Deep retrospection

DEAR READER,

Sitting here reflecting on my last thoughts for 2021 for you, I am taking a careful glance at re-recovering 2021. What was 2021 like as a year? For you? For me?

Well, 2021 surely doesn’t beat 2020 in terms of surprises — the negative ones, at least. But it was still a year that didn’t win on all parameters.

At my home, we have this game at Christmas/New Years’ time, where we ask each other “what was/were the best and worst thing(s) in the year that passed?”. So, I would like to ask the same question and request you to share your thoughts by emailing us at wbj@wbj.pl.

For me, the best of 2021 was the feeling of freedom, given that at the end of May when I was “fully” vaccinated, summer came around, people were greedily and thoroughly enjoying the opportunities by being together, out, free, and by living. Finally! That, plus by spending time with family, friends and forgetting for a moment the year of paranoia we had just been through.

The business also finally started picking up in our sector of media and marketing, and we saw requests from clients suddenly outperforming supply possibilities — a jubilant moment for us after the opposite trend of the previous 12-16 months.

The worst moment in 2021 for me is not really a moment. It is a reflection of how we, the media, can keep the negative vibe going and create fear in people’s minds where it is not always fair and right.

I think the coverage of Covid and several other political/health issues this year hasn’t been appropriate and surely not quality-of-life-enhancing. And this isn’t just a general overview of media in Poland but also internationally.

If we park 2021 here and take on the coming year with open arms and hopes, what do I then hope for 2022?

I believe the keywords we will hear in the business world in 2022 will be ESG, flexibility, inflation, and (still) digitalization — in the form of web 3.0, cryptocurrency, blockchain, marketplace, SaaS, to name a few.

I truly believe 2022 will be a positive year for Poland, you and me, and for the Polish people. Yes, there are many new regulations, rules, and requirements, but the Polish business society and companies are full of power and energy and will fight forward, not being limited by obstructions.

So, hello 2022! A very warm welcome to you. We can’t wait to spending a great time together.

With this, and my team’s, contributors’, and partners’ amazing work of producing attractive, relevant, and inspiring content, I leave you with good input to make your 2022 as fabulous as it can be.

 Wishing you all the best,

 MORTEN LINDHOLM