Category: Aspectus

Top 5 LinkedIn Ad Products for B2B Marketing Success in 2024

Karina Bastille, Digital Account Manager

LinkedIn introduced game-changing ad products in 2024, including AI-driven Accelerate Campaigns, Sponsored Newsletters, and new video ad options. Designed to empower B2B marketers, these tools enhance engagement, efficiency, and ROI. Discover how LinkedIn’s latest features can elevate your marketing strategy and foster deeper connections with your target audience.

2024 has been an interesting year for B2B marketing. With AI making waves in all industries and the rise of short-form video content, it can be hard to keep up with all the latest marketing trends.

LinkedIn, however, has kept up the pace and it shows. Over the past year, they’ve released a slew of new products and features that take these trends to heart. Let’s take a deep dive into some of their most exciting new add-ons and see how they can make a difference in B2B marketers’ lives.

Accelerate Campaigns: AI-Powered Ad Creation

Last October, LinkedIn began limited testing of one of their biggest products, “Accelerate” campaigns, which is an AI-powered tool in LinkedIn Campaign manager that can build an entire end-to-end campaign in as little as 5 minutes. It does so by scanning the URL input during campaign set-up, along with the associated company page. It has now been released to the public this past July with additional features including:

  • Integration of Microsoft Designer
  • Option to integrate customer data & exclusion lists
  • An AI marketing assistant

Accelerate campaigns are still fairly new but so far, LinkedIn has reported that this feature has increased campaign creation efficiency by 15% while driving cost per action down by 52%, versus Classic campaigns. It is currently only available for Website Visits and Lead Generation objectives.

Engaging Audiences with Sponsored Newsletters

This past summer, LinkedIn expanded its successful sponsored articles ad option to also include sponsored newsletters. Just like the name suggests, this allows businesses to increase audience engagement through newsletters built and managed on the LinkedIn platform.

This expansion is due to the rise of newsletter popularity on the platform. LinkedIn has reported that there are now more than 184,000 being published on the app and that newsletter engagement has increased by 47% over the past year.

Both sponsored articles and newsletters can be built out through LinkedIn’s Campaign Manager and are currently available for Brand Awareness, Engagement, Website Traffic and Lead Generation objectives.

Why Video Ads Are Key for B2B in 2024

The last few features released this year that made the biggest waves are LinkedIn’s video ad capabilities, which is to be expected. Almost all social media platforms have seen short-form video content steadily rise in popularity, especially in the B2B space. LinkedIn reported an increase in video ads for B2B campaigns and that video uploads are up 34% year-over-year, including short-form videos.

The rising popularity is not the only reason why B2B marketers are turning to video. More and more B2B marketing leaders have identified video as a leading ad format for maximizing ROI, brand awareness, and lead generation. According to HubSpot’s State of Marketing report for 2024, 17% of marketers have seen short-form videos generate and deliver strong ROI results. For B2B buyers specifically, 63% have said that short-form social video content has helped inform their buying decisions.

LinkedIn has responded to this growth with three new video-focused products.

New LinkedIn Video Ad Features for 2024New LinkedIn Video Ad Features for 2024

  • Video Carousel Ads
    • Video carousel ads allow brands to showcase products through multiple videos in a single ad unit, which users can easily swipe through. This feature enhances storytelling by enabling businesses to present different aspects of their products, services, or campaigns in a visually engaging way.
    • Each video in the carousel can focus on different topics, target different audience segments or illustrate different use cases. Advertisers are then able to measure the effectiveness of both the entire ad itself and each individual video.
  • Live Event Ads
    • Live Event Ads enables users to promote upcoming LinkedIn events in-stream before, during, and after the actual event, dynamically adjusting based on when it occurs.
    • This addition is in response to the growing number of professionals viewing live events on LinkedIn’s platform looking for B2B networking opportunities and learning from industry leaders.
  • LinkedIn CTV Ads
    • LinkedIn CTV ads, or LinkedIn Connected TV ads is a managed offering in partnership with NBCUniversal. This is a new advertising format that allows brands to extend their B2B brand awareness on Connected TVs through LinkedIn’s network of publishers, including Paramount, Roku, and Samsung, right within Campaign Manager.

