Since 2019, Square Works has become the byword for luxurious serviced offices and co-working in Bristol. We started with the aim of building a community where professionals could work, network, relax and socialise in an environment that offered the very best – from an exciting events calendar to a light and airy workspace that members can truly enjoy.
Situated on the beautiful Berkeley Square, a ten-minute walk from the city centre, Square Works is spacious, airy and filled with contemporary art and natural light. This unique workspace is spread across three elegant Georgian townhouses, with a range of conference and meeting rooms, communal spaces, kitchens and a fitness suite.
As a BCI member you can get 10% off memberships and meeting rooms at Square Works, contact our reception at [email protected] to take advantage of this offer.
For the past five years BeOnBoard operated as a project under TBIT, making significant strides in their mission to ensure that businesses in the South West are reflective of the diversity of the teams, their clients and the communities they serve.
Founded by the inspirational Kalpna Woolf, who also leads the charity; 91 ways to build a global city, the charity was being incorporated to realise the ambitious growth plans.
Through the research we conducted what became clear was that if leaders with the same background make decisions through the same lens, they will get the same outcomes. Where are the fresh ideas? The different outlooks? The challenges to tradition? Where’s the change? BeOnBoard brings the diverse talent they’ve coached and nurtured to boardroom tables.
The proposition: BeOnBoard connect businesses who are ready to embrace new ideas with the people who have them. Those who have a hunger for growth and innovation. And they do it not just from an equitable standpoint, but from a commercial one. It’s just better business.
Our programme of work included:
To see how we can help, visit talismansparro.com
🌸Towards Change Exhibition for Inclusive Advertising🌸
We are thrilled to announce a showcase of civic powers to transform advertising content from controversial to inclusive messaging from our workshops we’ve conducted to the public every week.
See the fusion of social, academic, and advertising industry unravels the impact of stereotypes in advertising and provide a platform for dialogue, learning, and change.
This exhibition is proudly sponsored by Launch, a Google Premier Partner and two-time winner of Europe’s Best Small PPC Agency. Thanks to their generous support, admission is free, making it accessible to everyone interested in exploring this transformative display.
🌸Speaker Session (18:00 – 19:00)
Carol Watson, Chief Inclusion Officer at BCW ( Global Agency)
Dan Srokosz, Creative Director, AgencyUK
Megan Gibson, Paid Media Director, AgencyUK
Dr. Junko Yamashita, Professor at the University of Bristol
Ms. Samantha Ford, Marketing lecturer at the University of Bristol
🌸Comments are from
Polly Wyn Jones, Kantar Global Knowledge Manager, Creative & Media
Nendra van Wielink-Mohamed, Global Media Practitioner
Dr. Terrell Carver, Professor of Political Theory at the University of Bristol
Joyann Boyce, TedX Speaker, Founder AI Consultancy
Olu Osinoiki – 📸 Wedding Photographer
Bristol-based communications and marketing firm Purplefish has become employee owned. Joanna Randall, who formed the award-winning business in 2012. has sold 100% of shares to the new trust.
The Living Wage business, located in Bristol’s creative business community at Paintworks, was awarded B Corporation certification two years ago and becomes the first PR agency in Bristol to make the transition to employee ownership.
As part of the transition, a new board has been appointed and Joanna Randall will remain an active executive board director of the business which sees associate director Lucy McKerron promoted to the role of managing director. They are joined by two employee trustee directors, senior account manager Jonathan Adams and account manager Zoë Fawcett.
Working across technology, property and leisure sectors across the South West, nationally and internationally, the business joins the ranks of a growing number of UK businesses making the move to employee ownership.
As an employee-owned business, the team will have greater input into the running of the business and its future, benefiting from a share of the profits.
The company is also celebrating a clutch of new client wins in recent months including experience business Yuup and agency collective firm Istoria.
The move is celebrated with a new website for the business which reflects the value of harnessing emerging and generative AI technologies while maintaining a human-centric approach to communications and marketing.
Commenting on the move, Randall said: “This is a really exciting time for the business. As a sole owner and shareholder it can often be an isolated role so I’m really looking forward to being part of the new management team in defining our future direction.
