AI and copyright of content is a controversial issue in the creative industries, with the government receiving 11,500 responses to its consultation on the UK’s legal framework for copyright. Ministers say they are reviewing all the responses and technology secretary Peter Kyle said:
“I am determined to harness expert insights from across the debate as we work together to deliver a solution that brings the legal clarity our creative industries and AI sector badly need in the digital age.”
We asked some Bristol Creative Industries members what they think the government should do. See below for their responses.
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Russell Jones, JonesMillbank (see JonesMillbank’s BCI profile here):
“Jean-Luc Godard (1930-2022), a pioneer in filmmaking, said “It’s not where you take things from – it’s where you take them to”. Had he lived three more years, would he be saying the same thing about the generative imagery we’re seeing today?
“When nothing is original, and humans have copied and been inspired by others since the dawn of time, where do we draw the line between human inspiration and en-mass machine learning?
“Nobody has the answer yet, but any regulation must be worldwide – human-wide – to avoid creating an AI-divide.”
Phil Robinson, Proctor + Stevenson (see Proctor + Stevenson’s BCI profile here):
“I believe clarity and fairness are the two critical factors here. AI offers exciting creative opportunities, but we need a legal framework that respects the rights of artists while helping us explore new tools. Creators should know if their work is used to train AI, and there must be proper consent and fair compensation.
“I’d like to see rules that protect originality but also empower creatives to be ambitious and produce incredible work. If the government gets that balance right, AI could become a genuine asset to the creative industries, not a threat to them.”
Catherine Frankpitt, Strike Communications (see Strike Communications’ BCI profile here):
“Creative professionals are natural early adopters, so we must balance protecting our intellectual property with harnessing AI’s potential through proper legal safeguards.
“The government must work urgently with creative and tech sectors to establish a legally enforceable framework requiring clear disclosure of AI training data sources and mandatory opt-in licensing. We need a distinction between AI as a creative tool versus unauthorised training on copyrighted works. Creators must retain ownership and receive fair compensation for any AI usage of their work. Given AI’s global reach, this framework needs both robust UK legislation and international coordination.
“Finally, we must move at pace with regular legal reviews to ensure our protections evolve alongside the technology, preventing creators from being left behind.”
Mark Shand, UWE Bristol (see UWE Bristol’s BCI profile here):
“The proposals in the government consultation reflect an inconsistent approach to intellectual property, favouring undisclosed AI companies (other industries compensate creators), while disadvantaging university copyright holders across culture, research, education, business, science, and health. It places an unfair burden on creators, remains vague, appears technically unfeasible, and perpetuates business practices that undermine creators’ control and compensation.
“We are also concerned by the accompanying narrative, which frames creators as being at odds with ‘innovators’. In reality, our students and staff are innovators – they are also current and future income generators, market disruptors, and employers.”
Tim Shapcott, Tiki Media (see Tim Shapcott’s BCI profile here):
“Painful as it is to consider, it may be unrealistic to hold AI companies accountable for what’s already been done. Rather than close our borders to the world as other countries take advantage of the up-side, a more pragmatic path may be to focus on future solutions.
“Applying pressure to the AI industry to establish clear checks and balances could ensure that original creators receive fair recognition and compensation as AI evolves. This balanced approach may allow us to embrace the benefits of AI while still supporting our creative talent. If ‘back pay’ is possible as a part of that, then awesome!”
Claire Snook, AMBITIOUS (see AMBITIOUS’ BCI profile here):
“For the last 20 years, AI has helped our work and operations through programmatic ads, content development, chatbots, virtual assistants and more.
“But it’s undermining our creativity. Copyright is essential to protect our work. Our government has a responsibility to provide clarity for how AI is used in conjunction with creative work; we need clear and defined safeguards for creators. This should have been in the works decades ago.
“Companies are taking measures to protect our content. Cloudflare, one of the biggest architect providers, now prevents AI crawlers from scraping content without the creators’ permission meaning websites will be able to charge AI companies for accessing their content.
“We need a practical approach that protects and ensures our creative labour isn’t stolen, while making sure people can responsibly use AI for their needs and wants.”
Susan Pearson, Wordways (see Susan Pearson’s BCI profile here):
“The copyright for anything I write is 100% mine or my client’s. No-one or no ‘thing’ should ever have the right to reproduce the words of writers exactly unless these words are expressed within quote marks with the source of the quote acknowledged – unless they have specific permission. Anything else would be creative theft.
“Weakening of copyright law in any way will have a profound effect on the livelihood of writers and others in the creative industries. Even the suggestion that AI software can re-hash original material from creatives is a suggestion that theft should be legalised!”
Jessica Morgan, Carnsight Communications (see Carnsight Communications’ BCI profile here):
“AI is rarely out of the spotlight – particularly in the creative industries. It’s also a growth opportunity identified by the government, so it’s likely to remain there. This feels like a pivotal moment. Will we be left behind if we don’t evolve our regulations, or do we risk completely exploiting creativity if we do?
