Are you feeling like your blogs and social posts are shots in the dark, fired out without a clear aim and, ultimately, missing the mark?

Or maybe you feel there are never enough hours in the day to be consistently updating your digital platforms, like you’re always catching up.

There are a number of reasons why your B2B digital strategy might be falling flat.

So, how do you keep the conversation about your brand, products, and services fresh and engaging, without sounding like a broken record? And why does it feel so challenging?

“…58% of businesses don’t have a digital strategy in place…”

It turns out, 50% of businesses don’t have a digital strategy in place. Those that do certainly aren’t immune to avoidable marketing mistakes. And, as Roger L. Martin – strategy and management expert, and author of A New Way to Think – puts it, strategy is NOT planning:

“A strategy is an integrative set of choices that positions you on a playing field of your choice, in a way that you win.”

In essence, strategy is a theory, meaning there is a ‘how’ and a ‘why’. The ‘why’ is the reason you choose to do it. And the how, is the way you plan to beat your competition – playing to your organisation’s strengths to gain opportunities and sidestep risks.

Why do you need a digital strategy?

Every business will have different aims, but here are some reasons you might want to dial up your digital strategy:

Your competition is growing a strong following and gaining market share

Digital platforms give you the opportunity to test what works and what doesn’t, helping you hone your messaging and stay competitive. If your competitor is gaining traction online, it’s likely no accident – you can bet they have a solid strategy in place.

You’re under pressure to do more with less where your marketing budget is concerned

Compared to traditional OOH marketing, TV and print, digital marketing can offer low-cost opportunities to reach even more people – both organic and paid. A robust digital strategy will help you prioritise where you spend that limited budget to maximise returns.

Your sales and marketing teams don’t have enough data to confidently modernise their approach

It’s a misconception that B2B sales are all about meeting rooms, suits and handshakes. In fact, a recent report from Sana found that 58% of B2B buyers prefer placing complex and high-value orders online. By harnessing the power of data in your digital strategy, you can learn a lot about your audience and their preferences. This has the power to transform your marketing communications, your sales patter and direct messaging, and dictate how and where you choose to advertise.

Your audience needs your products or services, but they don’t know it yet

Sometimes an extra step of awareness and education is needed to nurture prospective customers. If you have products or services that require a bit more explanation, digital marketing offers numerous opportunities to build anticipation and understanding, guiding them into the next stage of the funnel. LinkedIn advertising is a particularly effective way to educate a B2B audience.

How will you plan your strategy, to ensure success?

“Invest deeply in understanding the problem before proceeding. You create a strategy; you don’t pick one. Design and imagination are critically important to strategy.”

– Richard Rumelt, Good Strategy/Bad Strategy: The Difference and Why it Matters.

Diving deep into the complexities of your industry and consumer behaviour isn’t just helpful – it’s essential groundwork for crafting your B2B digital marketing strategy.

You’re battling lengthy sales cycles, multi-seat buying committees, and high-stakes transactions. So, it’s crucial to nurture your audience with a well-thought-out digital marketing strategy.

This means catering to every key audience persona, at every stage of the marketing funnel – from awareness, right through to decision.

Equally, business-to-business marketing is a competitive game. Developing an effective B2B marketing strategy requires an in-depth understanding of not only your industry and audience, but your competition.

Once you have your market research in place and a solid understanding of the pain points your audience is facing, you can figure out how you want to position yourself.

Key challenges when developing a B2B digital marketing strategy:

 

 

 

 

 

What to do?

1. Choose the channels you want to reach your customers on

Where can you find your audience? How do you want them to engage?

2. Develop a content strategy

Provide content that speaks to your audience in every stage of the buyer journey: awareness, consideration, decision, as well as making it unique and reflective of your brand. What value are you adding to your audience? How is your content going to solve their problems?

3. Use paid promotion to your advantage

Decide where you want to put your budget that will be most effective for you. For instance, do your customers mainly search for your product on Google? In that case PPC may be the most viable option. Or perhaps you offer a product that appeals to Gen Z – if so, consider TikTok, Instagram or Snapchat. Be sure to track your spending and the conversion rate to optimise wherever possible and get the most bang for your buck.

4. Map out the customer journey

Use tools like Hotjar and GA4, and any other analytics tools you’re subscribed to, and map the journey of your customer from awareness of your brand (social media engagement, for example) and first website visits right through to purchase.

5. Decide which tools best meet your aims

Ensure you research marketing tools carefully before subscribing, and select ones that most seamlessly slot into your processes, providing the most efficient and effective support for the least investment.

6. Get your hands on as much data as possible

Use it to evaluate the effectiveness of your digital marketing strategy, which should be flexible enough to adapt with your findings. Then, be sure to make use of A/B testing to find out how your data works in practice.

