Understanding Digital Marketing salaries is pivotal for job seekers and employers alike. In this comprehensive guide, we delve into the average salaries for Digital Marketing roles in the South West, shedding light on crucial factors influencing pay scales and considerations beyond just the numbers.
The following is based on information collated through working in this industry day in, day out, client briefs taken and placements made by ADLIB in the South West. We stress the importance of context when making salary comparisons based on job title. In many cases, there is a significant variance between the bottom end and top end of salaries paid.
If you choose to make a comparison, consideration should be paid beyond job title. For example, take into account the business proposition, any client base, specialist knowledge, time of establishment and management responsibilities. All of which will influence salary.
While salary is a key factor, it’s not the only consideration. To attract the best talent, employers should also focus on:
This guide provides salary bandings for various sector roles and their respective job titles, including:
By considering not only salary but also the holistic work environment, employers can attract and retain top-tier talent. Use this guide as a resource to navigate the intricacies of Digital Marketing salaries in the dynamic South West market.
Having just wrapped up my exit from the agency I founded 12 years ago and moved into the consulting world, I’ve had a little time for reflection recently.
As I was recalling some of the clients I’ve worked with over the 25 odd years since I set up my first agency, and how marketing has changed so dramatically in so many ways, and yet in others, nothing’s really changed at all.
There was no such thing as digital marketing – no SEO, PPC, social media etc. – so you could be forgiven for thinking that everything is now totally and utterly different. And in some ways, of course, you’d be right. The Internet, social media and a million different marketing technology solutions have revolutionised the way we do things.
But in other ways – i.e. the fundamental principles of marketing – things really never change. And I think that, as marketers in a digital age, we sometimes need reminding of the basics. We’re very quick to jump on new and shiny things but, occasionally, we’re just as quick to forget the fundamentals.
Ignoring my pet subject of ‘content marketing’ and when it was invented – I’m pretty sure people have been doing it for a very long time before digital came along – here are a few quick examples to get you thinking…
It’s not rocket science… break down your audience into segments or personas and understand what makes them tick. Identify the right messages for each target group, and present it to that audience via a channel they actually use at the best time.
Back in the days before digital, how did we put together a marketing strategy? Well here’s what we didn’t do… start with a list of popular magazines, newspapers, radio and TV stations, throw in some outdoor advertising close to busy roads, and scatter the budget evenly between them (please tell me that’s not how you did it!).
But essentially that’s exactly what some companies do with the digital channels that are available today. Just because we have more ‘cool stuff’ available to us, doesn’t mean we have to use it all!
The advancement of technology is relentless. But, again, just because they’ve built it, doesn’t mean you have to find a way to use it! Over the years I’ve witnessed a repeating theme of companies embracing new technology because they saw something cool, got over excited and didn’t properly evaluate their actual requirements, and what benefit they would derive from the tech.
I’ve met several companies recently who have signed up to one of the all-singing, all-dancing inbound marketing software solutions or social media planning/scheduling tools at substantial cost to their business, only to realise that the platform relies on content to feed the entire process – something they’d overlooked completely – so they find themselves grinding to a halt.
One of my first clients owned a massive multi-storey department store in a pretty dodgy part of town which sold everything under the sun, from furniture to clothes and any other random job lots he’d picked up from the back of a lorry, I suspect.
At a time when authenticity (especially in the context of social and influencer marketing) is on everyone’s lips, it’s never been more important to understand your brand, and what it actually is, rather than what you’d like it to be, and carefully match your communications to your audience. You’ve worked so hard to get them to interact in some way with you – don’t let them down.
Recommendations and reviews weren’t invented for the Internet. Testimonials have always been powerful in marketing. Before the Internet, if you needed a plumber, or the roof fixing, what did you do? You may have used a directory like Yellow Pages, but you’d probably also ask around. Has a neighbour, friend or family member used someone that they can recommend?
