Canvas Worldwide CEO Paul Woolmington discusses the “poignant lessons” that he has learned over the past 12 months as he and his team have navigated work and life during the pandemic. 

He does so organizing those lessons within what he terms “P” buckets—Purpose, People, Product and Profound Gratitude. 

First, the industry must continue to work towards a stronger purpose. Canvas was at the forefront of the current trend to define an agency around an empowering mission statement. “Our name literally refers to a blank Canvas that cannot be informed by a historical playbook ensuring team members must work outside one’s comfort zone every day,” he says.  

Woolmington recommends this near post-pandemic moment is the perfect time to reflect on transcending norms. The entire world has forever changed, which on a certain level is liberating, he says. This freedom lets the industry rewrite conventional wisdom and explore new methodologies. “We are really good at the what (just selling) and how (via a one-off tactic), but we now need to ponder a broader point of why,” he says. "We need to match our thoughts, ideas with action.” 

Read the full article on MediaPost here.