“Holding the consultation is a good first step, and those thousands of views given will have to be considered and taken into account (AI may prove useful here!) The key thing is, creative work is important and should be valued. Copyright exists for a reason and we’ve been abiding by it for decades. Any path forward needs to acknowledge that.”
Sandra Mouton, French translator (see Sandra Mouton’s BCI profile here):
“Copyrighted works available for reading online are routinely used to train the LLMs AI runs on. In my field of translation, that’s translated books, but also magazine articles, white papers from businesses or NGOs, video game content, etc. All this IP was created within the framework of copyright law and the protection it’s meant to provide for authors’ and copyright-holders’ rights.
“The government needs to ensure that protection is real and that the work of creatives like translators cannot be exploited for money without our express consent (with a default opt-in rather than opt-out system) and adequate compensation through royalties.”
Alex Murrell, Epoch (see Epoch’s BCI profile here):
“Human creativity thrives on curious minds and their insatiable appetite for inspiration. Film, fashion, art and architecture; it all gets devoured, connected and remixed into new and novel ideas. Copyright laws protect this process: copy too closely, and you risk infringement.
“But now, generative AI is rewriting the rules. If a machine uses your work to train a model, is that theft or fair use? Is it ethically different from a human remixing their inspiration? Should copyright continue to cover one’s output, or should it cover the input as well? That’s the question governments must answer—and fast.”
Emma Barraclough, Epoch
“AI is reshaping the creative landscape; enabling highly personalised, efficient design at scale. And as it becomes mainstream, using it has become essential to staying competitive in a fast-moving industry. But there are concerns we can’t ignore. Ambiguity around the ownership of AI-generated content presents legal challenges.
“For brand assets to be valuable, they must be protectable. And yet without clear rules AI generated assets are at risk of being copied and compromised by others. For AI to become a truly powerful tool for creatives, we need laws that make its output safe, ownable, and enforceable.”
Penny Beeston, Beeston Media (see Beeston Media’s BCI profile here):
“As an SME in the creative sector we embrace AI where it improves the efficiency of our craft. The red flags are where AI stifles or steals creative human endeavour. The horse may well have bolted in terms of past copyright theft, but the government has an important role to play in regulation going forward.
“Original assets used in generative AI should be traceable, accredited or paid for by third parties. The government’s commitment to investing in AI research and innovation with projects such as the Isambard-AI supercomputer is impressive. Let’s use that sovereign capacity for good by creating AI tools to shift the balance of power from poachers to gamekeepers.”
Chas Rowe, voiceover artist (see Chas Rowe’s BCI profile here):
“First, AI steals from creators. Then, AI steals from creators. Two wrongs don’t make a right. The government should stop providing shovels for the gravediggers of the creative industries.”
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In summer 2021 we ran an event discussing funding for creative businesses with the south west team at Innovate UK EDGE and a group of Bristol Creative Industries members.
During the discussion, attendees said it would be useful if we could provide regular updates on the finance schemes that are available for creative companies in the south west and beyond. This guide is our response.
The guide is one of Bristol Creative Industries’ most popular ever blog posts. We keep it updated with the latest funding schemes for creative businesses so check it regularly. We also include the post in our monthy email newsletter, BCI Bulletin. To sign up, go here.
Funding news:
The government has announced that the West of England is one of its priority areas for the creative industries and the West of England Combined Mayoral Authority will receive a share of £150m in funding to “design interventions that work for the creative businesses and freelancers in their region”.
The British Business Bank, the government-owned business development bank, has launched the £200m South West Investment Fund (SWIF) “to help address market failures by increasing the supply and diversity of early-stage finance for UK smaller businesses, providing funds to firms that might otherwise not receive investment”.
Aimed at businesses in Bristol, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire, the fund provides:
SWIF is managed by four fund managers:
The region is split as follows:
North of the region:
South of the region:
The funding is split as follows:
Businesses can apply for funding directly to the relevant fund managers here.
Micro, small and medium sized businesses can apply for loans of between £100,000 and £2m for innovative projects with strong commercial potential to significantly improve the UK economy.
Applications close at 11am on 22 August.
Grants of £2,500 to £10,000 are available to help small businesses, sole traders, charities, community interest companies (CICs), community organisations and creative and cultural groups open new premises.
The deadline for applications is 11.59pm on Friday 14 November 2025. If all available funding is allocated before the deadline, the scheme may close early.
Successful applicants must start trading from the funded property by Friday 30 January 2026.
A funding and support programme for UK-based artists, designed to help them develop their art by using immersive technologies. The partners of the scheme include Bristol organisations UWE Bristol, Watershed and University of Bristol.
A total of £3.6m in funding is available through three rounds until 2027. Immersive Arts expects to fund over 200 artists.
There are three strands which are designed to support artists at different stages in their creative development. Eligible artists can apply to ‘Explore’ for £5,000, ‘Experiment’ for £20,000 and ‘Expand’ for £50,000.
Applications close on 29 September 2025.