“I believe our traditional business structures are becoming outdated where companies are run for the sole benefit of owners and shareholders – employee ownership offers a more authentic way of running a business where commercial growth is still a focus but the benefits can be shared more equitably.”
New managing director Lucy McKerron said of her new role and the future direction for Purplefish: “I’m incredibly excited to be stepping into the role of Managing Director here a Purplefish, an agency I’ve come to know so well and love in the last two years since joining the team. The business is perfectly aligned with my personal values of integrity, creativity, and compassion, providing rewarding work for both myself and the wider team – something which will only be emphasised as we move into our EOT model.
“I’m looking forward to continuing to innovate as a business, both for our existing and new clients as we grow and evolve. We’re committed to leaning into the opportunities emerging technologies can bring while maintaining our human-centric approach to creativity, our connection to the issues that matter, while continuing to help our clients stand out and thrive.”
The government’s 2024 Spring Budget takes place on 6 March. Bristol Creative Industries members share what they would like to see in chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s speech for creative businesses.
“One thing we’re not looking for from the spring budget is a handout. After many conversations and hearing discussions at industry events, I don’t believe most businesses want this either. I set Distinctive up about three months before the not-so-mini budget in 2022. That single event made trading harder for our clients and us, deterred investment and had real life impacts on our colleagues.
“Given this context, another tax cut won’t touch the sides. What I’d like to see from the spring budget, first and foremost, is firm commitment to supporting things vital for sustainable economic growth and enabling us to plan effectively. Whether you call the state we’re in a ‘technical’ recession or not, that’s clearly not happening yet.
“If the economy is to stand a chance of growing sustainably, it needs investment in sectors like green technology, renewable energy, affordable housing, skills, and education. We also need a sustainable funding settlement for local authorities who are on the brink of financial collapse. Handouts grab the headlines, but they won’t address these fundamentals.
“It’s going to take more than one budget to change things for the better. But the government has a crucial opportunity with this budget to set a positive path, for an innovative, resilient creative sector and the broader economy.
“Progress will be harder without this.”
Ben Lowndes, Distinctive Communications
View Distinctive Communications’ profile here
“As with many businesses in the South West, recruiting exceptional talent is a key priority for Varn, so investments in digital skills training programs are crucial going forward. We are focused on the impact of artificial intelligence (AI), innovation and how search marketing will be evolving, so I hope to see initiatives from the government around education and investment to recognise that we are in an era of constant change.
“Allocating resources to establish AI-focused programs in schools and universities will help prepare our future creative and digital workforce. I’d love to see initiatives and apprenticeships tailored to AI and technology fields, in order to incentivise students to pursue learning in these critical areas.”
Tom Vaughton, Varn
View Varn’s profile here
Relevant post: How Bristol Creative Industries members are using AI
“While the past few years have been an incredibly exciting time for the creative sector in Bristol, we are currently grappling with navigating emerging technologies, rising costs, and increased competition.
“I’m hoping for more grant provision for evolving businesses to invest in team training and development, specifically in use of AI, automation and new tech. This is critical to helping Bristol retain its innovative creative reputation on a national and international stage, while helping to continue to attract and retain talent in the city.”
Lucy McKerron, Purplefish
View Purplefish’s BCI profile here
“Working within the digital space, we’re always striving to innovate, particularly to bridge the gap between tech and physical, providing people with new and personalised experiences. As tech evolves at pace, the creative industries within the South West must have access to the new techniques, new languages and innovations needed to ensure they remain relevant.
“Our hope for the Spring Budget is that there will be further investment into supporting access to that tech, not just for those already working in the industry, but also ensuring inclusive access to the critical emerging talent coming into the sector.”
Alex Saxon, Tiny Spark
View Tiny Spark’s BCI profile here
“It would be great to see a clear and strategic plan for the creative industries, notably arts and culture, that supports investment in skills and infrastructure. There needs to be a multifaceted approach across funding, facilities, business development and planning to nourish a thriving local arts and culture ecosystem. This requires collaboration across government agencies and community stakeholders.
