Lee Williams

Whatever your views are on the outcome of the US election, you should read this column by Carole Cadwalladr and especially if you care about the importance of advertising being a key source of funding for high quality, fact-based and impartial journalism. The idea that Social Media is now the most influential means of communication should concern us all, especially as it now generates much of the discourse in mainstream media. The 'eating dogs and cats' story originated in a Facebook post and then led to stories in hitherto respectable channels and was used as political argument. Advertisers should be aware that their spending patterns can and do enable this trend. https://lnkd.in/ekGi9Mrh

20

3 Comments

Really grateful to two market-leading Editors of subscription-led businesses and terrific ex-colleagues of mine, Catrin Griffiths and Alastair McLellan, for spending time with me last week on B2B content strategy. If you want to watch on-demand there is a link below. Highlights for me included: Impact on content strategy of the move to a paid subscription business model 17min46 Building a high value B2B content proposition 14min02, 23min05, & 31min29 How to motivate editors & editorial teams 29min42 & 50min47 Removing Print as a platform 45min02: https://lnkd.in/gbwftfwR

23

If you use market research you've probably heard of synthetic data, generated by AI language models, which could in theory be used in place of consumer responses. Our latest article considers how realistic that is, and the cases in which it fails. Find our article here: https://lnkd.in/eYuiM5qK #SyntheticData #MarketResearch #AI

3

Gen AI means more reputation risk Generative AI is revolutionising the process of creating communications content. And it's directly changing media consumption habits, accelerating the disintermediation of mainstream media and facilitating the rise of alternative content sources. Meanwhile the proliferation of synthetic media content has negative implications for trust and authenticity. AI-generated content is blurring the lines between reality and fabrication, challenging traditional media’s role as gatekeepers of trusted information.  In this short piece, I argue that 'Gen AI’ is therefore massively raising the threat level for brand reputation risk. All thoughts welcome. https://lnkd.in/dPNRiMiK

17

Although it's a pretty sobering message from me in here, I do strongly believe that businesses with dated marketing and technology models will struggle to continue trading in 2025 unless they move with the times. With good and bad results from some of the bigger players in the market, it's always interesting to see how others are seeing the market. For me, consulting skills, alongside deep technology expertise, which also deliver an AI agenda, are what clients really want. This blend, however, is not a traditional agency mix, which is why we are seeing some fairly stagnant and mixed results, as well as some niche players really flourishing. Thanks for the feature The Drum! https://lnkd.in/eRSP7fA8

72

8 Comments

Download and read this now - if you care about which marketing $ is driving profit back into the business .. then start to focus on what ad is being looked at! "Simples"

5

This is an excellent visualisation from the DMA (Data & Marketing Association) UK of how integral maturing your approach to measurement is to delivering successful business outcomes. If you're not already planning for it, you should be. It will be one of the most significant drivers of future effectiveness for you.

17

My latest column for The Drum - GenAI's threat to SME marketing agencies 🔥 I believe SME marketing agencies like the eight&four Group are at a critical juncture. The key issues: 🤯 Crazy pressure from GenAI: 1. The Networks: The big Networks are investing aggressively in GenAI platforms - promising to completely overhaul client marketing ecosystems 2. Billing: Complete overhaul of billing models? Value over hours 3. Marketing's mid-life crisis: Are we supposed to be software companies now!? The centering of technical prowess over traditional creativity 🌁 The Industry Landscape: 1. Network encroachment: SME agencies squeezed as Networks capitalise on GenAI ecosystems reduced cost of delivery, and hoover up longtail marketing contracts 2. Walled Garden Risks: SME agencies are 'locked out' by new client-wide network/agency platforms 3. Resource/Tech balance shifts: Agencies, always human engines, now need to balance resource across both Talent and Tech 🔮 The Potential Implications: 1. Nothing really happens! GenAI is a distracting storm in a teacup, and bar a few automated workstreams, normal business largely resumes in a couple of years 2. The Networks dominate + decimate. SME agencies can't survive, and the agency ecosystem becomes rapidly less diverse. 3. Marketing = knitting circles. A lovely, quaint hobby your grandkids will be in awe you ever actually did as a "job". Take a look at the full piece below 👇 https://lnkd.in/eM3wvX-C