Building in testimonials and proactively driving recommendations and referrals has always been one of the first things I’ve tried to introduce into my clients’ marketing material.
Back in 1994 we engaged a well-known cricketer to be a brand ambassador for a client. He turned up at events, and we produced a range of marketing material which featured him and the client’s product in ways that felt less like an advert and more educational. We leveraged his large fan base and trusted position to introduce our client’s product to a wider audience and make it instantly credible by association. Sound familiar?
Another buzzword hijacked by digital/content marketing in recent years is ‘storytelling’. I read an article last week in a reputable marketing publication, which started with this sentence: ‘Brand storytelling is gaining momentum in the marketing world, and with good reason.’
The same article then went on to define brand storytelling as: “Using a narrative to connect your brand to customers, with a focus on linking what you stand for to the values you share with your customers.”
Um… correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m pretty sure that marketing principle isn’t just starting to ‘gain momentum’ in 2018!
Understanding agency salaries is pivotal for job seekers and employers alike. In this comprehensive guide, we delve into the average salaries for agency roles in the South West, shedding light on crucial factors influencing pay scales and considerations beyond just the numbers.
At ADLIB, we’re always keeping close to market trends and how things can fluctuate between organisations. Here, we aim to provide an overall range of salaries based on the spectrum of roles within the South West agency world. Factors that can influence one’s salary: the size of business and team, their location, the size and number of accounts you may be working on, management responsibilities, the industry sector, and specific marketing skills, will all have an impact.
While salary is a key factor, it’s not the only consideration. To attract the best talent, employers should also focus on:
This guide provides salary bandings for various Agency sector roles and their respective job titles, including:
By considering not only salary but also the holistic work environment, employers can attract and retain top-tier talent. Use this guide as a resource to navigate the intricacies of agency salaries in the dynamic South West market.
Explore current job opportunities or get in touch with one of our expert Marketing & Agency consultants.
Your brand’s strong online presence depends on an impressive, responsive, and vibrant website. eckhoMedia’s team of WordPress web designers and developers have expertise in a full range of web design disciplines to bring your platform to life. From established businesses looking for a refresh to new brands eager to enter the market, we’ll design your website from the ground up.
What is web design?
Many different elements come together to create the look, feel, and functionality of a website. Web design is the term used for the process of planning and creating these elements. While web designers have primarily designed for desktop browsers in the past, mobile devices and tablets are now the top devices used to browse the web and your web design should cater to a mobile-first audience.
What makes a good website design?
Good web designers consider many factors during the design process and design is not solely about looking good. To design a great website our designers consider the user experience, your brand identity, your marketing goals and the website’s overall performance. Essentially, it’s about using your website’s layout, content, colours, fonts, images and structure to entice users to stay on the website and optimize their journey.
Why is good web design important?
With thousands of new websites launching or being updated every week, it’s important to ensure your website doesn’t get lost in the noise. Our web designer’s creative thinking and planning of your new website design will encourage the visitors to take the actions you want, whether that is to place an online order, pick up the phone to make an enquiry or fill out an online form.
Web design vs web development
Web design is about how a website visually looks and web development is about how a website functions behind the design. Many platforms today offer a “do it yourself” toolset which usually involves dragging some images and text boxes around on a screen for you to populate with your own words and photos. This method of building websites works well for some people and it combines both web design and web development into 1 process.
Our problem with this method of working is most websites that use these types of tools all have a similar look and feel. There is nothing unique or bespoke about them and usually, these websites are not very well optimised behind the design which can lead to your website getting lost in the noise of thousands of other websites being launched or updated every week.
How does eckhoMedia design websites?
We believe that our method of providing 100% bespoke designs, that are created from a blank canvas for every client is crucial to your online success. Our process starts with a design meeting to understand more about you and your business. Once we establish an understanding of your goals and your company’s brand identity, we then get to work on designing your website. We provide updates and previews of each design as we progress and allow you to add your feedback so you can help shape the final result, whilst using our web designer’s years of expertise to guide you through any important design decisions.
