’m going to be dedicating more time to sleeping and relaxing!

SHARON BRIGDEN, PR DIRECTOR, CLEARSILVER

When it comes to personal New Year resolutions, I’ll say the same things that I say every year, (and the same things which then get phased out by roughly 2 January) more exercise, spend more time with friends and try to relax. Professionally – to have more hours in the day, days in the week and weeks in the year would be just great, but failing receiving God-like powers in my Christmas stocking it will have to be working hard and keeping the company growing steadily despite the forecasted economic gloom. Global domination to follow.

KIRSTIE BUCHANAN, CREATIVE DIRECTOR, READING ROOM

I’m pants at sticking to them. I always start by giving myself a stiff talking to. Which normally goes something like this… right, January I will drink two litres of water a day, will only eat healthy food, will decline alcohol when offered and stick to fruit juice! Within hours I’m tucking in to a bacon sarnie and washing it down with fat coke! Fortunately I am way better at keeping my work related resolutions. The main one for 2008 was to ensure the creative leaving the Manchester office was truly the best of the best. I knew this one was a winner when I was asked to buy a shelf for our new awards!

ARVIND SALWAN, DIRECTOR, NEW MEDIA CORP

On a personal level, I’d absolutely love to do a half-marathon in less time than it took me in 2008 (1hr 40mins), and by doing so, to raise even more for The Unity Foundation. I really must get my iTunes lists sorted. On the professional front, it would be good to see more clients integrate digital PR and marketing into their campaign and brand strategies; to continue to grow the agency’s client base despite of the state of the economy.

ANTHONY JONES, DIGERATI

I’ll spend less time wandering the myriad of social platforms I have infiltrated or begin a search for the Crème de la Crème of social network management tools that will let me get my five-minute fix. With regards to business, the current climate makes it even more prudent to build even more collaborative and creative solutions for our clients. Innovation and smarter thinking is key and disrupting ones self is never a bad thing.

NIGEL HUNTER, MANAGING DIRECTOR, FUSE8

Personally I won’t be making any New Year’s resolutions for 2009, as I never tend to stick to them! However, on a business level my resolution for the New Year is to ensure I maintain a high level of enthusiasm in order to continually motivate those around me. It’s going to be a tough old year, but as long as you have a motivated and inspired workforce, who are passionate about doing a good job then you’re going to be much better prepared to weather the storm.

GARETH HOWELLS, CREATIVE PARTNER, NEWHAVEN

I never normally make them. It avoids disappointment. Saying that, need to lose the gut. Stay smiling and grow the business. Keep smiling. Sod the credit crunch.

MIKE LYNCH, MD, RADLEY YELDAR SCOTLAND

This is baby’s first Christmas in Scotland (bless) so we’re probably not old enough to make resolutions, but the two wise men (Simon Farrell and Neil Reynolds) have told us to continue the proactive profile building, name awareness and direct contact that we’ve been undertaking furiously since October. Make ourselves the default pitch-member (and hopefully partner) for any form of corporate communications, especially corporate reporting (take note Simon and Neil); make sure Radley Yeldar is known in Scotland as a generalist agency, worth considering for all types of work (except the shit stuff); produce work that looks good and doesn’t just tick the boxes. Don’t just report, communicate; have fun!

DARREN NAVIER, CREATIVE DIRECTOR, NUMIKO

My New Years Resolution - stop biting my fingernails. Frankly, there’s nothing (really) to worry so much about that you need to self-mutilate!!