Not sure where to start?

Chat to us today for a free consultation and we can provide some tips to help breathe new life into your B2B digital marketing strategy, boost engagement and get you those all-important conversions.

Bristol integrated brand agency saintnicks has announced a further senior appointment with the hiring of Marcus Culloty as the agency’s new Creative Director.

Marcus joins saintnicks after holding the title of Creative Director at McCann Bristol. Before that, he was the Creative Director of The Mix Dublin, part of Pernod Ricard’s global in-house agency network.

With more than 17 years experience working for some of the UK and Ireland’s leading network and independent agencies including Havas, Publicis, and The Leith Agency, he has created a raft of award-winning campaigns for global clients such as Toyota, O2, Jameson and Dunlop.

Now as saintnicks’ Creative Director, Marcus will be leading the agency’s conceptual output alongside supporting with the mentoring, shaping and development of its creative studio.

On his appointment, Culloty said: “saintnicks has a great philosophy for crafting great work that helps their clients and their brands really fly. That’s why I can’t wait to dive in, be part of this experienced agile independent agency’s senior team and take things further than ever.”

It’s a time of continued growth for the Bristol agency with further new talent joining across the business. This month sees the arrival of Richard Canueto-Cook and Hannah Bain into the Client Services team as Account Directors. Both join with previous careers at Ogilvy, Havas and McCann.

The appointments coincide with another strong year for the agency after a consistent period of new and existing client growth within the automotive, sport and audio sectors and a string of industry award nominations.

Steve Davies, ECD of saintnicks commented: “The quality of talent and the versatility of skills in the agency has enabled us to generate stronger campaigns and deliver better performance metrics across the board. With over 65% of our business from international brands we are always seeking talent who can help us to take clients further, and Marcus is a most welcome and exciting addition to the team.”

Social media expert and Bristol Creative Industries member Luan Wise recently delivered a series of BCI events focused on practical insights for using LinkedIn to make connections, boost your business and find work. The first was tips on optimising your LinkedIn profile.

Dan Martin summarises her brilliant advice. 

—-

LinkedIn is one of the oldest social media networks having launched in 2003. It now has over one billion members in 200 countries and regions worldwide.

LinkedIn’s mission is to “connect the world’s professionals to make them more productive and successful”, with the vision of “creating economic opportunity for every member of the global workforce”.

Key questions to ask when building your LinkedIn profile

Luan advises asking yourself the following questions to ensure your LinkedIn profile is relevant and beneficial to what you are trying to achieve.

What will you be using LinkedIn for?

Who do you want to find your profile on LinkedIn?

How do you help solve their problems?

What keywords will they search for to find you?

Who would you like to be in your network on LinkedIn?

What do you want to be known for within your network?

Consider upgrading to a premium LinkedIn profile

Luan says that while there’s lots you can do with a free account, there are many useful benefits of paid accounts. Before upgrading to a paid account, think about whether the features will benefit you enough to justify the cost. LinkedIn offers a one month trial.

As a Premium Business user (currently £49.99 a month or £359.88 a year), the benefits are:

Think about settings and privacy

Luan advises to consider your privacy settings on LinkedIn and who you’re sharing your content with. Go to the visibility section to check your settings

One section you can switch off is allowing your network to see all your contacts. Luan says:

“Leaving it switched on would be like walking into a room and leaving all of my data assets, my connections, my business cards on the table. I don’t want everyone to see so I switch it off.

“I would suggest that you switch yours off, but if you’re looking at someone else’s profile, and you’re in a sales, or business development mindset, there’s nothing stopping you having a look if they haven’t adjusted that setting.”

Choose a great LinkedIn headline

Your LinkedIn headline appears on your profile and every time you post, so make it count! Luan says:

“By default it will be the job title and company name taken from the ‘experience’ section of your profile. But job titles can sometimes can be a bit vague, and company names don’t always communicate what you do, so add a descriptor.

“For example, if you’re freelance and offer a multitude of skills, you could change your headline to say ‘I help these types of clients by doing this.’

“Have a look around LinkedIn, and see what other people have done with their headlines. Think about making a good first impression, what will appear in search results and what will appear alongside everything you do on LinkedIn.”

Use the ‘experience’ section to show how you can help

The ‘experience’ section of your profile is the CV-like section of your profile, “but unless you are job seeking”, Luan says, “reframe it to be a description of your role and responsibilities and how you can help the person that you want to be viewing your profile.” She adds:

“I would also encourage you to include a small paragraph describing the organisation you work for. If you’re part of a team, all your colleagues should use the same paragraph. Tell people what your company does, its size, its client portfolio etc, so people immediately understand what you do and how you can help.

