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Integrated brand agency saintnicks has taken home two honours at the UK Social Media Awards 2025, reinforcing its position among the country’s leading independent creative agencies.

Competing against ten national and global network agencies and household names including Waitrose, TUI, Specsavers and Currys, saintnicks claimed Gold for “Best Long-Term Strategic Use of Social Media” for its partnership with Ascot Racecourse, and added Silver for “Best Integrated Campaign” for Royal Ascot.

The UK Social Media Awards celebrate excellence in creativity, innovation and impact across the industry. These latest wins mark saintnicks’ fourth major award of 2025, recognising the agency’s ability to deliver standout results for high-profile clients against world-class competition.

“This recognition reflects the strength of our team and the quality of work we deliver,” said Fraser Bradshaw, CEO of saintnicks. “It’s great to see our efforts acknowledged and to have our clients’ trust reaffirmed through results like this.”

The win reflects saintnicks’ continued success in delivering social media strategies and campaigns that break through the noise. The agency’s award-winning work for Royal Ascot can be seen here.

Looking ahead, saintnicks will be continuing to push boundaries in social and content, with fresh ambitions for 2026 and beyond.

If you’d like a chat about your challenges or request a complimentary social audit, drop them an email and say hello. You can find out more about our social media and content expertise here.

We work with a number of clients who are hesitant to post about their employees on social media. The reason? A fear that showcasing great talent might lead to that talent being poached. 

And I can kind of see it. When you’ve got someone exceptional on your team, you naturally want to protect that. But there’s a flip side: by keeping your people behind the scenes, you might be missing out on something even more valuable. 

Your people are your brand. 

People want to connect with people. They want to see the faces behind the work, hear the stories, and understand the culture. When you celebrate your team publicly, you’re not just giving them recognition, you’re giving your brand a face and a voice.  

Employee advocacy is one of the most powerful tools out there. It builds trust, humanises your business, and helps attract future clients AND future talent. And when your team feels seen and valued, they’re more likely to stay. 

If the fear of poaching is really strong, it’s worth asking: what’s keeping your employees loyal? 

Because the truth is, if someone’s going to leave, they’ll leave whether or not they’re featured on your Instagram grid. What keeps people is culture, growth, and a sense of purpose. And public recognition plays a part in that. It shows your team that you’re proud of them, that you value their contribution, and that you’re willing to invest in them.  

 So yes, someone might notice your brilliant employee. But they’ll also notice the culture that supports them, the leadership that celebrates them, and the brand that’s confident enough to share its strengths. 

Fear of poaching is common and understandable, but it really shouldn’t be the reason you hide your people. Instead, focus on building a culture that makes them want to stay! Celebrate them. Support them. Let them be proud to represent your brand. 

When your team thrives, so does your business. 

It’s only been recently that influencer marketing has hit brands, but it’s currently coming at full force. Deemed a more authentic, more trustworthy form of advertising, people connect with the people on the screen in front of them. It feels less intrusive, like getting a recommendation from a friend compared to a billboard ad shone at you.  

And if you’re a brand starting your influencer marketing, there’s a few things to keep in mind. Knowing the difference between projects and partnerships, and what they can actually achieve for your brand, means you’ll be able to not just use influencers, but use them well.  

 

Projects

For product launches and seasonal promotions, short term influencer projects can be effective for quick results, and grabbing attention fast. This usually doesn’t require a contract, and it’s a good way to test the waters with your chosen influencer, and make sure the messaging works for both parties.  

Projects are a more budget-friendly alternative, and they can even be used for A/B testing, if you want to test various influencers’ content before committing to a long-term relationship.  

But of course, any quick burst of engagement will have drawbacks. If it’s a one-off post, the majority of the influencer’s audience will ultimately miss the message of your brand. Whilst projects are good in a time crunch, there’s also a higher risk of error, whether that’s logistical (like a missed item in a PR package), or in brand messaging (if the influencer doesn’t fully understand your brand).  

