For 13 years design studio WorkGroup cut a logical, rigorous and very cool swathe through the Irish design scene. Founded by David Wall and Conor Nolan in 2006, it mastered any medium it took on – from brand identity, books, websites, menu cards and coffee shop identities to stamps, corporate IDs and apps. There was never a house style. If there’s a thread that links its individual designs, it’s the clarity with which they announce themselves. Their presence. They monopolise your attention when you first see them. Or use them. They have charisma. But after 13 years both Wall and Nolan have decided to seek new challenges.

So why the change, and why now we asked David.
“McCann Dublin really gets the whole strategic importance of design – that it’s only getting more important in an always-on world – so there is a meeting of minds there basically. The opportunity to lead the design team working on some of the agency’s international brands is also extremely exciting.”

Jenny Paetzold, McCann Dublin’s Managing Partner says
“David’s appointment is one part of a re-imagined McCann Dublin, where our focus is to create change for good, with a ‘Creativity First’ mentality. In recent weeks our creative team has also been joined by Emily Turner as Senior Designer, Natalia Santos as Digital Designer and Eadaoin Fitzmaurice as Social Media Content Manager”

Following this new appointment, Creative Partner Bren Byrne spoke of his vision for the future “We are committed to delivering and celebrating the best of creativity and the people we have on our team are vital. The addition of David, Emily, Natalia and Éadaoin to our already super talented team makes the future very exciting. We want to share our passion for the impact creativity can have on cultural, social and economic enterprise with our clients and their customers. Our aim is to continue building an agency where talented people from different disciplines can come together and realise that they are part of a team with shared goals, that supports and challenges in equal measure. That is a hugely empowering position, one that is vital for the growth of our agency and the industry”

Arriving the night before, I eagerly took out the agenda for the conference – highlighter in hand – and began marking. After 20 minutes, I realised I had picked almost every talk, workshop and networking break on the list. Time to revise my plan.

This was my first time attending Social Media Week and given the calibre of speakers I knew it was going to something pretty memorable. The overall theme for the conference was ‘Stories: With Great Influence Comes Great Responsibility’ and over the course of the two days, we were treated to inspiring, educational and though-provoking talks from an incredible range of industry professionals.

Key topics that made their way into almost every talk focused on the value of good content, social self-care and responsibility and connecting with your audience.

The idea of Storytelling came up on multiple occasions over the two days and one thing that became quite evident was the need to dazzle online audiences with content that is educational, inspiring and engaging. If an audience can connect, they are more likely to get involved. Nadine Heggie, the Vice President & Brand Partnerships lead at Nat Geo said, we are “a community of bold explorers with an insatiable curiosity.” A community. A collective. A force to be reckoned with and a force that seeks out genuine conversations and connections.

Thinking Forward
The way in which brands address and work with audiences is at a turning point. We’re slowly moving into an age where brands are giving more of a voice to audiences. Mobbie Nazir from We Are Social, treated us to a preview of their infamous digital trend report, shedding light on a couple of trends in particular.

1. Added Value: More than ever, people are placing more value on digital content and creators. Recognition is key and online communities are really fighting for online ownership. In a digital age where communities are stronger than ever, you don’t want to be the brand who doesn’t credit!
2. Social Self-Care: Let’s face it, we are 100% living in an always-on world and people are really starting to think about rebalancing their digital lives. Online communities are seeking out optimism, engaging in more wholesome content and opting out of unhealthy social habits.

We are at a critical point and how we tell stories online is the main objective for big brands. The role of influencers has also changed. Collaborations are no longer a must and brands are having to work harder to build authentic relationships with influential people who actually care about their brand and its story.

How to Be Human – What We Really Mean by Connection
It’s harder than ever for brands to build meaningful connections on social. They need to be fluid and have a certain degree of emotion to resonate with the outside world. We’re at a point where brands need to think about people first. It’s time to put the people back into the story.

