Author: Marketing

Solving 2025’s Top Data and AI Challenges in Marketing

By Piers Grassmann, Technology

In 2025, the surge in data and AI offers immense opportunities for marketers – but also new challenges. This blog explores five key issues businesses face, from ethical AI to sustainability, and provides strategies to harness data effectively, drive smarter campaigns, and build stronger customer engagement.

At Tech Show London, it was inspiring to see companies applying bold, innovative approaches to tackle complex business challenges across diverse industries. A common thread throughout the event was how businesses can harness AI and analytics to drive growth, enhance customer engagement, and stay ahead of competitors with data-driven marketing strategies in 2025.

This year, the global volume of data is predicted to rise to a staggering 181 zettabytes. To put that into perspective, it’s over 25,000 times more than the estimated number of grains of sand on Earth. For marketers, that’s an immense opportunity to unlock insights for hyper-personalised campaigns, and stronger customer relationships.

It also brings challenges that need to be addressed for businesses to stay competitive and responsible. Here are my top five, alongside recommendations for how brands and their marketing teams can tackle them.

1) Spotlight sustainability in the cloud

Cloud computing has seen unprecedented growth in recent years, with data centres now consuming around 1% of global electricity (more than electric vehicles). In fact, the ICT sector is responsible for an estimated 2-3% of global carbon emissions, equal to the entire aviation industry.

This raises environmental concerns that also have direct implications for brand perception. Modern consumers increasingly favour brands that champion sustainability, so marketers must prioritise it in their strategies and highlight eco-conscious initiatives to enhance brand reputation and stand out in a competitive landscape.

2) Tap into the value of unused data

Organisations store immense amounts of data with no immediate value. This is often referred to as ‘dark data’ and brings with it unnecessary costs, security risks, and inefficiencies. Healthcare organisations, for instance, often accumulate vast amounts of unused or redundant ‘dark data’, creating unnecessary costs, security risks, and inefficiencies. Thankfully, many providers offer sophisticated tools to help you identify, categorise, and effectively manage (or eliminate) dark data.

For example, ​Cyera is a data security company that offers a platform enabling organisations to discover, classify, and protect sensitive data across multi-cloud environments.

For marketers, removing dark data can mean uncovering unused information from sources like customer surveys and website analytics. These can enhance marketing efforts by revealing customer behaviours and preferences, thereby improving campaign effectiveness and product development.

3) Prioritise ethical AI and transparency

There is growing scrutiny around algorithmic bias, transparency, and ethical AI practices in 2025. Whether it’s the hype around DeepSeek or Apple’s AI-generated headlines, few topics have been given more airtime.

Neglecting ethical AI practices and transparent communication can lead to serious consequences. Most notably, it can cause the loss of customer trust and potential regulatory backlash.

So, firms need to prioritise ethics and transparency in their AI workflows, conduct regular audits, and put clear AI governance frameworks in place. For their part, marketers must ensure AI-driven personalisation and targeting remain fair and unbiased, safeguarding consumer trust.

4) Address the skills gap and AI talent shortages

Even the best practices are ineffective without the right talent to implement them. Without clear messaging, their impact diminishes further.

The cybersecurity skills gap is growing, which is especially concerning when you consider that IBM put the average cost of a data breach at $4.88 million (£3.77 million) in 2024, marking an increase of more than 15% over three years.

Attracting and retaining individuals who can translate AI and data insights into business growth and marketing success will be crucial. Consider reskilling marketing teams to better make use of AI-driven tools, creating stronger data literacy programs, or forming partnerships with educational institutions to develop the next generation of AI-savvy professionals.

5) Overcome data sovereignty, security and compliance complexity

Fragmentation is at an all-time high where data protection is concerned. From well-known sector-agnostic regulations like GDPR to the more recent Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) for financial institutions, there is naturally a huge spotlight on making sure your business doesn’t fall foul of quickly evolving guidelines.

This requires businesses to adopt flexible, scalable, and secure data governance strategies, while communicating these efforts effectively to safeguard customer data and maintain public trust.

Turn the flow of data into a powerful force

How businesses harness data and AI will define their future success. Those who act responsibly and innovatively today will lead tomorrow.

As Cyera’s Ash Hunt put it: “Data flows like water.” By adopting these strategies, businesses can turn that flow into a powerful force for better customer engagement, smarter campaigns, and long-term brand and business success.

How are you using data and AI to future-proof your marketing strategies? Let’s collaborate to drive smarter, more impactful campaigns. You can reach me at piers.grassmann@aspectusgroup.com.

Key Takeaways:

Q1: How can businesses unlock value from dark data?
A: By identifying, categorizing, and managing redundant data, businesses can reduce costs, improve security, and uncover hidden insights to enhance marketing strategies.

Q2: Why is ethical AI important in marketing?
A: Ethical AI ensures transparency and fairness, safeguarding consumer trust and ensuring compliance with regulations. Regular audits and governance frameworks are essential.

Q3: How can marketers address AI-related skills shortages?
A: Through reskilling teams, investing in data literacy programs, and partnering with educational institutions to nurture AI talent.

