Claire Ferguson

Business investment is expected to gradually recover in 2025. (Hooray!) But this still means marketers must squeeze the most from their carved-up budgets in the meantime. (Boo.) So we've put together our top tips here...

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Time for some Christmas cheer? Sharing this article on The Drum by my colleague, Branwell Johnson, which delves into the latest Advertising Association / WARC figures which forecasts a £10.5bn record ad spend this festive season... From inventive campaigns to a shift in media strategies, it’s clear that brands and agencies are adapting to make an impact during this crucial period, with the likes of Boots, Asda and Waitrose all finding inventive ways to stand out. I was pleased to contribute to the piece, reflecting on how brands are navigating challenges while embracing new opportunities:  “Amid a challenging year, brands are proving resilient and ready to innovate. With advertisers increasingly willing to push boundaries and consumers eager for new ways to engage, this season is looking less about following tradition and more about exploring new tactics." Looking ahead to 2025, there’s room for cautious optimism as marketers (and their agencies) continue to adapt and evolve. This season’s creativity and experimentation set a strong foundation for what’s to come. You can read the article here 👉 https://lnkd.in/erxGmicz Which brands are 'sleigh-ing' it for you this year? #Advertising #Marketing #ChristmasCampaigns The Drum Network

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40% of marketers are expecting an uplift in available budget in the coming year, according to the latest IPA (Institute of Practitioners in Advertising) Bellwether Report. The increase in spend reflects the easing economic backdrop in the UK economy, with strong optimism towards financial prospects in the coming year. Read the story on FP: https://lnkd.in/eyYsrNMz

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We have partnered with Mi3 to survey Australia's top marketers, gaining valuable insights into drivers and obstacles to growth. Follow the link to download the report. Let us know what you think. Jen Davidson Anthony Gregorio Paul McIntyre

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Audience: Who are they? Where are they? Which should you prioritise? How to reach them? Thank you Retail Jeweller for the opportunity to talk about the importance of working on your brand’s audience. Link to read further below!

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🗞️What does media look like in 2024 and beyond?   Our new Grayling Media trends report reveals a number of key trends and predictions, including a clear shift towards personal connections with trusted voices over mass media content.   Read Grayling’s UK CEO, Heather Blundell op-ed in City AM in the link below 👇, to discover what this means for you and your business.   🔗: https://lnkd.in/epHyRHKv   #GraylingMedia #NewMediaAge

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Executive Director Nick Blythe features in PRWeek to discuss the key areas of investment for PR companies as part of the annual PR Week Top 150 consultancies report, which BLUE has featured in for the past eight years.     Nick comments on the need for organisation to effectively position themselves on the right side of the sustainability debate, particularly in markets that are experiencing such dynamic change.    Nick said: "The specialist marine and renewable energy sectors are being driven by the drive for decarbonisation and sustainability…more and more organisations are now recognising the importance of investing in their brands to stand out, influence, protect reputation and effectively manage this change.  That’s why we’re investing in a properly integrated approach to ensure that we have as much control as possible over our clients’ brands and that they are effectively represented at every touchpoint.”    https://lnkd.in/ezPuD5TJ   #MaritimePR #RenewableEnergyPR #PRWeek #Top150 

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Wondering about changes in advertising representation? 🤔 Catch up on our recent webinar #OOH - The Inclusive Channel, led by Clear Channel UK's Head of Sales - Out of Home Agencies, Caroline Forbes, & Senior Research & Insight Manager, Philippa Stanners. They discussed: 👍 Why it's important for brands to prioritize inclusivity✨ The role of OOH in fostering an inclusive environment 👀 Tips on integrating inclusivity into the planning process Watch the 30-minute session for key insights & takeaways! Click here: https://okt.to/Epmeqx #InclusiveAdvertising #PlatformForBrands

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Omar Oakes in The Media Leader UK touching on one of the biggest issues of our age. Network Media Agencies are having to turn to 'products' (many non-transparent) to find additional margin as pressure mounts on them to replace lost margins in creative, production and other disciplines within the Holding Companies. Selling products for a mark-up shouldn't be a core feature of a service industry. Adding value through strategic insights, sophisticated media planning and effective (not just efficient) execution should be the way that agencies demonstrate value and drive margin. Charging properly for this has to be the solution rather than today's race for the bottom of faster, better, cheaper. Hopefully this will be discussed at the Future of Media conference happening today and tomorrow from Adwanted UK events.