I love a good quote and they were being fired from both stages non-stop, but one in particular stood out for me: “Don’t just think about the content you create, think about the content it will inspire. The people who will create their own and move your message further.” Will Hodge, Executive Strategy Director – Karmarama

Why Vertical is the Future of Storytelling
The big talk of the conference that pulled in the biggest crowd and most definitely spoke to everyone who works in social media was that of vertical video. DON DON DOONNNN! It’s clear to say that brands are scared to make the jump from landscape to portrait, but the time has come to build for behaviour.

82% of people hold their phones vertically when consuming content so moving to vertical is a no-brainer, right? We live in an age where it’s becoming easier and easier to shoot vertically and brands like Adidas, Tommy Hilfiger and EA Sports have already taken that leap of faith. Go on, do it. DO IT!

The State of Social in 2020
“When you run out of money, you have to get creative.” This was one of the opening statements from Steven Barlett, CEO of Social Chain. Having dropped out of college to start his first business, his story to success is pretty impressive – and ballsy! He described the current social media landscape as one that is black box vs glass box. It’s all about transparency and if your company or brand is stuck in a ‘black box mentality’ it’s no longer effective.

When it comes to winners in the marketing sector, brands who are brave enough to attach themselves to something real and relevant are coming out on top. One example that came in in Barlett’s talk (and three or four others) was Nike’s 2018 Just Do It campaign with Colin Kaepernick. “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.” Naturally the ad sent social media ablaze with reactions from the right and the left. The left side sees a brand supporting Kaepernick’s kneeling campaign, yay! The right sees a brand caving to politically correct pressure, boo! Whatever way you look at it, this was a campaign with a story and one that Nike wasn’t afraid to tell.

Within the past year, social media apps have come under extreme scrutiny, leading us from a tipping point to an inflection point. As marketers we have a responsibility to ensure the stories we tell are the vehicle for change.

The world of digital and social media defines how we connect and communicate, how we experience the world and tell stories. Stories are an incredible force and they can influence how we see the world. With great influence comes great responsibility.

Never one to shy away from a challenge – he loves a good problem to solve – Eamonn has spent much of his career trying to perfect processes that will deliver best in class experiences for clients across multiple industries and project types. He even still dabbles in a bit of development from time to time.

In recent years he has focused his efforts on user experience, working with the design, development and research teams – and closely with the client – to come up with innovative and intuitive ways to solve customer challenges.

With McCann Eamonn has led the work on some of the agency’s biggest projects including Kerry.com, The National Lottery, Microsoft DreamSpace, SimplyIOA.com, Dublin.ie and DublinCity.ie. He also teaches a module in Advertising Diploma from TU Dublin in Designing for Impact (UX).

Outside the office, Eamonn spends ALL of his money discovering fancy restaurants, and the rest of his time running (from the bank…but also marathons).

“Brand plays a key role in Cardano’s adoption as more organisations set to integrate the world’s first third-generation blockchain into their operations. The Cardano Foundation is proud to team up with McCann Dublin to reappraise the brand of what is yet to become the world’s leading blockchain platform. Since the concept of blockchain was introduced in 1991, the perception of the technology has shifted, and our collective understanding continues to change as we head towards a blockchain-complete era of the future. Therefore, we are privileged to have McCann Dublin, a team behind some of the biggest global brands, to take our brand to the next level.”  Bakyt Azimkanov, Director of Global PR, Communications and Marketing at the Cardano Foundation: 

“McCann Dublin is committed to creating change for and with our clients, making Cardano a natural fit for us. As the first blockchain platform to evolve from a scientific philosophy and research-first approach, they are actively creating change in their field. We know that cryptocurrency is both unstoppable and here to stay, and we’re delighted to be a strategic partner on this journey with Cardano and the Cardano Foundation. Our appointment is testament to the agency’s creative approach, centered on brand building. We look forward to uncovering and building Cardano’s Truth Well Told.”  Jenny Paetzold, Managing Partner of McCann Dublin.