This £35m Creative UK and Triodos Bank investment fund provides loans of £100,000 to £1m.
Finance is directed to post-revenue creative businesses presenting promising growth potential and who:
This scheme from West of England Combined Authority is designed to help small and medium businesses and organisations purchase and install new products and equipment that reduce carbon emissions, cut utility costs and improve energy efficiency.
Grants of up to £15,000 are available on a first come, first served basis. A total of £2m is available. It is likely the scheme will close for applications in Autumn 2025, but could close early if all funds are awarded.
Grants for established UK-based companies with a game development project at an early stage in the pipeline.
The funding allocation has now been fully committed, but you can express interest in case any further funds are provided for projects from 1 April 2025.
With support from South Gloucestershire Council and funding from the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority, small and medium sized digital technology businesses can apply for a share of £70,000 in grants.
The fund is an open access programme for arts, libraries and museums projects.
Funding of between £1,000 and £100,000 is available.
This fund from Arts Council England supports individual cultural and creative practitioners in England thinking of taking their practice to the next stage through things such as: research, time to create new work, travel, training, developing ideas, networking or mentoring.
Grants of between £2,000 and £12,000 are available.
Applications are currently closed but future rounds will be announced later this year.
The £5m Supporting Grassroots Music fund supports rehearsal and recording studios, promoters, festivals, and venues for live and electronic music performance.
Travelwest provides match-funded grants for initiatives that improve sustainable travel provision in a business.
The aim is to provide financial support and incentives to employers to enable them to encourage sustainable modes of commuting or in-work travel (including site visits and meetings) amongst their staff.
The grants can be used for the implementation of physical measures, promotional events or any other measure that will encourage mode change amongst staff.
Grants are currently availables for businesses in Bristol and North Somerset.
Innovate UK’s £100m BridgeAI programme aims “to help businesses in high growth potential sectors such as creative industries, agriculture, construction, and transport to harness the power of AI and unlock their full potential”.
The programme offers funding and support to help innovators assess and implement trusted AI solutions, connect with AI experts, and elevate their AI leadership skills.
This fund supports organisations who work at the intersection of art and social change. It offers grants between £90,000 and £300,000 over three years.
Applications are currently closed but details of the next round will be announced soon.
This new £23m social impact investment fund is for socially driven arts, culture and heritage organisations registered and operating in the UK. It offers loans between £150,000 and £1m repayable until May 2030.
The Elephant Trust says its mission is to “make it possible for artists and those presenting their work to undertake and complete projects when frustrated by lack of funds. It is committed to helping artists and art institutions/galleries that depart from the routine and signal new, distinct and imaginative sets of possibilities.”
Grants of up to £5,000 are available. Applications are currently closed but a new round of funding will be announced soon.
Grants of up to £100,000 are available for arts, libraries and museums projects.
The grants support a broad range of creative and cultural projects that benefit people living in England. Projects can range from directly creating and delivering creative and cultural activity to projects which have a longer term positive impact, such as organisational development, research and development, and sector support and development.
This fund aims to grow exports and global demand for UK independent film by supporting the UK film industry to achieve measurable results which would not have been achievable without the support.
Applications close on at 11.59pm on 31 March 2026.
This scheme supports the festival launch of UK films in order to enhance their promotion, reach and value internationally.
Applications close on at 11.59pm on 31 March 2026.
This scheme supports UK sales agents to increase their international promotion and sales of UK feature film projects.
Applications close on at 11.59pm on 31 March 2026.
A Start Up Loan is a government-backed unsecured personal loan for individuals looking to start or grow a business in the UK. Successful applicants also receive 12 months of free mentoring and exclusive business offers.
All owners or partners in a business can individually apply for up to £25,000 each, with a maximum of £100,000 per business.
The loans have a fixed interest rate of 6% p.a. and a one to five year repayment term. Entrepreneurs starting a business or running one that has been trading for up to three years can apply. Businesses trading for between three and five years can apply for a second loan.
If you’re running a creative social enterprise you may be able to access funding from UnLtd.
Finance of up to £5,000 is available for starting a social enterprise and up to £15,000 for growing a social enterprise.
Successful applicants also get up to 12 tailored business support plus access to access to expert mentors and workshops.
Businesses can apply for up to £3,500 to cover the costs of installing gigabit broadband.
Check if the scheme is available in your area here.
Grants to provide support towards the costs of the purchase, installation and infrastructure of electric vehicle chargepoints at eligible places of work.
The scheme covers up to 75% of the total costs of the purchase and installation of EV chargepoints (including VAT), capped at a maximum of £350 per socket and 40 sockets across all sites per applicant.
The deadline for applications is 11.59pm on 31 March 2026.
If you know of another scheme that we haven’t listed and you’d like to share it with other creative businesses, email Dan to let us know.
It is easy to see why the lines between public relations, marketing and advertising are often blurred. All three are concerned, in one way or another, with how the world sees and interacts with a brand. But the differences between them are not just academic.
They shape how organisations communicate, build trust and, ultimately, succeed.
