It’s become a tradition: every year around the holidays, our CEO, Kel, writes her New Year’s letter, a mix of reflection and looking ahead. This year, inspired by the resurgence of Community Management, she decided to take a fresh approach in the form of a FAQ!
What was the most frequently asked question this year?
“How many people are you now?” The answer: 15 fantastic colleagues. Each one of them dedicates themselves every day with so much passion and expertise for our clients. That’s also what makes us unique: a team that makes each other and our clients stronger.
Which new clients did you acquire?
2024 was a year full of exciting pitches, and I’m proud to say we welcomed the following clients:
- VDAB for TikTok management
- Korean food giant Daesang for content creation for the O’Food brand
- Vache Bleue and Dilea for social media management
- City of Antwerp for their content creators pool
- Streamz for community management
And as I write this, we are eagerly awaiting news from a few ongoing pitches.
What were the highlights of the year for So Buzzy?
- Our work for the BAM Marketing Congress: content creation, live coverage, and even setting up a stunning booth.
What are you personally most proud of?
- The new look of our website, fully made in-house by our top team.
- Seeing colleagues speak at a conference and live-reporting was an extra proud moment for me.
- Winning the pitch for Daesang was especially special for me as a big fan of South Korea.
- The success of our new service So Back-up, where we temporarily step in to assist marketing and communication teams.
Which marketing & communication trends influenced you the most this year?
We’ve certainly noticed the return of content marketing, which rightfully is gaining more importance compared to performance marketing. We’ve fully embraced this, with our own in-house studio and a now-expanded digital content team. We can also connect this to the digital trends we’ve set for 2025, which you can discover in this whitepaper from Mediaforta, alongside the vision, expectations, and concrete tips from 24 other digital experts.
Which insight struck you the most, and how did it influence your next steps?
The most important insight for me was that you can’t always have everything under control. The choice you then have is either to dwell on frustration and self-pity or to focus on what you can influence. This year, we’ve chosen the latter option in several situations, and it has made us stronger every single time.
Who offered you the most beautiful compliment (for yourself or the team)?
A fellow agency, who in a way is taking over part of “our share,” complimented us on how professional we are and remain (to the very last breath), admitting that they would never have been able to handle the situation we went through as we did.
How do you look back on 2024?
To be honest, 2024 feels bittersweet. On the outside, everything looks great: our growth, both in team size and in professionalizing and expanding our services, stands out. But what few people see is how much hard work is behind it. As I predicted in last year’s New Year’s letter, we’re feeling more than ever the impact of the economic crisis. Everything has become more expensive, and indexing is unavoidable. We’re also facing tough competition in pitches, with more participants from diverse areas of expertise than ever before. So yes, while we can be proud of the great results of this year, it was also incredibly tough. That’s why I’m so thankful for our team. Despite the challenges, they continue to go the extra mile for our clients, and that makes me genuinely proud.
What’s on the agenda for 2025?
- Influencer certificate: We continue to build on the Influencer Marketing Alliance from So Buzzy, with the major goal of launching a certification for influencers in 2025.
- Optimizing our operations: A new year brings new opportunities. We’ll take this moment to thoroughly evaluate our current structure and ways of working, making improvements where necessary.
- Raising So Buzzy’s profile: In 2025, we’ll continue to focus on visibility and inspiration. We want to go further in reaching out, inspiring others, and forming valuable partnerships. The foundation for this has already been laid this year, and we’re excited to build on it.
What can we wish you?
“Calmness can save you” feels fitting, so a good dose of calm and peace would be welcome. Agency life is and remains a rat race, and sometimes you end up running past yourself. We work in a service business, which makes us a bunch of people-pleasers who don’t always think enough of ourselves. It would be nice to be able to hit the pause button more often in 2025 and more consciously reflect on what we’re achieving.
Do you have any questions about this crazy year? Feel free to ask. Otherwise, I wish you a fantastic 2025!