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Hedge funds’ PR problem 15 years after The Big Short – and why it needs fixing

By William Brook

Estimated read time: 6 minutes  

Fifteen years after The Big Short, hedge funds still contend with a tough a PR problem. Often misunderstood, they remain portrayed as villains of finance. Yet, beyond shorting, they drive positive change. This blog explores why perception matters and how hedge funds’ strategic communications can help hedge funds reclaim their narrative. 

This month marks 15 years since ‘The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine’ hit the shelves. The book – which five years later was adapted into a star-studded and critically acclaimed movie – chronicles the events that led to the 2008 global financial crash. It depicts hedge funds’ investment morals in a somewhat shady light, and it is high time these largely misunderstood firms reclaimed their public image. 

The story details how a handful of traders and investors identified the housing bubble and bet against the market, netting billions in the process. For many, it serves as the primary reference point for understanding why the credit crunch unfolded. It also dictates how most people view hedge funds. To those who don’t work on Wall Street or in the City, they are largely seen as seedy organisations that profit from others’ misfortunes – and do so significantly. Subsequent films like Dumb Money have done little but cement this perception, and the effects of this may be starting to manifest.  

The recent FT story that retail traders in Europe have piled into ‘shorted’ defence companies – a tactic whereby hedge funds make a bet that a stock will fall – may be a sign of growing revolt against the way these firms do business. It echoes the ‘GameStop saga’ depicted in Dumb Money, when a wave of retail traders banded together on reddit forums to buy up shares of heavily shorted GameStop, causing its price to skyrocket and forcing hedge funds that had shorted the stock to take massive losses. 

If hedge funds are to change their perception, and curb these attacks, it seems imperative that they communicate some of the more meaningful and positive investment strategies they deploy – and this is where strategic communications comes in.  

The second step 

If the first step in changing perceptions is acknowledging the problem, the second is having the will to address it. This is perhaps where the problem has lain for the hedge fund space. There are, after all, a few quite understandable reasons why firms may prefer to keep as low a profile as possible in the press. 

Cultivating an aura of exclusivity is an obvious one. Hedge funds typically cater to high-net-worth individuals, and keeping a low profile can help maintain their exclusive image and better appeal to this select clientele.  

Another, more tactical, aspect is the need to safeguard investment strategies. These institutions rely on proprietary trading approaches and bets that could lose their competitive edge if competitors became privy to them. For instance, if a hedge fund’s position on a particular illiquid security were revealed, other market participants could move against it. This would erode returns considerably – and at a time when alpha is increasingly tough to come by. 

For these reasons, among others, hedge funds have been hesitant to engage too closely with strategic communications firms over recent decades. The problem is this has left them at the mercy of pointed-penned Hollywood directors for too long, and their more progressive investment strategies have been entirely overlooked. 

Beyond shorting 

There is, after all, a wide array of tactics hedge funds deploy to generate returns beyond shorting stocks. For instance, contrary to popular belief, many activist hedge funds take a long-term investment approach with businesses they feel have an exciting growth trajectory ahead.  

In fact, these firms typically hold investments for an average of two years, compared to the market-wide average holding period of about three months. By making a host of tweaks to areas like senior leadership, governance, and operational efficiency, their engagement and longer-term perspective can promote more sustainable business practices and eventually see companies achieve steady growth.  

Hedge funds also commonly target companies they suspect maybe breaking market rules or regulations. For instance, Chameleon Global Master Fund went after Wirecard, the German payments company, which was found to have committed fraud on a massive scale. These are beneficial and progressive strategies, and they deserve more recognition. This is where PR comes in.  

Telling a new story 

It is possible to execute carefully nuanced hedge fund communications and PR strategies that could help them nurture a new identity, to tell a new story, without giving away their investment game. In fact, these are often so nuanced that most won’t realise they have been executed – but they can make a big difference.  

For example, a series of carefully crafted opinion pieces on a hot market trend or asset class could showcase a fund manager’s expertise without necessarily revealing their strategy’s secret sauce. Another tactic could be to provide reactive commentary to a timely news story, helping educate readers on a particularly esoteric or complex topic in a way the layman can grasp. These approaches can help build credibility, install trust, and educate around some nifty investment approaches, without compromising the firm’s competitive edge.  

A memorable line in The Big Short goes ‘People hate to think about bad things happening, so they always underestimate their likelihood.’ Hedge funds might take heed to this advice when it comes to overlooking PR – before their competitors seize on its advantages. 

Key Takeaways: 

1. Why do hedge funds have a PR problem? 

The legacy of The Big Short and similar films has cemented hedge funds as profit-driven entities benefiting from crises, overshadowing their broader investment strategies. 

2. Why do hedge funds avoid media engagement? 

Hedge funds prioritise exclusivity and secrecy to protect investment strategies, making them reluctant to participate in public discussions. 

3. How can PR help hedge funds improve their reputation? 

Through strategic content, thought leadership, and media engagement, hedge funds can reshape their public image without compromising their competitive edge. 

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Leave out the vowel or throw in the towel? It’s all about timing

By Ted Harvey, deputy head of capital markets

Abrdn’s decision to reinstate its missing vowel highlights a crucial aspect of corporate rebranding: timing. While the company’s U-turn was inevitable, its timing overshadowed positive business developments. This blog explores why timing is critical when reversing a branding change and how companies can better manage the communication in the press.