Public relations is managing reputation. It is the long game: building trust, credibility and mutual understanding between an organisation and its audiences. It relies on third-party endorsements, earned media and relationships with journalists, stakeholders and the public.
The aim is to create a positive image that endures with the right audiences, increasing positive brand associations, trust, and helping purchases of services and products.
This aspect is about identifying and satisfying customer needs, profitably. Marketing brings together product strategy, pricing, promotion and distribution.
It is very obvious to audiences that they are being driven to purchase and trust a brand through strategic activities that are recognisable: online ads, emails, influencer campaigns, events, affiliate marketing, direct mail, product launches and much more. The goal is to drive sales, acquire new customers, and retain them while building relationships.
Marketing messages are crafted to stimulate demand and encourage action, but the focus is always on the customer and their needs.
But the distinctions and differentiations start at the briefing phase.
Strategist, Trainer and YouTube Content Creator, Julian Cole, sums up this challenge particularly well in this video, on the differences between marketing and creative briefs. Marketing briefs serve the purpose of the organisation, whereas a creative brief must then translate the marketing brief into the customer’s point of view.
Billboards, TV spots, video ads, radio readouts, product placement, giveaways, vehicle wraps; they’re all designed to grab attention and take action.
Where PR is subtle and marketing is direct, but ROI driven, advertising strategies are often centred around statements of pure intent. It often grabs attention, without a clear call to action.
Which means that, while advertising can be a quick shot in the arm, its impact can be fleeting. Unless supported by broader marketing and PR efforts
| Aspect | Public Relations | Marketing | Advertising |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Goal | Build positive reputation, trust | Drive demand, increase sales | Immediate awareness |
| Approach | Mixed tactics. Often earned media and owned content | Research, strategy, promotion | Paid media, direct messaging |
| Control | Low/high, depending on tactics | Generally high | High |
| Credibility | High (third-party endorsement) | Varies (depends on channel) | Lower (brand-driven) |
| Timeframe | Long-term | Short- and long-term | Varies per campaign |
| Cost | Varies but compounds over time | Varies | Varies |
| Measurement | Reputation, sentiment, reach, share of voice | Impressions, clicks, conversions | Varies, depending on tactics |
When PR, marketing, and advertising work together, they create a unified brand message that is consistent across all channels. PR shapes the narrative and builds trust, marketing amplifies the message and drives demand, and advertising ensures the message reaches the right audience at the right time.
This synergy reinforces brand identity and values, making the brand more recognisable and trustworthy
PR can generate media coverage and thought leadership that supports marketing campaigns, while marketing provides the promotional content and resources PR needs to craft compelling stories. Advertising, meanwhile, can boost the visibility of both PR and marketing efforts, ensuring key messages reach a wider audience quickly.
For example, a successful PR campaign can be supported by targeted ads, while marketing analytics can inform PR about which messages resonate most with customers.
PR’s earned media coverage lends credibility to marketing and advertising messages, making them more persuasive. At the same time, marketing and advertising can drive immediate results such as sales or sign-ups that PR alone may not achieve.
By integrating these disciplines into a successful marketing strategy, organisations can build long-term trust while also achieving short-term business goals.
An integrated approach allows for more efficient use of resources, avoiding duplicated efforts and ensuring all teams are aligned with the organisation’s objectives. In times of crisis, a unified PR and marketing team can respond quickly and effectively, minimising reputational damage and maintaining customer trust.
PR and marketing collaboration can also improve digital visibility. PR-driven content, such as thought leadership articles and press releases, can boost digital marketing efforts and be optimised for search engines, driving organic traffic and enhancing online authority.
Advertising can further amplify this content, ensuring it reaches the intended audience and supports broader marketing objectives.
While PR, marketing, and advertising each have distinct roles, their true power lies in their ability to work together.
By understanding their differences and leveraging their complementary strengths, organisations can build stronger brands, foster deeper trust, and achieve both immediate and long-term success.
When shiny new frameworks seem to pop up all the time, it can be overwhelming trying to figure out which one fits your needs. Should you go with something trendy? Something easy? Something flexible? There’s a lot to consider.
In this blog, I’m diving into why Laravel might just be the perfect fit for your website or web application. Whether you’re building something simple or scaling up a complex platform, Laravel brings a lot to the table—and I’ll walk you through exactly why it stands out.
Laravel is a modern PHP web-application framework known for its elegant syntax, powerful features, and developer-friendly tools. Whether you’re using Laravel 10 or 11, the framework provides a robust foundation for building secure and scalable web applications.
It simplifies the development of custom web platforms, business applications, and enterprise-level software with a rich set of features. And its handy modular structure and reusable components help accelerate development, reduce costs, and improve performance. All-in-all, that makes it a top choice for companies looking to build high-quality digital solutions.