“You will naturally include keywords that people are searching for. You can also add assets such as website links, videos, PDFs etc.”

See the ‘skills’ section as a place for current keywords

In the ‘skills’ section, which allows you to get endorsements for your skills from other people, Luan instead has switched endorsements off and uses it a place to showcase current skills that people are searching for:

“I see the skills section as a set of forward facing keywords. I don’t include all the skills that I’ve developed throughout my career, because there things that I don’t want to do anymore and services that I don’t want to offer. There are also skills, such as AI, that I’m starting to develop and want to be found for over the next 12 months.

“As I’m keeping the skills section up to date, my personal thoughts are that it would take a lot of work to get endorsements and I think there are ways that I can show evidence of my work, my credibility and my skills elsewhere on my profile.

“So my advice is use the skills section, but think about your organisation, the services you offer and your personal skills. You can allocate them to other sections of your profile as well, such as the ‘about’ and ‘experience’ sections. I personally don’t do this but if you’re job seeking or starting out in a new business and want to show more evidence, you might want to showcase them in other sections.”

Recommendations: Quality over quantity

Testimonials about you from real people are a powerful way to showcase your skills. These appear in the ‘recommendations’ section of your LinkedIn profile. Luan says:

“Recommendations add credibility, endorsement, and social proof to your profile. Ask your peers, colleagues, and clients for recommendations. Go for quality and substance over lots of people saying that you’re great.

“Think about who you want to be named on your profile, and what they can say about you to add to your story.”

Use the ‘about’ section to tell your career story

Luan says the ‘about’ section is a brilliant place to bring everything together, tell your story and explain why people should connect or work with you.

“This isn’t a CV-style personal statement. I want to see your career story. I want your highlights. I want to know what you’ve done and who you’ve done it for. If you can name drop, then name drop. Tell me what you’re doing now. At the end, put a call to action.

“You will naturally include keywords, and you can keep it up to date to reflect why you are using LinkedIn at any given point. I change my ‘about’ section often, depending on what I’m looking for and what I’m working on.”

Key actions

In summary, Luan’s key tips for creating a great LinkedIn profile are:

You can connect with Luan Wise on LinkedIn here, follow Bristol Creative Industries here and join our LinkedIn group here.

Bristol-based CRM specialists Flourish have today joined forces with the creative services agency Curious and The Harbour Collective, in what is the first step in the development of a new marketing company – the Harbour Group.

The group will be led by Paul Hammersley. Previously founder of Harbour Collective, Hammersley will become the CEO of Harbour Group, with Hugo Varney taking on the role of CFO. Before forming Harbour, Hammersley was a chief executive of DDB and Cheil. He launched Harbour in 2017.

Hammersley said, “For some time we have been discussing with a number of our Collective member agencies how to more closely align their shared interests and create a more connected plan for future growth and value creation… central to those discussions has been our desire to allow for the continued autonomy of the agency Brands.”

Founded in 2004, Flourish built its reputation in CRM and Customer Journey marketing, working for clients such as Nissan, Twitch and ASOS. Today, the agency employs over 50 people and operates from offices in Bristol and Dubai.

Of Flourish’s three founders, Neil Hecquet and Rich Hartson will be departing the agency, whilst Keith Nichol will remain, taking a position on the Harbour Group board. Nichol said, “The last 20 years have been such an incredible personal experience. I couldn’t have hoped for better partners than Neil and Rich and both have been instrumental in Flourish’s success. The time has come to push on and this opportunity with Harbour enables us to add our strength to a wider group proposition.”

Ian Reeves, Flourish’s Managing Director, said “The Harbour Group vision is clear and offers our clients tangible value through vertically integrated and complimentary services. We’re excited to start the journey alongside Curious and believe their offering can help push the creative barriers of what can be achieved within CRM.”

For more information, please contact Aimee Blakemore, Marketing Manager at Flourish on 01173 117620 or aimee.blakemore@flourishworld.co.uk.

About Flourish

Flourish, which has offices in Bristol and Dubai, is a CRM agency “specialising in the development and delivery of personalised data-driven experiences, direct communications and content”. Its clients include Nissan, Bet365 and Asos.

www.flourishworld.com

About Curious

Curious is a “tech-driven agency that provides design, artwork, photography, video, CGI, and content distribution services”, with clients that include Diageo, Specsavers and Patek Philippe.

www.curious-productions.co.uk

About Harbour

Harbour Collective, described as a “standalone company which manages a membership base of a number of independent agencies”, includes Live & Breathe, Pretty Green, Thursday, Platform, Digital Natives, TCO, Just So and Mi Media.

www.harbour.london

With the 2024 general election taking place on 4 July, members of Bristol Creative Industries share what they would like to see for the sector from the next government.

