As we find our way back to normality (or what now passes for it in 2022), agencies have had to do something they should have been doing for the past five years: work out how to give their team's the flexibility to have lives outside of work.

From a client perspective, the shift has been equally stark – forgetting the nine-to-five in favour of a more fluid work existence. Flexibility is key to everything and with it comes the realisation that many people work more effectively outside traditional office hours.

We’ve seen the four-day week mooted, but it remains to be seen how many companies will actually implement it.

More than anything, the pandemic has shown us the value of face-to-face meetings. Zoom calls can work in a wide variety of scenarios, but when face-to-face meeting really comes into its own is innovation. Creating a genuinely groundbreaking campaign or business idea is near-impossible in the sterile environment of a video call.

So while so many things have changed, and many of us reap the rewards of more flexible working, there are elements of past practices that just work.

Video calls for general admin and task assigning? Sure. But try to generate the energy of a face-to-face meeting on a video call. It can’t be done.

Some things are just better together.