Conclusion: LinkedIn’s Continued Evolution in B2B Marketing

Overall, LinkedIn’s new features show that the platform is evolving to meet the demands of its audience and position itself at the forefront of the B2B marketing landscape. See our earlier post to find out why traditional B2B marketing tactics can fall flat and explore what you can do to make sure your brand is front-of-mind.

For those seeking to stay competitive in 2025 and beyond, embracing these new tools will be key to driving growth and fostering deeper connections in an increasingly digital world.

Don’t get left behind in the digital shift. Reach out to us today and let’s discuss how we can help you harness LinkedIn’s new capabilities for your business!

Key takeaways:

Q1: What is LinkedIn’s Accelerate Campaigns, and how does it benefit B2B marketers?
A: Accelerate Campaigns is LinkedIn’s AI-based tool that builds end-to-end ad campaigns in minutes. It improves efficiency by 15% and lowers cost per action by 52%.

Q2: How do Sponsored Newsletters work on LinkedIn?
A: Sponsored Newsletters allow companies to deliver targeted content directly to LinkedIn users. This new feature meets the rising demand for LinkedIn newsletters, enhancing reach and engagement.

Q3: Why are video ads significant for B2B marketing in 2024?
A: Video ads drive engagement and brand awareness effectively, with LinkedIn’s new Video Carousel Ads, Live Event Ads, and CTV Ads offering innovative ways for B2B brands to reach wider audiences.

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Will AI replace public relations? What business leaders need to know

Isabelle Dann, Technology

This blog explores the role of AI in public relations, highlighting its potential benefits and limitations. While AI can automate tasks and enhance productivity, human creativity and storytelling remain irreplaceable in public relations (PR).

The proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI) presents countless new ways to get things done. In the workplace, AI can be harnessed to automate repetitive tasks, enhance decision-making, and improve productivity. Consequently, many business leaders are turning to automation as a strategy to reduce costs. According to McKinsey, 72% of organisations have adopted AI in at least one business function, with the PR and communications sector being no exception. Nonetheless, more than half (56%) of Fortune 500 companies cited AI as a risk factor – with media, software, and technology firms particularly concerned.

This raises a critical question: will AI replace PR? And, in turn, the need to partner with an agency?

Defining PR in the age of AI

Before answering, it’s essential to define PR. In a nutshell, PR is the pursuit of third-party endorsement through strategic media relations. This approach adds credibility to a brand, as positive commentary is more persuasive from an impartial source. In practice, this involves cultivating a keen eye for a story, which is vital for making company news compelling and creating proactive opportunities. Mastering these narrative skills is essential for success.

AI’s potential and limits in public relations

So, how can AI help here? Theoretically, AI can automate countless PR activities, including content creation and idea generation. However, getting the best results means knowing when to use this technology. Just because AI can be used for a specific task doesn’t mean it should. AI is a tool; its effectiveness depends on how we use it.

Key AI limitations include hallucinations – put simply, making something up – and potential biases. Additionally, the intersection of commercial interests and privacy concerns must not be overlooked.” If sensitive company data is mishandled and fed carelessly into a language learning model (LLM), the ramifications of an NDA breach could be colossal. As such, prioritising information security is paramount.

The human element: why creativity matters

Creative caution must also be taken. Asking ChatGPT to develop an article idea from scratch will likely prove a fruitless exercise because outputs from LLMs are, by nature, highly derivative and dependent on whatever data they’re fed. Regurgitating the past without looking to the future does not foster originality. This may change over time if artificial general intelligence (AGI) becomes a reality. However, while we’re in the safer realm of narrow AI, human creativity and curiosity are irreplaceable. Machines might excel at summarising established concepts but are less deft at metaphors, analogies, and other literary devices unless prompted. Similarly, because automated writing is usually formulaic, LLMs fail to deliver surprising and insightful narratives. They also can’t tell jokes. That’s why anyone who attempts to outsource original content writing to ChatGPT will find themselves disappointed. Similarly, PR professionals who make the mistake of leaning on ChatGPT for ideation, rather than summarisation, will stagnate.

Strategic use of AI in PR

Still, despite these limitations, AI can unlock significant advantages when used appropriately in PR. Asking ChatGPT to help brainstorm headlines for an article is a different story, because it’s a way of packaging up and boosting human-written content. Similarly, plugging a human-written article into ChatGPT can make it more SEO-friendly by automating the creation of title tags, meta descriptions, H tags, and social posts. Humans should still edit these outputs, but they’re a useful starting point when amplifying content.

