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5 ways to future proof your marketing communications strategy in Asia

Woman with Augmented Reality headset

By Louise Veitch, Head of South East Asia

Many businesses have the vision of taking their brands to the next level, especially to capitalise on opportunities in Asia, but may not always have the right strategies to get to their end goals. With continuous and rapid changes in the way media is consumed, new platforms and frequent introduction of new algorithms and technologies, companies may find themselves having to pivot and reboot their marketing strategies. Here are five ways to future proof your marcomms strategy in Asia.

1. The mobile-first society.

Today’s audience is mobile-first. Studies show that over 80% of the world’s population (6.8 billion) are smartphone users with Asian countries leading the pack. This is projected to increase to 7.8 billion by 2028 with global mobile web traffic accounting for over 50% of total internet traffic. In the APAC region, mobile penetration has also been ramping up with unique mobile subscriber penetration rates, excluding Greater China, moving from 59% in 2021 to a projected 62% by 2025. This presents a great opportunity for mobile content whether in a B2B or B2C context, and to include the UX/UI component into the marcomm equation. A future-proof plan would include content that is not just targeted and customised for mobile devices, but also able to deliver information in ways that are seamless, captivating, and compelling to influence action or induce the right perception and attitudes towards brands. 

2. Go where your target audience will be.

In terms of platforms, ‘Going where your audience is’ may be the current default position, but there may be benefits to having the foresight to ‘go where no man has gone before’, to summon a cliché. There is also merit in understanding future target audiences, how they consume media and the platforms where they will be engaging in future.

A 2022 study tells us that Southeast Asians are in favour of the metaverse, with a majority of respondents considering it ‘an advancement in social interaction’ and a mode of ‘facilitating social opportunities.’ With many of the world’s biggest brands already making waves in the Metaverse where they’re engaging with audiences on issues or causes that are meaningful to them – having a strategy and means of delivering content and engagement on these platforms needs to be considered now. 

3. Think Global Act Local.

As there are vastly different regional nuances in the media landscape of every country across APAC, having a team of marketing professionals on the ground can go a long way in building relationships with the media and leveraging cultural nuances in social media consumption, as opposed to managing your programme from afar. A physical on-ground team working in the right timezone, with fundamental knowledge of the target audience can dramatically improve marketing and communications results and drive positive business outcomes. While execution can and has been done remotely from the Western hemisphere, there is a marked difference in what can be achieved on the ground. Companies expecting to grow their business in the region in the future should consider working with on-ground agencies with experience and knowledge in navigating the landscape to maximise business results.

4. Authenticity.

The future of brand value may well lie in how authentic it is; its vision and mission must speak to the target audience now, and those that companies want to capture for the future. Gen Z, for example, the most influential generation perhaps now and in the coming years, who will be crucial decisionmakers in the future, have a high regard for companies and brands that are authentic and make a difference in sustaining people and planet. Another recent study on Asian millennials also reveals that the level of perceived authenticity associated with a brand significantly impacts ‘brand love’ which then affects behavioural outcomes such as continuous brand support and/or purchase intention. Building long-term perceptions of authenticity and sustaining trust is key for the future.

5. Always-on community building.

Many global businesses base their Asia marcomm programmes around big announcements, launches or campaigns and we’ve observed this as common practice with Asian companies, too. While the metrics may reflect on your ROI, they may not guarantee long-term brand preference or loyalty. What’s important is to ensure continuous engagement with always-on activity − building and growing your community, and engaging them with content that speak to shared causes. Apart from helping to future proof and reinforce the relevance of your brand and perceived brand value, the habit of continuous engagement can put you in good stead for the future, retaining your loyal community even if channels, platforms and mediums change.

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Step up your SaaS marketing game: top tips for knowing your audience

By Sophie Reed, Associate Content Manager

When it comes to audience growth, engagement and reeling new potential clients, fostering an authentic relationship between your brand and customers is key. To do so, businesses must interact with their target market on the ground. With an optimised communication strategy, you can engage with your customers and prospective leads to build connections that last.  

In the digital age, a wealth of platforms can assist in getting your brand in front of your target audience. With around 3.5 billion people using social media networks worldwide, you need to develop your understanding of social channels and optimise your SaaS marketing by creating a clear comms strategy to maximise your results and cut through the noise.  

Taking an integrated approach will help you communicate through different platforms and get your message out there. Whether it’s though social media, advertising, public relations (PR) or emails and newsletters, these must all work in unison to achieve the same goal.  

