Year-ender 2021: 'We will have to prove our worth to the planet' – Poran Malani

Campaign India is ending the year by asking industry leaders about what this year taught them and an outrageous prediction for 2022.  

Here's what Poran Malani, director - operations, S4 Capital India, had to say:

Your stand-out moment or learning from 2021?

Well, that's a tough one. On a personal note, you can't wait for everything to be perfect before you try and be happy. This year, more than most, things have not gone to plan. The second wave was a tsunami and it forced us to re-look at what we have, how we act and what's important. 

We saw some terrible things but through it all everyone we know, from friends to clients to competing agencies all worked together to help protect our people, organising beds, oxygen tanks, vaccines, my god it was a hell of a time. Coming out of it, I think, we're all a little more 'in perspective' of what's important. And I think that had a huge impact on the way we work, certainly the way I work. We all need to feel more comfortable making decisions when we don't have all the facts when we can no longer be certain of what comes next, that's the real change and the real 'flexible working' that has emerged.

An outrageous prediction for 2022?

That the world goes back to normal. That's hope rather than a prediction. I see a tidal wave of new legislation, many companies will be impacted by the new rules on advertising for sustainability. In a way, we are all 'big tobacco' now. We will all have to prove our worth to the planet. Major changes in what and how we can advertise are just around the corner. A huge opportunity for those who are prepared. 

As well as that I'm very much hoping for the return of my hair!

Year-ender 2021: 'Bravo advertising industry India' – Piyush Pandey

Year-ender 2021: 'TV and digital will grow and content will glow' – Megha Tata 

Year-ender 2021: 'We will start going to space for a day trip' – Malaika Arora 

Year-ender 2021: Swati Bhattacharya on the one thing that will drop from case videos 

Year-ender 2021: 'We will see whacky, fun, bizarre humour again' – Prasoon Joshi

Year-ender 2021: 'AI solutions will start becoming mainstream in 2022' – Apurva Chamaria

Year-ender 2021: 'We have done magnificently well to bounce back as an industry' – Rana Barua 

Year-ender 2021: 'I have improved my social media presence considerably' – Hrishikesh Kannan