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An arresting morning with Ipsos UK, Lori Meakin, Fernando Desouches and Mike Nicholson from Progressive Masculinity, talking about the oh so very many threats facing young boys - and young girls - today. Brands and companies have a powerful and hugely important role in helping to protect them, and here’s the sweetener (thank you Samira Brophy for the stats), it can actually help the bottom line. So brands, let’s be careful about what we say, how we say it, and where we say it #redefiningmasculinity #progressivemasculinity #genz #toxicmasculinity

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Yesterday marked a milestone for PR Mums – and a leap toward transformative change for everyone in PR. 🚀 After six months of collaboration with a pan-industry Steering Group—including PRCA, CIPR, Women in PR, Axicom, Grayling, Fine Lines, Manifest, Hope & Glory, Full Fat, and The Unmistakables—plus invaluable input from countless voices across the industry, we are proud to unveil: ✅ Industry White Paper: Created in partnership with Platform55—an award-winning, market-leading HR platform — sheds insights into current working practices whilst providing a roadmap for agencies to create inclusive, people-first cultures. ✅ Parental Policy Charter: Built on four key pillars to help agencies create genuinely supportive workplaces. ✅ Best Practice Certification: Recognising agencies championing inclusivity and family-first policies. ✅ Parenting HR Platform: Powered by Platform55, designed to foster healthy, inclusive team cultures. Together, we’ve laid the foundation for a more inclusive, people-first PR industry—and this is only the beginning. 💪 Download the White Paper: https://lnkd.in/eUf7pesb #PRMums #FamilyFriendlyWorkplace #ParentingPolicy #CultureChange

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PR Mums and Platform55's new research into the UK parenting landscape in PR & Comms reveals that most PR professionals believe their managers cannot handle sensitive conversations around family, and feel that parental leave is not effectively implemented at their workplace. We're proud to be part of the steering group along with other agencies to help create a new guideline for supporting parents and agencies in the industry. From parental policy charter to best practice certification programme, we're all working working towards a single mission: how to drive meaningful change in PR by setting a new benchmark for family-friendly workplaces across the PR sector. View the white paper here: https://bit.ly/494blHC

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🤔 How can agencies adapt to serve the changing role of CMO? Our Senior Provocation Partner Wander Bruijel joined the debate on The Drum to share his views on the matter. He argues that, whilst CMO’s are being propelled to the centre of organisations (or even out of them), there is a danger this will shift their focus to the short-term. Although agencies need to support CMO's in delivering the short-term, he thinks agencies should aim to challenge them to keep their heads out of the weeds. Read more through the link below. ⬇ #bornugly #thedrum #cmo

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Media Marketing Compliance helped the Association of National Advertisers study the market for 'Principal' (or 'Proprietary') Media, and the results have landed. The report is incredibly thorough and provides great guidance for advertisers. While not a new phenomenon, PM is increasing dramatically and becoming a much more controversial way for Media Agencies to make extra profit at the expense of transparency into their true revenues. Advertisers should take a firm view on whether this is in their best interests.

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Not everyone likes to hear this I know but standardisation and getting the fundamentals right are key to the success of retail media. Let’s work together as an industry to make this happen

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PRmoment Leaders update: We've just launched the PRmoment Leaders In-house Programme for people working in comms roles in the corporate world. The new programme starts in September, alongside our separate agency-side one. It includes the same 11 core elements that enable people to learn from industry experts, to network with peers in similar roles and to prepare for leadership roles. Focus and content are the key differentiators. Our new programme features industry experts delivering masterclasses on topics that address the specific challenges and opportunities faced by comms people in client-side roles. I explain why we've launched the programme below. Let me know if you'd like to hear more...

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Only one more sleep until the PRmoment Agency Growth Forum which features a stellar cast of presenters including yours truly! To all those attending, I look forward to catching up with old friends and to meeting new ones. My 20 minutes will cover: ➡ Positioning - why it's so important to know who you are targeting ➡ Planning - five steps to building a strong pipeline stream ➡ Performance - an explanation of why pipeline management is a numbers game ➡ Practicalities - six actionable tips to help with you pipeline thinking Plus - the added bonus of introducing six great thought leaders who contribute to this space (names BTW - not on stage 😁 ) Sound good? I believe you could still sneak in with an online ticket which could be bought by visiting: https://lnkd.in/ehsXgxJz. But if you can't attend and would still like to find out more about how to build your pipeline, I will happily hop on a call and use my deck as the basis for an informal chat with you. Just DM me and let's go from there. #PRAgency #PR #Agency #Growth

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The Women in PR x PRWeek UK mentoring is live. This is an incredible opportunity for anyone looking to access some of the best mentoring within the PR industry, from an incredible line-up of Comms leaders. I'm a huge fan of mentoring and I genuinely believe that this is the best investment you can put into yourself and to achieving your career goals and here's why: 1) You get to have someone focused on helping you to achieve your career goals, with actionable steps and a strategy of how to achieve it. And you become accountable, to someone and more importantly to yourself. (I like to set goals and KPIs so that you have a clear direction and plan to aim for). 2) The chance for personal growth and the development of your leadership skills. My best advice is to ask your mentor for what strategies they have used to get to leadership positions and incorporate the ones which resonate. 3) A fresh perspective - there is real value in having someone else help you problem solve and navigate a situation. Use your mentor as a sounding board for real life career problems whether it's negotiating for a promotion, going for a dream job or helping you to upskill. 4) You get to open up your network by tapping into your mentor's network and contacts - use this and ask for introductions. 5) You get to form your own community with other mentees and have a ready-made support base to turn to - use this community because they will become your support system and biggest cheerleaders. So what are you waiting for. For all details on how to apply see below and good luck! #mentoring #leadership #femaleleadership #publicrelations

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