‘The government’s creative industries sector vision published in June 2023 needs proper goals and funding if it is not to become an empty promise like Like Build Back Better and Levelling Up.
“At this stage in an election year however, it’s probably too late. The budget will inevitably focus on tax incentives to meet the expectations of traditional conservative voters.”
Catherine Frankpitt, Strike Communications
View Strike Communication’s profile here
“I would love to see a centralised portal of financial support available for the UK creative sector. Huge pots of money exist, all managed by separate entities – from Innovate UK to Arts Council England and Digital Catapult.
“We’re creatives at heart, not financiers or MBA holders, and it can be challenging enough to find them, check eligibility, and see what they’re able to fund – and that’s before you’ve even started the application.”
Russell Jones, JonesMillbank
View Jones Millbank’s profile here
Relevant post: Guide to funding for creative businesses in the West of England
“We believe that AI has amazing potential as a complementary tool for the creative industries. We have seen the hype around this technology soften at the start of 2024 – primarily because people are realising that it takes time and effort to learn how to get good results. This is why training is such a vital part of realising the full value of AI.
“We think a fund to support recruitment and training of early careers talent into creative services, targeted on increasing digital/AI skills, would help ensure that the UK’s creative sector remains world leading and provide a valuable avenue for younger generations to acquire the skills they’ll need to navigate a digital future.”
Colm Hebblethwaite, Stratton Craig
View Stratton Craig’s BCI profile here
“With ESG and sustainability a key focus for many of our clients, we’d like to see the government put in place measures which will support and incentivise investment in net zero, particularly for smaller businesses who are facing financial constraints.
We’d also like to see research and development tax breaks prioritising sustainability-focused industries, such as renewable energy, mobility and facilitating the circular economy. With the right investment these sectors can be the growth engine of the UK; and Bristol is already leading in many of these areas. The budget is an opportunity unleash more of this potential.”
Katy Barney, AMBITIOUS
View AMBITIOUS’ BCI profile here
Relevant post: Which ESG platform is right for me?
“We’re officially in recession, but the truth is that we’ve been feeling the effects of a difficult economy for a long time, as smaller business owners as well as consumers.
“What I don’t want to hear in the budget discussion is how many “tough decisions” have been taken. As business owners, we understand tough decisions and take them most days! There are over 5 million businesses like mine which are often called the “backbone” of the economy, so we need to be respected, understood and supported. I don’t want to be used as a political pawn.
“I’d like some policies aimed at helping us to grow. Moves like an increase in corporation tax and a decrease in dividend allowance will affect the smaller business community disproportionately. When I get together with fellow small business owners, there’s a strong sense of support. I’d like to see that sense coming through from the government and wider business community.
“The consistently late payers that put small businesses under pressure are the large corporates, in my experience. I would certainly like a clamp down on late paying, which can be crippling.”
Jessica Morgan, Carnsight Communications
View Carnsight Communications’ BCI profile here
Relevant post: Tips for running a small business by Bristol Creative Industries members
The human touch has returned as a top prospecting priority due to digital lead generation marketing automation overload, a major new survey of UK new business and agency leaders has revealed.
The seventh annual UK New Business Barometer by specialist new business consultancy jfdi and strategic insight agency Opinium found that 88% of respondents used management connections to prospect, with 44% citing this a top strategy.
Another 68% said they asked clients for referrals and 67% formed alliances and partnerships. The report said the change is likely driven by email overload and an explosion of pushed content in an over-supplied agency market.
Camilla Honey, CEO at jfdi, said:
“In our challenging new business market, competitive edge is everything and it’s interesting to see the human touch is overriding overwhelming digitally-based automated approaches. AI watch out!”
The survey, which included responses by several Bristol Creative Industries members, also found that ideas that deliver, are practical and affordable are winning pitches. Ir revealed that in the current difficult economic environment, the proportion of respondents saying they commonly win projects because of ideas that are deliverable, practical and affordable rose eight points to 33%.
Another trend highlighted by the study was that only around 50% of the ideas and recommendations presented in pitches are executed, which jfdi said confirmed winning pitches requires more than answering the brief.