Transcribing meetings automatically – from client briefing calls to internal training sessions – is another ideal use case for AI in PR. Popular paid tools include Otter.ai and Microsoft Teams’ built-in transcription capabilities. Voice typing on Google Docs is a handy trick for anyone lacking the budget for subscriptions.

AI also helps speed up research through tools like Perplexity AI, a research and conversational search engine that answers queries with natural language predictive text. This makes PRs better at their jobs by granting access to data swiftly and concisely. Pitches to journalists are more convincing when injected with evidence. More broadly, reading widely nurtures writing.

Further use cases include automated media monitoring and sentiment analysis through tools like Signal AI, advancing reporting efforts. As a result, PRs have more time to carve out new opportunities for clients.

Why storytelling will always need humans

Across industries, AI shines when augmenting – rather than replacing – human efforts. PR and marketing professionals alike must be judicious about using AI, taking ethical, commercial, and creative care. In turn, C-suite leaders should avoid falling for short-term financial gains and continue investing in people. Let’s not forget, alongside building brand awareness, lead generation is often a long-term goal of PR efforts. With that in mind, it’s crucial to remember that people buy from people. Throughout my years of industry experience, I’ve found that if there’s no human element in a story – whether the medium is journalism, a conference, or a company website – nobody will buy it.

Ultimately, good PR rests on storytelling. A good story must provoke intrigue, compelling the audience to want to learn more. In the nineteenth century, Charles Dickens published his novels serially, so his stories appeared in episodic instalments rather than all at once. In addition to leaving readers craving more content – much like a Netflix cliffhanger – this serialisation fostered a deeper emotional connection. Ardent fans wrote to Dickens and each other in a frenzy to discuss a novel’s latest developments, akin to people posting on Reddit and social media today.

People’s appetite for stories remains as voracious as ever, whether accessed through books, earned media, video games, or podcasts. Successful storytelling – regardless of the method used – provokes genuine engagement and creates an authentic connection.

AI compels us to rethink the development of humanity. As technology advances and enhances our natural abilities, the demand for human-led storytelling will only increase. Storytelling is inextricably linked with human culture and progress; the stories we tell reflect and reshape our changing identities. Relying on AI for this will yield poor – and, most critically, uninspired – results.

About the author:

Izzy started her career as a journalist and now helps tech founders, C-suite leaders, and investors tell their stories and grow their brands. Blending expert counsel, strong media relationships, and compelling content, Izzy excels in creative ideas and strategy. Alongside earned media expertise, Izzy also produces in-depth reports. Sector specialisms include venture capital, cybersecurity, and deep tech, including AI, life sciences, and clean energy.

You can find her on LinkedIn here.

Key Takeaways:

Q1: Can AI fully replace PR professionals?

A1: No, AI cannot fully replace PR professionals. While AI can automate certain tasks, human creativity, intuition, and storytelling are vital components of effective PR that AI cannot replicate.

Q2: What are the limitations of using AI in PR?

A2: AI has limitations like hallucinations, potential biases, and a lack of originality. It struggles with creative tasks like generating metaphors and crafting compelling narratives.

Q3: How can AI be effectively used in PR?

A3: AI is best used to automate repetitive tasks, enhance content with SEO-friendly elements, transcribe meetings, and assist in research. However, human oversight is essential to maintain quality and originality.

Bibliography:

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How to capture the attention you don’t deserve: rethinking B2B marketing for complex industries

By Ellie Jackson, Chief Client Strategy Officer

This blog explores why some traditional B2B marketing tactics are overused in complex sectors and provides strategies for capturing attention during dormant phases. Learn how to build long-term brand affinity and become top-of-mind when your prospects are ready to buy.

It’s an uncomfortable truth: in the world of niche, high-value B2B industries, your prospects are probably not actively looking to buy from you right now. They’re probably not even close. If you’re selling complex software systems or solutions in sectors like capital markets, financial services or energy and industrials, your audience might only be in the market for your product once every five years, if that.

So, why on earth would they give you their attention the rest of the time?