10

2 Comments

Is the answer to the race to the bottom for agencies to become more consultative ? Excellent provocation as always from Omar Oakes who makes some great points about the lack of challenging behaviour in agency/client relationships today and the lack of growth in revenue leading to decline in agency fees. There’s a lot going on here. My tuppence worth from the purview of running a media agency group then setting up and growing a marketing consultancy for the last 4 years: * Holdco agencies lost their way when they 1) started to take a principle not agency approach to media buying 2) started to compromise the craft of planning * Creative thinking and innovation has suffered as a result - too much sameness in strategy and reliance on performance marketing * It’s not about brand/the big idea OR data driven activation, it’s about AND i.e finding the right balance and impact from both but most agencies are so siloed they can’t join this up * There’s a big difference between being “consultative” and being a consultant. The latter is focused on business outcomes and the levers that deliver revenue growth not all the noisy media and advertising metrics. This is as much about process and capabilities as it is about platforms and spend.. * Agencies in general commoditise their service and struggle to get paid fairly for the strategic and transformative work - this is largely client and not agency driven and marketers need to be prepared to pay accordingly for genuinely differentiating analytics, strategy and innovation.. * Consultancies scope precisely and instil a robust project management, gated approach to projects minimising scope creep and enabling value based pricing discussions Agencies are full of incredible talent who want to help their clients grow but too often the commercial constraints in the agency business get in the way of good work and partnership. When we consult we see great thinking and talent but it’s often the contractual constraints and the siloes that get in the way.. The major gap we see at CvE - Marketing Consultancy is between the high-level operating model and transformational thinking of the management consultants and the often narrow advertising/media/campaign thinking of most agencies. Brands need expert marketing and media practitioners to bridge this gap or else the promised revenue growth never materialises. This is an opportunity for everyone in the ecosystem but mostly those that lean in to client-led, business outcome focused thinking. Bravo Brian Jacobs & Nick Manning for continuing to bang this important drum and Omar for focusing on journalism focused on the issues that really matter..

50

24 Comments

Spending a little bit more time on Revenue Per Head (RPH). A few things to emphasise about RPH. - There is no one Industry Average "number". Agencies have different cost and charging models. Your target has to reflect that. - It has to make sense with how busy/how much you charge so double check that you're not expecting your team to work 6 days a week to hit target - One really useful quick uses of RPH is whether a new hire is justified by a new biz win. Or how much over capacity you have after a loss. I go through the calculations in a (hopefully) simple carousel. #agency #rph #metrics

14

11 Comments

Digital advertising spend is becoming more diverse. Podcast ads, social video and connected TV have made gains according to the 2023 IAB/PwC Digital Adspend report - though Search remains the bedrock. #IABUK #Digital #adspend

7

1 Comment

The Value in Measurement report from JICMAIL and DMA (Data & Marketing Association) UK is available and is an informative and interesting read for anyone looking to understand effective cross channel measurement for marketing campaigns. Staggeringly 65% of respondents still report a misalignment on measurement and reporting across channels. That's a crazy figure but does highlight challenges of measuring each marketing channel fairly. The report provides recommendations on how to create an aligned view for looking at performance. You can access the report at the following link. I would thoroughly recommend https://lnkd.in/ehXasu4C #jicmail #dma #paperplanes #measurement

13

1 Comment

Well done Instinct Digital and Cassian Scott Stephen Maynard Great traction for the ambitious growth plans at Instinct Digital - “We are delighted to partner with AlbionVC on the next stage of our journey,” said Cassian Scott, CEO.  “Our prestigious clients are fundamental to our success, along with our partners and team who have enabled Instinct to build a product that has the potential to become the benchmark in investment communications and reporting for investors." see Morningstar Synpulse Marouane Bakhtar #fintech #assetmanagement #assetmanagers #investmentmanagers #wealthmanagement #reporting #investors