So yes, projects will grab attention quickly, but at a time with so much content across social media, you’ll lose that attention twice as fast.  

 

Partnerships  

When you opt for a long-term influencer partnership, you’re essentially promoting them to be a brand ambassador. They learn your brand inside and out, and their content reflects this. Through various campaigns, you have a real opportunity to have someone advocate for your brand in an authentic, credible way. And with influencer marketing firmly on the rise, audiences can tell when an influencer actually believes what they’re preaching, instead of when they’re just being paid to press post.  

For long lasting impact, influencers are great for championing a brand to a niche community. More and more we’re seeing micro and nano influencers develop a focused audience, with higher levels of engagement and trust. There’s a lot of power in being able to say you’ve followed a creator since day one, and a lot of audiences are here for being a part of that journey. So if you get your influencer talking about your brand early days, your brand awareness grows as their audience does.  

This trust works for a variety of businesses, but is particularly important for healthcare and cosmetic sectors. We’ve set up influencer partnerships for a hair transplant surgery, and having that time to build a relationship is key in providing reassurance to the influencer. When you’re showing a physical transformation, whether this is a hairline restoration or any aesthetic ‘tweakment’, you need an ambassador to show others your expertise, and let the long-term results speak for themselves.  

Partnerships require a lot more strategy, time and money, so it’s not something to jump into without being fully prepared. Stay flexible, keep track on your investment, and make sure the relationship is still working towards the overall business goals.  

 

What are you actually trying to achieve?

If influencers weren’t good at what they do, they wouldn’t be able to influence anyone. They’re skilled at storytelling, and their content can be a perfect way for brands to get their message out without having to produce everything in-house. But, like with any marketing, you have to know what you’re actually trying to achieve. If you’re after a quick win, there’s nothing wrong with a one-time collaboration. But if it’s consistent brand building you’re after, having an influencer partnership gives you that long-term awareness, and makes sure your message always looks credible.  

 

Found an influencer, but unsure how to get in touch with them? Have a look at our tips here.

saintnicks has been shortlisted in two categories at The Lovie Awards 2025, recognising the agency’s standout work in Digital, Content, and Social Media. The nominations come off the back of a flurry of other nominations, including four at the UK Social Media Awards, two at the Sports Business Awards, and one at the Digital Impact Awards.

The Lovie Awards recognise European Internet excellence in the fields of culture, technology & business. In addition to traditional judging, each category has a People’s Lovie Award, voted on by the public.

You can support saintnicks by clicking the links below and placing your vote ahead of the deadline on Thursday October 16th:

Email Newsletter – LIV Golf
Events & Livestreams in Social Media – Ascot Racecourse

Regarding the nominations, Callum Joynes, Head of Content at saintnicks, said:

“We’re over the moon to be recognised at The Lovie Awards this year. It’s a celebration of the creativity, ambition and craft that our team pours into every project for our clients at LIV Golf and Ascot Racecourse, and we’re proud to see that work shine on a European stage.”

originally posted to www.carnsight.com

 

How is AI reshaping search and SEO from a media perspective?

I was pleased to share some thoughts on this with Zee for TechRound’s Epert Share series. The discussion couldn’t have been more timely… we’ve been chatting about it in the office lately, and we’re seeing the impact in real time when tracking coverage or doing client research.

As I said in the piece:

“Search engines are increasingly pulling from earned media (like press coverage and mentions in trusted publications) for information and authority rather than advertorials and owned media sources. This shift is a credit to the growing importance of PR, editorial online content, and organic third-party validation for brand visibility.

“We’re seeing the same thing with users switching to platforms like ChatGPT and Copilot to search and sort through information, and even Google’s own AI Overviews feature, displacing Google SERPs. Forbes reported earlier this year that nearly 41% of consumers trust Gen AI search results more than paid search results, while only 15% trust AI less than search ads.