Laravel comes with a ton of handy features, right out of the box, allowing for quick (and cheap!) creation of a minimum viable product (MVP). Take Laravel migrations: this feature allows developers to programmatically create database tables and columns, populating them with the required data needed for the site to function. The benefit? It makes it really easy to pass the site to another developer and immediately have them set up the development environment and the correct database. It can also be used to modify a pre-existing database in a safe and efficient way.
Another benefit of using Laravel is the unit testing that comes with it. This allows for robust code-driven tests to be written and executed upon any deployment. Combining this with Test-Driven Development, you can easily and autonomously ensure all edge cases are covered before your site goes live, providing a seamless user experience.
It’s not as alarming as it sounds. A headless website is one where the frontend and backend of the site run separately. This can be created by using Laravel with React, or any front-end framework of your choice. A huge benefit of this is that the frontend can be optimised to provide an extremely speedy page load, and faster navigation of the site for the users. This has been proven to increase conversion rates and enhance your SEO score, meaning you reach a larger audience.
Headless sites are also more reliable and robust than standard websites. Why? Because any issues with the backend will not be reflected in the front end.
One of Laravel’s biggest strengths is its powerful ecosystem of plugins and packages that helps developers build faster, smarter, and more efficiently. Whether you’re launching a new web application or optimising an existing Laravel website, there are packages designed to handle everything you need.
Popular starter kits like Laravel Breeze and Laravel Jetstream make setting up user authentication and security features quick and easy. If you need a professional admin panel, Filament offers a low-code solution for creating beautiful dashboards and backend systems. Managing roles and permissions? Bouncer for Laravel provides flexible access control without the usual complexity.
And when it comes to boosting your site’s visibility, SEO packages like Laravel SEO Tools help optimise meta tags and generate sitemaps effortlessly. No matter your project size, Laravel’s rich package ecosystem saves development time, enhances performance, and helps deliver a more scalable, SEO-friendly web application.
Over 700,000 sites currently use Laravel and that’s because it’s the ideal candidate in a lot of situations.
It’s an excellent choice for businesses building a learning management system or Partner Portal. These types of applications benefit from Laravel’s speed, scalability, and strong support for role-based access control. Its built-in authentication and permission systems make it easy to enforce strict user-level access, meaning you can be sure of a secure and robust platform tailored to complex user hierarchies.
It’s also a great fit for custom business tools like inventory management systems, internal dashboards, or booking platforms. When off-the-shelf software doesn’t meet specific operational needs, Laravel’s flexibility allows developers to build tailored solutions that integrate seamlessly with third-party APIs —whether it’s for payments, shipping, CRMs, or analytics. This makes it easy to connect external services while automating workflows and syncing data in real time.
Combined with its clean architecture and rich ecosystem, Laravel is ideal for developing reliable, maintainable apps that power day-to-day operations.
If you’re interested in finding out how Laravel could work for your business, we’re here to help.
Get in touch at marketing@proctorsgroup.com.
saintnicks has been shortlisted for four awards at the UK Social Media Awards 2025, recognising the agency’s standout work in user-generated content, integrated campaigns, long-term strategy and team excellence.
Best Use of UGC – POSCA
Best Integrated Social Campaign – Ascot Racecourse
Best Long-Term Strategic Use of Social Media – Ascot Racecourse
Best In-Agency Team – saintnicks
The UK Social Media Awards celebrate the very best in creativity, innovation and impact across social platforms. From the vibrant, creator-fuelled world of POSCA to diversification of Royal Ascot’s audience and fan engagement, saintnicks’ work continues to blend bold thinking with measurable success.
Callum Joynes, Head of Content at saintnicks, said:
“Social media is one of the most powerful ways to build meaningful brand experiences, and these nominations are a fantastic recognition of the agency’s creativity, commitment, and real-world strategic capability. We’re incredibly proud to be shortlisted across such a broad mix of categories.”
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saintnicks is a leading independent brand agency. We partner with ambitious brands to drive commercial growth, through standout strategy, campaigns, digital experiences, and social media. An agile, highly experienced team of specialists, combining top-tier strategic and creative talent from global agencies and client-side brands. We take brands further.
From January 2026, new UK advertising restrictions will land with a heavy thud on anyone promoting foods high in fat, salt or sugar – aka, HFSS products. If you’re in grocery or hospitality, you’ve probably seen the headlines and felt that familiar flash of worry: is this going to ruin our marketing strategy?
So let’s break it all down. Yes, the rules are changing. But no, it doesn’t mean the end of your creativity (or your sales). In fact, it’s a chance to sharpen your brand, strengthen your storytelling, and rethink how you connect with guests both online and off.
The government is rolling out a new set of advertising rules that aim to reduce children’s exposure to high fat, salt and sugar (HFSS) foods. It’s part of a wider public health push and it’s been on the cards for a while.
From January 2026, you won’t be able to run paid online ads for HFSS products (on Meta, TikTok, Google etc.).
You also won’t be able to advertise HFSS products on TV before 9pm.
This includes sponsored content, influencer posts, search ads and display banners.
Small and medium businesses (fewer than 250 employees) are exempt from the online ban but still affected by the TV restrictions.