How does eckhoMedia develop websites?
We don’t use the “do it yourself” toolset, you are paying for a professional service so we do things the professional way. Our websites are hand-coded from a blank page to match the exact designs we produced in the first step of the process. By hand-coding each web page this ensures the code is clean, responsive, and optimised for the fastest website performance. Once the functional coding work is complete and the website is working as expected, we then make all of the images and text editable giving you full control to update any of the content in the future.
Web design Bristol
If you’re looking for a new web design in the Bristol area or anywhere in the UK and you like what you have read above. Contact us today for a free no-obligation discussion. You can also check out all of our bespoke web designs by viewing our work.
Have you ever had the impression that you’re pursuing your online rivals’ triumphs like you’re playing a virtual game of cat and mouse? It’s time to give up chasing and take charge of the group. Knowing how your competitors operate in the complex world of SEO can help you propel your company to the top. Together, we can simplify rival keyword research and set you up for success.
In a nutshell, competition keyword analysis is SEO done like Sherlock Holmes. It’s the skill of figuring out the keywords your rivals rank for and how they use them to drive traffic. Putting on your detective cap, you may utilise expert SEO strategy to uncover your competitors’ secrets and utilise the information to guide and improve your own SEO efforts.
Imagine having complete awareness of your adversaries’ whereabouts and their forthcoming moves. That would be powerful knowledge, right? In terms of SEO, having this knowledge enables you to:
You must first ascertain your opponent’s identity before you can assess. Consider your digital adversaries as well; they may not even be on your radar now. Think beyond traditional competitors. Look for companies that are listed for the terms you are interested in on the search engine results page (SERP).
Many SEO tools are available that take care of the research for you. Use them to find the top search engines for your keywords and examine their profiles.
An easy Google search will yield a wealth of information. Look up your main keywords and take notice of who comes up most often. These are your principal opponents.
The real game is about to start. It’s time to examine your rivals’ keyword strategies in detail. Recall that knowing the context in which keywords are being used is just as important as just locating them. Here’s how to do it:
Take note of the kind of content that your rivals create. Do they use product pages, blogs, or case studies to focus on particular keywords? How does the quality compare? What’s more, how can you improve upon it?
Examine the headers, meta descriptions, and title tags. They contain a wealth of keyword data. Take note of the prominence, frequency, and seamless integration of keywords on their website.
To determine the relative value of a certain keyword, it is essential to run a backlink analysis and find out which keywords are generating the most links.
With newfound insights, it’s time to inject some zest into your SEO strategy.
Equipped with a keyword list, create content that outperforms those of your rivals in terms of engagement, insight, and overall quality. Make Google think you’re better than your competitors.
Through competition keyword analysis, you can elevate your online presence by finding keyword chances that your rivals have overlooked. Make original content for these keywords to take the lead in the market.
Create a strong backlink strategy by focusing on the same superior websites that link to your competitors, or discover new ones to increase your reach.
SEO requires ongoing care, unlike a slow cooker that can be “set and forget”d. Maintain a close watch on the actions of your rivals and often analyse their strategies, adjusting your own as necessary.
Success in SEO doesn’t come overnight. It’s a continual process of improvement and adaptation. Use Master the Art of Competitor Analysis for Superior SEO Strategy to ensure you’re always one step ahead.
SEO can seem like an insurmountable mountain to climb, but with savvy competitor keyword analysis, you’ve got the best gear to reach the peak. Remember, your objective is not just to match your rivals – it’s to surpass them.
Don’t let complexity deter you; when done correctly, rival keyword research may be a very useful tool in your SEO toolbox. Are You Prepared to Change Your SEO Approach with Competitor Keyword Mastery and Get an Advantage in SEO with Insights into Competitor Keyword Strategies? It’s time to take action!
