Sparrow’s Nest: Last column of the year reflects on my Mediaweek adventure

Wow…my last Sparrow's Nest column for the year, what a year it has been. My Mediaweek adventure started in February and it’s been a whirlwind ever since.

A year with many highs, which I will cover later in my 2022 Top 10 list. As regular readers of Sparrow’s Nest know I love a good Top 10 list.

However, I must be honest along the way there were a few lows as well. After an incredible experience at SXSW again in Austin Texas, I was in Covid isolation in LA for 7 days in a budget hotel with no balcony and only 1 small window that just opened for fresh air. Plus, to rub salt into the wound it looked out onto the pool where other hotel guests frolicked and drank cocktails in the LA sunshine. Anyway, that is a third-world problem, we must have resilience and bounce back.

Sparrow welcomed by Mediaweek's Trent Thomas (left) and James Manning (right) early in 2022

Speaking of bouncing back I was in Melbourne last week and guess what? I am still copping flack for how wrong I got the Mediaweek Media Agency Power 50 list. It is intriguing to think nearly two months after the event I am still getting the gift of feedback, unfortunately in this case negative.

On the flip side, the market is obsessed with their power, ranking position, or lack off. One of the joys of 2023 will be doing this again, but no matter what I do … I will still get it wrong from certain people’s perspectives.

Sparrow’s Top 10 2022 highlights

1. Being inducted into the MFA Hall of Fame!
2. Starting my Mediaweek adventure
3. Annual sojourn to Austin Texas for SXSW
4. Mediaweek Power List Agency 50
5. MFA EX event with over 1,000 industry advocates
6. Advertising Week back at Luna Park post-Covid
7. Visiting my Mum in Newcastle and working with Enigma
8. The Marketing Academy coaching (since inception eight years)
9. Forming the Advertising Ageism Action Group
10. AANA Reset back with a bang

Next year I will be celebrating 50 years in the industry and I can honestly say I still love what I do every day. I thrive on mentoring and coaching the next generation of leaders, plus find it incredibly rewarding to work with the industry associations to make our industry better moving forward.

I am extremely excited about launching the Mediaweek Academy, our first official Mediaweek tour to SXSW in Austin Texas, and making a difference around ageism.

Thanks for all the comments, readers’ topics, and questions throughout the year and I encourage you to take it up a notch in 2023.

Be brave and ask me difficult, confronting uncomfortable questions and I will give you my honest unbiased opinion. The more provocative the reader’s topics are the better, I enjoy the challenge of confronting important issues and topics we need to address to ensure our industry is held to account and improves for the future.

Have a happy and safe Christmas and holiday break with your family and friends … come back revived and refreshed for 2023.

Sparrow's Big Media Week Now: Final 2022 Sparrow's Nest column Wednesday: Final 2022 Agency Hot List Thursday: Final 2022 Birdman in the Bistro recommendations

Greg encourages Sparrow’s Nest reader feedback and topic ideas. Contact the Birdman via sparrow@mediaweek.com.au.

See also: Greg Graham is inducted into the Hall of Fame at the 2022 MFA Awards