'Breakthrough' with Guy Walding - Persevere. Transform. Influence.

In this new series, we ask our people to define what 'Breakthrough' means to them, both from a career standpoint and a personal note.

Our next issue features Guy Walding, Global Strategy Director, EssenceMediacom.

What does ‘breakthrough’ mean to you?

Breakthrough means coming up with a solution for challenges that frequently resurface. It means breaking the cycle of standard answers that don’t address the problem fully, giving a new sense of clarity of what’s really required to get the job done.

What’s been the most inspiring personal breakthrough in your life?

Personally, 2012 was not my greatest year. My breakthrough was pretty simple: making sure I made more time for family and close friends, and to pursue things that I felt passionate about. I learnt that year that things change unexpectedly and very quickly; having strong anchors in relationships and interests is how to cope with that.

What was the breakthrough moment in your career?

Beyond moving to MediaCom in 2011 to work on Mars (the best career decision I’ve ever made!), it was when I was asked to move into the MediaCom UK Strategy team. The variety of work it exposed me to and the diverse teams I worked with have had an immeasurable impact on me.

Tell us about a piece of work you were involved with that you would define as a breakthrough.

The work we’ve done for Mars on addressable media and content recently has been breakthrough, but one of my favourites was working with WKD to prioritise mobile spend way back in 2012. It involved some deep method planning with the clients on a night out at Lloyds No.1 Bar and Oceania night club in Watford.

What breakthrough in this industry - achieved by someone else - do you really admire? What do you admire about it?

I’m a big fan of Disney’s loosening of IP control, allowing their brands to become the subjects of UGC on YouTube, TikTok and Roblox. They’ve found a way to let people spread their assets across non-ad funded spaces on their behalf, a brave move from a historically conservative business.