2024, Q1 Goings-On

Every quarter, Mad Genius puts all of our geniuses in a room to talk about the various industry happenings across our departments: creative, production, web, and accounts. In each gathering, a single person from each team gathers news they find interesting and shares it with the company.

And then we share it with you.

So, here’s what Mad Genius is looking at as we start the new year:

Creative Goings-On

Creative Finds Competitive Contradictions

You’ve read enough 2024 recaps and 2025 predictions. So have we. But, we did find one set of predictions fascinating, not because of the predictions themselves, but because of what they say about the general tenor of our industry at this moment.

This trend report comes from Creative Bloom and features 10 predictions—you can read the full report here. Here’s what we think you should chew on: The participant insights reveal a complex landscape where technology and humanity intersect in unexpected ways. If even a few of these predictions hold true, it’s no exaggeration to say that this moment could be pivotal in design history.

“The design industry appears to be embracing seemingly contradictory forces: technology vs. humanity, minimalism vs. maximalism, digital vs. physical, and youth vs. experience. In the second half of this decade, successful designers and brands will be those who can navigate these dualities, creating work that resonates on both emotional and practical levels.”

Web Goings-On

The WordPress War Marches On…

If you need to catch up, see the WordPress v. WP Engine section in our last Goings-On blog.

Okay, ready? Here’s what’s been happening since September 2024:

  • Matt Mullenweg, the co-founder and current director of the WordPress Foundation, publicly insulted WP Engine, calling them a “cancer on the WordPress community.”
    • Note: Matt Mullenweg is the CEO of a WP Engine competitor, Automattic. “Auto-matt-ic,” get it? It’s his name in the name. What a world.
  • Matt Mullenweg blocked aspects of WordPress versioning to WP Engine and began recording WP Engine activity, including a running ticker of sites that migrated from WP Engine.
  • WP Engine filed some legal documents requesting an injunction.
  • Matt Mullenweg offered a massive severance to his employees, twice, to deal with internal disagreements. About 10 percent of his staff have taken the offer and left.
  • The judge ruling over the case grants an injunction in favor of WP Engine, turning this back-and-forth into a cold war.
  • Early court filings indicate a settlement is coming, though likely not in the way that Matt Mullenweg is hoping for.

So, what does this mean for you, us, and everyone else? Nothing. It’s just business as usual. For now…

Accounts/Operations Goings-On

Omnicom’s Pursues IPG

Omnicom, an enormous agency holding company, is looking to purchase IPG, another enormous holding company. If you’re not sure what that means, we get it. Here’s a graphic that may help:

There are a ton of thoughts on this throughout the industry. Digiday does a pretty good job breaking down the pros and cons if you’re interested. Whatever happens next, we’ll be paying attention.

There you have it! Those are the things we’re thinking about as we kick off the new year. What’d we miss? Which of the above was your favorite? Hit us up and let’s discuss the things that you’re pondering in 2025.