The simple answer is they won’t – unless you earn it. This post will dig into why traditional B2B marketing tactics can fall flat outside of active buying cycles and explore what you can do to make sure your brand is front-of-mind when your prospects do switch from the c.95% “not interested” majority, to the c.5% who might actually be ready to do a deal.

Less sales funnel, more dormant volcano – understanding your audience’s buying cycles

The classic B2B marketing funnel is well-understood: awareness → consideration → preference. But for highly specialized B2B sectors, it’s more of a dormant volcano than a funnel. Your target audience is active, engaged, and potentially in-market for a tiny sliver of time, and dormant the rest. And during that dormant phase, no matter how persuasive your sales pitch or how detailed your product white paper, most of your efforts will bounce right off.

The temptation is to stick to the script and double down on rational, sales-focused content in the drive for leads: case studies, technical specifications, endless webinars. But ask yourself: when was the last time you watched a 45-minute webinar about a tool you weren’t planning to buy? Or read a case study about a solution you’re not actively considering?

Capturing attention in the dormant zone

The key is to rethink what capturing attention means. It’s not about trying to bounce someone down the funnel when they’re not ready. It’s about offering something valuable in a way that’s memorable, useful, and maybe even a little unexpected.

Since they don’t need your solution right now, you’ve got to create content that actually delivers intrinsic value. Something they’d engage with even if they have no intention of buying today. In other words, the type of content that doesn’t directly sell anything.

But how does that drive ROI? It doesn’t… well, not immediately (and not in the next quarter’s measurement of that marketing effort). But that’s okay, because they were never going to convert right now. You’re optimizing for memory. And in a world where somewhere around 95% of your audience is currently not in market, getting your brand to stick in their minds so it’s there when they do become active buyers is a massive win.

Four Strategies for Capturing Dormant B2B Attention

So how do you capture the attention you don’t deserve? By being genuinely interesting, relevant, and even entertaining.

1) Usefulness Over Salesmanship

Content that’s directly related to your product features or benefits has its place. But outside of buying cycles, it’s as compelling as a dry sales pitch during happy hour. Instead, create content that tackles the problems your target audience cares about, even if they’re tangentially related to your product.  

Think interactive tools that help them benchmark industry metrics, or short, insight-packed research papers that shed light on an industry trend. Not only do these formats provide value, they also position your brand as an ally in solving their problems, not just another vendor pitching a tool.

2) Surprise Them (In a Good Way)

B2B marketing has a deserved reputation for being, well, boring. When everyone else is playing it safe, the occasional curveball can be enough to make your brand memorable. Of course it still has to feel true to your brand, but a touch of humor, a well-placed infographic, or even a creatively animated explainer video can stand out in a sea.

For instance, how about a brief, clever explainer video breaking down a complex regulatory change your audience might be grappling with? If it’s smart, relevant, and shareable, it might just get forwarded around their team. Even if they don’t need your product right now, they’ll remember who made it easy to understand.

3) The Trojan Horse: Thought Leadership

Thought leadership is an overused buzzword. But when it’s done well, it’s one of the few things that can draw in even the most disinterested audiences. Remember: the best thought leadership doesn’t have to sell anything at all – and indeed if it’s intended for media, it probably won’t get published if it does. What it should do is offer a unique perspective or insight that your audience can’t find elsewhere – ideally coupled with some sort of creative hook – or reference to popular culture – to catch the eye.

4) Take the contrarian view

Just like good music, good marketing is about tension and resolution. Is there a myth that needs busting, or a long-held belief that needs taking apart? Not only does this sort of content get people talking, and sharing, but also positions your brand as a thought leader willing to take a stand.

From Forgotten to Front of Mind

The goal is simple: when your dormant buyers enter the market, your brand should be the first one that springs to mind. That means building a connection now, long before they’re ready to sign a purchase order. It’s about playing the long game—creating moments of genuine engagement that build positive associations and, ultimately, brand affinity.

Because when your prospects finally are in market with intent to buy, that carefully constructed, rational white paper will be invaluable. But until then? Capturing the attention you don’t deserve means knowing when to turn down the hard sell and just offering up content that’s too good to ignore.

And if you’re still unsure how to do it, let’s chat. Our team specializes in turning passive attention into powerful brand recall—even when nobody’s buying.

Key Takeaways

Q1: Why do traditional B2B marketing strategies fail outside active buying cycles?
A: Traditional tactics focus on immediate conversion, but in niche sectors, most prospects are dormant. Engaging them requires content that offers value beyond a sales pitch.

