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‘Drive to ’25’: GroupM’s John Halpin’s year in review

Every year, StopPress catches up with a group of talented professionals from across the local industry to talk about the year that was. From their biggest challenges to their biggest inspiration, their favourite campaigns and favourite snacks, they give us a little insight into 2024 as well as what is to come in 2025.

John Halpin is GroupM New Zealand CEO.

Sum up 2024 in three words.

Resilience. Change. Drive.

If GroupM was a drink – which one would it be and why? 

The “Aperol Spritz” is a vibrant and refreshing drink that embodies GroupM’s blend of creativity and precision. High-quality ingredients, sophisticated presentation with a modern twist.

What GroupM project did you enjoy working on the most this year?

Looking beyond the work, something I’m really proud of this year is the work that our COO Ben Dufty and the team have done on achieving our GenderTick Accreditation. We’ve been working closely with Gender at Work on this and we are proud to be one of the first agencies in New Zealand to achieve it. Policies around Gender Neutral Parental Leave, our Menopause Policy, Gender Affirmation Policy and our future of work and flexibility policy Thrive play a huge role in creating a fair and equal environment for our teams.

John celebrating the Mindshare NZ Ikea win!

What excited you most about your industry this year?

The world of social media and influencer marketing is evolving quickly and it’s a really exciting opportunity for brands, consumers and creators. Influencer content will go beyond social platforms, extending into other channels to reach consumers. The creators are telling their own stories, doing it their own way and really changing the narrative. I have a feeling they’re going to teach us to let go of how we think brands are supposed to connect with people. 

Did you harness digital technology and AI in your work in 2024, and if so, what impact has that made?

Absolutely. For me, AI is a tool that can be applied to every project or way of working. Learning about WPP’s Open AI platform and the application of AI into sophisticated planning tools is transformational for our agencies and our clients. I loved just tinkering and discovering how to reinvent the way I’ve always done things and find better outcomes.

I have to thank my technophobe brother-in-law Russell for opening my eyes to AI’s real potential for me this year. I feel like I spent the first 9 months working out what things I should be asking AI to do for me, then he made me realise I should get AI to ask the questions of me. My world was never the same.

What office item/tool could you not work without?

I have two.

  1. My headphones and house music. They’re both sanctuary and stimulation in the same space.
  2. My Remarkable notepad – my handwriting resembles that of a GP’s, but at least now I can find every conversation that ever happened.

What was the biggest challenge your team faced in 2024, and how did you overcome it?

The economy. It’s been a challenging year all round. While it’s been tough, we tried not to get caught up in the ‘Survive to ‘25’ mentality. We flipped it to “Drive to ‘25” and put in place a series of initiatives to get us ready to capitalise on the opportunities in front of us. It really helped to take a positive perspective.

John with his daughter Rose (6) on the football field for her team, Western Springs

What are you most looking forward to in 2025?

I can’t wait to get stuck into 2025, to be honest. I’m genuinely so excited about how we start to unlock major shifts with AI. To date, I think we’ve just scratched the surface but next year I’m expecting exponential growth in our utilisation of it across the business. I’ll probably be saying that every year for the next 5 years or so!

Best launch or invention of the year?

Jaguar. Love it or hate it; the rebrand got people talking. Jaguar recognised that more of the same wasn’t going to get them far and made a brave move. Hats off to them for taking a big leap into the future.

Quick fire 10

  1. Most memorable local campaign?

    “Most memorable” is probably Tux bringing back the jingle for its 70th birthday. When I heard it in a supermarket I thought ‘are they still using that jingle?!’ I didn’t realise that was a 20 year old earworm they had just tapped into.

    Most memorable work from the GroupM team I’m really proud of, has to be EssenceMediacom’s SkyTower activation for PlayStation. Seeing an iconic landmark up in lights was definitely memorable and got their name out there.
  2. Best international campaign?

    Audible UK’s launch of Orwell’s 1984 audiobook that utilised ‘glitches’ in TV broadcasts and feature film screenings, ‘doublespeak’ lines in newspapers and deep integrations with the likes of The Guardian.
  3. A campaign you wish you worked on?

    Tina from Turners keeps on delivering. It’s been recognised a couple of times this year for it’s sustained success over the years and that’s a reflection of an idea that has so much to give, and a marketing team that know not to walk away from a good thing.
  4. An event/news story that got too much attention in 2024?

    The US election.
  5. Biggest flop of 2024?

    The US election.
  6. The best movie you saw at the cinema?

    Inside Out 2 – all the feels.
  7. The best thing about your industry?

    Not sitting still.
  8. How do you relax? 

    Sitting still.
  9. Three things you’d take to a desert island?

    My family, my stereo and my swimmers.
  10. Your favourite snack?  

    A 3pm donut. There always seem to be a few leftover from pressos from our media reps!

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