It took years of ridicule, allegations of ‘corporate bullying’, and a new CEO before ‘Abrdn’ decided enough was enough. The Edinburgh-based asset manager this week threw in the towel, reinstating a vowel it would’ve done better to leave alone in the first place.

Most readers close to the story – not least the company’s staff and shareholders – would agree this was likely to happen sooner or later. But the timing of its U-turn strikes us as strange, if not entirely misguided. It begs the question, is there an optimal time to execute a ‘re-rebrand’?

A strange vowel movement

Although Aberdeen’s now infamous 2021 rebrand was doubtless conceived with all the right  intentions, it is tough to pull off a name-change that seems to do little other than remove the letter ‘e’ – especially when vowel rhymes with bowel.

Overnight, the company made itself an easy target for savvy sub-editors. Memorable headlines featured phrases like ‘vowel movement’ and ‘disemvowelment’. And this wasn’t the only weakness in its rebranding strategy, as highlighted in our previous blog.

The rebrand ultimately weakened the brand’s equity. Prior to their £11bn merger in 2017, Standard Life and Aberdeen Asset Management were well-established names with considerable brand value. By moving away from these names, the company forfeited the instant recognition and trust they carried. Though it aimed to emulate the success of tech startups like Tumblr and Flickr, Abrdn failed to achieve the same resonance within the financial sector.

Like many poorly conceived rebrands, it seemed more like a distraction from the company’s deeper business challenges. And this is precisely why the timing of its ‘re-rebrand’ is odd. This time, the asset manager is distracting readers from positive news.

How to bury good news

Fans of Armando Iannucci’s award-winning political satire The Thick of It might recall an insight Malcolm Tucker, the foul-mouthed spin doctor, shared in season four: “You know what they say – ‘You can’t bury bad news.’ Well, good news is even harder to bury. You put a press release out saying, ‘Everything’s great,’ and every bastard wants to know why.”

Yet, it almost seems as though Aberdeen’s board tried to prove Mr Tucker wrong. By calling attention to the company’s disastrous rebrand via a U-turn, the press inevitably focused on this news and clouded over the company’s progress, which has been steady.

Under new chief executive Jason Windsor, investment management outflows fell sharply in 2024 and fund performance improved. Profits from the investment arm also rose 22% to £61m, despite a 9% fall in revenue to £797m. While the business is by no means out of the woods yet, positive press coverage garnered by its more encouraging results has mostly been suffocated by the latest episode in its rebranding saga. This press strategy would’ve had more than a few veins popping in Mr Tucker’s head.

The smarter play

In terms of when it is right to reverse course on a publicly decried company strategy, it is by no means a perfect science. There are certain advantages in promptly admitting defeat and reversing, as we saw with Post Office’s abandoned attempt to rebrand as Consignia. But given it has been several years since Aberdeen’s initial rebrand, the smarter play would have been to hold tight at least a little while longer.

Timing the change alongside a major strategic announcement, such as a new acquisition, leadership change, or product launch, would’ve been smarter yet. This would frame the change as part of a broader transformation, rather than an admission of past mistakes. This way, the company could have controlled the narrative and shifted focus away from the ridicule of ‘Abrdn’ towards a fresh, forward-looking message. And it would also have avoided burying the positive financial results under the re re-brand story, which is perfect fodder for headlines.

It is too late for Aberdeen to pay heed to this advice, but companies considering a reverse to part of their strategy would be wise to think carefully about timing and the reception in the media. Those that don’t risk making a name for themselves – and not in the way they were hoping.

Key takeaways:

  • Q: Why did Abrdn revert to its original name?
  • A: The company faced years of criticism for its 2021 rebrand, which weakened brand equity and became a distraction from its core business.
  • Q: Why was the timing of Abrdn’s rebrand reversal problematic?
  • A: The announcement overshadowed positive business developments, shifting media focus back to the contentious rebrand instead of financial growth.
  • Q: When is the best time to fix a failed rebrand?
  • A: Ideally, companies should align rebranding reversals with major strategic shifts, such as leadership changes, acquisitions, or product launches, to control the narrative.

About the author:

Ted Harvey is the deputy head of Capital Markets at Aspectus Group, where he helps shape the narrative for financial thought leaders and market influencers. Prior to joining Aspectus, he honed his expertise at Barret and Cook stockbrokers.

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How to market to CIOs in 2025

By Sofie Skouras, Head of B2B Technology Marketing & PR, Europe & Erica Schain, Head of B2B Technology Marketing & PR, North America

Understanding CIOs is essential for tech marketers. This blog explores CIO priorities, challenges, and content preferences for 2025, offering actionable insights to refine your B2B marketing strategy. Discover where CIOs engage, how they consume content, and how you can build stronger connections. Download our full audience insights report now.

Most tech marketers know the first place to start with any marketing or communications strategy is your audience.

No, not the tired stereotype of IT professionals as hoodie-wearing techies in a basement. I mean genuine persona insights into their challenges, priorities, and needs.

Take Chief Information Officers (CIOs). What’s keeping them up at night? What internal pressures are they dealing with? And what’s at the top of their list for 2025?

At Aspectus, we’ve always been big believers in an audience-first approach. But we get why some marketers find it hard to do the same. When your to-do list never ends, diving into persona research can feel like a luxury. That’s why we’re here to help.