Here’s how you can develop a thoughtful integrated comms strategy to achieve your business goals.  

Know your audience: who, what, why

The customer is king. Evolving consumer demands determine your ongoing business developments and offerings. Adapting in response to these changing needs will ensure your B2B SaaS offering remains relevant, showcases your agility, and helps you scale up to maintain a competitive market edge.   

To create thoughtful messaging that resonates, you need to tailor it to your audience – find out their unmet needs, preferences, pain points and motivations, then position yourself as the answer. Crucially, it is key that messaging is designed to fill the ‘white space’ conversations that your customers are not currently owning and topics that are not saturated.   

Where to start: 

  1. Desktop research: identify the trends, patterns in customer behaviour, social discussions, and online reviews to get under the skin of your audience and understand what they care about 
  1. Surveys and interviews: requesting feedback is a great way to connect with your current customers and demonstrate you value their opinion. Ask about their issues, buying habits, and what they value most in a product or service 
  1. Competitor research: work smarter not harder. Analyse competitors and take inspiration from how they connect with audiences. Competitors will also open the door to other prospective leads to target – look for gaps in their marketing strategy you can capitalise on, and hone in on the whitespace to elevate your unique value proposition 

Unleash your distinctive potential

Taking the time to undertake in-depth upfront data gathering and competitor audits will enable you to make more well-informed, strategic decisions that will be truly impactful in the long run. A magnified knowledge of the market will help you understand and communicate your unique traits, differentiating yourself from market competitors and creating a brand that makes you famous for your thinking. All of this enhances your wider business strategy. 

You can revisit these methods again and again, keeping the customer feedback loop open and adjusting your messaging accordingly. This creates a virtuous circle of results In turn, you can flex your business agility and deliver messaging that will appeal to audiences and increase engagement rates by hooking readers in.  

In our next blog in this series, we will focus on the tools used to push out your enhanced messaging, with information about how to identify the relevant media and social channels so push messaging out and place you in front of your target audience.  

Looking to learn more? Get in touch with Aspectus Group, an award-winning integrated SaaS marketing agency with expertise in B2B technology PR. 

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3 top tips for developing an effective technology event communications plan

By Astor Sonnen, Senior Account Director

Trade shows are a staple of most industries. A chance to network, showcase solutions, sell, buy, and learn, brands often anchor entire marketing and sales campaigns around their appearances at events.  

Driving the most value out of trade shows is dependent on having clear objectives, defined within a strategic event communications plan. You can’t simply turn up and expect success; you need to lay the groundwork.  

While events may differ between industries, there are several key considerations for marketeers when developing marketing and comms plans. So, whether you’re planning on exhibiting at DCD Connect, Capacity Europe, SaaStock, InfoSec Europe or any other event, here are three top tips to keep in mind.  

1: Tell your audience that you’re attending and ‘stand’ out

Raise awareness of your attendance so that your audience can set up meetings at the show, while also boosting your brand by publicising what topics and events you’re active in.

Start activity 6-weeks or so out and use a variety of tactics – such as email marketing, social media and content – to increase the likelihood your audience will engage.

Conversations will also happen organically at the show, but having a stand that sets you apart will help to attract visitors. Some brands develop vibrant signage, while others may have quirks such as demos and freebies.

Ask yourself:

  • How will your target audience know that you’re exhibiting at the event? 
  • What’s the most effective way of reaching your audience? 
  • Do you have something planned that will increase the attractiveness of your stand?  

2: Train your speakers to represent your brand in the right way  

If you have a representative in a panel discussion, make sure they’re fully prepped to add insightful commentary. A true thought leader can explore industry topics, while subtly bridging back to their own messaging, so that attendees gain a better understanding. If panel participants clearly push their own agenda and aren’t in sync with each other, it can be alienating to the audience.  

Ask yourself:  

  • Are your experts fully prepared for a discussion?  
  • Do they require training so that they understand when best to engage in the wider conversation and when to be more direct with your messaging? 

3: If you want media coverage, have something new to say  

Media coverage is another common desired outcome for brands attending events, but this is dependent on having actual news. Attendance in itself is not newsworthy. Be ready to announce something along the lines of new data, offerings, customer relationships or top-level hires so that journalists have a reason to come to your stand.  