When asked about the reasons for winning pitches, 73% said relevant and expertise was important, a figure that was 6% up on last year. Another 69% said it was due to good chemistry.
For unsuccessful pitches, more than two fifths (43%) of respondents reported client withdrawal of budget as the most common reason for not winning a pitch. This was up up 10% on the 2023 study despite having been broadly stable for the past six years.
Other reasons include “rarely given a reason” (41%), “economic uncertainty”, (33%); “ideas not deemed affordable” (20%), and “agencies failed to demonstrate relevant expertise/capability” (18%).
The cost of losing pitches escalates exponentially by size of agency, the study revealed, with every agency spends more annually on losing pitches than they do on winning ones.
The report showed small agencies are spending on average £86,000, medium agencies spending £350,000, and large agencies are spending £1.4m on losing pitches.
“This shows how a marginal gain in conversion can feed down to the bottom line with more budget available to spend elsewhere in the business,” the study said.
The study warned of a “ticking stress bomb”, with 70% of new business practitioners reporting their role becoming more stressful over the last 12 months. The report said “this worrying trend signals the need to ensure mental health welfare and wellbeing in this space”.
Josh Glendinning, research director and partner at Opinium, said:
“The New Business Barometer’s unparalleled insight shows how the pressures of a tough economic environment are cascading through the marketing industry. Clients are demanding more than ever during the pitch process but finding it more difficult to provide concrete assurances to agencies that work will be commissioned.”
Additional findings in the report included:
For a full summary of the report, email [email protected]
Don’t lose sight of your new business pipeline
10 top tips for getting the pitch over the line
How to prospect for new business without losing your soul
How creative businesses can write the perfect positioning statement
Mental health in the workplace: Why we need a culture change
Podcast: Wellbeing tips for small agency owners
Mental health for agency owners
In uncertain economies, it’s understandable that businesses review their budgets. Often, marketing spend is one of the first costs to be slashed – part of a defensive, cost-cutting strategy.
This ‘batten down the hatches’ approach is an instinctive reaction. Why keep spending when every penny counts? But the data speaks for itself. This is a time for marketers to be proactive, not reactive.
A Harvard Business School study of 4,700 businesses during past recessions found that those who reduced costs selectively were 37% more likely to come out of the period in a stronger position than their competitors. By focusing more on operational efficiency, while investing in marketing, R&D, and new assets, these businesses could stay ahead of the competition and hit the ground running when the economy bounced back.
“…those who reduced costs selectively were 37% more likely to come out of the period in a stronger position than their competitors…”
To many, this may feel counter-intuitive. But brand growth is driven by an investment in long-lasting commercial impact. And, as any professional investor will tell you, success lies in buying low and selling high. In times of recession, media is cheaper, and the landscape is quieter as your competitors begin to retreat. So, the longer-term impact – as we come out of recession – should be greater.
That’s the theory anyway.
Luckily, there’s robust data to support this theory. The WPP Centre for Research and Development provides us with important insights from the past into the performance of brands through a downturn. It bases its analysis on data from the Profit Impact of Market Strategy (PIMS) database.
The PIMS database is the only source from the past that contains both marketing data and financial information for the same brands throughout the period of the study.
It’s tempting for businesses to show bottom-line results by cutting advertising spend in a downturn, especially when under pressure to report short-term quarterly results to investors.
However, the PIMS data shows that cutting advertising spend in a downturn doesn’t increase your short-term profits.
The WPP paper concludes: “Those that cut their advertising expenditure in a recession lose no less in terms of profitability than those who actually increase spending by an average of 10%. In other words, cutting advertising spend to increase short-term profits doesn’t seem to work.”
Whilst it might seem risky to increase spend in a challenging economy, the data from the PIMS database shows that it’s easier to gain market share in a downturn than it is in better market conditions.
“businesses in the PIMS database enjoy a higher rate of share growth during downturns, and a lower rate of share increase during stable periods and periods of growth.”
View image 1 in blog here.
View image 2 in blog here.
Increasing market share increases marketing ROI in the long run.
Increasing marketing spend in a downturn will naturally show a short-term fall in ROI for most businesses, depending on their sector. Figure 3 shows, on average a reduction of 1.9%.
