Katie Gabriel

Fascinating insights on the evolving landscape of social media spending... According to Marketing Week, global spending on social media advertising is projected to hit a whopping £200 billion in 2024. This article delves deep into the driving forces behind this surge and what it means for marketers worldwide. Key takeaways: 📈 The meteoric rise of social platforms as advertising channels. - Even Meta alone is ontrack to surpass TV advertising revenue. 💡 Strategies to maximize ROI in this competitive space. - Social ads are easier to track than TV, with clicks, web analytics, and conversion rates, this is another reason why marketing professionals may lean towards social ads as they can quantify their impact on sales. 🔍 Understanding shifting consumer behaviors and preferences. - Time spent on social platforms has increased by 50% since 2014, from an average daily consumption of 95 minutes to 152 minutes in 2024. Are people watching TV or are they now scrolling TikTok and Instagram? As a Talent Partner at mustard covering the marketing & design sector, I'm interested to hear how big of a part do advertisements play in your agency's budget spend for the year? https://lnkd.in/e378UCYm #SocialMediaMarketing #DigitalAdvertising #MarketingTrends #BusinessInsights

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GEN Z WILL LOVE getting targeted audio ads about Rishi Sunak's priorities while gaming. The Government Communication Service's 24-25 plan pledges to spend 10% of taxpayer money used to promote the Prime Minister's priorities on innovative comms techniques: "Pilots include working with Audiomob, which enables us to better reach key audiences through non-intrusive in-game audio ads." Also planned is the use of a "GCS AI co-pilot, a conversational AI tool for GCS members, tailored to government communication". What could possible go wrong? https://lnkd.in/dSckRcMd

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Interesting report by our team at Hudson Sandler exploring the role of LinkedIn for PLCs in engaging with investors, analysts, and journalists. The findings reveal a significant gap between the content shared by CEOs and CFOs and the interests of these key stakeholders. This highlights an opportunity for companies to better align their communication strategies with the needs of the market. By embracing LinkedIn as a strategic platform, PLCs can enhance their engagement and drive more impactful conversations. Dive in and understand how PLCs can really leverage the power of LinkedIn. Congratulations team. Insightful.

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It really feels like we are moving away from the idea that headcount equals success in agency land which I think is great. I've never felt that adding more people was ever a sign of scaling an agency successfully. Equally a profit at all costs approach isn't in my opinion either. This shift might be one of the by products of the last few years of pain that all agencies have felt where most have had to go back to basics and have been forced to put their egos on ice to focus on their product, operations and profit. I am hoping next year this simpler more focused approach on the things that actually make a difference to teams and clients pays dividends for our industry as we need it! #OperationalExcellence #Culture #CreativeOperations

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** Most successful campaign ever alert** Four years ago, I was brought in to direct what was supposed to be the final instalment of the Supercheap Auto 'Best Performing Oils' campaigns that had been running for six years straight. Little did anyone know, that year would turn out to be their most successful campaign ever. Since then, every year, I've had the privilege of directing the next "final" campaign... only for it to outperform the last, year after year! It's been an incredible journey, and I'm proud to say I've directed the most successful campaign for them, four years running #notsohumblebrag. This project has been a unique collaboration, with me on loan from my own production company, HAPPY, working closely with Taxi Film Production and The Chimera Project to bring this vision to life. It’s been a pleasure combining our talents to create something that resonates so well with the audience. If you haven't seen it yet, here's this year's edition of the 'Best Performing Oils' campaign – once again proving that when you entertain an audience from start to finish, you can keep their attention even with a staggering eight-minute-long commercial. 🎬🔥 If you want to see any of the previous campaigns you can find them here: https://slt.re/149f32 Thanks Reece Moger, Jonathan Drapes, Brendan Greaney, Imogen Dick, Mark Bishop and the amazing cast and crews we have had across the four campaigns. #Happydotfilm #SupercheapAuto #ChimeraProject #Taxifilmproduction #BestPerformingOils #CampaignSuccess #ProudDirector #AdCampaigns

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Likely we are all aware of the trend within PR for agencies pushing for more days in the office - this is something that, as a part of hiring industry, I can only advise against. I can appreciate that firms want to feel like they getting use out of the pricey London offices - but one of the top reasons why candidates reach out to me is a change to their working environment. The more flexible an agency the better quality of people they can hire - the majority of my placements this year have been with remote/flexible hybrid agencies. I personally benefit greatly from the flexibility in my current role, it inspires company loyalty, increases employee satisfaction and reduces burnout. (plus the more time with my cat the better!) #PRagencies #HealthcareComms #HealthcarePR