We’ve put together a series of curated audience insights for busy tech marketers, doing the heavy lifting of gathering the best research into a format you can actually use. The first up: CIOs – an audience that matters to many of our B2B technology clients.

Download the Aspectus Audience Insights: CIO edition report for free.

Why Today’s CIOs Are More Than IT Experts

CIOs aren’t just tech troubleshooters anymore; they are organizational change markers. Taking on much broader roles within the organization – balancing innovation with operations. Gartner’s CIO Agenda Survey (2024) found 80% of CIOs have expanded their role, with 18% leading non-IT functions and 10% leading P&L efforts. This comes with challenges of getting the balance right between the two and juggling it all. 

DocuSign’s CIO, Shanthi Iyer, summed this up perfectly in in a recent Forbes column:

“There was a time when CIOs were simply asked to ‘keep the lights on,’ managing desktop services and supporting data center operations. But today, in strong organizations, that’s changed. The CIO role is expanding and evolving into a larger and more strategic role—the ‘CIO-Plus’.”

This shift means marketers need to rethink their approach. For example, how can you demonstrate that your solution, or service, helps balance innovation with operational excellence? Does it simplify processes, reduce complexity, or free up time for strategic planning?

Sneak peek of what’s inside our visual report:  

  • CIO priorities for 2025: What’s on their radar for the year ahead?
  • Challenges CIOs face: What’s slowing them down or keeping them up at night?
  • Content preferences: Which formats resonate most with them?
  • Key online CIO communities: Where are they seeking advice and sharing knowledge?
  • Actionable marketing tips: How you can apply these insights to connect with CIOs effectively

Whether you’re crafting thought leadership content, launching a new campaign, or refining your messaging, these insights will give you a clear edge.

Want to get your marketing strategy right?

If you’d like to speak to a member of our global B2B technology marketing & PR team about how you can use audience insights like these, and more, in your marketing and comms strategy this year. Drop us an email on globaltech@aspectusgroup.com.

Key takeaways:

1. Why do CIO insights matter for B2B tech marketing?

CIOs play a strategic role in business transformation. Understanding their priorities helps marketers craft relevant messaging that addresses their needs.

2. What are CIOs prioritising in 2025?

Balancing innovation with operational efficiency, expanding leadership roles beyond IT, and managing organisational change are key concerns.

3. How can marketers effectively engage CIOs?

By using data-driven insights to create relevant content, engaging in key online communities, and demonstrating how their solutions align with CIO priorities

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Marketing lessons from Guinness: what B2B brands can learn

By Ellie Jackson, Chief Client Strategy Officer

Guinness’ marketing success isn’t just about beer—it’s about branding mastery. From consistent storytelling to distinctive brand assets and smart innovation, Guinness offers powerful lessons for B2B marketers. This post breaks down key takeaways that can help any business build stronger brand recognition and long-term market success.

There’s been something of a storm in a pint glass in the last couple of weeks with speculation – and then firm denial – that Diageo planned to offload Guinness, followed by further headlines about UK shortages. While it seems as though the famous brand is staying where it is, at least for now, it got me musing on what we can all learn from its successes – even if our industries are a world apart.


Guinness is often held up as an exemplar in marketing circles – let’s look at why that’s the case, and see what universal truths might translate to the often niche B2B worlds many of our clients inhabit.

1) The power of consistent brand storytelling

Great brands tell great stories – and Guinness has been doing it right for decades. From the classic, Good things come to those who wait campaign where the story rewinds after the first satisfying gulp to show the lead up to that moment from the start of time itself, to the iconic Surfer ad, Guinness has mastered the art of storytelling. Stories engage, and engagement sells – regardless of industry.

Then, when they hit on something that works, they let it run. For B2B, this is a useful lesson as well. Too many businesses kill off successful campaigns prematurely in the pursuit of ‘newness’ – something we talked about previously in this post. Resonance takes time to build, and consistency is how you become known for certain things over time.

2) Using distinctive brand assets to stand out

‘Distinctive brand assets’ (DBAs) is just fancy marketing speak for ‘stuff that is recognizably your brand’, usually beyond your logo and name. Guinness handles this seriously well, using its black and white to great effect, like in the You Were Always on My Mind campaign after the COVID lockdowns.

We’ve got a whole post about DBAs, but suffice it to say, it’s an area many B2B businesses can improve. Is it important in niche B2B just as it is for Guinness? I’d say absolutely. After all, DBAs give you license to play in your marketing – just like Guinness did in the above campaign – and that creativity is what’s going to help your product and brand be remembered across the lengthy periods when your future prospects are not actively in-market.

The key is committing to your distinctive assets. Whether it’s a color scheme, a graphic style, a signature tone of voice, or even a unique product shape, consistency helps create instant recognition – crucial in B2B markets where buying cycles are long, and infrequent.

3) Innovating for all the right reasons

At first glance, a pint of Guinness is a pint of Guinness. Indeed, I’d argue that consistency has played a role in its success – but where they’ve been smart is in evolving around the product without diluting its core appeal.