Q2: How can you capture attention when prospects aren’t in-market?
A: Provide useful, unexpected content that aligns with their challenges, such as interactive tools, thought leadership, or creative formats like videos.

Q3: What’s the benefit of engaging dormant audiences?
A: Building memory and brand recall now ensures your brand is the first they remember when they are ready to buy, making you the preferred choice.

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Singapore Fintech Festival: How to thrive, not just survive

By Maddy Stichbury, Financial Services

Planning to attend Singapore Fintech Festival in November? This blog covers our top recommendations to make the most out of the world’s largest fintech event.

Singapore has long-since secured its position in the Fintech Hall of Fame. Thanks to a combination of government backing, a favourable regulatory environment and world-class tech infrastructure, Singapore has flourished as a global fintech hub. In fact, the city-state rivals other fintech giants like the US and UK in term of fintechs per capita

It makes sense, therefore, that the world’s largest fintech event takes place here every year, an accolade that comes with unique challenges and opportunities. So, if you’re planning to attend Singapore Fintech Festival, here are my top five recommendations for surviving – and thriving – at this massive event.

1) Comfortable attire

The event truly is the world’s largest fintech event. With such a vast exhibition space, seven stages and a huge number of booths, you can easily walk over 10 kilometres in a single day. Comfortable shoes are a must! However, while Singapore is renowned for its hot and humid climate, the festival venue will have aggressive air con to cool the 60,000+ attendees. Don’t let the chill catch you out, bring a jacket or extra layers to stay comfortable.

2) Skip the queues

A little planning goes a long way. On the first day of the festival, ticket pickup can be tricky if you’re not prepared. My advice? Arrive early or late to avoid the initial rush on day one. Similarly, don’t schedule any key meetings for the early hours of the first day. The odds of you, or your contact, getting caught in a queue are high.

3) Getting around

A common saying you hear when visiting Singapore is that you can get anywhere in 20 minutes. That might be the case – but that reality does not extend to this venue! The location of the event, plus the volume of attendees, means it could well take you longer than 20 minutes, so plan accordingly. Then, at the end of the day, have a backup plan for getting home when taxis become gold dust. Singapore is renowned for its public transportation so consider this option too.

4) Maximise your experience

Singapore Fintech Festival offers so much – the seven different stages will have you planning your schedule like it’s Glastonbury. But don’t miss the brilliant opportunity to meet leading journalists in this space, which can lead to valuable media coverage. Use the event to generate marketing collateral, whether that’s posting to your LinkedIn or for inspiration for future ad campaigns.

Lastly, the networking opportunities are unparalleled. The event brings together industry leaders from all over the globe, so make sure you carve out time to tap into the new connections you can make.

Packing, planning, transportation – check. The final thing:

5) Schedule a meeting with Aspectus while you’re there

Attending industry events like Singapore Fintech Festival is an important strand of a fintech communications plan, but are you doing everything you could be to build your brand?

Aspectus is a global brand, marketing and communications agency with skin in the fintech game. We’ve supported fintech brands of all sizes to achieve their strategic goals. So, whatever yours are, let’s have a conversation at Singapore Fintech Festival 2024.

You can reach Maddy at maddy.stichbury@aspectusgroup.com

Singapore Fintech Festival takes place on 6th – 8th November 2024 at Singapore Expo.

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How to modernise your telecom marketing strategy for success

By Ruby Taylor, Technology

The telecommunications industry is evolving rapidly, and businesses need to modernise their marketing strategies to keep up. This blog discusses key tactics such as personalised messaging, a customer-centric approach, thoughtful content creation, and integrated campaigns to help telecom brands stand out and win new business.

The telecoms industry is undergoing a monumental shift, from the transition to all-IP networks to the phase-out of 3G. These changes are reshaping consumer expectations and intensifying competition, as more businesses try to get a piece of the digital transformation pie.  Effective marketing strategies for the telecommunication industry have never been more crucial

To stay ahead, it’s essential that customer-centric telecom marketing strategies are modernised. By adopting innovative strategies, tools and trends that resonate with today’s customers, businesses can stand out in a crowded market and drive new business. In this blog, we’ll explore integrated telecom content marketing tactics to help you thrive.