However, other brands in attendance will likely be announcing news at the same time for the same reasoning, so make your story strong. And remember, if there’s no news, you can still take the opportunity to chat to journalists on the day to build relationships – with the right preparation. 

Ask yourself: 

  • Do you have something new to talk about? 
  • If yes, to manage expectations, would you expect coverage of the news if you announced it outside of the show?  
  • What are your main goals for attending? If lead generation is a priority, your efforts may be better focused elsewhere. 

There are plenty more top tips we can give you, so if you’ve got an industry event on the horizon and want to know how to make your resources deliver more, get in touch.  

Let’s discuss your event communications plan, as well as your wider technology PR and comms strategy. 

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Why we care more about bad news… and how spokespeople can cut through

By Alex Newlove, Senior Account Manager

It is a common complaint that journalists tend to focus on the ‘bad’ stories that make us despair about the state of the world. Our clients sometimes worry that journalists’ propensity for covering conflict and mishap will lead to quotes being taken out of context and placed in an overwhelmingly negative story.

Who else subscribes to a news service where the refrain below-the-line is often “I will be cancelling my subscription to this alarmist newspaper, I expected better”?

The insinuation behind these complaints is that journalists go out of their way to irritate and alarm us, just for fun. Sometimes, the follow-up statement from commenters will be something like, “why can’t you report on some good news for a change?”.

The answer to this question is clear: editors have better information than ever about what people are reading, given that the vast majority of news is now clicked on, as opposed to leafed through. I would argue that this makes us all culpable for the quality and tone of the news agenda. You clicked on one too many articles about Kim Kardashian’s bum, and you are now living in the mean and superficial world which you helped to mould. Social media has further fueled an environment that rewards only the most extreme, black-and-white opinions.

But while I have just implied that we all have a degree of responsibility for the negative news cycle, we are also born with brains that fire up for drama and disaster; merely flicker for charming stories with a happy ending; and barely register accounts of where things have gone well or adhered to the status quo – in fact this latter group is barely considered news at all.

Excuse me while my undergraduate psychology course rears its ugly head, but this penchant for bad news makes perfect sense from an evolutionary perspective. The ‘negativity bias’ meant our ancestors were vastly more likely to put their attention towards what could be a snake in the grass, over admiring a glorious blue sky. Ignoring potential bad news (the approaching snake) was vastly riskier than not focusing on neutral or good news. Similar mechanisms are at work when we find it easier to recall insults than compliments, and why you remember exactly what you were doing when you heard a plane had crashed into the twin towers. Your brain registered the perceived shocking threat and helpfully filed the ‘lesson’ for later.

This negativity bias poses a challenge for PR people. Our clients often come to us desperately excited about a new project their team has been working energetically on for many months. We are sometimes in the unenviable position of telling them “sorry, no-one cares”. This will be translated to something along the lines of “What an exciting initiative! Unfortunately, due to the busy news agenda we cannot imagine this will get much traction with the media at this time”.

So how can firms capitalise on a grim news agenda, without coming across as overly pessimistic, or getting drawn into a slanging match with competitors?

Contrarian points of view

Restating the status quo does not get you quoted. The journalist wants colour and opinion – what is your or your company’s attitude towards a topic? Can you critique a prevailing idea or theory, or even your own industry, before covering what your firm is doing to change it? (We recommend against criticising specific competitors.)

Use their angle to your advantage

Ask the journalist if they already have an angle in mind. If you feel it is inaccurate or overly-negative, this gives you a chance to come up with a more positive counter-narrative and will help guide your responses throughout the conversation.

Move the story on

The journalist is always trying to write the next chapter on a given topic, so there is little point in extensively rehashing old ground. Give them something fresh to go on and explain how an issue is moving on. “Now the market is shifting, and our clients have started asking us about Y. This means…”

Be fearless: say what you think

A big frustration for journalists is the extent to which senior people in well-paid positions are afraid to venture an opinion, even where it correlates to their company’s messaging. The world is gasping for thoughtful, frank, discussion. Being passionate and showing personality is good.

Aspectus can help your company navigate a turbulent news agenda. Contact us.

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Breaking Fast and Breaking Barriers: A Guide to Celebrating Ramadan in the Workplace

By Thamsia Salam, Account Executive

Ramadan is an important month for Muslims worldwide, where they fast from sunrise to sunset for a whole month. It’s a time of self-reflection, prayer, and generosity. For many Muslims, like me, this is a time when we connect with the faith, family, and community. Eid al-Fitr is the festival that marks the end of Ramadan and is a time of joy, celebration, and gratitude.