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A leaf out of Leo McGarry's red book? As an avid supporter of the Bartlett administration, I take any opportunity I can to draw comparisons between modern politics and early 2000s TV series - and veritable Nirvana for woolly liberals like myself - The West Wing. This #AutumnBudget had me thinking of an episode in the later seasons of Sorkin's masterful political walk-and-talk. White House chief of staff and vice presidential candidate Leo McGarry finds himself days away from his first campaign debate. Not known for his one-on-one debating prowess, Leo starts to sew the seeds of doubt himself - lowering public expectations so that, when he actually doesn't completely bomb on the night, this looks like a roaring success. I've found myself wondering, while listening to the clues, skews and previews leading up to the Budget, whether Sir Keir and Chancellor Rachel Reeves sat down to watch this particular episode before starting to shape their strategy for Labour's first fiscal event in 14 years. The narrative wasn't subtle: "Look, it's going to be bad. I mean really, not great at all..." And it wasn't great, was it? £40bn in tax increases is a tough pill to swallow however you crush it. Many businesses, particularly smaller ones, will really feel the national insurance hike. And the increase in Capital Gains Tax on investments will hit working people who use the the markets to save for the future. But, it wasn't as awful as we thought it might be... Yes, CGT went up, but not quite as much as feared. Apart from IHT exemptions getting the boot, pensions were left well alone. Employer national insurance contributions increased, but so did the tax-free allowance. Just as Leo landed a few unexpected blows on his opposite number in that fictional debate, there were even some more positive surprises in the chancellor's doom-and-gloom red box. Reducing the tax on beer by 'a penny a pint' was met with raucous cheers in the Commons. And the fuel duty freeze continuing will be popular for many, even if it wasn't the greenest of policy moves. All in all, after months of dour rhetoric, it was closer to a mixed bag of a Budget than the bin fire some feared. So did the McGarry strategy work, and is it transferable? Like politicians, businesses set targets all the time. ESG goals, financial forecasts, KPIs for expansion. Is it better to be ambitious, set a stretch target that drives progress, but that could be missed, put undue pressure on the business, and lead to criticism? Or maybe realistic, even conservative, benchmarks are the right way to go - but what if lowering the bar means you fall behind the pack? I'm not sure there is a uniform right answer. But it's clear which option the government took today. Whether it worked like it did for Leo McGarry, it's maybe too early to tell.

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💰 Influencer Investors 💰 The Advertising Standards Authority has pulled social media ads featuring Steven Bartlett for Huel and Zoe, arguing that they "omitted material information about Steven Bartlett being an investor". This is a complicated case as: 🛑 The ads were clearly marked and declared as ads 💵 Zoe's team argue that any ambassador relationship is clearly commercial and advertising regulations do not require details of those commercial relationships to be shared in ads ⏲ Ad formats and best practice do not lend themselves to long explanations of commercial structures ⭐ In the age of influencer investors, this is only going to get more complex... But it is not impossible. Alix Earle to the rescue here. She has set the tone for these commercial relationships by being open and transparent. She made a TikTok video about becoming an investor in poppi after working with the brand multiple times. She talks about going into "business mode", wanting to invest and be smart with her finances. Over communication and transparency are the key to getting this right. In these complex situations with murky regulations, brands need to be careful. Follow Alix Earle's lead and over-communicate - be as transparent as possible when declaring relationships and find ways to include that information in ad content or copy. #influencermarketing #stevenbartlett #ASA #advertising

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🚨 The ASA has banned ads from Huel and Zoe, featuring Steven Bartlett, for misleading customers and not making clear financial ties. Bartlett sits on Huel's board and has invested in Zoe. What's most interesting to me is how the brands have responded: both say it's clear if a celebrity is appearing in their ads, that it's a commercial partnership. Zoe goes on to say that if it made a specific disclosure about Barlett’s relationship with Zoe, it would have a wider impact on other brands and influencers.  The CAP code says: "Marketing communications must not mislead by hiding material information or presenting it in an unclear, unintelligible, ambiguous or untimely manner." Plus: "Material information is defined as information that the consumer needs to make informed decisions in relation to a product." It's also not the first time Bartlett has been stung - in August 2022, an ad appearing on his YouTube channel for Huel was banned for not being properly disclosed. Got to feel for him a bit here as it's not super clear how much involvement he had in the ads, and after he responded well to the 2022 ASA ruling by signposting ads better on his account...what do you think? Screenshots from the ads here, and link to Marketing Week in the comments ⬇ #marketing #StevenBartlett

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There are very few recruitment agencies out there that are able say they've helped close the gender pay gap - let alone in tech roles. Primis is one. 👏 When a recruitment agency has a D&I strategy, plus data to help measure it, it's possible to do great things! #genderpaygap This is what you can do with Mixxyl - Automated Diversity Intelligence 👇 👇 👇

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This post made me so happy. PR pros LOVE to overcomplicate pitching. (🙋‍♂️ Guilty!) We’re convinced there’s a perfect subject line formula, pitch length, format, time to pitch, personalization method, etc. But then you see this and you don’t know whether to laugh or cry. (I did a little of both.) How many times do journalists have to tell us that they want short pitches that get straight to the point before we believe them? It’s not a crime to send an email with just a few sentences that simply says what the story is and what you’re offering. We feel like it can’t really be that easy. But oftentimes it is. Save the details for the conversation. For some reason, it takes more guts to send a short email instead of a long one. So be determined to be gutsy and pitch like this more often.