About the Cardano Foundation:

The Cardano Foundation is an independent body based in Zug, Switzerland. Its core responsibility is to help oversee and supervise the development of Cardano, the world’s first third-generation blockchain, and its ecosystem.

The Foundation is committed to protecting and promoting Cardano, and advocating on behalf of the users and community of the protocol.

The Foundation works alongside Input Output HK (IOHK) who are contracted to design and build Cardano, and EMURGO which works to boost the Cardano ecosystem through commercial ventures. The three entities are wholly separate in governance, ownership and leadership  Find out more, https://cardanofoundation.org/en/

For years I worked as a designer and art director in a variety of agencies, on large-scale internal employee engagement campaigns and brand guidelines for M&S, BP and Barclays. I have also worked with in the cultural and tourism sectors, for clients such as Dublinia and Fáilte Ireland. However, since moving back from London three years ago, I’ve been looking for that sweet spot – the convergence of design and advertising. This is what drove me to join McCann Dublin as Senior Designer.

When people ask what I do as a graphic designer, I say that I’m a visual engineer, a creative problem solver with many hats. McCann Dublin gives me the opportunity and fluidity to continue to develop my strategy skills, come up with ideas for campaigns, and nail down brand identities while working across a broad range of media. It’s fast-paced and exciting, with a variety of global clients to keep me busy. Our process is strong, and it’s this clarity of thought that is important to me. A strong idea is a strong idea, but having a consistent creative process is really important to deliver a great end product.

One of my favourite artists is Olafur Eliasson. He embodies the perfect mix of logical thinking, creativity, inspiration and conceptual thinking. My aim is that our team will continue to collaborate and develop in this vein – as strong design and inspirational work is nothing without the research and building blocks of strategy behind it.

I’m also passionate about developing and nurturing new talent, especially women in design. As Ali Hanan of Creative Equals states, “Female creatives can’t be what they can’t see.” I have run internship programmes for the past seven years, and I’m looking forward to developing one at McCann Dublin, while working alongside David and Bren to expand our already highly skilled creative team.

When I’m not in the studio you can find me planning my next trip, on a street art tour or at a pop-up event (preferably gin related). The thing that really does it for me is ghost signage. Give me hand painted type on a dilapidated building any day!

Held annually in Dublin and expected to attract over 2,500 attendees, OFFSET is now a major fixture on the global design calendar. This year it runs from Friday the 3rd of April to Sunday the 5^th at the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre. Representing the creative industry on a global scale, each of OFFSET’s 100+ speakers are major disruptors and influencers in their fields.

“Over the last decade OFFSET has consistently brought exemplars of global creative genius to Dublin to share their work, their processes and their ambitions”, says Jenny Paetzold, McCann Dublin’s Managing Partner.

Paetzold continues  “As a catalyst for change, OFFSET has changed the outlook, drive and ambition of many a student. It has raised the aspirations, drive and energy of creative professionals and changed how we all think about our creative work. OFFSET has shown how creativity can drive better business and make this world a better place.  And that’s exactly what we believe at McCann Dublin, that creativity has the power to create change for good.  We’re proud to partner with this positive creator of change in our industry and to be working alongside the OFFSET team in 2020.”

Lisa Haran OFFSET’s Managing Director, adds “Our relationship with McCann has grown from their staff attending, to their clients being sponsors, to now having their full support across all agency services from design, branding, content creation and social to even documenting the event itself in film. But more importantly it is our shared commitment to delivering creative solutions, to supporting the creative community and industry and the belief in the impact creativity can have on cultural, social and economic enterprise. We are grateful for their belief in what we do, what our event represents and their generosity in helping us sustain our vision.”

It’s 2014, I’m working in retail and longing for a career change. “Why not bite the bullet and spend your savings on going back to college?”, I told myself. Ah, sure what else would I spend it on, being young and frivolous? Nah, I threw caution to the wind and signed up. I haven’t looked back since.