For someone experiencing their first corporate job during Ramadan and Eid, it can be daunting at first. I was excited for the month, but I was also worried about how I would manage my job responsibilities and religious obligations during Ramadan and Eid. I knew that I would have to perform additional spiritual duties throughout the day, but I wasn’t sure how I would handle it. I was also concerned about how my colleagues would react and whether they would understand the significance of these religious observances.

Were my concerns well-founded? Keep reading for an account of my first Ramadan working in communications.

Working with Purpose

My worries were soon put to rest as my colleagues were very understanding and supportive. I had discussions with my line manager to explain my situation and see if there was any way I could be accommodated during Ramadan and Eid. I was grateful that Aspectus was open to providing me with flexibility in my hours, which helped me to manage my fasting and prayer times.

The first week was tough, having to adjust to a new routine whilst carrying out my usual duties. I continued to attend meetings and perform my regular tasks during Ramadan, sometimes finding it difficult to maintain my energy levels. Fortunately, my colleagues were understanding and accommodating, which helped me to cope. I found that taking short breaks throughout the day to rest and recharge was helpful.

As Ramadan progressed, I found that I was better able to manage my responsibilities and my religious obligations. I learned to be more efficient with my time and focused on completing my tasks earlier in the day when I had more energy. I was also fortunate that as part of my Ramadan arrangements, I was able to work from home for the entirety of the month, which helped me to manage my fasting and prayer times better.

Eid al-Fitr

When Eid al-Fitr arrived, I took a day off to celebrate with family and friends. Eid al-Fitr is a joyous festival celebrated by Muslims all over the world, marking the end of Ramadan. It’s a time for dressing up in new clothes, exchanging gifts and greetings, and feasting with family and friends. Think of it as the ultimate post-Ramadan celebration, complete with good food, good company, and good vibes!

In conclusion, my first Ramadan and Eid in a corporate role were a mix of challenges and rewards. I was grateful for the understanding and support of their employer and colleagues, which helped to manage my religious obligations while also fulfilling the job role commitments. I also learned to be more efficient with my time and found ways to adjust to their fasting and prayer times. One of the highlights of my month was talking to colleagues about the ins and outs of Ramadan. This experience was a reminder of the importance of diversity and inclusivity in the workplace, where individuals from different backgrounds can work together in harmony and respect each other’s cultures and traditions.

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Poor comms strategy? You’re fired: how the candidates should have played their cards in this year’s ‘The Apprentice’

By Laura Morrison, Senior Account Executive

So, you’ve come up with your own sparkling idea to make it big: a business plan with a comprehensive profit and loss (P&L), projection of sales, and marketing strategy. Trouble is, you fall short of a £250k investment to bring it into existence and catapult yourself towards becoming a gazillionaire.  

Your options for securing this funding? A bank loan, crowd funding, an angel investor, a knock on the door of the bank of Mum and Dad? Or you could’ve decided that your best option for raising capital is to throw yourself in a pool with 17 other budding candidates on national TV, and gamble that you’ll survive 12 gruelling weeks of tasks and boardrooms to come out on top. You’d think a bright young ex-Barclays employee would opt for one of the more traditional paths before throwing himself to the mercy of ruthless grillings from a Lord of the realm. Alas, Avi Sharma has become one of the latest victims of Lord Sugar’s The Apprentice, back on screens for its 17th series.  

Calculated risk aside, why embark on this treacherous interview process to fight it out for Lord Sugar’s funding and 50 years’ worth of business experience? In a show where bold players can win big, quite often your best bet for fame and success seems to be shortlisting yourself for soundbite of the year (who can forget, ‘there’s no ‘I’ in team, but there’s three in millionaire’).  

The reason to sign up is clear: exposure, publicity, and 16 weeks’ worth of free comms and TV advertising which would otherwise cost you upwards of six figures. It is not the easiest route to get your brand out there, but in a world where personal brand can outweigh the product an influencer sells, it makes three months’ worth of boardrooms seem ever more appealing.  

Of course, this is assuming you can run its course, failing at the first hurdle gets you about as much airtime as a ‘You’ve Been Framed’ clip without the £250. Although, if you’re lucky and play your cards right haggling salmon down from market price at a stall in Brighton, you stand a chance of being remembered, and might even win. 

