Nial Ferguson

For any media buyers or creative strategists there is a really interesting webinar by Charlotte Sargeant 🎨🤓 next week. Media buyers cannot ignore knowing about creative strategy - and this webinar will give you some great insights. Have a look at more info here!: https://lnkd.in/eJjDu5FB

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This is most definitely worth a listen. Fascinating Simon and Richard! Lumina Datamatics are proud to have produced the transcript for you. I'm looking forward to the next episode for sure! #digitalpublishing #A11Y #daisyconsortium #digitalaccessibility #luminadatamatics

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Fully support the stance of the the DMA (Data & Marketing Association) UK techUK Centre for Information Policy Leadership (CIPL) and Advertising Association. Regardless of the outcome of tomorrow's UK General Election, it is imperative that all political parties recommit to modern data policies. This will ensure the UK can fully harness the power of data-driven and digital technologies which are crucial for economic growth and improved public services. And the pace of this transformation is only continue to accelerate. https://lnkd.in/eR3QXdrA #DataPolicy #DigitalTransformation #EconomicGrowth #PublicServices #UKElection

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Our new interactive dashboard analyses: Topic UK General Election 🇬🇧 - Discover voter concerns, news stories attracting the most clicks! You may be surprised....https://lnkd.in/etDxUwiw #labourparty #conservativeparty #liberaldemocrats

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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

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The dark art of search! We are here to help navigate the best approach and it all starts with a comprehensive audit. #digitalmarketing #b2bsearch #searchaudit #b2bdigital

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Search behaviour is transforming off the back of #genai and #digital maturity & Google is both threatened and working hard to transform its platform and #advertising services as a result of it. The flywheel effect of #ai on advertisers was in full display at the recent Google Marketing Live event in Syd this week and given there were 700 people in the room, interest is right up there. Yet #ai take-up is rightly being tempered by policy and concerns over #ethical, on brand usage in businesses that can stand up to Australia's tightening privacy laws as well as hearty consumer scepticism around transparency of how data is being used. Meanwhile, it was the very real, right now challenges of consumers finding a new rhythm of digital and in-person in retail, fitness shared by Officeworks & Les Mills International that I suspect will resonate most with marketers from our wrapup piece: https://lnkd.in/gAd96WGT

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Will the next government bring increased regulation for the UK advertising industry? The UK general election falls on the last day of MAD//FEST LONDON, so by the time Grace Carter gets on stage to start the party in E1, many of the votes for the political parties will have already been cast. One change that the new government could oversee is increased external regulation and governance of the advertising industry - would that be a good thing or a bad thing for you? Let's take AI for example. Katherine Viner, editor of the Guardian, recently called for AI regulation. She said, "Without quality journalism to train and ground large language models, these technologies would struggle to make sense of the world around them." Without quality, trusted data to train the AI models on, it is easy to see how we could get into a vicious circle of AI choking on its own exhaust fumes: 1 - Incorrect content published 2 - AI reads that incorrect content 3 - AI therefore writes incorrect content Crap in, crap out, as they say in the trade! ;-) I would also add that digital advertising relies on quality content that consumers spend time with, so that the advertising has a chance of having an impact. For example: The difference in dwell time on an MFA site, which uses GenAI to create the content and click-bait to get somebody there, to a page with 10 ads, is a world away from the experience of a subscriber to a premium publisher site, who logs on to consume the content they pay for and only sees a single ad next to that valued content. 💬 - What do you think - more government regulation or not? #ai #regulation #advertising

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🪜🪜🪜 | Know your place; the power of an emoji. Afew years ago, in an all staff meeting, our Chief Commercial Officer, Clare Jones, compared business development to a game of Snakes and Ladders. 🐍 | There are plenty of snakes in business — blockers, commercial negotiations, stacked roadmap, legacy technical issues… 🪜 | But there are also ladders — having what3words in the customers local language, being responsive to legal queries, finding a tweet asking a customer to integrate, having coffee in the coffee machine... Clare told us that the whole company can be a ladder and that, in particular, marketing was a key enabler for business development. It resonated deeply. 🙏 | We are a Slack business, with hundreds of channels and thousands of messages flying around daily. We also give each other kudos and thanks for helping each other out. So I started using the ladder emoji on Slack posts whenever the marketing team or individual got a call out. A simple reminder not only to BD but also to the marketing team that we understood our role and ultimately what we are all doing it for. 🦜| Initially is was a single ladder in a sea of thumbs up, dancing parrots and explosions. But over the years more and more people from the team used it to acknowledge the thanks and show appreciation but also understanding. There was another thanks post last week and I went to post the 🪜 emoji only to discover that 20 other people from the marketing had beaten me to it. ⚔️ | There's a tired old narrative about the battle between sales and marketing. But let’s be clear—there is no battle. Sales win every time. Marketing is crucial for BD, whether it's the perfect sales brochure, in app push notification, newsletter, event booth, social meme, TV ad, sizzle film or PR announcing a new partnership. Sure, there are still skirmishes over strategy and priorities. BD doesn't always know best, marketing mostly does 😂, but rest assured, in the pecking order, revenue wins. The ladder emoji is a simple reminder that every effort counts, what’s important in the business and our collective roles to make that happen. Tiny actions, repeated, can lead to significant changes. 🎲🎲