Take Guinness Draught in a can. Instead of compromising on quality to chase mass-market convenience, Guinness developed its signature nitrogen widget to replicate the experience of a fresh draught pour at home. More recently, they’ve responded to shifts in consumer demand with products like Guinness 0.0, catering to the growing no-alcohol trend without sacrificing taste (at least in my opinion!)

For B2B brands, the lesson here is not just ‘innovate to show we’re smart,’ but ‘innovate to meet customer needs’.

Key takeaways for B2B marketers

Guinness isn’t just a great beer; it’s a masterclass in branding, marketing, and staying power. It has built salience through consistent storytelling, smart campaign longevity, and distinctive brand assets. And it has evolved in ways that reinforce its strengths, rather than abandoning them.

For B2B marketers, the parallels are clear. Build consistency. Commit to your distinctive assets. Give campaigns time to work. Innovate in a way that strengthens, rather than weakens, your brand. Because whether you’re selling pints or portfolio management systems, marketing success shares several fundamentals.

Key Takeaways:

1. How has Guinness maintained strong brand recognition?
Guinness consistently uses storytelling, distinctive brand assets, and smart innovation to stay relevant while maintaining its core identity.

2. Why should B2B brands focus on consistency in marketing?
Consistent branding helps build recognition, trust, and market salience—key in long B2B buying cycles where immediate sales aren’t always the goal.

3. What can B2B marketers learn from Guinness’ product innovation?
Instead of innovating for the sake of it, Guinness evolves to meet customer needs while reinforcing its strengths—something B2B brands should emulate.

References:

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PPC for B2B: Lessons from 2024, Plans for 2025

By Stacey Pendrich, head of PPC

Like many of the years prior, the PPC space underwent significant changes in 2024. From the continued integration and development of AI tools by search engines to the steady rise in CPC (Cost Per Click) and increasing competition, PPC has become more complex and expensive than ever.


Staying on top of trends and being proactive in your digital strategies is becoming ever more crucial for ensuring success in an environment where achieving a return on investment is becoming increasingly challenging. Given this importance of staying on top of the trends and changes for ensuring success, we highlight the top 5 developments in PPC in 2024 and offer insights on how to adapt your strategies to continue succeeding in 2025.

Section 1: Rising Costs and High Competition in 2024

From 2019 to 2023 average CPC increased 40-50%, this trend continued into 2024, seeing a 13% year on year increase in costs.

As more companies realise the effectiveness of PPC advertising, increased competition has made advertising in this space more expensive, with businesses needing to allocate more budget to stand out from the crowd and win bids. While PPC can still be a highly effective marketing strategy, the rising costs and technological complexity make mismanagement of spend more likely.

To counter this, campaign optimisation is key. Understanding commercial intent within the B2B space and optimising targeting, copy and CTAs to align with these searches is key for reaching the most relevant users who are most likely to convert, reducing CPL and enhancing ROI.

Our expertise in optimizing ROI through effective paid campaigns is exemplified in our work with Contis, where we successfully boosted paid search traffic by 21% and improved click-through rates by 23%.

Section 2: Data in 2024 and Beyond

Google’s decision to phase out third-party cookies was officially scrapped in 2024. While this development has paused changes… for now, the lessons learned in preparation for the removal of cookies remain vital, particularly regarding the growing importance of first-party data in paid campaigns.

In the B2B space, Google’s automated  Performance Max campaigns are a great way to automate many aspects of paid advertising, including ad placement, bidding and targeting. However, these are often underutilized, largely due to their reliance on first party data in order to generate leads that actually generate business, however, as Google and other platforms continue to allocate more resources towards these machine learning algorithms, and further push them to advertisers, companies must prioritize collecting first-party data to fully leverage these continually improving tools.

Furthermore, new U.S. privacy laws from Delaware, Iowa, Nebraska, New Hampshire, and New Jersey are following in the footsteps of GDPR and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), limiting third-party data access, cross-site tracking, and targeted advertising. These laws will likely accelerate the importance of first-party data, making it essential for marketers to adapt now to stay ahead of any future data privacy regulations.

Regardless of whether third party cookies continue to be a core part of Google’s ecosystem or will face another phase out strategy soon, first-party data is invaluable. Preparing for digital privacy changes is essential as these could happen at any time, avoid being unprepared and scrambling to gather compliant data for online marketing and start collecting first party data now. Furthermore, leveraging this first-party data is absolutely necessary to capitalise on the PPC tools that both Google and its competitors are heavily investing in, ensuring your strategies stay ahead of the curve and your campaigns remain profitable.

Section 3: Technology Advancements

The increasing role of AI in digital marketing is unmistakable. AI-driven PPC tools have been rapidly adopted by platforms, tools such as Microsoft’s Performance Max, TikTok’s Smart+, and Pinterest’s Automated Campaigns were all launched in 2024, with  Meta’s Advantage+ and Googles Performance Max launched a few years prior. These tools reflect a clear trend in the industry towards platforms focusing on, and integrating, AI tools in advertising. These tools are powered by machine learning algorithms that will only become more efficient over time, becoming familiar with these tools and collecting the conversion data necessary to fully utilise them will become a necessity going forward

Additionally, AI-driven search engines, such as Perplexity AI and the 2024 launch of Search GPT, are gaining traction and could potentially reshape the future of online shopping. While these platforms are currently more focused on B2C sales, the advancements in AI witnessed across the digital space suggest they may soon make their way into B2B marketing, potentially offering new opportunities for marketers to utilise these tools in 2025.