With the industry’s talent crisis hitting the headlines every day, you can’t blame Lord Sugar for wanting to vet the options over a painstakingly long decision process with the opportunity to ‘try before you buy’ on an employee providing invaluable insight pre investment. Besides being a creative and a sales-orientated contestant, it is obvious that sugar-coating Lord Amstrad is not going to win you his buy-in, but more so the honesty and integrity of each candidate which will convince him of the potential return on investment (ROI).  

This is where an effective comms strategy is something money can’t buy, whether it be the ability to sell your makeshift products to unknowing audience, communicating with your incapable project manager, or selling your business plan to a room full of industry professionals. Despite the gimmicks of the shows, the ability to effectively communicate a business plan to an investor should be top of the list when it comes to preparation for the candidates in lieu of brainstorming slogans to sell the likes of bao buns and tourist tours to Antigua.  

Although proving you can beg your way through boardroom bustles to avoid the dreaded ‘you’re fired’ isn’t exactly written on Goldman’s job specification, in order to stand a chance of being successful as you subject yourself to this process and beyond, how to ‘PR’ yourself (and your brand) should be top of the list. PR is known as ‘the discipline which looks after reputation, with the aim of earning understanding and support, and influencing opinion and behavior’. There is no doubt that the brave souls who apply – and they do in their thousands we are told – are clear on the need to gather support and sway the Lord (not that one) and his trusty lieutenants on the merits of their business plan – even though they run the risk of ruining what is likely to become their most important business asset, their reputation.  

So, before you start spending your hard-earned savings on boardroom suits, hair extensions, and perfect grooming, try the traditional investment routes and build your business and reputation (why not have a look at our website for our own tips?), without the risk of ever being known for a one liner you will undoubtedly come to regret. “I have the energy of a Duracell bunny, the sex appeal of Jessica Rabbit, and a brain like Einstein”, so said a fallen candidate of series 9 – name omitted to protect the remainder of reputation!  

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The democratisation of the internet: how Web3.0 can correct the mistakes of Web2.0

By Corrie McBain, Account Executive

As we stand on the precipice of a Web3.0 world, it’s time to look at how the foundations of this new iteration of the internet can improve designs of the past. Much attention has been paid to how Web3.0 will democratise the internet as it allows users to harness the power of blockchain technologies and applications. Moving away from a centralised online framework to one where users can own their content and retain control could transform our online sphere, and indeed the way businesses and consumers interact.

Power to the people

Web3.0 offers the chance to redistribute power from the few tech giants (Google, Meta, and Twitter etc) that monopolised Web2.0 and award it to the users. Let’s look at the reasons behind why this is possible:

1) Web3.0 will likely improve data ownership. Having a few entities that controlled data in Web2.0 meant that companies, most notably Meta, transitioned simply from being social networks into mass distributors of their users’ information. Conversely, the ‘creator economy’ that provides the backbone of Web3.0 has seen the creators leveraging their own data. This way, users can protect and monetise their creations as they please.

2) Financial incentives for online dwellers. Make no mistake, Web2.0 invigorated entrepreneurial ambition across the world through e-commerce, drop-shipping, and many other avenues. This was, however, mostly limited the by strict control of the overlords.

Decentralised Autonomous Organisations (DAOs), which are legal structures that have no central governing body, empower members of different blockchain communities to work together on deciding the future of their respective entities. This bottom-up management approach enables a fairer, and more attractive model for investing in and selling commerce within Web3.0’s portfolio.

3) Improving transparency. The fundamental blocks of Web3.0, such as decentralised finance (DeFi) and other blockchain technologies, will be interoperable and powered by smart contracts. Essentially, this means that ledgers will have shared access for all stakeholders. This enables greater transparency of the commerce in question, consequently leading to more investment and less reliance on the big tech intermediaries.

Use cases that are enabling this revolution

Cryptocurrencies
DeFi in Web3.0 will involve people owning a digital wallet such as ‘MetaMask’ or ‘Coinbase Wallet’, further entrenching the notion of decentralisation in Web3.0, with people gaining full control of their finances and removing the role of the outside forces who take a cut.

Despite the volatile nature of the crypto market right now, there are plenty of cryptocurrencies that will dominate Web3.0 due their permissionless nature, transparency, and inclusivity. Aside from the frontrunners, Bitcoin and Ethereum, other networks such as Solana appear to be weathering the storm, so much so that it is expanding its portfolio by introducing Web3.0’s first mobile phone. DeFi has its sights on bigger and better things in the age of Web3.0.