Even though I’ve provided you with the treasure map, occasionally you still need an experienced guide to show you the route. Fear not—I’m here to help you through the SEO jungle if you find it intimidating to navigate on your own. How about scheduling a discovery call at https://www.bristechtonic.co.uk/discovery-call? Together, we can begin mapping out your path to SEO dominance.
In the ever evolving world of technology, Google stands as a towering titan, shaping the way we navigate the digital universe. Synonymous with search, information and connectivity, there is a reason Google reigns supreme – beneath the surface of its user-friendly interface and instantaneous results lies a complex web of algorithms and artificial intelligence that drives the heart of the technological giant. In this blog, we will take a closer look at how Google is utilising AI to improve upon these algorithms – and the implications such advancements hold for the future landscape of search.
Google has been incorporating elements of AI into its products and services for quite some time. Back in 2014 Google notably acquired DeepMind Technologies, a British Artificial Intelligence company. Doing so brought an array of advanced machine learning capabilities to the search engine giant, who have since infused AI into a wide range of applications, including search algorithms, language processing, image recognition, and more. The company continues to leverage AI to enhance user experiences, improve efficiency, and explore new frontiers in technology. As such, the relationship between Google and AI is one that we expect to see continue and develop for many years to come.
During Google I/O 2023, Google announced that they are striving to make AI “even more helpful for people, for businesses, for communities, for everyone”. Whilst they have been focusing on being an AI-first company for the past 7+ years, 2023 signalled a turning point of sorts in the relationship between Google and Artificial Intelligence. All thanks to the introduction of generative AI.
An example of this is the introduction of “Help me write” in Gmail. Smart Reply (launched in 2017) offered users a range of short responses that you could select with just one click – this was followed by Smart Compose, which offers writing suggestions as you type. In the past year alone, these two tools alone were used over 180 billion times. Now, with a much more powerful generative model of AI, we have Gmail’s “Help me write”. For example, when responding to an email, simply submit a prompt related to the desired email content, and a fully crafted draft will emerge. This sophisticated system adeptly references pertinent details from the initial email where relevant, and provides a comprehensive foundation for your response. This not only constitutes a significant time-saving resource for any professional setting but also underscores the continuous refinement inherent in generative AI. The capacity for improvement over time positions this tool as an invaluable asset in enhancing productivity and communication efficiency within the workplace.
“Help me write” was rolled out in 2023 as part of Google’s Workspace updates – as were a number of other AI driven tools, including a new immersive view for routes in maps, and a new magic editor experience in Google Photos (as well as much more). You can read more about these updates within the Google Workspace Product Announcements.
2023 has also seen one of the biggest visual updates to Google SERPs that we’ve seen in some time – with Google’s Generative AI-powered Search Experience (SGE). You may be inquisitive about the limited information or absence of firsthand encounters with SGE. This could be attributed to the fact that SGE has not yet been officially launched in the United Kingdom. Google SGE was released in May of 2023, but is currently only available in the US on Google Labs (correct at the time of writing, November 2023). So what exactly is Google SGE, you may ask? SGE is a new feature being developed by Google, which will display information in response to a Google search, at the top of SERPs. Whilst you might naturally think that it sounds similar to Featured Snippets, it is much more advanced. Thanks to generative AI, Google SGE has been built to help make searching easier – so you have to do less of the heavy lifting. As google puts it, SGE allows you to “understand a topic faster, to uncover new viewpoints and insights, and to get things done more easily”. Not only can you use Google for searches containing more variants and information, the result you are provided will also be more informative, more descriptive and will even suggest relevant follow-up questions. You can see an example of this, below:
Search query: “If I am travelling to Woolacombe for a holiday with two children, is it best I stay at Woolacombe Bay or Twitchen House?”
Context will be carried over from question to question, to help you more naturally continue your exploration. You’ll also find helpful jumping-off points to web content and a range of perspectives that you can dig into. Whilst this functionality and these AI generated search results are very different from what we’re used to seeing, we only expect more growth and development within SGE, over the coming months and years.