We also outline the specific promises for the creative industries included in political parties’ general election manifestos. 


“Everyone is quick to support the creative industries and our contribution in theory, but it’s the delivery of that support in practice that matters. Support means access to funding – proper grants, that actually give companies what’s needed to innovate and accelerate. It’s also about making that funding fully accessible to all.

“It’s been interesting to read the different parties’ approaches to small business in their manifestos (and the lack of focus on it, in some). I like the idea of the FSB’s Small Business Act, particularly measures like making HMRC as helpful as possible, and penalising late paying companies, which can have a devastating impact on smaller firms. Overall, I’m optimistic for change.”

Jessica Morgan, Carnsight Communications


“We’d like to see greater collaboration between the government and educational institutions to develop curriculums tailored to the evolving needs of the PR industry, especially around adopting AI in PR practices.

“We see a real commitment from UK businesses in ESG initiatives and we think the next government should encourage sustainable practices further through incentives for green initiatives and sustainable business operations.

“Lastly, we’d like to see the implementation of economic policies that foster a stable and growing economy, open financial markets, and provide capital to drive innovation after a prolonged period of uncertainty and upheaval.”

Laura Lear, AMBITIOUS


“The creative industry faces two significant challenges: attracting and retaining skilled talent and securing financial support to facilitate investment and growth in a challenging economic environment.

“Many creative businesses are small and agile, enabling them to deliver results with minimal resources. However, for these businesses to reach their full potential, the next government must acknowledge the creative sector’s value and contribution to the UK economy and provide tangible support.

“That means offering tax incentives to small businesses and startups, increasing access to loans and grants – and not just for R&D – expanding and supporting creative apprenticeship programmes, and providing business support programmes specifically tailored for small and creative businesses.

“Finally, we need greater market visibility and opportunities to access national and international trade.”

Catherine Frankpitt, Strike Communications


“Creative businesses are heavily dependent on eduction. Recruitment is not easy and neither is it easy for freelancers and employees to keep their skills current. We need really solid education right from pre-school to continuing professional development.

“The National Education Service proposal in the Labour manifestos of 2017 and 2019 would have worked very well for creative businesses. Unfortunately it doesn’t appear in the 2024 manifesto.”

Adam Nieman, Real World Visuals


“There is a huge gap or opportunity to support creative business owners with better business management training, e.g. mini MBAs for small creative service firms. Most agencies are lead by creatives or technicians, without a grounding in leadership, management, finance, business strategy, marketing etc. and most “get stuck”. Mini MBA type programs, similar to the Goldman Sachs offer and perhaps provided through university business schools would help agency founders to get basics right, to save years of plateauing and enable them to focus on growth rather fire fighting.”

Janusz Stabik, digital agency mentor


“The arts have recently been diminished within education and the national curriculum, so support should be focused around embracing and building back creativity and arts within schools for the next generation of designers and creatives.”

Paul Ellis, Oakwood


“When will any government make 30 day payment terms mandatory across businesses? It would bring a level of certainty of cash flow for creatives across the sector and reduce the amount of wasted time chasing paperwork.”

Neil Sims, Oakwood


“I would like to see a change in pay reporting from businesses to help tackle the gender pay gap. The government states that businesses over 250 people must publish their pay scales, but 98% of the design industry employ less than 50 people. Changing this pay reporting to include smaller businesses will help close the gap, along with other incentives that can help tackle gender pay inequality.”

Alison Harvey​​​, Oakwood


“It was disheartening to read in The Guardian that design and technology could potentially be removed from the national curriculum within four years. This stark possibility underscores the urgent need for immediate government action to support and promote the creative industries.

“To continue building the creative sector, further focus needs to be placed on education, advocacy, and innovation, ensuring the sector not only survives but thrives in a rapidly changing world.

“Education is where it begins. The government must recruit and keep inspirational teachers who can inspire and cultivate the future generation of creative individuals. Quality educators play a crucial role in motivating students and equipping them with the necessary skills to excel in creative industries.

“It’s also crucial to advocate for the creative industry and change outdated perspectives to promote diverse career paths. Traditional career guidance often emphasises professions like policing or accounting, while overlooking the numerous opportunities available in creative industries. It’s important to shift this discussion in educational institutions, as well as with parents and the community, whilst showcasing success stories and the economic potential of creative careers.

“Innovation is at the heart of the UK’s creative accomplishments. For instance, consider Sir Tim Berners-Lee’s creation of the World Wide Web or the iconic design of the Mini car. These examples illustrate the UK’s leadership in problem-solving and generating new ideas. To continue this momentum, the government needs to provide support to creative start-ups, allocate funds for arts research and development, and promote collaborations between businesses and creative professionals.