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Thanks to We Are Social, I just caught up on all things social so far this year - trends, behaviours, and predictions. Lots to think about when it comes to how brands show up, connect with communities and serve fandoms eg: - "social media - once a place that enriched the lives of users - now exhausts" - "how do you sell to an audience increasingly averse to buying?" - "When did we lose the "social" in social media?" Register for the #ThinkForward2025 report here: https://lnkd.in/eFBqCTXH

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The recent delays at Europe’s biggest new arena, Co-op Live, got me thinking about how important it is to manage expectations. Deadlines and budgets are obviously the biggest pressures when you’re working on such a huge project (and I’ve never worked on one quite that big, so I’m not throwing shade on how it’s all played out). I’m sure it’s been quite the feat to get it this far and these things can be super complex. It’s pretty expected that it’s been delayed, to be honest. But it’s a reminder to me that the communications approach around all projects (big or small) should never be an afterthought. If a project is going to be delayed, then the comms team needs to be involved as soon as possible (in fact, even better, they’re part of the project team from the start). They can help determine and position the best way to deliver the news and, with reputation being front of mind, how to manage it through to delivery; especially now all eyes are on it. Should they have pushed back the rescheduled Peter Kay dates even further, rather than have to postpone them again? Optimism has its place, but you can do a lot of damage if you keep moving the goalposts. It’s also a reminder that everyone on the project team has a responsibility to communicate well and loudly if there are going to be issues. No matter what role you play, everyone has an impact on the success, and the perceived success, of a project. What’s brilliant is that the specific delays are being discussed (read: nothing to hide … see this MEN piece here: https://lnkd.in/ey9d7a2g) and the focus is on health and safety - which should never, ever be compromised. Here’s hoping it all goes ahead smoothly from here. Now I live in Manchester, I look forward to going … when it eventually opens 🤭   #managingexpectations #corpcomms #projectmangement #communications #internalcomms

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Had a great day at the Social Media Conference Cymru yesterday! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 It was a pleasure to hear from some of our industry's finest on how to create innovative, inclusive and accessible content and comms. Here are my key takeaways: 1. TikTok is an invaluable tool for brands – but having clear content guidelines and objectives in place is essential. 2. If employees are involved in your content, effective internal communication with them is key to aligning them with your vision. 3. Authenticity is key! Unpolished, native TikTok content tends to perform best. 4. First impressions matter – always kick off your TikToks with a strong hook. Ask yourself, would you keep watching? 5. Accessibility is essential – think about how your content is being consumed across different mediums. 6. Social media is an art, not a formula – connect with your audience emotionally. 7. Bilingual comms deserves time and effort - 'trosi nid treiglo'. For Welsh content, direct translations don’t always work – give the language the attention it deserves. 8. Sometimes your spontaneous, last minute posts will be the ones that go viral. 9. For influencer campaigns, focus on a single clear message, rather than overwhelming with multiple. 10. Brand values matter. When launching a new social account, ask yourself – what persona will you embody on there? Diolch, Social Media Conference Cymru for the insights and inspiration! #SMCCymru2024 #SocialMedia #TikTok

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As ever an insightful article in The Media Leader regarding the GB News and Ofcom situation from Ray Snoddy There is a possibility that GB News are actively undermining the right wing vote by adding to the split between the Conservatives and Reform, thus helping Labour. The presence on GB News of Nigel Farage, a vocal critic of the Conservatives, will reinforce this rift. If so, the losses that Ray refers to in the article will have been even less well-spent.

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Really proud of this PR activation. Great brand awareness but more importantly it actually makes a real difference: https://lnkd.in/egAKM_r3

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Imagine if every 3 in 4 emails you received for work had nothing to do with what you do? That's what PR does to journalists. PR is 75% spam. Now, imagine if there was a better way than pitching to connect stories to journalists? A way to do PR where journalists aren't: - included on media list based on an industry tag; - pitched unless the story matches what they want to write on; - mistaken for a billboard; - lied to with false exclusives. PR, but when journalists are selected based, not on years-old media list, but on how relevant the story will be to their audience and their work. PR, but with journalists in full control of their inbox while still being alerted of relevant and newsworthy sources or stories. PR, but freemium and affordable, with more and more diverse sources and stories because the ability of paying for PR retainers shouldn't determine your ability of crafting a story worth-sharing. PR, but with attention-worthy human-written stories only, as every user gets prompted into sharing the right and right depth of information depending on the story they share and reviewed by human PR professionals before they go live. AI, but only to automate part of the matching process, and help guide our users into crafting better stories through a Q&A system. PR, but on its head. Imagine how many hours and how much pain this would save journalists! Don't you think this would also create more and more diversity of stories and voices in the media? And improve media relations? 📣 #journalism #journalists #futureofPR #mediarelations #storyaudiencefit P.S. Well, we didn't just dream it; we've built it. The only PR platform journalists will want to hear from is ready for journalists to try. It takes <5 min to set up, and it's free for the media. So please, try it, tell us what's good, bad, and missing and help us build the future of media relations 🙏

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