However, there’s only a 0.1% difference between those cutting their spend by an average of 11%, and those increasing spend by an average of 10%.
View image 3 in blog here.
As we’ve seen from the data in Figure 1, even a moderate increase in spend resulted, on average, in an increased market share during a downturn.
For larger increases in investment, the WPP paper comments: “Brands increasing their spending by an average of 48% during a recession win virtually double the share gains of those who increase their expenditures more modestly. While this aggressive increase in advertising is associated with a drop in return on investment of 2.7% in the short term, it may nevertheless be acceptable to the marketer looking ahead to post-recession growth.”
Further, as demonstrated in figure 4, there’s a substantial body of evidence to show that a larger share of the market generally leads to a higher return on marketing investment in the longer term.
View image 4 in blog here.
So, we know there’s a case for being especially intentional about marketing during a downturn. But what should that look like?
A proactive approach to marketing during a recession should focus on maintaining a consistent and confident presence. This means keeping up with brand awareness campaigns and ensuring your identity, messaging and value proposition stay true, relevant and strong. It’s the wrong time to shy away from stand-out, brand-led marketing.
As The Drum puts it: “All these brand DNA pieces need to be considered and are valuable in building strong, long-lasting relationships with customers – especially during tough economic times where they are more cautious with where and how they are spending their money.”
So even scaling back on advertising could be a mistake if you want to gain market share and a competitive advantage. And while investing in SEO, PPC and lead generation might seem more pressing than brand and awareness, a strong, visible presence might just be the key to long-term success.
Don’t dismiss this case study because P&G is a large consumer brand. Studies by Binet & Field show that the principles of B2C brand building apply equally to B2B brands.
Without a doubt, the decisions we make today will affect the health of our businesses substantially for the longer term. So now, more than ever, we should ground our strategies in empirical data to avoid strategies based on fear and emotion.
So, while we’re all under considerable pressure to revisit our marketing strategies, remember the evidence from the past:
Whether you need advice or support with positioning, visual identity, a digital refresh, or all of the above, we’re here to help. Get in touch and book a free consultation today.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +44 (0)117 923 2282
Internal branding and communication are a critical part of the marketing mix for any company. Your business needs to be a place people want to work. And that goes beyond simply listing the benefits and occasionally posting something on the intranet.
Your employees need to understand your purpose and ambition, and why it should matter to them. They need to consistently feel engaged and be kept in the loop. Engaged employees become advocates for the brand, which can have a tangible impact.
And why do you need them?
Engaging ‘brand ambassadors’ within an organisation can ensure your brand is communicated effectively and consistently between employees, leadership and the business itself. Whether it’s through workshop events, campaigns, or organically through your culture, it’s important to educate employees on your brand, its values and what’s expected of them.
“…engaged employees become advocates for the brand, and that can have a tangible impact…”
According to Deloitte, 73% of employees are more engaged when they believe they work for a purpose-driven company. And, as the Hinge Research Institute states:
“A formal employee advocacy program helps shorten the sales cycle. Nearly 64% of advocates in a formal program credited employee advocacy with attracting and developing new business, and nearly 45% attribute new revenue streams to employee advocacy.”
Prysmian Group is a global manufacturing giant, with over 28,000 employees worldwide. Sometimes that means that, when an opportunity comes up, the best person for the job already works for the company. But they might be on the other side of the world.
Prysmian’s HR and internal communications team needed a way to let the whole company know about these vacancies. It had to be distinct from other internal communications and stand out on the intranet.
“…a tried and tested model, all wrapped up with an eye-catching, stand-out brand campaign across various digital touchpoints…”
So we took the idea of ‘Internal Job Posting’ and made the IJP brand and campaign. By including real Prysmian people and sharing their internal recruitment story with the rest of the company, we were able to paint those who had already successfully used the service as champions, advocates and advisors.
Knowing that people you know or recognise have already been through the process builds trust. We were able to take away the ‘leap of faith’ feeling – delivering a tried and tested model, all wrapped up with an eye-catching, stand-out brand campaign across various digital touchpoints.