In parallel, voice search is gaining momentum. Research into voice assistants highlight that 30% of internet users aged 16-64 use voice assistants each week, and roughly 65% of people aged 25-49 use voice-enabled devices daily. While voice search may be less relevant for B2B currently, optimising PPC campaigns for voice search requires small adjustments to your keyword strategies and could generate more leads as the adoption of this technology grows. Optimising for voice search requires adjusting to the conversational nature of voice queries, using longer-tail keywords and phrases that reflect how people speak, for example adding in prefixes such as “Who are the”, “Which companies offer” and “Who are the best” can all aid in more effectively targeting voice search queries.

Section 4: Google Faces Competition

In 2024, the U.S. government deemed Google a monopoly, which could lead to significant changes in the digital advertising landscape. Google may be required to share the user data it collects with competitors and stop collecting user data that cannot be shared due to privacy restrictions, all in an effort to reduce its dominance.

This shift could open the door for competitors, particularly Microsoft, which has been gradually increasing its market share, up 27% since 2020, while this figure only represents 0.73% growth in search engine market share overall, this highlights that Microsoft is poised to secure a larger portion of the search market should Google’s dominance weaken.

While tools such as Microsoft Performance Max, are incredibly useful for B2B marketers, to automate bids, targeting and ad placement, and  target or exclude users from paid campaigns based on their LinkedIn profiles, Microsoft’s small market share has dissuaded many from marketing on the platform. Therefore, changes in market share could make Microsoft ads a far more effaceable platform for PPC in 2025.

However, despite facing antitrust scrutiny, Google remains a formidable player with over 90% of the search engine market share and substantial resources to weather the storm.

Section 5: Hyper-personalization

Hyper-personalization, which focuses on delivering individualized experiences based on data and AI, is becoming more prevalent in marketing. While this concept is widely used in sectors like FMCG and entertainment, its relevance to B2B sectors is developing with more businesses adopting ABM strategies. Advancements in AI and predictive personalization are already helping to serve customers with the products and services they want before they even start searching, and with the advancements we have seen in AI technologies over the last few years, its impact on B2B is inevitable.

Section 6: Omnichannel Strategies

Whether it takes 7,8,9 or more touchpoints for a potential customer to make a purchase decision, being at front of mind generally means being in front of eyes. As the amount of time that users spend online searching for, and consuming, information increases, it becomes ever more important to target and retarget potential clients wherever they are online and deliver a cohesive message. By employing an omnichannel strategy, focusing on both paid and organic marketing we generated 4.35 million impressions in two months and generated 53 leads within the first 24 hours of launch for Munich Re Automation Solutions.

As the PPC space becomes more complex and competitive, staying informed and adaptable is key. Rising costs, new data privacy laws, AI-driven tools, and staunch competition are all reshaping the way that businesses approach digital marketing. Partnering with an agency like Aspectus can help you to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to these changes, as a Google partner agency we keep our finger on the pulse and make changes to your digital strategy before they impact your sales.

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Rising government bond yields present stellar comms opportunity

By Ted Harvey, Capital Markets

Rising government bond yields present both challenges and opportunities for asset managers and tech providers. In the following blog, we’ll explore how innovative technology vendors can help address valuation and risk management pain points, offering actionable insights for companies looking to establish themselves as industry leaders amid periods of elevated market volatility.

Rising bond yields – opportunity for tech innovators

Government bond yields are climbing to multi-decade highs across the globe, challenging markets in ways not seen since the 2008 financial crisis. This presents significant valuation challenges for asset managers and asset owners, but it also unearths compelling new opportunities – especially for the most innovative technology providers operating across the space.

These firms have been presented a gilt-edged chance tell compelling stories around how their solutions empower market participants to adapt in one of the most complex and uncharted market environments we’ve encountered in decades. Rising bond yields, combined with persistent market volatility, highlight critical pain points in the valuation and risk management processes of institutional investors. For companies supplying solutions to operational pain points, now is the time to establish a position in the market and highlight how your innovations can empower the financial industry.

This is of course an easy thing to say, but it can be tough to know exactly where to start. But as any strategic capital markets communications agency worth their salt would suggest, the most important first step is nailing down your messaging.

The power of positioning

In a crowded sector like financial markets, honing your messaging to distinguish your brand and frame it in the right light is the only way to stand out. Tired language and stale narratives no longer cut it.

Positioning is also crucial in resonating with target audiences and – most importantly – establishing trust. It is essential in enabling companies to articulate their unique value offering, helping clients identify and address pain points, and connect with diverse stakeholders in a complex, highly competitive industry. Beyond merely driving sales, memorable messaging strengthens brand equity and customer loyalty. So, how can you refine your message?