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There is both a democratic and business benefit for advertisers to support news brands in the lead up to a general election. When accuracy and fact-checked information is an absolute necessity, such as with a general election, news brands really come into their own, and it’s really important that advertisers support that. This is a cornerstone of democracy, and it costs money to provide it - can you imagine a world where deepfakes and influencers tell us how we should vote!? 👀 Not only is there a democratic need for advertisers to support trusted news brands, but there is also a huge business benefit as well in the shape of more attention. For example, The Spectator sees a 30% increase in audience numbers as we approach a general election, and the dwell time on an article pertaining to the election is also increased. In short, more people spend more time on our content, and I am sure other premium news brands see a similar trend. On top of that increase in audience and dwell time, there is a higher share of voice because the UK government, one of the biggest advertisers, stop activity in the run up to the election. I think that’s what they call a win-win? #ukelection #news #advertising

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🌟 Market Update - 24th May 2024 🌟 As we move through Q2, the landscape for sales and marketing talent within high growth SaaS, Media & Events companies continues to evolve at a rapid pace. And at NinetyThousandHours, Gemma Butler and I are observing several key trends that are shaping the market: ➡ Surge in Demand for Revenue Operations Leaders: Companies are increasingly recognising the importance of aligning sales, marketing, and customer success functions. This has led to a significant rise in demand for Revenue Operations (RevOps) leaders who can drive efficiency and growth through data-driven decision making and strategic alignment. ➡ Emphasis on Customer-Centric Strategies: High growth companies are prioritising customer experience more than ever. We're seeing a growing need for marketing leaders who excel in building customer-centric strategies that foster loyalty and advocacy. The ability to harness customer insights to drive personalised engagement is becoming a critical differentiator. ➡ Digital Transformation Acceleration: The pandemic has permanently shifted many aspects of business operations online. This has accelerated digital transformation initiatives, leading to a surge in hiring for sales and marketing talent adept at leveraging digital tools and platforms to enhance reach and efficiency. ➡ Upsurge in Demand for Data-Driven New Business Salespeople: Across all markets, there is a growing need for sales professionals who excel in using data to identify, pursue and win new business opportunities. These data-driven salespeople are becoming essential for companies looking to expand their customer base and drive sustainable growth. ➡ Talent Competition Intensifies: The competition for top-tier talent remains fierce. Companies are not only competing within their sector but also across industries. As a result, we're advising clients to streamline their hiring processes and offer compelling packages that highlight their commitment to growth and innovation. ➡ Flexible and Remote Work Models: Flexible working arrangements have become a staple in attracting and retaining top talent. Leaders who can effectively manage remote teams and foster a collaborative, inclusive culture are in high demand. Organisations are re-evaluating their workplace strategies to accommodate these new expectations. At NinetyThousandHours, we remain committed to connecting our clients with exceptional sales and marketing talent who can drive their businesses forward. If you want to stay ahead of the curve, reach out to us for market insights, advice, and of course our recruitment and executive search services. #media #events #saas #marketupdate

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I've been working on a very practical slide deck for this webinar today. After chatting with Patrick Whitnall earlier today, I'm thrilled to see so many people within the industry (both AiMCO members and non-members) signed up for this webinar already. Are you joining us? It's free for AiMCO – Australian Influencer Marketing Council members and $100 + fees for non-members. 4 days to go... BYO burning influencer agreement in general questions. #influencermarketing #influencers #influenceragreements101 https://lnkd.in/g_Rhenqt

