Creativebrief: As Managing Director of gyro what is your primary focus?

Kate Howe: Right now my focus is leading the transition of gyro into a full service agency after our merger with Interprise, a specialist B2B media agency.  It’s exciting because alongside our focus on creative strategy, story- telling and content creation we can help our clients achieve precision delivery of their messages through data analytics, programmatic, SEO, PPC, all media channels and live events. There are a lot of people who believe creative and media agencies should never have separated, especially in B2B. gyro has brought them back together, globally, and it’s exciting to see the value we can now add to our clients’ businesses.

Creativebrief: Please share a para on your career to date – specifically talking us through the high points.

Kate Howe: I started below the line at IMP, moved to integrated agency Interfocus, and then moved above the line to DMB&B where I was seconded to Acting Marketing Director at Burger King. That was a high point as I was on the UK board working closely with all the franchisees and loved it. I then moved to Leo Burnett and worked on McDonald’s. As the agency went from strength to strength I became the MD. I moved client-side to Gala Coral group for four years, my first taste of working with private equity which I loved, and prior to gyro I joined Draftfcb firstly as President of the London agency and then of EMEA.

Creativebrief: What's unique about your agency / business? Why did you join gyro?

Kate Howe: The extreme entrepreneurial spirit and daring to be different is what attracted me to gyro. We have a highly differentiated proposition. Having done a lot of M&A but never my own start up, it was the next best thing. I’ve always admired people who start their own agency and gyro offered me the freedom to run the agency as though it was my own. It’s been quite a ride. We were acquired by Dentsu Aegis Network last summer so now we have the strength and depth of resources you can never have as an independent.

Creativebrief: Who are the people new to you (either within your business or externally) who have particularly impressed you in the last twelve months?

Kate Howe: All of the people in my media team who merged into gyro (previously Interprise) have really impressed me, with their absolute focus and determination to be the best and to innovate in the B2B media & tech space. I’m learning from them and that’s exciting.  Also the tenacity and drive of our gyro Manchester team who always show up brilliantly prepared and have a great belief in their ability to win.

Creativebrief: What has been your agency's best work in the last year?

Kate Howe: We’re proud of the work we’re starting to do for Vodafone Enterprise. They are an organisation going through great change and creating a true sense of partnership and shared ambition with the agency team. Not enough clients strive to do this.

Creativebrief: Industry wide, what work has excited you most this year?

Kate Howe: A lot of stand-out work continues to be driven by what I call ‘moments’— take the example of the Super Bowl in the US or Christmas in the UK. We all look forward to seeing those campaigns. What I am most excited about instead is this move towards the agency-of-the-future idea, with clients clamoring for a simplified and effective world, and many advertising businesses rewiring themselves to be able to create, distribute and measure at speed. It is something we are preparing for with the ‘new’ full-service gyro — to commit to giving our clients better solutions and not just sell them our services.

Creativebrief: Who or what inspires you?

Kate Howe: Entrepreneurs generally. I admire people who back themselves to do what they believe in.

Creativebrief: How do you stay in-touch with the industry's best work and culturally relevant news?

Kate Howe: I have an endless list of things I try to read, from all of the trade press to my two favourites the FT and The Economist, and then catch up TV for useful news and views. It helps to be on IPA Council as that keeps me aware of key industry issues too.

Creativebrief: What work or agency from outside the UK do you think is particularly influential?

Kate Howe: From Nike to Old Spice, Wieden & Kennedy has been a creative overachiever. Work from W&K is always admirable — for its wit, its charm.

What I also admire is the way they have managed change and succession within the organisation. If ever there were an award for ‘Keep Calm & Carry on & Never Compromise Creativity” I will personally hand deliver it to W&K! 

Creativebrief: What do you think are going to be the main challenges for agencies in the next two years?

Kate Howe: I think keeping up with the pace of change while continuing to find ways to add value to clients is a major challenge.  Big thinking plus strong data and technology capabilities will be critical to the future of agencies, not least because the increasing trend of clients taking core services in house is going to have a significant impact.

Creativebrief: How do you see the media landscape unfolding in the next five years?

Kate Howe: If only there were a crystal ball to hand. One thing is for certain — only those businesses will survive that reset themselves to break down silos and foster agility, collaboration and innovation. Which means for those of us challenging established business models to keep up, there will both be exhilaration as well as disruption. 

Creativebrief: What's your attitude to the 'traditional' agency review process? Do you think there is a better/more modern way?

Kate Howe: When I was a client I managed to do one major agency review by doing a very thorough round of chemistry meetings and then selecting an agency for a project, and based on that working out well awarded them the entire business. I don’t have an issue with pitching if the pitch is run professionally but I’m increasingly seeing clients want to pitch without revealing their scope of work or budget and that’s just not acceptable.

Creativebrief: In what ways do you think the industry can change for the better?

Kate Howe: Maybe to stop talking about what the ‘agency of the future’ will look like and get on with trying stuff. Also of course to hire more diverse and more senior talent.

Creativebrief: What's the next big thing for gyro?

Kate Howe: We’re globally rolling out our new full service proposition with a focus on Precision delivery of Feelings-based communications.