NFTs

NFTs can enable users to provide proof of ownership for content, including but not limited to, AI art, data and gaming. Powering NFTs is incredibly useful, and potentially misunderstood, technology that is unique and inimitable. This technology could liberate content creators from the chains of intermediaries who often exploit their ideas and creations – a dynamic that has been exacerbated in Web2.0 by the Tech giants. For example, Snoop Dogg has a highly successful NFT collection and has shown record labels that music ownership can be better managed using blockchain technology.

A fairer marketing landscape

To understand how Web3.0 fits into a wider, business context, we can look at how these new functions will impact digital marketing. A key issue of digital marketing is being able to personalise ads to hit the target audiences, with 63% of marketers still struggling with personalisation.

Given the shift in data control, Web3.0 would make it even more difficult for marketers to gather and store data. Third party cookies will be a thing of the past in Web3.0, so B2B marketers will need to be more innovative in how they reach their audiences. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing for marketers, however. This innovation required will involve embracing new blockchain applications and brands that will enable organisations to become closer to the trends of users, therefore alleviating concerns of losing that personalised touch.

As a result of this change, consumers will receive more valuable and engaging ads. In turn, this could generate better trust between consumers and businesses as the ads are more honest and truer to the users’ preferences. Ultimately, Web3.0 could enable better ROI for advertisers on account of the more precise nature of their campaigns. B2B marketing will, indeed, require a slight makeover if it is to adapt successfully to this new iteration.

Evolving with the times

‘Hype’ is an easy thing to overvalue, especially today. However, if harnessed properly, and if blockchain founders avoid the balance of power sliding in favour of a few bad actors, Web3.0 could reimagine the way the way we use the internet. From better B2B marketing, to increased personal wealth from DeFi, Web3.0 could manifest itself as an inclusive, connected, and prosperous version of our World Wide Web.

If you need support transforming your company’s B2B marketing as we enter Web3, Get in touch with our team. Our blockchain specialists are on hand to help!

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Unleashing The Potential of Onshore Wind: Insights from the UK’s first onshore wind conference

By Paul Noonan, Content and Insight Director

As a home-grown, home-blown power source that is now nine times cheaper than gas, terrestrial wind power could transform our energy security and affordability and pave a faster path to net zero. Yet with the UK needing to double its onshore wind capacity to remain on course for net zero by 2030 and just two turbines installed in the whole of England last year, we risk being blown off-course for decarbonisation. And the government has been criticised for rowing back on plans to ease stringent planning restrictions amidst fierce resistance from rural MPs and local groups.

I recently attended the UK’s first ever conference on onshore wind uniting leading lights from government, industry and charities to discuss how we could unleash the potential of onshore wind without damaging local environments or alienating communities. The stellar speaker line-up included the Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Net Zero, the Chairman of the Net Zero Committee and representatives from Energy UK, the Local Government Association, The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, the Nature Conservancy and the Centre for Sustainable Energy. They revealed how democratisation and localisation, holistic ‘whole system’ planning and transparent, reliable data could finally break the deadlock and detoxify onshore wind. Here were three themes that emerged.

Democratisation and localisation, not compensation

Democratising and localising wind farm development is essential so that wind farms benefit local people and places as well the planet. Communities cannot be ‘bought off’ with compensation from developers but want to be given a genuine say and a real stake in wind farm development. This means giving communities real influence over planning decisions and an opportunity to share in the benefits of projects. Community workshops could be established asking local people to list their favourite views so that wind farms are carefully sited to avoid impeding their enjoyment of nature.

Public tenders for wind projects must focus not only on cost but on creating local content and supply chains so that wind farms create jobs and opportunities for their neighbours. Communities should also be helped to make energy savings through local wind farms and the chance to profit from peer-to-peer energy markets or community-run wind schemes. One developer even gave local communities equity stakes in their neighbouring wind farm.

Transparent decision-making through smart data

Innovations such as data analytics and digital modelling could create more transparent, democratic wind farm development. Developers could give local community and environmental groups virtual tours of proposed sites for wind farms digitally modelling the impact on everything from popular views to bird migration routes. This would enable collaborative planning decisions between communities and developers based on transparent, accurate data.