“So, even from a trust perspective, there’s been a big shift in how people are perceiving search results, as well as the mechanics of how they’re being sourced and reported. The takeaway for businesses is that earned media is making a comeback.”

(Sidenote: it never really left, but it IS doing double duty now)

“It’s always been powerful for reputation and word of mouth, but now it’s pulling even more weight with AI-powered search and SEO. So, maybe don’t spend ALL of your budget on commercial activity.”

Earned media has also historically supported SEO, online visibility, and domain authority. It’s being valued not only by people doing due diligence – customers, candidates, partners, and that one nosy neighbour – but by algorithms.

Of course, AI-assisted search isn’t replacing traditional search or paid content just yet. SERPs still rule the roost. But changes ARE happening. For brands relying solely on owned or paid media, it’s worth rethinking the balance.

When both AI tools and real users are increasingly prioritising third-party credibility for search, you want to be ahead of the curve. Not, say, scrambling to catch up… or pawing at an exhausted budget.

If you haven’t seen it in action yet, test it. Search for your brand using an AI tool or Google’s AI Overview. Look at what’s cited. Compare the results to a traditional Google scroll.

You might be surprised by what’s showing up, and what’s not.

 

If you’re ready to level up your visibility in other online domains, here’s how to rank for social search.

In short:

We find ourselves talking about Earned Visibility a lot at the moment, and for good reason. The new world of AI search is as seismic a shift for marketing, brands, and consumer discoverability as moving into the age of the internet was. For those who haven’t been keeping up, Earned Visibility is our approach to discoverability in the new world of AI.

But what is the difference between Earned Visibility and earned media?

What is Earned visibility?

The world has changed. At the time of writing, 62% of Brits are now using AI-enhanced search to find information over traditional search engines, and this trend is not slowing down.

Gone are the days of customers looking for a brand via traditional search and being presented with ten blue links. Gone are the days of customers reading multiple sources to get an answer.

Now, whether someone is looking for a complex understanding of a personal health issue or where to find the best holiday deals, instead of scouring multiple sites and running multiple searches, people are increasingly turning to AI-powered search.

The result? If your brand is not included in the answers that AI tools are showing users, then your brand is basically invisible.

In response to this tectonic shift, we have been spending a lot of time and effort working with data scientists, experts, and a variety of platforms to get ahead of things and understand exactly what brands need to do today and tomorrow to be discovered by consumers. We call this Earned Visibility.

Earned Visibility covers everything from:

Basically, it’s a new way of approaching the world of marketing.

The bad news? If you’re not embracing Earned Visibility and you’re not being recommended in AI answers, then your consumers won’t be finding you.

The good news? One of the upshots of this fundamental shift is that doing the right things to be included in the AI answer closely aligns with brand and marketing best practices in general. Marketing is no longer about tactical silos – it’s coalescing around the future of discoverability. This is Earned Visibility.

If you’re interested, you can find out more about this as well as discover your exact EV score here.

What does earned media mean?

Whilst it may sound fairly similar, there is a huge difference between the meaning of earned media and Earned Visibility. Earned media is a term that refers to brand mentions, social media mentions, customer reviews or media coverage in channels that a brand does not own. Not to be confused with paid media or owned media!

For example, if your brand has carried out a proactive press engagement campaign that has resulted in your brand being included in The Times, The Guardian, or others, this is earned media.

Earned media has, and continues to have, inherent value. Customers are more likely to trust content that is presented to them by a known news or media title than content presented directly by a brand.

Think about it: is your opinion more likely to be swayed by an article presented by British Airways saying “we’re the best airline in the world,” or by an article on the BBC website saying BA has just been voted the best airline in the world?

Whilst earned media has a crucial role to play in the new world of AI discoverability, it is fundamentally different to Earned Visibility itself.

But isn’t earned media a key part of how AI makes decisions?

In short, yes! The framework of Earned Visibility includes a range of factors that any forward-thinking brand should be embracing when it comes to getting in front of customers and influencing consumer behaviour.