Aside from the developments within Google SGE, another area of AI being discussed near the end of 2023 and most likely to be a popular topic of discussion in 2024 is cybersecurity. Last month, Google Cloud Security Talks took place, marking the 20th anniversary of Cybersecurity Awareness Month. A key discussion as part of these talks surrounds the Google Cloud Security AI Workbench and Duet AI – two tools with the ability to help address pervasive and fundamental security challenges: the exponential growth in threats, the toil it takes for security teams to achieve desired outcomes, and the chronic shortage of security talent. It is incredibly interesting to see Google increase the use of AI in combating cybersecurity threats, as they have also warned of the potential for cyber criminals to significantly enhance the effectiveness and scale of cyber attacks in 2024, using AI. So whilst AI appears to be part of the solution, according to Google it could also be part of the problem.
In terms of SEO, Google Bard is also likely to see massive developments in 2024. Bard is Google’s own AI language model, created to hold an informative conversation with the end user. Whilst early adopters of these language models appeared to prefer ChatGPT, Bard is becoming increasingly popular in the world of SEO – and planned developments for the coming months such as integration with Google Assistant only add to the buzz and excitement surrounding the AI tool.
In order to stay up to date with the latest developments, and to monitor the impact of Google SGE in 2024, make sure you regularly check out our Varn Insights. In an upcoming post, we will be exploring SGE in more detail, as well as looking at how it impacts Google Shopping, Google Ads and more. We will also take a closer look at the specific data being pulled into SGE SERPs by Google, uncovering the potential of generative AI in search before it reaches the UK (hopefully by some time in 2024). Keep an eye on our blog or sign up to our newsletter today, to stay in the loop.
As 2023 draws to a close, we can’t think of a better time to turn our look toward the future and start getting excited about what 2024 might hold. With advancements in AI, the enduring influence of TikTok, and the increasing rise of virtual influencers, this year has the digital marketing landscape poised for big shifts in 2024
These six predictions offer insightful glimpses into the upcoming trends we think will shape the trajectory of how we promote brands online. Join us as we explore the many possibilities that 2024 holds for marketers and businesses alike.
Let’s get stuck straight into the numbers. The exponential growth in digital ad spend, which was more than 10% higher in 2023 than it was in 2022, is set to continue in 2024.
Influencer marketing and search marketing were two of the biggest players in 2023’s digital marketing world. And surprisingly, it wasn’t entertainment giants leading the charge. Instead, the health industry took the crown as the largest sector outside of retail for marketing spend, signalling a profound shift in consumer priorities.
Leading neatly on from the news that the health industry is the next big spender in digital marketing, it’s not surprising that the healthtech industry is also seeing exponential growth. Now that our phones can track our fitness habits and monitor our levels, healthtech has quickly and subtly become a part of our everyday lives. But with the evolution of AI, it is set to become even bigger.
Female health will also reap the rewards from this, as the FemTech industry is predicted to further grow and continue in that upward trajectory in 2024. Making this the perfect time for femtech and healthtech brands to focus on their digital marketing strategy.
Taking a leaf out of the D2C book, B2B marketing channels like LinkedIn are revamping its algorithms to align with other social media channels. This puts a spotlight on video content and user-generated posts, setting the stage for the rise of “LinkedInfluencers” in 2024.
We predict that the voices of LinkedIn will gain even more prominence as influential figures, as long as they understand how to leverage the platform’s evolving algorithm. This has the potential to not just make new stars on the platform, but to transform the channel itself into a hub where thought leaders and industry experts shine through as influencers currently do on TikTok.
Talking of TikTok; don’t expect it to go anywhere in 2024. The social media giant has survived attacks on its data policies and potential government bans, and it’s not likely that its user base is about to jump ship for another platform (as many have tried to make happen). So in the New Year, you might want to add a new section to your digital marketing strategy: T2B, or TikTok Business, Marketing.
