From: Rutherford@monkwellstrategy.com
To: all@monkwellstrategy.com
Happy New Year everyone! I hope you get a good night’s rest and spend your time doing what you like.
After a hectic travel schedule that wreaked havoc on cycling, I was thrilled to get back on the bike and set a new personal best on the London/Brighton run and regained King of the Mountain on Sydenham Hill. And while beating the all-comers, I thought about a few things for next year.
To be honest, I was hesitant about the motivational message for cycling. One unnamed senior partner (Stephen) told me to stop doing “self-aggrandizing cycling stories” this year. And this caused me to reflect. Am I overestimating your interest? And I thought, “I packed it.” This is a New Year’s newsletter, but Monkwell wouldn’t be Monkwell without some thoughts from the saddle. Either way, I’m still the king of this mountain!
This is, in a sense, the first message of the new year. Be dedicated. Pursue those clients relentlessly. There are no prizes for crossing the finish line or remaining in the peloton.
Speaking of line breaking, the highlight of my year was meeting the great Mark Cavendish. Cav didn’t know Monkwell, but I’d like to think he recognized his buddy’s competitive spirit. What other interpretation can we make of the inscription he wrote in his book that I bought at Waterstones? “To Rutherford, keep peddling.” This is a subtle expression of both my hobby and my profession. It’s the attention to detail that will get you to the top.
Of course, it depends on what your passion is, but there are always ways to incorporate your passion into your professional life. (Some of us have been too politically active in the last year. I respect your honesty, but we’re communication experts here).
So I looked up an example of how to do it correctly. As you know, our work in Saudi Arabia has been a significant boost to our revenue this year and could drive even greater revenue in the coming months. I believe our efforts will be particularly important to Saudi Arabia’s success in securing the 2034 World Cup, and I look forward to benefiting from our experience in supporting Qatar’s hosting of the tournament.
To that end, I have just announced “Ticket to Riyadh”. This is a sponsored cycle touring all host cities of the upcoming tournament to raise funds for two children’s hospitals in Riyadh, our Great Ormond Street and King Abdullah Specialist Children’s Centres. Not only is this a great cause, but it will also hopefully demonstrate our commitment to the Kingdom in a way that will help deepen our relationships. If you have other ideas for how we approach this vibrant and exciting new Arabian tiger, we’d love to hear from you. We understand that some of you have expressed concerns about our activities toward Qatar. See my opinion on political activities. Some of them were a little disconcerting. This time, we are all working together, while maintaining our commitment to making Monkwell the most diverse and inclusive communications institution in the city.
Stephen and I believe we can continue to guide our clients through the net-zero challenge. The UK Government continues to work on this, but there are a number of areas where momentum is slowing. Shareholders have more questions about the march away from profitable fuel. Automakers are already rolling back EV targets. We resist impossible and burdensome regulatory demands and work with our clients to maximize profits, while maintaining our commitment to ensuring Monkwell is the greenest communications agency in town. We need to cuddle.
We will continue to put AI into practice. I’ll admit that this year has been a little bit better, but this is a big growth area for us as companies deal with the impact and regulations of this innovative technology. Everyone should understand the problems in their field and develop a basic understanding of generative AI. This year will be the year of leaders and followers. Don’t walk into the crowd. Take a quick break and make Monkwell your leading communications agency for AI strategies.
The great Dave Brailsford talked about the aggregation of marginal gains, always seeking the next 1% improvement. Don’t forget about the other 10 percent and keep striving for the remaining 1 percent.
Above all, as Cab told me, keep peddling.
Have a wonderful 2025
Rutherford:
Find me on Strava, KoM Sydenham Hill, London to Brighton 3h 04m, Al Jubaira/Boda Loop — 42m.
Help support two of the world’s leading children’s hospitals: gofundme.com/tickettoriyadh