AI tools absolutely use media coverage as an indicator for brand quality and trust. What’s more, media coverage continues to be incredibly important in terms of influence and consumer behaviour.

In essence, earned media should be a key part of an Earned Visibility strategy.

So what’s more important?

Both are important, but you should start with Earned Visibility.

Earned visibility is an entirely new way of approaching the world of marketing. A considered Earned Visibility strategy, when implemented properly, will mean that you are doing everything you should be to get your brand included in AI answers –  but also everything you should be doing more broadly in terms of reaching and engaging with your customers across the wider marketing mix.

The key here is that activity should no longer be approached in tactical silos, but seen as part of a wider whole.

A great first step is to understand how you are currently performing in terms of your brand’s Earned Visibility score. You can find your own Earned Visibility score here.

Contact the Yours Sincerely team to begin building your Earned Visibility strategy.

originally posted to www.carnsight.com

 

We hear the phrase “we’re a best kept secret” from prospective clients more often than you’d think. We work with a range of companies which have never done PR before, and often limited marketing altogether, so it’s understandable they feel that way. 

But is there anything wrong with staying a “best kept secret”? Often businesses have been operating and growing and have been satisfied with the progress they’ve made. So, the short answer is, no. Every business is different, and every business’ goals are different.  

However, if you feel it might be time to let the cat out of the bag, it’s worth considering if PR could work for your business. As we’ve said before, no business is too dull for PR, provided you take the right approach, use the right messaging and target the right audience. And although it can be a challenge to get results when starting from a completely blank slate, it can also present an opportunity. 

Here’s what you might benefit from if you start spreading the word through a strong PR strategy:  

The ecosystem of PR

PR activity never exists in isolation. Once you start raising your profile, one opportunity leads to another. For example a news release could lead to a request for a comment piece which could lead to a judging or speaking opportunity. It’s not always that linear or that instant, but it does happen. You could be the perfect person for a journalist to quote in a piece. But, if you don’t start raising your profile and sharing your expertise, you can’t begin that journey. We’ve written more about the benefits of the PR ecosystem on our blog. 

A clear story you can (all) get behind

We start off PR activity with our Four Lens Messaging Session. This not only gives us the chance to get to know you and your company really well, it also gives your company the chance to get together and ensure everyone’s aligned on your key messages. As a busy founder or leadership team, you don’t always get the opportunity to come together and focus on that.  

Content to share further

I was talking to a prospective client today and she said (without prompting!) that she was keen to generate some content with authority to share on LinkedIn. She was happy to share her testimonials and blogs but they were only getting her so far. This is the right way to look at it. Your comments in a feature, an interview or an op-ed is ready made content for you to share, tagging the journalist and publication and giving everyone a clear indication of your point of view (and of the fact you’re available to comment further). 

SEO or GEO (AI-powered search) benefits

PR has long been important for search engine optimisation (SEO), but with the rise of generative engine optimisation (GEO) or AI-powered search, it will become even more key. That’s because AI-powered search (searching through large language models like ChatGPT) doesn’t involve “crawling” data in the same way as search engines like Google. Instead, it creates content, drawing on authoritative sources like media publications. So it’s more important than ever to consider investing in PR pros to get you into those publications meaningfully.  

Attracting new business

This is probably the number one reason people come to us – to reach a new audience. Their current networks will only get them so far. PR is not a pure sales channel – we’re clear about that – but it is a touchpoint as part of that sales journey. And it’s a channel that can pack a punch, allowing you to showcase products, opinions and news in multiple places, if done smartly. We’ve had feedback from clients that their strong media presence has had influence over their being chosen over competitors, and that’s incredibly rewarding. 

Nudging lapsed clients

And how about your lapsed clients? You may have a robust system for contacting previous clients, or you may not focus on that, but either way, having a media presence is a great way to remind them you’re still out there and still doing great work. Likewise with current clients – it’s never a bad thing to show them the breadth of your capabilities through a good PR strategy.  