Innovative as ever, TikTok has recognised the shrinking of the gap between social media marketing and B2B. As such, it has launched a collaboration with HubSpot to streamline lead generation through their platform. So while LinkedInfluencers become more focused on D2C methods of marketing, TikTok will be edging closer to the corporate B2B space.
Artificial Intelligence is gearing up for an unprecedented surge in 2014, as enhanced algorithms will delve deeper into consumer behaviour, helping brands to transform their marketing strategies even further. Predictive analytics will reach new heights, so that marketers will be better able to anticipate trends and user preferences with uncanny accuracy.
In terms of business, automation offered by AI will reap benefits in HealthTech and FemTech in particular. In the influencer landscape, AI-generated virtual influencers have the potential to take centre stage. But as AI becomes more integrated, privacy concerns will mean that brands need to make weighty ethical decisions.
Digital PR could be the way forward when it comes to crafting comprehensive digital marketing strategies in 2024. Combining the compelling narratives of traditional PR with emerging native and programmatic advertising channels has the potential to take brand marketing to new heights. This integration can lead to a more cohesive brand presence across all platforms, maximising visibility and engagement with new audiences.
Against a backdrop of new working dynamics and AI advances, a new McCann Synergy study explores the ‘Truth About Work,’ and how organisations can use their own brand platforms to give staff a greater sense of purpose.
A new global study from employee engagement agency McCann Synergy, in partnership with McCann Worldgroup, has revealed that 61% of workers think that if their job disappeared no one would notice.
Previewing the findings at an event in partnership with LinkedIn in London last month, the ‘Truth About Work’ study drew on a survey of over 19,000 people across 18 markets, to reveal a range of insights including an imperative for work that is not just functional but personal, intentional, and deeply aligned with the values and dedication organisations extend to their customers.
The world of work has undergone a radical transformation in recent years from hybrid working to the influx of ChatGPT, but with 61% of young people planning to change jobs in the next two years, retention is the new truth to tackle. Creating employer brand experiences that engage employees – mirroring the quality and delivery of EX and CX – will help brands unlock growth and retain employees.
Nicky Clark, Client Director at McCann Synergy, said: “Our study reinforces the critical need for organisations to realign their brand purpose with the everyday lives of their workforce. When employees understand the connection between their role and a company’s mission, the impact is transformative. As an employee engagement consultancy, we find that working with leaders that recognise the value of a strong workplace culture is a real game changer – when brands get this right, employees flourish, innovation grows and organisations are more successful.”
Fernando Fascioli, President, McCann Worldgroup Europe & UK, added: “Organisations thrive when they put their customers and employees at the heart of all they do. As a creative network, McCann Worldgroup’s mission is to help clients unleash their brand purpose to earn a meaningful role in people’s lives. To remain competitive brands must extend this ethos to their employees and create brand experiences that can engage, delight, and drive a sense of shared purpose.”
Connecting to brand purpose has always been an external customer driver and the need for purpose is widely seen as business critical across the advertising industry. Between 2012 and 2022 the importance of brand purpose in Cannes Grand Prix wins increased by 71%. However, brand purpose has become decoupled from the lives of the people who build the brands from the inside, and 1 in 2 employees globally believe their job feels pointless.
McCann Worldgroup partnered with LinkedIn, the world’s premier professional network, who have been at the forefront of the future of work and employer branding to launch their Truth About Work study. At the event in London, they were joined by panelists Joe Ryle, Director of the 4-Day Week Campaign and Media & Comms Lead at Autonomy; Stephen Adeoye “Corporate Steve” TikToker and Founder & CEO of Beyond Education; Kate Waterfall Hill, Leadership Coach and Tiktok Creator; and LinkedIn’s James Gill, to explore how brands can use their brand platforms to amplify and energize their employee experience and engagement strategies.