“So, let’s remember what we’re good at as a nation, continue to nurture it, and constantly innovative, to remain at the global forefront of creativity.”

Ryan Wills, Taxi Studio


“As a specialist SEO agency, we are seeing such transformation with AI powered search and recognise the impact this will have on our clients. We are focused on building our AI innovation expertise and investing in our agency team and talent, so that we are constantly ahead of the curve.

“We are strong advocates that the next government must focus on digital skills education to help prepare our future creative industry workforce. We see investment in digital and AI education, skills, initiatives and training will be crucial for businesses like ours, so we can recruit exceptional talent for the future.

“We believe the next government must also foster collaborations between educational institutions and industry, to help bridge skills gaps and by investing in these, the government can empower and future proof the creative sector to help drive economic growth.”

Tom Vaughton, Varn


“The next government’s priorities should be on building confidence in the economy to support stability and growth, holding businesses to higher social and environmental standards, and supporting arts and creative education to nurture future talent and innovation.

“I also can’t help but mention that being more collaborative, open and friendly with Europe will bring in more opportunities for work and market access, which would be a big win for the creative sector.”

Ed Garrett, The Discourse


“We would like to see an updated approach to skills and training, that includes apprenticeships and skills bootcamps which are better suited to industry’s needs and the types of (self/contract) employment that make up so much of our workforce.

“The current inability of freelancers to access quality extended CPD through apprenticeships is a big barrier to those wishing to upskill and take on new clients & responsibilities.

“We also feel that there is a space for new training solutions that support people with some experience to gain enough skills to be be fully employable. Skills bootcamps are a partial solution but there is a big gap between 60 hours worth of skills training and 12-24 months of an apprenticeship. A mid-way offer that facilitates, for example, a graduate in one discipline to move into another related (e.g. music tech to events technician) one would unlock a huge amount of potential.”

Nick Young-Wolfe, MUTI Live


“The UK represents vast untapped potential for creative businesses. For young people, entry into the industry remains something of a closed shop, achieved via well-trodden paths. Any efforts to broaden these pathways are largely driven by charities or pro bono work by smaller businesses. So we’re undoubtedly missing out on millions of incredibly talented people, and they’re missing out on what could be exceptional careers.

“The incoming government should invest meaningfully in giving the next generation more exposure to what our industry can offer, and easier access to financial and professional support that would make a creative career a viable option for all, regardless of background. Then let’s see what we could achieve!”

Ailsa Billington, Proctor + Stevenson


“The critical area where creative businesses, specifically SMEs, are likely to fall down in the next few years is around developing the digital and emerging tech skills to remain competitive and current. I’m hoping that the new government not only extends its investment of funding for the SME creative community to upskill their teams, but also facilitates better collaborations between business and academia to ensure future training options are both fit for purpose and accessible to businesses of all sizes.”

Lucy McKerron, Purplefish


“Businesses have faced so much disruption and uncertainty in recent years that stability wouldn’t go amiss.

“That’s why, above all else, I’d like to see focus from the next government. I hope this fosters sustainable growth and effective planning, instead of short-term fixes.

“Establishing a supportive environment for green technology, renewable energy, affordable housing, education, and skills is crucial. Running across this is an urgent need to provide sustainable funding for local authorities which stand on the brink of financial collapse.

“These are not ethereal things distant from people’s lives, even if they may not be headline grabbers in themselves. They affect how we live, work and learn.

“Addressing them takes long-term planning. That’s why focus, and purpose, matters. Without it, progress becomes more difficult.”

Ben Lowndes, Distinctive Communications


“Recognise and recompense the creative industries for the contribution to the UK economy and wellbeing. Appoint a secretary of state for culture, media and sport who has worked in business. Provide vital finance for the running of smaller galleries, theatres, museums and music venues. Explore innovative funding models for reducing ticket prices, i.e. an ‘entertainment tax’ for Google, Netflix, energy suppliers etc.

“Reduce bureaucracy for funding applications and encourage collaboration versus competition for industry bodies. Urgently work with business and implement policy to critically improve career access for under-represented groups. Acknowledge that the foundation of the industry is freelancers and review their tax treatment.”

Rachel Lane, Ladbroke Gnomes


Making Tax Digital (MTD) has been a massive cloud over our heads for about a decade now and we are still not ready for it. I’d like to see more understanding for the creative industries in regards to keeping the threshold at £50,000 turnover before MTD for income tax is compulsory. Creative business owners are not ready, and some don’t even know about it enough to apply everything that comes with it successfully. If it is voluntary, more will come on board without any major issues. It is all about how it is handled rather than enforcing. Make it voluntary or give them more time to provide funded training.”

