My Biggest Lesson: Paul Greenwood

Paul leads as the global head of research & insight at We Are Social, spearheading the Insights and Effectiveness teams. He plays a pivotal role in driving the agency's cultural insights offering, empowering brands to cultivate a nuanced understanding of digital (sub-)cultures, and actively contributes to the agency's global thought leadership initiatives, positioning We Are Social as a trusted authority in the industry.

He’s also responsible for the development of robust measurement standards, proving the value of social content and campaigns for clients. With a keen focus on fostering consistency in reporting and insight generation across diverse markets, Paul oversees the agency's global measurement frameworks, effectively disseminating knowledge, sharing best practices, and tracking the performance of social strategies against pre-established benchmarks.

Social media and advertising are constantly evolving, sometimes to the point where you don’t recognise the industry you were in a few years ago. A bright new thing comes along and completely disrupts the norm.

When I first set out in my career, people were “poking” each other on Facebook. They were documenting every large night out with a ton of photos which would now be considered a “photo dump” (and when you look objectively at it - photos that were really inappropriate and would get you fired nowadays). In fact, looking back it’s unimaginable to think about how far the industry has come and matured… for the better.

One of the things I learned fairly early on was the power of adapting your skillset, knowledge and outlook when the winds of change blow through. Embracing adaptability and having a growth mindset meant not merely weathering the storm of industry shifts but seizing the opportunities and capitalising on them. It transformed my professional ethos, steering me toward a proactive stance in the face of change. As a result, I cultivated a team adept at turning challenges into triumphs, where our ability to pivot became a hallmark of our success.

In the ever-changing landscape of advertising, adaptability has not only safeguarded against obsolescence (hopefully) but has propelled me and my team to embrace every shift as a chance to innovate. It's a reminder that success isn't just about keeping up; it's about leading the way by harnessing the power of change - which right now feels more pertinent than ever.