We could create multi-layered digital maps combining engineering, wildlife, land-use and population data to ensure windfarms are optimally positioned for minimal impact on communities and biodiversity. And a national land-use database could map the best sites for wind farms based on everything from wind to topography data to give each local authority a well-informed series of options for communities to consider. Crucially, transparent methodologies for measuring environmental impact such as the Nature Conservancy’s Site Wind Right tool could ensure spatial planning for wind farms minimises or mitigates environmental damage.

Holistic ‘whole system’ infrastructure planning

A disjointed, point-to-point model of development where each wind farm has to make its own grid interconnection means that power systems are not evolving in sync with renewables. We need to design electric and renewable grids holistically as a joined-up ecosystem designed to intersect around the most cost-effective way to bring clean energy to the masses.

Multi-layered digital maps modelling future power systems and wind farms could be merged with population data to ensure transmission lines and wind farms are designed to intersect and connect with future population centres. In this way, connected data from multiple sources could create more collaborative, joined-up renewable and electric infrastructure.

Mapping the way forward:

The Net Zero Committee says the UK needs to double the installed capacity of onshore wind by 2030 to make net zero affordable and achieve decarbonisation. Yet the omens are not looking good, with the pipeline of wind projects drying up under an effective 10-year moratorium on construction. Only 11% of local authorities have even identified possible sites for new construction because of confusion over where and how to build in a way that achieves democratic consent. What emerged from this event is that transparent, reliable smart data is the key to building bridges between wind developers and local communities so that wind farms can peacefully coexist with nature and their human neighbours.

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Why a PR and marketing career is just like a half marathon

By Catherine Hunter, Account Director

I recently completed a half marathon, and as I was running the 13.1 miles, it struck me that there are quite a few similarities between a PR and marketing career and a half marathon. From training to the big day, there’s lessons we can draw across disciplines.

Start with the strategy

When signing up to the half marathon, one of the first things I put into place was a training plan – essentially working back from the big day to ensure there was enough time to get the miles in. And like all good plans, injury and flu meant they had to change! Whether doing a report, social bank or even pitching a press release, we need to align our timings backwards in a PR and marketing career to give us the best chance of success, but also to ensure deadlines are met. But strategy goes further than that. It’s about setting up for success. You can execute a creative and compelling campaign but with no strategy, it’s going to be far less impactful than you intended. And so, whether moving to your gate to get started, or kicking of a new client in your PR and marketing career, aligning to strategy is key.

Purpose led approach

As the miles start to hit, and the pain and fatigue sets in, you need to look within and find the strength to carry on. For me, reminding myself of the purpose of why I set out on the half marathon journey to begin with was a big part of the grounding needed to see me eat away the final few miles.


And it’s that same sense of purpose that’s invaluable to help you take the next step in your PR and marketing career. Agencies like Aspectus pride themselves on rewarding people who are doing well, and with two promotion cycles a year, it’s possible to really run in your career and take on the role that really serves your purpose. Whether it is international expansion, or moving into a new sector niche that really drives you, or just being the best at your discipline – by understanding what drives you and the purpose you want to bring to the business can really help to accelerate success.

Different approaches for different outcomes

It was about the 6 mile mark where I decided a bleep test was probably an easier challenge for me. Short, sprint bursts suited my natural style better. The rush of a sprint is the similar kind of buzz breaking news can give you in a PR and marketing career. But it’s also important to know that while a single tactic – like breaking news – can have tremendous media value, alone it is unlikely to create the real impact you’re looking for.


And much like a consistent pace for a marathon is a common approach. Jeffing – where you walk for 30 seconds, run for 30 seconds continually – can be another approach that can have a good outcome. And so, the key for success is really knowing what approach will have the best impact – whether digital, in-depth reports, or press releases – for what you’re trying to achieve.

Celebrate the wins

It’s no secret that not every pitch you do will land, the story won’t capture the hearts and mind of the journalist quite like you hoped – especially when reaching out to top tier media. But that means the victory is all the sweeter when it does! Equally, there are times on the half marathon journey where the finish line feels a step too far to reach, and so it’s important to take stock, reflect and realise the journey you’ve taken and the little wins you’ve had along the way. At Aspectus, we celebrate the wins every week through hijack.


For me, as a non-runner, a half marathon was a significant personal challenge. It took me well outside of my comfort zone and if anything, I learned that once is enough for a challenge like that! But the most important thing for any career, let alone PR and marketing is to seek out challenges to learn from people, develop skills and continually grow.

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