Yarka Krajickova, Action Your Accounts


 

Andy Clarke, Huho Consulting


What political parties have promised for the creative industries in general election manifestos

Here are policies specific to the creative industries included in political parties’ general election manifestos:

Conservative Party [read the full manifesto]

– “deliver a dedicated flexible coordination service so that everyone who wants to work in the film, TV, gaming and music sectors can work on live productions whilst benefiting from at least 12 months of secure training”.

–  ensure creative sector tax incentives “remain competitive”.

–  ensure creators are “properly protected and remunerated for their work, whilst also making the most of the opportunities of artificial intelligence (AI) and its applications for creativity in the future”.

–  launch a review of England’s nighttime economy, “looking at how to reverse the decline in pubs and clubs and how to make our towns and cities great places to go out”.

–  the Conservative Party says “the BBC should represent the perspectives of the entire nation with diversity of thought, accuracy and impartiality as its guiding principles. The party says it “will carefully consider the findings of the Funding Review ahead of the next Royal Charter and ensure it upholds these principles”, and also “introduce a new complaints process for the BBC so the BBC does not mark its own homework”.

Labour Party [read the full manifesto]

Labour’s general election manifesto refers to its ‘plan for the arts, culture and creative industries‘ which it published in March 2024:

–  “find the right balance between fostering innovation in AI while ensuring protection for creators and the ongoing viability of the creative industries”.

–  make sure that a freelance career in the arts remains a viable prospect through a “New Deal for Working People”.

–  seek arrangements with the EU to facilitate easier touring and cultural exchange

–  support creative SMEs, and prevent the loss of local cultural spaces through “Space to Create”, “the first national cultural infrastructure map”.

–  support arts and cultural organisations “which will enable growth in the wider creative industries by making sure there are pathways from grassroots art and culture to creative careers and support the broadening of audiences”.

–  collaborate with the sector, the Creative Industries Council, Arts Councils and other public funders to “create a finance models to attract more funding from different sources into arts organisations”.

– “work constructively to make sure the BBC and our other public service broadcasters can carry on investing in the companies that create distinctive creative output which is exported across the world; and to continue informing, educating and entertaining people across the country for generations to come.”

– launch a review of Arts Council England to consider how best to position the organisation for the next decade.

–  introduce the National Music Education Network as a ‘landing point’ for parents, carers and teachers.

–  support the museums and galleries sector to make more, high-quality images available for free, and “to bring incredible art and artefacts into communities”.

–  tackle ticket touting by capping resale prices and giving the Competition and Markets Authority powers to regulate resale platforms.

–  create a National Data Library “to bring together existing research programmes and help deliver data-driven public services…whilst maintaining strong safeguards and ensuring all of the public benefit”.

–  support the development of the artificial intelligence sector and remove planning barriers to new datacentres.

Liberal Democrats [read the full manifesto]

–  “protect the BBC, S4C, BBC Alba and Channel 4 as independent, publicly owned, public service broadcasters.”

–  “promote creative skills, address the barriers to finance faced by small businesses, and support modern and flexible patent, copyright and licensing rules.”

–  “negotiate free and simple short-term travel arrangements for UK artists to perform in the EU, and European artists to perform in the UK.”

–  establish creative enterprise zones across the UK to grow and regenerate cultural output.

–  appoint a dedicated minister of state for tourism and hospitality.

–  maintain free access to national museums and galleries.

–  apply to participate fully in Creative Europe to improve funding.

–  require at least 80% of on-demand TV content to be subtitled, 10% audiodescribed and 5% signed.

–  “support independent, Leveson-compliant regulation to ensure privacy, quality, diversity and choice in both print and online media, and proceed with part two of the Leveson Inquiry.”

–  pass a “anti-SLAPP law” to “provide robust protection for free speech, whistleblowers and media scrutiny against Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPP).

– “support the BBC both to provide impartial news and information, and to take a leading role in increasing media literacy and educating all generations in tackling” the impact of fake news.

–  implementing the Competition and Markets Authority’s recommendations to crack down on illegal ticket resale.

–  “create a clear, workable and well-resourced cross-sectoral regulatory framework for artificial intelligence that promotes innovation while creating certainty for AI users, developers and investors”.

–  negotiate the UK’s participation in the Trade and Technology Council with the US and the EU “so we can play a leading role in global AI regulation”.

Green Party [read the full manifesto]

–  invest an extra £5bn over five years for local government spending on arts and culture.

–  VAT axed on tickets for local theatre, cultural events and hospitality.

–  visa-free access to the EU for UK musicians.