James Gill, Senior Director – Head of Agency Development & Marketer Education at LinkedIn EMEA & LATAM commented: “In a world that is constantly evolving, it’s crucial for us to embrace change, adapt to new realities, and envision the possibilities ahead. Our approach to life, work, and growth have fundamentally shifted in the wake of the pandemic.
“At LinkedIn, we recognise the profound impact of these changes and we’re delighted to collaborate with McCann Worldgroup to explore the future of meaningful and impactful work, and shine a spotlight on the importance of adaptability, reskilling, and life-work balance in the future of work.
Although working culture and talent retention might feel like buzz words, employees who said they understood how their role fitted into their company’s mission were most likely to rate themselves as 1.7x happier. They also self-rated themselves as 1.6x more productive, showing that engaging employees can have a big impact on company profitability. In a time of constant change, employers who harness their brand platforms internally will create a culture of purpose and productivity that will support their employees and customers alike.
For full details, click here: www.mccannworldgroup.com/about/truth. For more information on McCann Synergy, visit: www.mccannsynergy.com
Follow the link to watch our Christmas advert: https://youtu.be/e7OHFtfZjgQ
Why create a viral Christmas advert?
We LOVE big-budget TV ads like the John Lewis Christmas advert. They’ve really found the winning formula to maximise engagement and go viral.
In fact, we love it so much that we decided to give it a go ourselves. But instead of helping a big department store or supermarket grow its profits, we decided to help a charity grow its reach.
Our friends at Love Squared do amazing work that’s well worth shouting about.
Who is Love Squared?
Love Squared is a Bristol-based charity who support young people and families with social, emotional, and mental health (SEMH) needs.
They noticed a huge lack in services for young people and children who had aspirations but were missing out on reaching their potential because of SEMH needs, so they work to change this and provide the resources and support to those who need it.
With such a great cause, we knew we wanted to support them this year by donating our resources to create them a Christmas advert they can use to raise awareness and donations.
So how do you go about creating a viral Christmas video?
Inspired by the John Lewis Christmas Advert 2022?
So were we. Here’s your guide to making a viral Christmas ad to rival the very best – whether you’re a charity, non-profit or B2B business.
Every year, audiences eagerly await high-production TV Christmas ads from John Lewis, M&S, Sainsbury’s, and a plethora of other consumer businesses. But this year, we’re seeing more and more clients take an interest in Christmas content and other seasonal campaigns – and for good reason.
As we all eagerly await this year’s marketing showdown, many businesses are thinking about their own festive advertising and how they can get a slice of the action.
Emotive and uplifting storytelling
The most popular Christmas ads really tug at the heartstrings. It’s the time of the year when people value togetherness, generosity and kindness the most, but it can also be a tough time for many. So, it’s important to capture the emotions of the festive seasons and make your audience feel seen and understood. Having said that, it should be hopeful and optimistic – after all, it is the most wonderful time of the year.
Our copy team put together a script that captured the emotion behind Love Squared’s amazing cause.
Focusing on issues of loneliness and mental health, we created a story that would speak to the challenges young people face, while reflecting the power of imagination – one of Love Squared’s primary values. We even got our best (only) David Attenborough impersonator in to do the voice-over.
Adorable heroes and creature companions
From John Lewis to Sainsbury’s, all the best viral Christmas adverts embrace the cute-factor. And whether they take the form of animals, humans, dragons or monsters, the bigger the eyes, the more we seem to love them.
Our designers and animators created relatable characters with big eyes and even bigger dreams.
We wanted to introduce an imaginary friend that brings joy to a child’s life, presenting creativity, resilience and fun as an antidote to loneliness and boredom – and so, best friends Rita and Howie were born.
