I recently came across an old clip of David Ogilvy talking about the relationship between traditional advertising and direct response, and what struck me most was not how dated it felt, but how familiar the argument still sounded. Ogilvy’s point was that direct response marketers had something traditional advertising often lacked: accountability. They could see […]
There is a growing consensus across the agency market that winning net new business has become harder. In many respects, that is undoubtedly true. Budgets are under greater scrutiny, procurement processes have become more complex, buying decisions are taking longer and the days of relatively predictable pitch pipelines feel increasingly distant. But I am not […]
I’ve spent a lot of my career working with B2B agencies, particularly across the UK and US, and over the last couple of years I’ve noticed the relationship between those two markets beginning to change. There has always been traffic across the Atlantic, of course. British agencies have been opening offices in New York for […]
Spend enough time in business and you begin to notice an interesting pattern. Every industry has its own explanation for success. Marketing leaders will tell you that the strongest brands win. Technology businesses naturally place innovation at the centre of every conversation. Investors often talk about capital allocation, while management consultants understandably focus on strategy, […]
For years, recruitment followed a relatively predictable formula. A Managing Director leaves, you hire another Managing Director. A Head of Marketing exits, you replace them with someone carrying the same title from a similar business. The assumption was simple: replicate the role, preserve the structure, maintain continuity. But that model is quietly disappearing. Today, the […]
For decades, agencies were built like pyramids: a wide base of juniors and graduates, a narrowing middle of managers, and a small group of senior leaders at the top. This model made sense when work was manual, processes were linear, and clients expected armies of people on their account. It created a clear pathway of […]
Think of workplace inclusivity, and you’ll probably envision an office filled with people of different ages, ethnicities, religions and lifestyles. Sound about right? In actual fact, achieving a truly inclusive workplace involves a little more than putting together a team of people with diverse lifestyles, cultures and backgrounds – though that’s a great start. So, […]
A recent survey from WorkLife by OpenMoney found that one in five (21%) employers are concerned about how they will help staff to manage the long-term mental health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. From March 14 to 22 2021, WorkLife by OpenMoney surveyed 750 senior financial and HR decision-makers at UK-based, small- to medium-sized enterprises with between […]
For years now job seekers have been keen to seek out and secure job opportunities that allowed them to work from home or at the very least urge their current employers to adapt and become more flexible. However, overall marketing agencies have been reluctant to embrace this model at the fear of losing productivity and […]
Returning to work after maternity leave or an extended career break is hard – even more so when you know you’re overqualified for your new role. It’s true, demotions happen for a number of reasons – from poor performance to an alternative to redundancy. But for many women returning to work after an extended career […]
Work-life balance is the ultimate dream, isn’t it? But in today’s digital world, it can be hard to strike the right balance between work life and home life. Technology has meant theoretically we can work any time of day or night – and that’s just one part of the problem. Many professionals consider it okay […]