View video in blog here.
Prysmian Group also has a programme called YES, which stands for Your Employee Shares, which gives a discounted rate to employees wanting to invest in the company, plus some free additional shares that can be sold for the full rate 36 months later. The aim is simple – reward and encourage loyalty.
In 2018, Prysmian Group acquired its American competitor, General Cable. There was some resistance to this from the new American team, as there often is when competitors merge. So Prysmian wanted the newly expanded group of companies to get off on the right foot, and to welcome the new General Cable employees in with open arms (and a new perk).
We updated the YES brand to make new and existing shareholders the spokespeople for the programme, with their ‘signatures’ all over the campaign. This meant we needed lots of original footage of those enrolled in the programme emphatically showing their support.
“…the results exceeded all expectations, doubling the number of employee shareholders in just 12 months…”
There are only small windows where people have the chance to buy into the scheme, so we had to get our timings, impact and delivery methods spot on. Lots of Prysmian’s workers don’t regularly need to use a computer for work, so the approach needed to be hybrid – on and offline – and cohesive throughout.
The results exceeded all expectations, doubling the number of employee shareholders in just 12 months.
The Islamic Solidarity Fund for Development (ISFD) was in desperate need of a brand that reflected the ambitious and aspirational aims of the fund – to reduce poverty in member countries.
The brand needed to be something the internal team understood and could rally behind and be proud of. And it needed to be more clearly in line with the rest of the IsDB Group, which holds a lot of political capital.
As part of the discovery process, which is critical to the success of any branding and change-communication piece, we gathered inputs from a cross-section of the organisation, as well as some of the external bodies they work with in the NGO and not-for-profit sector. This meant we could accurately address the needs of the wider team.
So one of the core deliverables of our branding process was a simplified strategy document, an employee handbook, a poster with the key themes of the new brand, and a simplified version of the brand guidelines, which will all be used at ISFD’s ‘launch’ day.
This would give the whole team the understanding and the knowledge to apply and represent the brand in the best and most accurate way possible, and articulate why it is so important.
The success of each of the projects we’ve highlighted relied on getting the right information to the right people, at the right time. This is the core principle of all good marketing.
You need to bang the drum. Communicate your values and your mission – share the reason your team should be as passionate as you are.
Internal marketing has impact from the top down. Deloitte finds that “82 percent of leaders who say their companies have a strong sense of purpose expect to grow […] compared to just 67 percent of leaders who didn’t feel that sense.”
“…you need to bang the drum. Communicate your values and your mission – share the reason your team should be as passionate as you are…”
If your colleagues are singing from the same hymn sheet, they will feel more engaged, more included, and more supportive of your common goals. And the way they speak to external partners, suppliers and customers will align seamlessly with your outbound marketing and brand messaging.
Whether you need advice or support with positioning, visual identity, a digital refresh, or all of the above, we’re here to help. Get in touch and book a free consultation today.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +44 (0)117 923 2282
Rhombus is excited to draw inspiration from the city to continue Bristol Beer Factory’s incredible design work across cans, kegs, casks, merchandise, and more. The partnership will encompass the core beers and the brewery’s special releases, pouring a fresh touch into every new brew.
Rhombus Studio, a proudly independent design agency from Bristol, crafts identities, and websites for progressive businesses, change-making charities and forward-thinking people. Their commitment to creativity and community aligns with Bristol Beer Factory’s vision, a brewery that lives, breathes and brews Bristol.
This collaboration is more than design; it’s about values and a shared commitment to the local community. BBF has always looked for ways to give back – recently, the brewery launched Brewed to Give – contributing 2% of their total brewery sales to activities that uplift people and places across Bristol.
Brewed to Give supports a range of vital community services across the city, from primary school play equipment, subsidised sporting activities for young people from deprived areas, cooking classes for asylum seekers and refugees, and mental health therapies for men to care and support for people with terminal illnesses.
Bristol Beer Factory and Rhombus Studio are raising a toast to community, creativity, and collaboration – cheers to giving back!
To find out more about the causes BBF champion, visit Bristol Beer Factory’s website.