Here are some top tips on how to position your messaging effectively:

  • Build a narrative around stability and precision: Frame your offering as a stability driver in a volatile market, a port in a storm. Highlight how your solutions can help firms achieve more accurate, real-time valuations while navigating rising margin requirements and liquidity constraints. The importance of using clear and engaging language to convey the merits of your platform cannot be overstated. After all, budget decision-makers need to grasp its advantages just as well as the end users it’s designed for.
  • Emphasise reliability: Stress the importance of high-quality data in managing fast-changing market conditions. Showcase real-world case studies or testimonials that demonstrate how your technology prevented valuation errors or missed opportunities for clients during times of market stress. And don’t underestimate the power of numbers in bringing data stories to life. What statistics can you highlight that will add some colour to the argument?
  • Go beyond words: In the modern media landscape, you are competing for your target audience’s attention with countless other voices and distractions. To hold their attention, you need to get creative. Go beyond words and data to simplify the complexity of derivatives pricing. Use visual aids – be it videos, interactive games or dynamic infographics – as well as explainer campaigns to illustrate how your platform integrates critical inputs like yield curves and volatility metrics into easy-to-use pricing models.

Resonating in turbulent markets

Rising bond yields are not just a challenge – they are an opportunity for tech providers to demonstrate value in an industry under mounting pressure. For capital markets communications teams, the priority should be crafting a clear, compelling story that resonates with asset managers and asset owners struggling to adapt to this environment.

Key Takeaways:

  • What challenges do rising bond yields pose for asset managers?
  • Rising yields strain valuation accuracy, increase margin requirements, and heighten liquidity concerns.
  • How can technology providers address these challenges?
  • By delivering tools that enhance precision, reliability, and user simplicity, tech providers can empower asset managers to adapt to volatile markets.
  • What should communications teams prioritise in their messaging?
  • Focus on framing technology as a solution to industry pain points, using data-driven narratives, case studies, and simplified messaging to build trust and resonate with stakeholders.

About the author:

Ted Harvey is the deputy head of Capital Markets at Aspectus Group. Prior to joining Aspectus, Ted worked for Barret and Cook stockbrokers.

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How “considered creativity” can win battles with audiences and approvers

By Daniel George, Creative Director, Deputy Head of Brand, Insight and Strategy

Discover how “considered creativity” can revolutionize B2B marketing. This approach helps brands connect emotionally with cautious audiences and secures internal buy-in by focusing on relevance, distinctiveness, and measurability. Learn how to craft campaigns that challenge the status quo while delivering tangible business results.

We’ve all fought the uphill battle to convince a risk-averse business leader of the need to take a creative leap. But can you feel the tide turning?

Being dull is expensive and evidence is mounting that it brings even greater risk over the long-term than putting your head above the parapet and daring to be different.

Nowhere is this more true than in B2B sectors wherein customers may only make a purchase once every few years. Success depends on whether or not your brand is top of mind when the tender list is pulled together. Let’s face it: boring brands are rarely remembered.

And let’s not forget that B2B purchases are high-stakes emotional decisions, with audiences fearing for their jobs if they make a wrong move.

Yet too much B2B marketing is built on the assumption that these are rational decisions based on rigorous research. The temptation therefore is to avoid causing a stir. Rather than risk alienating the audience, brands play it safe and put their faith in the product to win the day.

The result? As revealed by Jon Evans at System1 Group, 78 per cent of B2B advertising can be characterized as “dull”, and rather than winning on their wits, brands are having to spend more simply to maintain their metrics. It’s a vicious cycle – caution begets caution as unconventional approaches look ever more out-there.

That’s why at Aspectus we developed an approach to creativity designed to help clients find the right idea to turn conservative audiences’ heads without turning them off – and get the idea past cautious internal approvers.

What is considered creativity?

Considered creativity is story-centric. It’s all about finding a narrative that, informed by original insight, inspires an audience to act differently. In drawing it up, score the story against three criteria.

First is its relevance – to the audience’s concerns, hopes and fears; the market and competitive context; and to whatever it is that makes the client special.

Next, ask yourself if the idea is distinct – does it stand out and stick around in the memory?

Finally, assess the extent to which the tale you’re telling will challenge the status quo. This factor is the most flexible, with clients needing differing doses depending on their own situation, but the fundamental principle is that to affect a shift in audience behavior, your narrative needs to challenge them to change something.

Get the idea right and it will be highly scalable. Considered creative campaigns can support a full-blown multichannel campaign but they can be just as easily executed as an article in the first instance and built upon once they’ve proven their merit in the media.

The trick here is to remain resolutely focused on measurability. That way you can show your stakeholders that your idea isn’t creative for its own sake – every penny spent is directed towards delivering tangible results back into the business.

That’s how to win an uphill battle.

Key Takeaways:

Q: What is the main challenge in B2B marketing?
A: Risk-averse audiences and internal approvers often resist creative strategies, leading to dull campaigns that struggle to make an impact.

Q: How does considered creativity address this challenge?
A: By focusing on narrative relevance, distinctiveness, and a measurable approach, considered creativity engages audiences and eases stakeholder concerns.

Q: Why is creativity crucial for B2B success?
A: Memorable and emotionally resonant campaigns keep brands top of mind, influencing high-stakes decisions and reducing the long-term risk of being forgettable.

Q; What’s my next step?

A: Reach out and chat to our team! As pioneers of considered creativity, we’re experts in building brands upon clever campaigns that resonate in the smallest of niches.

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PR and marketing for Bett 2025 – your complete guide

By Stacey Cockram, Technology

This guide features actionable PR and marketing advice to help edtech brands succeed at Bett 2025 and future events. Covering preparation, on-the-ground tactics, and post-event follow-ups, a multi-channel approach ensures maximum visibility, meaningful connections, and sustained impact.

