In late November, Kada Directors Karl Dalgleish and Cassie Houlden spoke to James Marriott from Sound Media as part of our 2022 year-end Podcast.
During the session they reflected on the success and growth of Kada over the last 12 months, and considered what projects and priorities lie ahead in 2023.
They also discussed some of the key trends that we can expect to see across the next few years here in the UK and further afield, with ‘well-being’ high up on the agenda for many organisations – both public and private sector.
Finally, Karl thanked our strategic partners, our newly established board, our growing team, and our clients, all of whom have played a pivotal role in the ongoing success of the business.
Commenting on the podcast and the topics raised, Karl said: “We’ve had a very successful year, and our growth has been quite considerable,
“Not only have we welcomed a number of new team members to the fold – including interns, Directors, and research executives – but we have also established a Board, onboarded a PR and Marketing consultant, expanded our office space at Park Hill, and worked with a whole raft of new clients.
“We also celebrated our 11th anniversary, and to mark that milestone we decided to undergo a bit of a brand refresh, and to launch a whole new website.
“It seemed like a great opportunity to get together to create our latest podcast, and to take the time to reflect on everything that has gone before, and perhaps more importantly, what’s coming up over the next few years.”
Throughout the Podcast session, Karl and Cassie discussed the key trends they have seen emerging in 2022 and likely to continue throughout 2023, including projects that are focused on the value of ‘well-being’.
“Councils aren’t just looking for economic growth anymore, they’re looking at the wellbeing of the local population, and looking to develop more regenerative and sustainable economies instead of simply larger ones,” explains Cassie.
“We’re finding that during covid there was a lot of expectation of unemployment increasing, and that while that didn’t occur, there are still a lot of people in a line of work that isn’t good for either their physical or mental health and wellbeing.
“This impacts all sorts of services like the NHS and mental health teams, and whilst we aren’t having to deal with the problem of widespread unemployment, we are now facing different challenges with new implications for society.”
After two years since the departure from the EU, Karl and Cassie also reflected on the fact that while EU funding was starting to reach its end, Kada continues to work with a number of overseas clients, with mentions of work carried out as far afield as Ethiopia.
Karl expands: “Variety is fundamental to the company; we bring our research skills to different challenges. The geographical spread of our clients really helps us to draw on experiences from different areas.
“We have worked with the University of Coventry this year on innovation in Ethiopia, it may surprise listeners to hear that it is not dissimilar to a lot of work that we do here in the UK, focusing on the way in which universities can work better with businesses to drive innovation in various sectors.
“The challenges in Ethiopia were different, yet the sectors we were looking into were the same, looking to develop products and processes.”
Looking to the future, Karl also commented on the motivation for the rebrand, as well as the importance on building a committed and sustainable workforce.
He said: “Kada’s client base has grown considerably, and so it’s important that we have a team around us who can deliver on the breadth and depth of projects that are already underway, and those that are likely to land in the coming months and years.
“Historically, we have hung on the coat tails of larger agencies, but we have such an impressive team in place now – both at a senior level, and those who are just entering the industry – that we’re actually starting to lead on matters. That includes projects both here in the UK, and further afield.
“Really, its thanks to the efforts of the team, our board, and all of our strategic partners that we have had such a successful 2022, and I am very much looking forward to what new and exciting challenges are in store in 2023.”
Click to play the podcast below…
Interview, production and editing by James Marriott of Sound Media https://wearesoundmedia.com
If you wish to contact us about a potential project, please contact karl.dalgleish@kadaresearch.co.uk