The rules apply to foods in 13 specific categories – think burgers, pizzas, fried chicken, crisps, cakes and sugary drinks. If it’s indulgent then it’s probably on the list.
If you’re a restaurant group, bar brand, food truck or fast-casual operator, these changes matter. Especially if your menu leans toward the comfort-food end of the spectrum.
Here’s what to consider:
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RedSquid team members drove the worlds Smart-TV evolution. Now the same people are leading AI TV revolution!
We are engineers. We understand TV electronics, Silicon Chips and software.
We are looking for partners who understand and create content and advertising. Especially companies who do product placement promotion inside movies.
If this sounds like your company then please email us on info@redsquid.tv
We’ve all had it- that awful unexploded bomb of an email from a client sat in your inbox. So what do you do next? This article will walk you through my tried-and-tested process for handling a difficult communication, so you’ll be able to head into any negotiation feeling prepared.
It is so tempting, in those first moments, to fire back with a few home truths, or alternatively to loathe the idea of conflict so much that you grit your teeth and give in to their unreasonable demands. Instead of doing either of those things, remember this:
You only win if you get what you want.
A trite phrase, but memorable, which is why it’s important here- in these early moments, your body is physically reacting to a stressful situation, and you may not be at your calmest, most rational best. So having a ridiculous catchphrase to use as your compass is actually quite useful. Remember it and let it pull you back to your objective- achieving success in your negotiation.
The point is to focus on the OUTCOME. Negotiations are a multi-step process (even if they’re just a couple of emails) and from this moment, everything you say and do should be geared towards delivering the outcome that is best for you and your business. If you need to get something off your chest, scream in frustration, that’s fine- but do that separately, and out of your client’s hearing. For now, focus on identifying what outcome you’re after, and working through the steps necessary to achieve that.
Before sitting down to draft a response, it is essential to do some information-gathering and analysis. Here are the steps to walk through, in this order, to equip you with the information you need to decide on a strategy for your reply.
Do some digging and consider the following:
– If you have a contract, what do the terms say?
– Where do things stand in terms of finances/invoicing? How much money do they owe you?
– Where are you with deliverables- what has been done, what has been handed over, what is left to do? How does that line up with your contractual commitments?
– Are there wider relationship/ business issues to consider? Is this client particularly influential, or linked to other clients of yours?
– What is the potential impact, on you, of what they are asking of you?
The list above is just a suggestion, as every situation will need its own consideration, but broadly speaking you want to assess your EXPOSURE to this client, whether financial, reputational, legal etc, and other hand, any LEVERAGE you may have. Assets you’ve not yet handed over that they need, knowledge you hold that’s not easily replicable, etc.
The purpose of this is to look clearly at what the possible consequences could be of whichever path you choose. Your next steps are focused on minimising your exposure and putting any leverage you have to the best possible use.
– Work out your best-case scenario, and your absolute hard line
– Think about your time, any resources needed to do whatever they’re asking
– The impact on your mental health
– The opportunity cost of your time- what else could you be doing
– Intangible benefits you might want- credit/exposure/introductions/portfolio building, etc
This is not about what they’ve said, or asked for, but what they actually value. Use all the information you know about them and their circumstances to work out what is motivating them. What pressures are they facing, from their own clients/within their organisation? Consider the following:
– are they under time pressure
– what are their deliverables
– do they need to prove they’ve negotiated the price as low as it can go (i.e. is a request for a discount actually to enable them to demonstrate, either to themselves or their seniors, that they’ve got the best price)
– is there an ego element (hint: yes. Always.)
Using the information you’ve gathered above, and maintaining your laser-focus on your desired outcome, map out your response. The most important thing to consider here is:
“What action do you want them to take?”
And then make it EASY.
Want them to consider a couple of options and pick one? Set them out and sign off with “please reply and let me know if you’d prefer A or B”. Want them to pay an invoice before you continue your work? Attach it, or include a link to pay. Never want to hear from them again? Make sure you don’t ask them any questions, or leave any loose ends they’d need to follow up. If you are asking them for more information, be sure that you genuinely do want that information and are prepared to engage with whatever they send back. If the information won’t make you change your response, don’t ask for it.
Also remember: you don’t need to respond to every point they made in their email. Unless it needs to be addressed or dealt with, you can just leave it- and focus on the action you want them to take, to achieve the outcome you’re after.
Here are five key points to consider:
You may not feel like pandering to their ego, but a bit of tactical empathy is incredibly effective. Re-framing their concerns or acknowledging their point of view enables them to stop trying to get their point across and be more open to what you are saying. Even when you are delivering unmitigated bad news, a small demonstration of empathy can significantly soften the delivery. For example, “I have some news to share that may be tough to hear, but I wanted to get in touch as soon as I could to give you as much time as possible to digest the impact…”
Whatever your proposed next steps are, put your correspondent at the heart of them. What will they receive? How will they be impacted? For example, and building on the tactical empathy in the previous point, “I absolutely understand where you’re coming from on budget constraints, and being mindful of that, I am able to offer [add detail of what they will receive for that price].”