Why Bett 2025 is crucial for edtech brands

Bett 2025, the global edtech event, is fast approaching. The below edtech PR and marketing principles are your guide to the show (and any education or tech-focused event for that matter), helping you make meaningful connections and position your brand effectively in a competitive market.

Bett is one of my favourite tech shows to attend and I’m always blown away by the innovation being showcased to transform learning, teaching and training – from primary school to higher education and personal development. That said, it’s a huge and incredibly noisy event. Whether you’re an established edtech player, or a newcomer to the industry, a strong PR and marketing strategy is critical to maximize your impact and stand out. Here are my Bett 2025 event preparation tips.

Before Bett: laying the foundations for success

Preparation is key amidst the buzz of an event as prominent as Bett. Start by aligning your business goals and ensuring every team member attending is fully briefed on your messaging. For your brand to come across strongly, everyone should share the same concise elevator pitch, firmly grounded in your organization’s vision, mission, and the motivations of your target audience. A unified approach will allow you to convey your brand’s story with clarity and consistency.

From a digital marketing perspective, you need to use social media strategically. Paid campaigns are an excellent way to reach potential attendees; you can build a highly targeted campaign audience, narrowing it down by seniority, job title, company name and more to reach the specific people who matter and try to set up meetings. Eye-catching designs, dynamic GIFs, and short, impactful videos can boost your visibility and spark interest. Complement these efforts with organic social posts that showcase your brand’s personality.

Email marketing is another powerful tool. If you know who your key prospects are, a tailored email campaign can directly reach decision-makers and influencers. Highlight the specific ways your product or service addresses their challenges and invite them to connect at your booth or during one of your sessions.

If you’re considering launching a press release before or during any edtech event, it’s vital to have something genuinely newsworthy to share. Product updates alone aren’t enough. A disruptive thought leadership angle could help your story cut through the noise, for example. Plan these external comms actions early to be able to pre-pitch and increase chances of coverage. This is also a stepping stone to securing interviews with any journalists attending the event. Finally, don’t forget your speakers – prepare them thoroughly with a detailed briefing book and a dry run to ensure they shine on stage.

During Bett: keeping things going on the ground

Bett is a whirlwind of activity, so staying focused and proactive is essential. Your social media channels should remain active throughout the event, sharing real-time updates. Post pictures of your booth, share key takeaways from talks, and highlight your interactions with attendees.

If you’ve secured media interviews, punctuality and preparedness are crucial. Journalists at Bett are on tight schedules, so respect their time and drive home your key messages concisely and compellingly.

Speakers play a vital role in representing your brand. Encourage them to revisit their briefing materials and arrive early to their sessions to familiarize themselves with the venue and technology. Marketing teams should provide constructive feedback afterward, ensuring continuous improvement for future engagements.

After Bett: sustaining momentum

The event may be over, but your PR and marketing doesn’t stop there. Post-event PR strategies for technology events are a must. With Bett always a source of information and insights, use them to keep the conversation going. Start by publishing a blog recapping the event, sharing highlights, success stories, and reflections on the key themes discussed. This not only positions your brand as a thought leader but also strengthens your SEO and digital presence.

Retargeting is another post-event marketing strategy. Use paid social campaigns, such as LinkedIn InMail, to reconnect with key prospects. Complement this with follow-up email marketing to nurture leads and move them further down the sales funnel.

Finally, adopt an always-on approach to media relations. Stay relevant by newsjacking emerging trends in education, technology, schools, universities, and workforce training. Combine these with thought leadership articles and press releases to maintain a steady stream of visibility in the months following Bett.

Chat with me at Bett

Edtech events are a brilliant way to build your brand, but they require a multi-channel PR and marketing approach before, during and after for the most impact. Use this guide as your checklist for Bett 2025 and beyond.

I’ll be attending Bett this year, if you’d like to discuss how Aspectus can support your edtech PR and marketing, email stacey.cockram@aspectusgroup.com to set up a meeting.

About the author:

Stacey is passionate about education. Before joining Aspectus, she obtained a degree in Education Studies from Durham University and worked as a tutor for an edtech platform. As a Senior Account Director, Stacey has vast technology experience including edtech and tech-for-good. She prioritises a multi-channel approach for clients encompassing branding, PR and digital marketing to ensure a cohesive strategy across all channels. In addition, Stacey runs The Aspectus Academy, Aspectus’ PR and marketing apprenticeship that aims to lower the barriers to a career in communications, and regularly gives talks at secondary schools.

You can find her on LinkedIn here.

Key takeaways:

Q1: What is Bett 2025, and why is it significant for edtech brands?
A1: Bett 2025 is a leading global edtech event showcasing innovations in education. It’s an essential opportunity for brands to connect with stakeholders and boost their visibility.

Q2: How can I prepare my brand for Bett 2025?
A2: Align your goals, craft unified messaging, and use digital marketing like paid campaigns and email to engage your audience effectively before the event.

Q3: What should I focus on after the event to maintain momentum?
A3: Publish a recap blog, retarget key leads, and sustain media outreach through thought leadership and newsjacking to remain visible and relevant.

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