A year like no other: Goodstuff's 2022

Shortly after reaching its tenth birthday Goodstuff made the momentous decision to sell to the US marketing group Stagwell, where it joined the likes of 72andSunny, Anomaly and Assembly. It was an exciting start to 2022. Goodstuff's co-founder, Andrew Stephens, told us about the agency's year.

Andrew Stephens, co-founder, Goodstuff

What three words would you use to describe 2022?

Like. No. Other

Talk us through some of your agency’s highlights this year?

Major highlights from 2022 would be;

- the acquisition of Goodstuff by Stagwell in January which will help future-proof the agency with a wealth of data, digital and technology solutions for our clients.

- winning Campaign Media Agency of the Year. The second time we’ve scooped this accolade and given it’s awarded by clients, it’s even more cherished. A real testament to the work all our Goodstuffers do in producing a unique culture and award-winning work.

- talking of work, our latest new client win in the form of Hain Daniels (Linda McCartney, Sunpat, Hartleys and New Covent Garden Soup company brands to name but a few) provides a great platform for exciting work in 2023.

What one thing are you proudest of this year?

Winning Campaign Media Agency of the Year. When clients decide you’re the best media agency in the country, it means a lot.

And what’s been your biggest challenge?

Prioritisation. This year has presented its fair share of opportunities and challenges, and much of our time has been spent on identifying and addressing the areas that will make the biggest difference. Like most agencies, we’ve been head down trying to balance rising costs with reducing client budgets and the impact this has on the well-being of our Goodstuffers and the bottom line.

What are you most looking forward to in 2023?

Rolling out Goodstuff 3.0. We’ve spent a lot of time this year understanding where and how Stagwell can enhance our product and service offering and we will begin rolling this out in 2023. We will also be bringing back The Goodstuff Media Showcase to celebrate invention and bravery.

And what one change would you most like to see in our industry next year?

If we accept the next two years or so will be economically challenging, and that therefore becomes the new normal, lets collectively raise our heads again, get brands back to looking longer-term, building brand preference again and committing to strong, brave and inventive creative media work.

Creative Salon on Goodstuff's 2022

Goodstuff started 2022 as part of the Stagwell group - a shame, perhaps, for romanticists who have long admired its role as the champion of UK independent agencies but something that gives it more scale and access to bigger resources than if it had remained ploughing its own furrow (something it had done with notable success over the past decade). It was always a welcome payday for the agency's co-founders Andrew Stephens and Ben Hayes for their tireless work in building up the shop to something that has made a lasting impression on the UK scene.

While Goodstuff can no longer claim to be part of the thriving independent agency scene it still retains its spirit of independence and innovation that made it famous in the first place. It's why it attracts clients ranging from big corporates like AA to smaller new-to-TV advertisers, like Ariat and Naked Wines.

It's probably why Goodstuff continued to pick up a slew of new business, including Hain Foods (which includes the Linda McCartney and Sunpat brands) and why Campaign named it Media Agency of the Year.

Creative Salon Says: As well as carving out an interesting and distinctive positioning in a super-served market, the stability and strength in depth of Goodstuff's proven and experienced management team has always been one of its strengths. Now that the agency is part of a bigger entity, we should see what Stagwell has to offer in terms of a bigger capability still. Can't wait.