Pin down your messaging

The right messaging can make all the difference in capturing and retaining customer attention. As you navigate changes in the industry, it’s important to communicate value propositions clearly, highlighting how your solutions align with these shifts.

Start by identifying your core strengths – whether it’s seamless integration of VoIP, cloud services, or next-gen connectivity solutions – and make these the pillars of your messaging. Personalisation is key: speak directly to the pain points of your target audience, whether they’re large enterprises seeking scalability or smaller businesses needing cost-effective solutions.

Additionally, stay on top of industry trends and use them to frame your marketing messages. For example, you could showcase your expertise in digital transformation, cloud migration, and cybersecurity. By consistently aligning your messaging with customer needs and market developments, you’ll build trust and establish your brand as an innovative leader.

Focus on a customer-centric approach

Getting your messaging right is closely linked with having a customer-centric approach, which is the key to winning new business and retaining existing customers.

Customer feedback is central to this. By actively seeking and incorporating customer feedback into your products, services, and marketing strategies you can stay aligned with customer expectations and build long-term loyalty.

Ensuring a seamless experience across all channels, whether online, via mobile apps or in-store, will also build a strong customer base. You could have the best product in the world, but if your customer can’t work out how to get past your website homepage to purchase it, or know how to get in touch, you’re missing a trick. That slice of digital transformation pie is being eaten by someone else.

Developing loyalty programs that reward customers for their continued business also creates an avenue for successful marketing. BT Wholesale’s Partner Plus programme is a brilliant example of this. From delivering award-winning events to providing tools and educational resources for its channel partners, it offers a golden ticket to the marketing team to gain insights into what audiences want and need, and craft a marketing strategy around that.

Develop a thoughtful content and media strategy

In an industry that’s highly technical, educational content is invaluable. Creating informative, engaging, and relevant material that addresses your audience’s needs will position your brand as a thought leader. Content like blog posts, case studies, white papers, and webinars on topics that offer industry takes helps potential customers understand the value of your solutions.

Beyond simply creating content, it’s crucial to amplify it through the right media networks to gain visibility. Tapping into media outlets and building relationships with journalists can give your business the exposure it needs to stand out.

Developing a media outreach strategy that includes press releases, media pitches, and opinion pieces can help your business be seen by the right people at the right time too. Securing interviews or guest columns in key industry publications can strengthen your credentials, by establishing your company as an authority and boost your spokesperson’s profile.

Whether through traditional media or digital outlets, this visibility increases trust, helping to convert awareness into meaningful business opportunities.

Have an integrated approach

By integrating your content, digital campaigns, media outreach, and customer engagement activities, you can ensure consistent messaging across every touchpoint.

Start by aligning your marketing goals with the overall business objectives. Are you looking to generate leads, build brand awareness, or promote a specific product or service? Once you’ve identified your priorities, develop a strategy that connects multiple channels – such as content marketing, social media, paid advertising, and email campaigns – so that they work towards the same goal.

For example, a blog post on the shift to all-IP can be shared across social platforms, followed up with a targeted email newsletter, and backed by a webinar or case study, creating a seamless experience for potential customers.

An integrated approach also means ensuring marketing and sales are closely aligned. Sharing data and insights between teams allows for personalised, consistent messaging throughout the buyer’s journey, increasing the chances of converting prospects into customers.

If you want to find out more about how you can modernise your telecommunications marketing strategy and win new business, I will be attending DTX London on October 3rd-4th and would love to meet you there.  Otherwise, feel free to reach out to me at ruby.taylor@aspectusgroup.com.

About the author:

Ruby Taylor is a Senior Account Manager in the technology team at Aspectus. She has been working closely with clients in the telecoms industry for over three years and understands how to elevate their profile and drive new business.

Key Takeaways:

Q1: Why is modernising telecom marketing strategies important?
A: The telecom industry is changing due to all-IP networks and digital transformation, making modern marketing strategies crucial for staying competitive and capturing new business.

Q2: How can businesses tailor their messaging in the telecom industry?
A: Identify core strengths, address customer pain points, and align messaging with industry trends to build trust and attract new customers.

Q3: What role does content and media play in telecommunications marketing?
A: Educational content positions telecom brands as thought leaders, and media outreach amplifies visibility, turning awareness into business opportunities.