Recruitment

And last but not least, PR is great for your current staff and your future team members. It allows people to discover more about you, especially if they’re doing their due diligence. We’ve even run successful PR campaigns all about company recruitment. And it’s good for your current staff to see a company championing their way – and potentially even them – in the media. 

So although there’s nothing wrong with secrets, you might find there are benefits to lifting the lid. Some of which you might not have anticipated. For more on the benefits of PR, have a look at our blog. 

saintnicks has been nominated for ‘Best Community Development’ at the Digital Impact Awards for their work across social media with POSCA UK.

The Digital Impact Awards set the benchmark in digital stakeholder engagement, celebrating the best digital communications from brands. This nomination recognises the creativity, strategy, and measurable impact of saintnicks’ partnership with the Mitsubishi Pencil UK team.

Inbound activity to POSCA’s social media channels has quadrupled, and the brand’s own response actions have increased more than tenfold. The brand was sent and tagged in over 10,000 pieces of social content in just the first four months of 2025.

Cath Eaton, Social Media Manager at saintnicks, said:

“In just a short time, our partnership with Mitsubishi Pencil has built a vibrant, engaged community on social media, that delivers real results. This nomination for the Digital Impact Awards is a fantastic recognition of the dedication and collaboration behind our work – something the whole team is incredibly proud of.”

 

When people hear PR, they often think of press releases, media coverage, and crisis comms. And while those are certainly part of the job, the reality is…well, just a lot more. Working in PR, especially at a smaller agency like Carnsight, means wearing a whole host of hats. Some days we’re strategists, other days designers, and sometimes we’re all of the above before lunch. 

Here’s a peek into the many roles PRs play in a typical week: 

  

PA/VA 

From scheduling interviews to managing inboxes and coordinating campaigns, we PRs often find ourselves in VA mode. Organisation is key in PR, and being able to juggle multiple clients, deadlines, and media opportunities requires top-tier admin skills. We’re also often a bit of a go between when it comes to the press and the client.  

  

Graphic designer 

Visuals matter. And while we’re not specialists, there’s a lot of graphic design in what we do and so PRs really have to have an eye for design. Whether it’s creating social media graphics or laying out newsletters, we regularly tap into our design brains. Tools like Canva are a real help when it comes to bringing our clients’ stories to life visually. 

  

Business consultant 

PR is as much about strategy as is visibility. We often consult with clients on their broader business goals, helping them align their communications with their brand identity, target audience, and long-term vision.  

  

Copywriter 

Words are our bread and butter. From crafting compelling press releases and blog posts to writing website copy and social captions, we spend a lot of time telling real life stories and making sure they resonate. Tone, clarity, and purpose are everything!  

  

Marketer 

PR and marketing go hand-in-hand. We help clients build campaigns that integrate earned media with owned and paid channels. Whether it’s launching a product or promoting an event, we’re always thinking about how to maximise reach and impact. 

  

Photographer 

Sometimes, the best way to tell a story is through imagery. We find ourselves behind the camera more often than you’d expect (though of course a professional photographer is always advised) capturing headshots, event photos, or lifestyle shots for content. It’s all part of building a cohesive brand presence. 

  

Content creator 

We brainstorm, plan, and produce content across platforms, from Instagram reels to LinkedIn articles. It’s about creating value, sparking engagement, and staying relevant. Content creation is arguably one of the hardest things about the job. Social media is fast paced and often our clients are busy and don’t have the resource to spend time generating content that keeps up – that’s where we come in.  

  

  

Why it matters 

  

Wearing many hats isn’t just a quirky part of the job, it’s actually essential (and honestly, hard work).  In a fast-paced, ever-evolving industry like PR, versatility makes all the difference. It allows us to be agile, creative, and deeply connected to our clients’ needs. 

So next time someone asks what I do in PR, I might just say: “A bit of everything.”