Clearly I like to make one mad decision each year, so fast forward to 2015 and I’m booking a one-way flight to London. Over the next three years, I settled into a new city and way of life. A very fast paced life and I couldn’t have been happier! This move allowed me to build up experience working on global social campaigns, product launches, activations, influencer collaborations for a mix of brands including Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Tech21, Estrella and Sweaty Betty. There were times where my creative background would come into play, shooting social campaigns for La Perla and Sweaty Betty. Finding myself at a point in my career where all my experience to date was being used was definitely a highlight.

Since joining McCann Dublin, I feel as though this is still the case. Each project allows me to tap into almost six years of experience, while on the other hand I’m constantly learning and adapting to the everchanging landscape of social media. Ask any of my colleagues and they will tell you I’m a sucker for a social media update or newsworthy article. I’m that person who has subscribed to almost every newsletter, and yes this might mean sifting through a lot of nonsense on my commute but rest assured I’ll have found a nugget of social media news to share once I arrive at my desk.

I feel as though the world of social media can get a bad rap and while there are so many aspects I don’t agree with (I won’t get into that here), if you look at how it’s developed over the last two to three years, it’s certainly going in the right direction. Brands and social platforms have a duty to be more transparent and authentic so I find myself living in hope that the ever-present spotlight on this will encourage brands to continue their efforts to create content and campaigns that stay true to who they are and what they represent. No one likes a brand that jumps on the band wagon!

Knowing the world of social media is not infallible and must constantly change is what I love. There is no “one-size-fits-all” approach to a campaign and flipping the consumer funnel on its head is kind of fun.

When I think back and reflect on my career within social media, I’m reminded that it didn’t start with my first social media exec role – long before this happened, the seeds were sown. One’s career journey can take many twists and turns along the way. I can gladly say that those twists and turns have shaped my career for the good.

Q: So Bren, OFFSET has passed the decade milestone and is now in its 11^th year! As someone with extensive creative experience, have you seen a big difference between the artistic community then VS now? Has it changed massively? If so, how?

 A: In terms of our local creative community? Ironically one of the biggest changes is how we value our participation in global culture. In the last 10 years as an industry our ambition has been matched only by our confidence. Thankfully both are completely justified when you see the work being produced There are Irish people who are absolutely killing it creatively in every major city in the world and, just as importantly, here at home. It’s exciting to see so much co-operation between practitioners. It’s become less isolated and silo-based. This generosity may be a generational thing, but it’s very exciting to see ambitious projects happening on both grand and small scales and with a multi-disciplinary nature, which is exactly how we have always curated OFFSET.

Q: When OFFSET began, it was very much about the individuals, whereas now it’s about agencies. What are your thoughts on this?

A: The focus from the beginning has always been on celebrating and showcasing the craft and the execution in the creative process. We chose speakers who’s work we loved and were inspired by. In the early years, as we were all professional creatives ourselves, those choices probably reflected our own practice and interests. Over the years, while those values still remain, the curation has evolved as our interests have. The internationalisation of the design sector in Ireland with companies like IBM, Accenture and Deloitte both installing large design departments and in some cases acquiring established agencies, is having a positive effect but the possible knock on for the more traditional creative businesses regarding attracting staff and completing for work is one we are very aware of.

Competition for talent is naturally the growing challenge along with the gap between education and industry in producing the next generation of ‘ready to go’ designers. As well as the wider sector, the role of individual designer has evolved hugely since then too. In most cases, designers and agencies now have to offer skills across a much wider range of disciplines and we now programme with this in mind. If you look at the programme for OFFSET 2009 there was almost an even split between graphic design and illustration but over the years this has grown much wider. Excitingly even within those ‘traditional’ definitions we are seeing graphic designers who code and work in advertising, illustrators working directly in branding and motion… it’s become very fluid.

Q: The diversity of attendees is something that adds to the OFFSET experience. What do agencies get from attending?