–  “implement the 2012 Leveson Report recommendations on cleaning up the media and reinstate the second part of the review.”

–  help the night-time economy through a review of planning regulations and giving local authorities the powers to ensure there is space for cultural life.

–  push for rules on media to be tightened so that no individual or company owns more than 20% of a media market.

–  new grants to encourage the growth of local news publishers.

–  introduce a Digital Bill of Rights that “establishes the UK as a leading voice on standards for the rule of law and democracy in digital spaces”.

“push for a precautionary regulatory approach to the harms and risk of artificial intelligence”, and “align the UK approach with European countries, UNESCO and global efforts to support a coordinated response to future risks of AI”.

–  “insist on the protection of the intellectual property of artists, writers and musicians and other creators, ensure that AI does not erode the value of human creativity and ensure workers’ rights and interests are respected when AI leads to significant changes in working conditions”

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Duration: 10 weeks

Cost for Large Employer: £681.75 per person (30% contribution towards the cost of training)

Cost for SME Employer: £227.25 per person (10% contribution towards the cost of training)

Delivery Location: Bristol Training Institute, 12 Colston Avenue, Bristol, BS1 1XH

Eligibility: Funding is ringfenced for Employers based in the West of England Combined Authority region of Bristol, Bath & North East Somerset, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire.

Course Content: This course is suitable for employers to upskill their staff.  The course content is under pinned by the Association for Project Management (APM), Project Management Qualification (PMQ) and will reference the APM Book of Knowledge (BoK) 7th Edition.

Units covered include:

Noble Deeds charity competition to launch at ‘Be Better Bristol’ event

4th June, 2024, Bristol-based digital marketing agency Noble Performs has announced it will be launching this year’s Noble Deeds competition for Southwest charities and not-for-profits at its ‘Be Better Bristol’ event on 27th June at St Georges concert hall.

Now in it’s third year, the Noble Deeds initiative provides one local charity with pro bono digital performance marketing support for a six-month period and is opened every June as a competition which regional not-for-profits can enter.  The prize fund increases each year in line with Noble Performs’ turnover growth and will stand at £25,000 for this years’ winners.

This year, the launch of Noble Deeds is being marked by a ‘Be Better Bristol’ event, which will see the local business and not-for-profit community come together for the evening to discuss how to do better and be better across the city for mutual benefit.

Designed to inspire new connections and collaborations, speakers include Nick Sturge from TechSpark, Mark Flower, CEO of Age UK South Gloucestershire and Caroline Amran from Babassa, which helps young people from less advantaged communities into work and education.

“We’re super excited to be launching our Noble Deeds charity competition at this year’s Be Better Bristol event. Our business is all about being better and doing better and making meaningful connections, which is why we chose to launch our business in Bristol in 2018. The city has a real sense of community and collaboration which is such a fit with our ethos and we’re always looking for ways to bring people together to share ideas for inspiration and innovation, said Kate Sikora, managing director, Noble UK.

“On that note, we’d love any interested local charities and not-for-profits who’d like to come along to our Be Better Bristol event on the 27th June to get in touch. As well as entering our Noble Deeds competition for pro bono digital marketing support, the evening will be a great opportunity to network with local businesses and community members,” she added.

Past winners of the Noble Deeds programme include Heart of BS13, a south Bristol social enterprise which supports people living in Hartcliffe, and Emmaus Bristol, which helps people out of homelessness and poverty (pictured).

Noble Performs Bristol hopes to replicate the impact of its US parent company as its UK business grows. Noble’s Nevada Deeds programme has been running for nearly 15 years and donates over US$200,000 to charitable causes each year.

Open to all Southwest based registered charities and not-for-profits who wish to enter themselves as potential recipients, the Noble Deeds support package up for grabs includes upskilling of the existing marketing team ensuring a long-lasting impact for the winning organisation.

To enter, registered charities or not-for-profits must be Southwest based and complete a simple application form, which will be live on the Noble Performs website from Friday 28th June until Friday 12th July.

The entries will be judged by a panel made up of an internal committee of the UK Noble team, with the winner selected by the end of July 2024.

The Bristol-based charity that wins a place on the programme will secure a package of digital marketing support and skills training tailored to suit its specific needs, however this could include; SEO, PPC, Analytics and Paid Social. The package of support is anticipated to run from September 2024 to February 2025 depending on specific requirements.

To find out more about Noble Deeds please visit https://nobleperforms.co.uk/deeds/

To register your interest to attend the Be Better Bristol event on the 27th June please contact event organiser: Mel@melbeebyclarkepr.co.uk

 

Bristol based PointZeroGroup has acquired world leading employee experience agency Home.

