Adiós Ciudad de México

After having spent the past four weeks in Mexico City, this is my final blog post. This was my first time visiting Mexico, so I arrived with an open mind both in terms of the office culture as well as life outside of work. In short, Havas Lofts has been an incredible and eye-opening experience and I want to summarize my key highlights and thoughts. So here it goes:

Working culture
Working with the impressive and dynamic Socialyse team here in Mexico has been a great experience. It was also valuable to spend time with various other teams including Publishing, my department in London, and Pureplay teams. They are all really positive, engaged and motivated to produce the best possible work for their respective clients.

There were many instances where I was able to learn from the team here; in particular, I gained a deeper insight into Socialyse, their ways of working and the services they offer. In return, I was happy to present to various teams within the business and share learnings from the UK. Some of these teachings included insights into cross device targeting & attribution, dynamic creative optimization, and various other projects which are just starting to get off of the ground here in Mexico.

Collaboration
I have been exposed to various examples of collaboration between teams, whether that be responses to briefs, new business pitches or pro-active projects for a given client. Again, it has been useful to compare the ways of working between markets and I can fully see the benefits of the “Village” in both Mexico and the UK. In each village, collaboration between teams can lead to more innovative and effective work.

Challenges
As mentioned in last week’s post, agencies are constantly required to change and innovate in order to stay on top of competition and maintain relevance. I’ve seen examples of how the team in Mexico is looking to reduce friction, creating efficiencies in allowing Havas to deliver what the client needs. We are experiencing similar challenges in the UK, so it has been useful to understand that both markets are not immune from these issues and are constantly adapting and innovating in order to stay ahead of the market.

The food (Yes, this needed its own section)
Before I arrived in Mexico, the cuisine was one of my favourite to sample in London. But as you would expect, the food here is simply out of this world and nothing like I had tasted previously. I have been in heaven. My motto since being here was to try everything. Though this has resulted in a significant increase in my BMI, I have experienced so many new delights including street taco’s, Chilaqilas, Enchiladas, Tostada’s and even sampling Chapullin (grasshoppers….I was told they are a delicacy) among other things. I will be going back in search of these in London but, I KNOW, it just won’t be the same.

And finally…the People
The final paragraph of my final blog post needs to end on the best thing about this city, the people. Throughout my four weeks here, I have met so many incredible individuals that have really enhanced this experience for me. The people I have met here have been so warm and friendly and I can’t thank those enough for making the Lofts experience even more memorable.

I leave Mexico with many friends, memories and experiences that have provided me with a new perspective for when I return to London. Thank you to Havas for granting me this incredible opportunity.

Muchas gracias y adiós.