Don’t feel that you need to give a reason for your position- if you can frame a polite ‘no’, that’s great. But if you DO feel like giving an explanation, choose the single most unassailable reason, and stick with it. When you are in conflict with someone, the more reasons you give, the weaker your argument looks- you are only as strong as your weakest argument. You’ll also be giving them more ways to try and pick holes in what you’re saying.
Ignore what your English teacher told you about using the passive voice. Say “I’m afraid it’s not possible to…” instead of “I refuse to…”. It just softens things and also can make the decision making process seem more removed, and less able to be challenged.
People HATE an awkward silence. They will rush to fill it, often saying ill-advised things that cut across their previously carefully-delivered position. If you can, and if it’s appropriate, hold your nerve and don’t reply right away. This will firstly give you a chance to calm down and go through the preparation steps outlined above, but it will also show your counterparty that you are not replying in haste with a cobbled-together response. Rather, you are calm and collected, and confident in your reply. You may find that by waiting just 24 hours to reply to an incendiary email, the other party (who was expecting you to blow up and reply straight away) is unnerved enough to email again, undermining their previous position. Even if that doesn’t happen, a bit of waiting time can put them off their combative stride.
The only caveat to this is if something very urgent has happened, but you need a bit of time to work out what to do- in this case, a quick holding email, something like “just a note to let you know we have seen this and are working on it, I will come back to you shortly” will buy you some breathing space to consider before they start chasing you and causing you further stress.
After all this, I sincerely hope you’ve achieved your desired outcome, or gotten closer to it. Regardless of what’s happened, though, please remember that this kind of interaction takes a lot out of you, mentally and emotionally. You may be left feeling that your counterparty has not understood how bad their behaviour was, or you’ve had to empathise with someone who has treated you badly. Take time to process and reflect, and care for yourself afterwards.
And if you’ve found this helpful, or would like to chat about strategy, negotiation, or anything else, please do get in touch!
The cost-of-living crisis in the UK is still hitting both businesses and their employees hard. As operational costs rise and consumers tighten their belts, businesses face the dual challenge of maintaining profitability while ensuring their staff are adequately compensated.
The key is to empower your employees. In the midst of the escalating cost-of-living crisis, new research reveals a stark reality: One example…87% of hospitality workers’ mental health is worsening because of financial concerns, exacerbating an already challenging situation. With wages stagnating and essential expenses on the rise, workers face mounting challenges, including housing and food insecurity, limiting their ability to save and thrive. According to recent studies, nearly 60% of workers struggle with financial stress, with over 40% citing it as a major concern affecting their overall wellbeing.
Amidst these challenges, one pioneering solution that has emerged is Earned Wage Access, which revolutionises the traditional pay cycle by providing instant access to earned wages, empowering employees to navigate their financial obligations with newfound flexibility and control.
By eliminating the need to wait for payday, new employee benefits providers enable workers to address immediate expenses without resorting to high-interest loans, thereby alleviating financial stress and promoting overall wellbeing.
Recent user surveys conducted by one industry provider underscore this impact, with 92% feeling more in control of their money thanks to Earned Wage Access and 88% being more likely to stay working at their current employer when this benefit is offered.
Another key solution is supporting workers with financial wellbeing benefits and education to reduce financial stress and help them better manage their finances.
These can take many forms such as personalised educational resources, financial coaching, money management tools, employee discounts, and flexible pay options, among other things.
PwC revealed that financially stressed employees are 5 times more likely to be distracted at work, highlighting the potential productivity gains for employers. By investing in these programs, hospitality companies can therefore enhance both employee wellbeing and operational resilience.
Another key focus are smart budgeting strategies which can significantly benefit companies during the cost-of-living crisis. By regularly monitoring expenses, implementing energy efficiency measures, optimising inventory management, adjusting staffing levels based on seasonal demand, and negotiating bulk purchasing agreements, companies can reduce operational costs and improve financial stability.
For employees, smart budgeting strategies are equally crucial. Creating a detailed monthly budget, setting aside an emergency fund, prioritising debt reduction, automating savings, and utilising employee discounts can help workers manage their finances more effectively. These practices reduce financial stress, increase disposable income, and provide a buffer against rising living costs, ultimately fostering a more engaged and productive workforce.
Where do you start? Well, you can talk to professionals such as myself who mitigate these employee risks…or if nothing else have a look at the Government website www.moneyhelper.org.uk where you can find simple and straightforward with tools to direct your employees.
As a business owner, how much value do you place on your brand reputation? How much value do you place in holding the trust of your audience?
It doesn’t matter what you’re selling, or if you’re a small business or a huge company, you’re trading on that trust. Marketing can help you build a presence and profile, but marketing alone cannot build this trust.
For that you need Public Relations, and this is seven ways PR can elevate your brand and bring business success.
Public relations is all about credibility.