Bibliography:

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What Telecoms Can Learn from the Oasis Reunion PR Fallout

By Piers Grassmann, Technology

The Oasis reunion has highlighted critical lessons for the tech and telecoms sector. From ensuring resilient infrastructure to delivering consistent messaging and leading industry discussions, companies can draw valuable insights from this high-profile event.

Unless you’ve been on a silent, off-grid retreat for the last month or so, you’ll be well aware of the much-publicised Oasis reunion scheduled to hit the UK next summer. The story has captured front pages and headlines across the nation, but you may be surprised to find it’s more relevant to companies’ wider PR & comms strategy than meets the eye. Indeed, the importance of resilience, proactivity and consistent messaging for telecoms companies has always been crucial to success, but this front-page story brings this truth to light in stark clarity.

It’s a story that showed no real signs of slowing down either, with the band swiftly announcing two further dates amid the fallout of the initial sale, and the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority launching an investigation into Ticketmaster for how it ran the process.

The news ties into how to be successful in the tech and telecoms industries (and, by extension, how to communicate well within it) in a few key ways.

Heed these three lessons so you won’t be ‘looking back in anger at your PR & comms strategy in a year, two years, or five years’ time:

1) The importance of being resilient

Some of the outages reported on ticket-selling websites demonstrate the importance of resilient internet infrastructure to cope with customer demand. It’s vital that companies instils confidence among their customer base so there are no concerns they will face issues during crucial or highly-sensitive periods for the business.

While a big part of this will be fostered through gradual, careful and long-term relationship-building, so it’s important to communicate the message to your target audience at all times and not just when the going gets tough.

By focusing on campaigns and content that convincingly and effectively drive home these messages to existing and future customers, you can put your business in the driving seat towards creating (and maintaining) the strong reputation it deserves.

2) What’s the story? Consistent messaging

The backlash around dynamic pricing demonstrates why it’s crucial that brands remain in touch with market sentiment and are conscious of the context in which they do business. If your actions (inflating prices without warning) are in conflict to your stated aims (wanting as many people as possible to see the band perform together again), you risk reputational damage.

If you haven’t already, consider working with a dedicated agency skilled in Brand, Insight & Strategy work to help you carve out areas of differentiation and spot any potential inconsistencies before they become a problem.

3) Some might say…be proactive in discussing industry trends

Investigations into consumer protection following the public ticket outcry can be linked to Ofcom recently calling for greater clarity on mid-contract mobile phone price rises. Namely, your comms strategy should help you lead conversations about industry change and where it may or may not be needed, to prevent your brand finding itself in a position where your missteps are the cause of a wider inquiry.

For example, ensuring you have a strong PR team and press office geared towards securing top-quality newsjacking coverage is one excellent tactic you can implement to check this box and keep your business at the forefront of the most relevant and timely topics in your sector or sub-sector.

Whether or not you were able to secure tickets yourself and are planning to attend any of the now-infamous gigs, the Oasis hype stands as testament to the importance of resilience, consistent messaging and proactive communications for firms in the tech and telecoms space.

Our technology team has an experienced group of telecoms experts who would love to support you with all of the above and more. If you’re interested in a conversation with the team, do get in touch with us at tech@aspectusgroup.com.

Key Takeaway Section

Q1: How does the Oasis reunion relate to the telecoms industry?

The reunion sheds light on the importance of resilient infrastructure, consistent communication, and staying proactive in industry conversations.

Q2: Why is resilient infrastructure crucial for tech and telecoms companies?

The ticket sale website outages demonstrate how vital it is to instil confidence through infrastructure that can handle high demand during peak times.

Q3: How does proactive communication benefit companies?

Proactively addressing industry trends helps avoid potential scrutiny and positions companies as leaders in their field, preventing PR issues like those seen with dynamic pricing.

Bibliography

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Tech Week Singapore 2024: 6 tips for event success

By Astor Sonnen, Deputy Head of Tech

This blog covers six essential tips for getting the most out of Tech Week Singapore 2024. From establishing business objectives to navigating the Marina Bay Sands and jetlag, discover how to optimize time, ensure productive meetings, and make the event a cornerstone of annual technology communication strategies.

It’s less than one month until Tech Week Singapore 2024 (9th – 10th October). Now in its 10th year, it’s always a fascinating opportunity to hear about the groundbreaking innovation flourishing within the region and further afield.