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So grateful for Chris Sullivan, Matt Locke, and Danny Birchall taking the time to answer all the questions we didn't get to in the Conference session itself (there were a *lot* of questions!). Questions like: "Any advice for nudging a traditionally ‘ticket sales only’ mindset organisation towards a more meaningful, editorial approach? And inviting audiences to start seeing us in a different way?" "Where should the content team sit in a cultural organisation?" "It seems like a lot of editorial content contains characteristics of white supremacy culture (such as the worship of the written word and progress is bigger/more). How can we avoid this in our organisations?" "Cultural organisations often produce highly academic studies. With the average reading age in the UK being 9, how can museums produce content that is both academic and accessible? Or is it okay to exclude some audiences sometimes?" "How do you think Google search’s AI answers will impact visits to museum websites given that search is the main acquisition channel for web-based storytelling content."

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Should be very interesting.

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⚠️Risk taking - a key theme of Media 360 day 1. 🤖Covering everything from AI to customer insight the sessions have had some great commentary including a brilliant discussion on how brands can embrace risk in a pannel with Victoria Simpson - Clarke Ndubuisi Uchea , Linn Frost, Vicky Handley Dom Hyams Dave Edwards Todays nuggets: 💥 brands don’t just need to stand out against competitors, or in their category. They need to stand out against the noise of content consumers are surrounded with, the risk of being ignored is great if brands don’t consider this 📣 brands should think about engagement and attention, not just reach to make sure their messages are heard. Bold thinking with strong creative is the best way to capitalise on this 💯70% of people feel brands get it wrong when representing marginalised communities - inclusivity and diversity doesn’t have to be complex to be effective. It is risky for brands to NOT reflect their customers 👶 focus on the lived experience of your brand - take a risk, don’t just think beautiful creative, think about what the people who buy your brand (or you want to buy your brand) think 📰 15-29 year olds are actively dedicating deep attention to news content - particularly on social media. Take risks and break out from traditional advertising methods to engage this audience #Media360 #BrandBuilding #SocialMedia

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Our latest article on AI - 5 steps on how to leverage AI in Marketing ☑ From a marketing standpoint, integrating AI is no longer an option but a necessity. But where do you start? We have 5 practical steps for you - from how to effectively prompt to using AI to personalise, click here: https://lnkd.in/eSewgRPC #b2bmarketing #ai #partnermarketing #partnerships #channelmarketing

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Another exciting #Opencall opportunity for #AI companies in the Creative Industries: The High Growth AI Accelerator for BridgeAI is a 14-week accelerator programme for UK-based startups, scaleups and SMEs to help them validate and develop responsible, ethical and desirable AI and ML deep-tech solutions. 1) Digital Media Challenges, in collaboration with the LADbible Group 2) Leisure Industry Challenges, in collaboration with Merlin Entertainments 3) Radio Media Challenges, in collaboration with Bauer Media Group 4) Music Industry Challenges, in collaboration with Music Technology UK The theme of the call focuses on addressing critical aspects of the creative industries with solutions that can demonstrate technological innovation and redefine the concept of entertainment in the digital era. We are interested in proposals spanning the entire spectrum of the creative industries, encompassing areas such as music, digital media, film, television, and beyond. We invite innovators to tackle specific commercial challenges, developed in collaboration with industry leaders. Applicants are encouraged to choose a challenge aligned with their expertise, as each presents a distinct opportunity to make a meaningful impact on the landscape of AI and ML solutions in the creative sector. Selected businesses will benefit from collaborating closely with industry players in the sector, access to cloud credits, technical and business expertise from our valued partners, strategic and technical guidance, holistic diagnostics, tailored support, to accelerate their product readiness. This programme is the second accelerator delivered by Digital Catapult and part of BridgeAI, an Innovate UK national programme that seeks to stimulate the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technologies in agriculture, creative, construction, and transport. Apply here: https://lnkd.in/ekPVntP8 BridgeAI is jointly delivered by Innovate UK Business Connect, Digital Catapult, The Alan Turing Institute, BSI and the Hartree Centre SME Hubs and funded by Innovate UK. Robyn Wilson Miriam Irungu Jessica R.

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I enjoyed leading the round table discussions at the PPA festival today on the topic of CRM and how it really creates value for Publishers. Media and Publishing firms are grappling with an increase in Martech complexity, changes in cookie legalisation and a reduction in Marketing budgets, implemented well CRM should simplify the complex and drive revenue growth. Workbooks CRM is here to help.

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