The acquisition sees Home join a growing network of employee communications and experience agencies in Bristol under the PointZeroGroup banner, further strengthening the city’s reputation as a hotbed for creative brilliance in this field.

The addition of Home to the PointZeroGroup adds employee experience to their service lines for the first time and strengthens their already burgeoning global client portfolio. All group clients now have access to a full suite of employee and candidate propositions.

PointZeroGroup now consist of Home (employee experience and internal comms), RewardPointZero (benefits communications), That Little Agency (social and digital), and BrandPointZero (employer brand). All group agencies are based in Bristol.

PointZeroGroup founder and BrandPointZero Managing Director Andy Bamford said,

“We have admired Home for a long time. Their work in employee experience and internal communications is second to none and a great addition to the PointZeroGroup. They have built an enviable group of experts that we’re now proud to call colleagues. We look forward to collaborating with the team at Home as we grow together in the coming months.”

Home will continue to operate from their office at Unicorn Park, Whitby Road.

The Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), Thangam Debbonaire, Labour MP for Bristol West, met boomsatsuma staff and students to find out more about the challenges and opportunities facing the independent training and funding for the regions Creative Industry sector,  joined by representatives from Better Society Capital, Bristol & Bath Regional Capital and Access – the Foundation for Social Investment.

The visit to Leadworks, one of boomsatsuma’s six training centres across Bristol, Friday 10th May, gave the MP first hand insight as to how boomsatsuma delivers education differently, bringing opportunities to the often-marginalised communities across the city. The award-winning Bristol-based disruptive educator has seen demand for its courses from students feeding into careers within the regions’ thriving creative industry sector rise year on year.

Thangam Debbonaire, MP, engaged in discussions delving into the potential for ethical funding routes for the betterment of communities, culture and education. She states:

“It was great to visit boomsatsuma and see how their brilliant facilities and staff are enabling students to take their talent to the next level. I’m proud of Bristol’s vibrant cultural life. As Culture Secretary in a Labour government, I’ll work with institutions like boomsatsuma to secure the creative talent pipeline our city needs so that it can continue to generate joy, jobs and wealth that we all benefit from.”

boomsatsuma has been supported with around £800k investment from City Funds, the place-based impact investment fund managed by BBRC, which underpinned significant expansion and enabled higher capacity. City Funds is a £10m fund created for investment from Better Society Capital, Bristol City Council and Access: The Foundation for Social Investment.

Founder Mark Curtis explained:

“It’s great to have this opportunity to have a dialogue with our local MP, who clearly shares our passion for culture, sports and (can see) their importance to the local society and economy. It’s encouraging that there is top level recognition that these sectors are important and require training pathways, beyond Maths and Engineering, to meet the needs of the employers and also fulfil the passions to give the next generations a voice.”

Mark continues:

“A significant challenge for providers like boomsatsuma is that although we could meet the demands of expanding student numbers and align new courses with the regions’ skills agenda, we have had no direct access to central Government or the Education & Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) to support our growth and demand. We have increased our engagement with Business West and West England Combined Authority over the past year and today’s visit will hopefully help consolidate our position in the local creative training landscape.

“While we enjoy very positive relationships with our education partners (at Cabot Learning Federation and Olympus Academy), it’s unfortunate that we are capped by the current system that restricts our ability to grow and scale into new markets and territories. Without systemic change we can only reach a limited number of young people.

“Sometimes to make a difference you have to actually do things differently. We are hoping the next administration will support us in this.”

Stephen Muers, CEO, Better Society Capital said:

“Boomsatsuma is a brilliant organisation helping to channel Bristolian talent into creative jobs. Organisations like this which help people access the UK’s thriving creative industries are invaluable and we are so glad to support Mark and the team. We appreciate boomsatsuma’s hospitality, and it was great to be able to show Thangam Debbonaire a wonderful example of the role social investment can play in a really important local business.

Social investment can help transform lives and we are eager to work with the next government to unlock billions more pounds of private investment into tackling the UK’s social issues and grow the economy.”

Ed Rowberry, Chief Executive, BBRC, said:

“BBRC is delighted to have invested in boomsatsuma by deploying blended finance at the local level via City Funds.  The blend of finance, sourced from Better Society Capital, Access and Bristol City Council has enabled boomsatsuma to continue to deliver on its important mission to provide pathways for young people particularly those from Bristol’s marginalised communities, into the region’s creative and digital workforce.”

 

Pictured:

The Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), Thangam Debbonaire, Labour MP for Bristol West, with boomsatsuma staff and students, Better Society Capital, Bristol & Bath Regional Capital and Access – the Foundation for Social Investment. Outside of Leadworks, Bristol.

Picture by Jett Morgan, Year 2 Photography level 3 student at boomsatsuma College

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