Business X approaches PR agency Y; they want to be seen as legitimate, trustworthy, and professional. Agency Y rolls up their sleeves, crafting a narrative that does exactly that.
Now, it would be easy to think PR is just about getting your name in the papers. But this is a rather outmoded view of what public relations delivers. But it’s still a commonly held viewpoint that PR is just about media coverage.
Media relations is still a big part of what we do, because if you’re building credibility and trust, third-party trust signals are everything. When respected industry publications highlight your achievements or innovations, it creates a kind of credibility that no amount of paid advertising can buy.
That third-party endorsement, whether through media placements, speaking at events or tactically placed thought leadership content, is like gold dust for your business profile.
But third-party endorsement is no longer the sole remit of ‘ traditional media’ it can come in the form of influencers, industry analysts, ambassadors and so much more… and it works in multiple directions too. Let’s take podcasts as an example. You can launch a podcast and the guests you bring into your podcast can act as third-party endorsement, that you have effectively created yourself.
Third-party endorsement has the potential of adding value to your business, in a way you cannot achieve on your own.
When we talk about “brand reputation,” what are we really talking about? It’s quite a loaded term.
It brings up notions of public perception and business standing, but it’s almost intangible. Understanding reputation within a business context is evolving, and it’s evolving for the better.
Your brand’s reputation isn’t just some fuzzy concept; it’s an incredibly valuable asset, and it’s fuelled by everything you say and do.
PR professionals are like strategic guardians who proactively manage your public image. They help you control the narrative before little issues snowball into big ones. But great agencies aren’t spin doctors.
Great agencies are the ones who recognise issues and crises from a distance, then help keep you true to your values and ethos by avoiding the root cause entirely.
In today’s hyper-connected world, a well-managed reputation can be the difference between thriving and merely keeping your head above water.
Effective PR isn’t just about getting your name out there; it’s about strategically positioning your business for growth.
To this extent, PR isn’t a vanity project and strategic media coverage can do a whole lot more than make you feel good about seeing your name in print. It can:
PR folks aren’t just media hounds. They’re master communicators who understand how to craft messages that hit home across multiple platforms.
Marketing and PR are not about overloading a funnel with as much content and messaging as possible and hoping for the best.
Great PR and marketing is about honing in on what’s special and unique about your business and making that the central narrative. It is about telling great stories with this at its heart. PR can help you:
This approach, which blends creativity and strategy, ensures that when you speak, people don’t only listen but remember.
There’s no escaping the fact that budgets have a major effect on marketing decisions. We see this in the growing importance of PR as a cost-effective alternative to traditional advertising.
Compared to splashy ad campaigns, PR can offer a significantly higher return on investment. Because when done right, it can compound over time.
That’s where the real bang for your buck comes in.
PR generates predominantly organic results, which audiences find more trustworthy and engaging.
Starting from a position of earned media rather than paid placements can help you win and build audience trust. Then, over time, you introduce more paid elements across your full PR and marketing mix.
The amplification across paid and earned, shared and owned can spread your message exponentially and incrementally.
Now, this is quite a high-stakes area of PR and one where no business is immune.
At face value, it’s easy to see crisis management solely as a reactionary tactic. But it shouldn’t be.
You need to recognise the impact proactive planning can have on a smaller, more manageable level. We call this issues management, and its something that only comes with a wealth of crisis communications.
When you have an expert who’s been through crisis after crisis, they know the patterns and the triggers. They can see what others cannot: the root cause of a crisis and how to avoid it.
In practice, this could be anything from managing negative reviews, addressing product recalls, or navigating leadership changes. These are just a few examples of crisis management, which businesses can leverage for protection and recovery.
Avoiding a crisis entirely is always the preferred option. But sometimes, there are those unforeseen and unavoidable moments. Things that could never have been predicted. Whether it is in issues preparedness or full-blown crisis management, a PR expert can help you:
The best way to think about crisis preparedness is that you’d rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it.
Rome wasn’t built in a day. Neither is your brand.
Every business needs to play the long game when it comes to positioning, and public relations is a marathon, not a sprint.
It gradually builds your brand’s equity and positioning through consistent communication of your values, achievements, and unique perspective. This binding together of narratives doesn’t happen overnight. This is a cumulative effect.
It’s not about quick wins or overnight success stories but rather creating a sustained narrative that positions you as an innovative, reliable, and forward-thinking organisation.
Public relations isn’t just another item on your marketing checklist; it’s an investment in your business’s most critical asset: reputation.
It’s a strategic communication discipline that goes far beyond simple publicity.
Remember that PR is a broad church.
It’s no longer just about media relations, though that’s still part of what we do. Contemporary PR is now entwined with specialisms like content creation and production, SEO and the nascent GEO (now being called LLM SEO).
In short, the line between public relations and marketing continues to blur.
But while PR and marketing are often bucketed together, it’s important to recognise that while they can indeed be complementary, they are two very different disciplines.
PR is about building meaningful connections, telling compelling stories and creating lasting value that resonates with audiences long after they’ve forgotten your latest marketing campaign.
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