What were you doing in 2008? It was the year the bottom fell out of the global financial market, so you might not have to think too hard! In fact this event, which triggered a global recession, happened just a couple of weeks after Jump launched in August that year. It’s pretty terrifying to realise you’ve just started a business in what’s labelled as one of the most severe economic downturns since the 1930s, but it also makes you incredibly resilient.
The broadcast industry looked very different back then. Manufacturers were producing more hardware than software, and digitisation of tape – moving thousands of hours of legacy content to server-based storage – was becoming a priority for broadcasters.
The streaming disruptors were only just beginning to stir. In 2006, Amazon launched its ‘Amazon Unbox’ service, which evolved to ‘Amazon Prime’ in 2011. The following year, Netflix began to transition its business model from a DVD mail rental company to a streaming service, adding the complementary ‘Watch Now’ feature for existing subscribers. Apple TV launched its first-generation set-top box in 2007, and the following year, Spotify and Hulu entered the fray.
Comms and the way in which media coverage was disseminated, also looked very different back then. Publications were just beginning to develop digital versions; and us comms folks adhered to strict monthly editorial calendar topics and print deadlines.
Social media was limited in the business domain with professionals sceptical about how, or why, they would share information outside their company sphere. As, humans we are naturally wary of disruptive technology transitions. Those of you who are Gen-X like me, or baby boomers, will remember using the internet and email for the first time with trepidation. Back in the late 90s, I was seconded to a Y2K project because governments and industry feared computer systems would collapse. They didn’t.
We’re witnessing similar suspicion again with AI, which used consciously can be an incredibly efficient and valuable tool. Without Claude AI, building this new website would have proved far more challenging.
Digital first has opened the gateway to more content, more platforms and more creativity both from a broadcast perspective and a comms one. What weaves all these strands together is storytelling. It forms the beating heart of every business, but successful storytelling requires experience and skill. To succeed in 2026 and beyond, companies must craft messaging that reflects their vision and ethos. Comms is no longer about who shouts loudest, it’s about meaning, connection, community and engagement.
At Jump, we wear our heart on our sleeve. We provide services that enable you to reach your customers wherever they are, and to do this in the most agile and creative way. We provide strategy that lays foundations, builds momentum and creates impact; media services which increase presence through crafted storytelling that builds legacy; and social influence that aligns messaging, finds rhythm through content distribution and cultivates relationships.
We aim to do this in the most responsible way by actively supporting climate action. In 2025, we published our first SME Hub Climate Report. By making conscious choices – from how we travel to how long we use our equipment – we’re working towards reducing our carbon footprint while supporting communities and causes that align with our values.
As Jump approaches its 18th birthday in September 2026, we look back fondly across the past 18 years and feel grateful for the ups and downs that have positioned Jump to where it is now. A unique business that will continue to support broadcast media professionals as we embrace a new era of comms in a new era of business transformation.