A powerful song choice
Emotive covers of popular songs are a staple of the annual Christmas-ad-off. Possibly the most successful among these are the John Lewis Christmas adverts that feature big stars covering even bigger ballads – from Lily Allen’s rendition of Keane’s Somewhere Only We Know to Gabrielle Aplin’s cover of Frankie Goes to Hollywood classic The Power of Love.
Our Love Squared Christmas ad features an acoustic track with an emotional hook: “when we’re together again” – which pairs perfectly with the beautifully animated scenes about loneliness and newfound friendship. Oosh! Right in the feels.
Video and animation magic
The trick to a truly amazing Christmas ad is to fully immerse your audience, perhaps even leaving them thinking: “How did they do it?” Whether that’s through impeccable animation or beautiful videography, or a mix of the two.
There really are no limits to what you can do with video and animation (other than budget, of course).
Our Video and Motion Graphics team did an amazing job of directing, producing and animating an impactful campaign video to support Love Squared.
What’s more, they sprinkled humour in throughout.
Shout out to our A-list actors (A for ‘A member of our studio, marketing, HR and finance teams’) for some pretty impressive skills and even more expressive faces.
A good cause
At P+S, we’re passionate about supporting amazing initiatives and organisations that offer support in our local community. Partnering with Love Squared for this video was a no-brainer.
How do Christmas ads work for B2B brands?
Many B2B marketers mistakenly pour all their energy into lead generation, believing that B2B decision making is a head-over-heart endeavour, where common sense prevails. In reality, buying committees are equally as emotion-led as consumers, but with one key addition – risk.
It’s far more risky to introduce a lesser-known supplier/ partner to your business than it is to buy from an established one, so recognition and reputation are just as important for B2B brands – whose sales representatives are no longer in the room when these buying decision are made.
So, while we may not pour the same level of budget into TV and traditional media advertising, it’s still worth considering how B2B Christmas advertising can set you apart from the competition and make a memorable impression on prospective customers. Ultimately, you want them to remember your brand when they’re in market (just 5% of the time you spend plugging away at lead generation).
(For context: what are you talking about?)
I’m not worried about AI stealing my job as a content writer. I’m excited about how it will evolve.
AI tools have sky-rocketed my productivity, re-ignited my excitement for work and made me a better writer. Turns out, my pain points were never about a lack of inspiration or creativity. It was the lack of efficiency.
My boss always says, “Just break the white page, get something down and you’ve done the hardest part.”
Also known in the industry as the ‘SFD’ – shitty first draft.
Now, and preferably, forever, AI does the hardest part for me.
Mr Bucket’s original job screwing caps onto toothpaste tubes is content writing before AI.
I think this quote from the film sums up what that was like quite nicely…
“The hours were long, the pay was terrible, and occasionally, there were unexpected surprises.”
In the end, Mr Bucket gets a more interesting, better-paid role at the factory. Fixing and maintaining the robot that took his job.
I much prefer my new job of fixing and maintaining the metaphorical AI toothpaste robot.
Research is easier and more thorough. Article outlines are done for me, giving me an SEO-optimised structure which hits (and improves) my client’s briefs. I have an editor, PA, proofreader, sense-checker, and idea-suggestor, for free, whenever I need them. And we make a damn good team.
AI-written text can be good, but it’s not great. We all know its technical limitations, but its biggest flaw, through no fault of its own, is that it doesn’t care.
It doesn’t build relationships, collaborate with others, or get excited about what you’re trying to achieve. There’s no ‘above and beyond’ with AI.
It’s an out-of-the-box solution for a skill that’s anything but.
Maybe one day it will take my job. But I think the day humans stop writing is the day humans stop reading. In which case we’re all screwed anyway.
AI Oath🤚📕
I solemnly swear I did not open a single AI tool while writing this article.
But I probably should have. It might have told me it’s not as funny as I think it is. And I wouldn’t have spent half an hour deep-diving the Willy Wonka fandom.
In Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Charlie’s dad (William Bucket) lost his job because a new robot did his job more efficiently – and for less money.