A: OFFSET represents an opportunity to enhance skills, to learn new methods and processes, to engage and interact in discussions and debates on relevant industry issues, to network with fellow practitioners and re-ignite passions essential for the development of the creative industries. But we can’t underestimate the impact of feeling like you are part of a vibrant community, so much of the practice of the industry we live in is spent with our direct colleagues and clients. Being present with 2,500 fellow creatives from all over Ireland and the world is an inspiring experience on its own.

OFFSET 2020 takes place from April 3^rd – 5^th in The Bord Gáis Energy Theatre. Professional, Recent Graduate, Student and Group tickets are now available at iloveoffset.com.

‘Be confident in your point of view and express it, don’t feel like an imposter! They wouldn’t have hired you if they didn’t think your point of view was important – people expect you to have one. Don’t just act on other people’s opinions, think about your own and bring them to the table.’

Sinead Cowen – Project Director

‘Put you first. Do what will make you happy and you will succeed.’

Olivia Farrell – Digital Account Director

‘If there is something you really want to do, do it. Whether it’s part of your job description or not. If you can show that you have abilities beyond your current role, you can move beyond it. Use your initiative. Seize opportunities. Ask for help.’

Amy Sergison – Copywriter

‘Be persistent. You’ll get a lot of no’s before you get a yes. And if you want to do something, ask. You don’t ask, you don’t get.’

Aoife Flynn – Art Director

‘Find a great mentor, preferably female! The female bosses I had in my early career in London really shaped the designer I have become today. Everyone has wobbles and when I do, I think ‘well what would X do?’ I think the other important thing is that you’re always growing and learning in our industry. The design landscape is constantly evolving, embrace this change rather than hanging back. Do things that scare you as pushing forward will always pay off.’

Emily Turner – Senior Designer

‘Whenever you’re under pressure or feel a little overwhelmed, remember – you have a 100% success rate at getting through every day so far.’

Zoe McGovern – Director of Social

‘Decide what is important in life to YOU. And use everything in your power to help you achieve that.
Your career choices, don’t need to be ‘ladder’ driven. Life is for living.’ “Find a job you love and you’ll never have to work a day in your life.”

(Confucius)Yvonne O’Toole – Receptionist

‘Know your worth. Trust your gut. Follow your heart. Your greatest work will be done if you follow those three simple rules. Always take the opportunity to step out of your comfort zone, that is where you will learn.’

Éadaoin Fitzmaurice – Social Media Content Manager

Q: Zoe, as the Director of Social, what needs to be considered when mapping out the social content?

A: This will be my fourth (maybe fifth?!) year working on social media content for Offset and over the years it’s become more evident that social and digital media can no longer be an afterthought. It’s needs to be up there with other communication avenues and essentially, it needs to be the backbone to your marketing mix.

The way in which online audiences consume and engage is constantly changing and in a world where these audiences can scroll up to the length of a football pitch every day (hello carpal tunnel damage!) you need to create visually appealing content that demands attention.

Each year, people from around the globe travel to attend Offset, so that’s another thing we consider when planning content. Small things such as trackable links, swipe ups, scheduling content at key engagement times and hours of the day that appeal to other time-zones – these are the building blocks to creating a robust, best-in-class content strategy and plan.

Q: Eadaoin, you manage all social content for McCann Dublin and Offset. How do you plan content for multiple platforms and audiences?

A: For this year’s social media campaign we really focused on targeting the right audience on the right platform. Our Instagram audience is slightly younger, so we focused on speaking directly to students and recent grads using engaging and playful content and opening the floor for questions, all of which were covered on Instagram stories.

Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter connected to our wider professional audience, so we needed to switch up the tone of voice and stuck to the facts and information around Offset. On a weekly basis, we continuously monitor analytics and social data insights, that allow us to keep informed in terms of key publishing days and times.

We know audiences engage differently on each platform, so post frequency was a key element within the content strategy. Social media algorithms favour consistency and engaging content, so this is something we need to maintain throughout to ensure our posts reach hit to top of our followers feeds.

For updates on Offset 2020 speakers, workshops and much more, keep an eye on social media, or visit https://www.iloveoffset.com/