16

1 Comment

Get2Growth is now Decoding Growth. Having spent the last two years working as a strategic advisor to over 20 B2B scale-up businesses across different sectors, I’ve uncovered two consistent challenges: 1. These businesses are struggling to access, understand, and utilise their audience and customer data effectively, and 2. They’re eager to adopt AI applications but are quickly running into roadblocks when it comes to making those tools work in meaningful ways. Getting serious about data Data has been a buzzword in business for decades, yet most still lack the infrastructure and strategy to fully harness its power. Now, with the rapid rise of AI, this gap is becoming even more critical. AI needs data to function...accurate, clean, well-organised data. However, many scale-ups are rushing into AI projects without ensuring their data is ready for it. This is leading to underwhelming results, wasted investments, and missed opportunities. Maximising tech investments At the same time, companies are pouring money into expensive sales and marketing tech, only to use a fraction of its capabilities. From CRMs to CDPs, businesses are often focused on surface-level features - failing to tap into advanced functions like predictive analytics, personalised customer journeys, and data-driven sales enablement. Taking AI beyond the hype AI adoption itself is limited to specific functions such as marketing and HR, with only the most basic applications in use. There is a significant opportunity in sales that remains largely untapped, particularly around lead generation, pipeline management, and sales productivity. Those who can leverage AI effectively in these areas will realise significant advantages and see enormous growth and efficiency gains. Bridging the gap The truth is, AI isn’t just a tool - it’s a transformative shift in how businesses operate, but only if the data behind it is well-prepared. Without a strong data strategy, AI will underperform. The good news is that scale-ups are perfectly positioned to adapt, given their agility and growth-oriented mindset. For Decoding Growth, the mission is to help B2B scale-up businesses bridge this gap. Our focus is on building robust data strategies and enabling AI-driven solutions that directly impact sales and marketing performance. It’s about getting your data right, maximising your technology investments, and using AI not as a headline, but as a competitive advantage. #DecodingGrowth #DataStrategy #ArtificialIntelligence #AIForSales #DigitalTransformation #ScaleUp

33

9 Comments

B2B buying behaviours are evolving - is your strategy for generating demand aligned with the current trends and needs in the #B2Bmarketplace? ​ Download the knowledge today for valuable insights on keeping your #demandgeneration tactics relevant to today's B2B customers 💡 https://lnkd.in/ed-wc4M9

3

How to assess media coverage. Is all media coverage good? No. Unfortunately, much of the PR industry continues to be stuck on quantity over quality. For us, there are four very clear characteristics of a good piece: 1. The right placement. Will the piece be read or seen by the desired audience? Consumers of the right demographic; business procurers, investors, Government etc. 2. Brand Understanding. A brief brand mention is never enough. Good coverage explains what a business is, what it does, and why it is different. This should lead the audience to gain a better understanding of a brand. Not every piece of good earned media will fulfil every possible objective - but it should do more than simply mention your brand in passing. If it does, you have to question its value, especially based on the time and effort to gain this earned media piece. 3. Call to action. What should a reader or viewer do after seeing this piece? While a good CTA could be obvious, e.g. go to a shop or website, more subtle ones which demonstrate a clear benefit to ownership are equally as powerful. However, not having a clear call to action devalues a piece. 4. What's the point? You have to ask, what is the purpose of this communication? Is it to change opinions, create a deeper understanding of a business, sell more stuff? Coverage should be benchmarked against these to determine if good or bad. While some consider media coverage to be a numbers game, in our 21 years we found that it is the quality pieces that make measurable differences to businesses. Brand awareness, name checks or coverage for the sake of justifying budgets is never enough.

18

https://lnkd.in/e72P5pAd There are so many reasons not to advertise on Twitter/X but the issue of advertisers funding dis/misinformation is a key one. In this post, its owner claims that the 'Democrats' (his inverted commas) are installing illegal immigrants in swing states in order to win the US election and abolish future elections, thus eliminating democracy forever. You don't have to be politically partisan to be highly alarmed by the proprietor of any media channel taking such an extreme view. It is hard to trust an advertising vehicle which has the control over which messages to amplify when the owner makes posts like this. Advertisers want to be politically neutral and have no desire to take a stand that alienates people. They also want to avoid funding divisive channels. So talk of 'boycotts' and advertisers wanting to censor free speech shouldn't be taken seriously when such pronouncements come from the most biased of sources.

50

19 Comments