The 2024 event consists of seven simultaneous shows – Cloud Expo Asia, DevOps Live!, Cyber Security World, Data Centre World, Big Data & AI World, eCommerce Expo and Technology for Marketing – and will again attract nearly 25,000 senior IT leader attendees and 500+ exhibitors.

It’s easy then to understand why so many brands consider the event a key milestone in their yearly technology marketing and communication plans – but you can’t just turn up and hope everything goes smoothly.

Here are my 6 top tips for a successful Tech Week Singapore 2024.

1) Why business objectives matter at Tech Week Singapore

What are your business objectives for going to Tech Week Singapore? Whether it’s to network with peers, hear from business and technology influencers, sell your solutions or to build brand awareness, identifying what you want to do and who you want to meet ahead of the event is key. Set up meetings with other attendees in the weeks before to help ensure your attendance delivers on objectives.  

If you’re exhibiting at the event, here are my 3 top tips for developing an effective technology event communications plan.

2) Navigating the Marina Bay Sands efficiently

The iconic Marina Bay Sands can be a maze for the uninitiated and combined with crowds from seven shows, it’s easy to go wrong. Before heading in, make sure you know exactly where your particular event is being held and give yourself some time to get your bearings so that you’re not late for any of Tech Week Singapore’s keynotes, talks or your pre-organized networking meetings.

Similarly, traffic can make getting to the event via taxi longer than you think, so take the MRT if you can. If you’re like me and your perception of public transport is incredibly hot train carriages, you’ll be pleased to know the MRT is completely airconditioned. You can also tap on and off using contactless so no need to buy a paper ticket.

3) The best coffee spots for meetings

Like all big events, trying to find a quiet corner for a conversation within the show is challenging. Tables are often occupied and it’s loud. Outside of the main show floors, there are multiple options for a business discussion, so if you are in pursuit of decent coffee and a quieter space, head to our tried and test spots: Bacha Coffee, Angelina or Beanstro, to make sure your meetings are being held in a more suitable environment.

4) Must-have apps for Tech Week Singapore

If you’re travelling in from afar, you can make sure you have everything you need for Singapore and Tech Week before landing. Download the official event app onto your iPhone or Android, and install Grab at the same time. Grab is your go-to for everything including taxis, food and groceries, so having your profile set-up prior means one less thing to think about on arrival.

5) Face your jetlag

Singapore is a wonderful vibrant place and sometimes that’s enough to counter the impact of jetlag. Other times you’ll need to face it head-on. Drink lots of water before, during and after flying, try to get into your new time zone quickly by staying awake and sleeping when the locals do, and don’t organize anything too mentally taxing on your first day.

6) Organize a meeting with Aspectus

form an important cornerstone of technology communications plans, but are you doing everything to build your brand?

Aspectus is a global all service communications agency, which means we partner with technology brands of all sizes to achieve their strategic goals. So, whether you’re looking to sell more, position your brand differently or break into a new market, let’s have a conversation at Tech Week Singapore 2024.

You can reach Astor at astor.sonnen@aspectusgroup.com

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What Do Clients Want from Their Marketing Agency in 2024?

By Ellie Jackson, Chief Client Strategy Officer

This blog explores the top five attributes businesses seek in a marketing agency in 2024. Learn how to embody these qualities to meet client expectations and excel in the industry.

As September rolls in and the familiar buzz of “back to school” season begins, we’re reminded of the importance of preparation, learning, and the pursuit of excellence. Like students sharpening their skills and embracing new challenges, we at Aspectus find ourselves reflecting on our methods as a global branding, marketing and communications agency.

We’re always looking to get better at what we do. We work hard to keep our services fresh and valuable. That’s why we often ask for client feedback – to understand what clients value the most and highlight where we should focus our attention.

Based on the lessons from our latest client survey, I found it fascinating to compile these into the five key trends clients rank as the most valuable from their marketing and PR agency in 2024.

Proactivity: Anticipating Client Needs

“My coverage team has been sharp and consistently contribute to our success. They are my secret weapon.”

Proactivity isn’t just about reacting to client requests; it’s about being innovative and forward-thinking. As students gather their stationary supplies and prepare for ‘what if’ situations like a surprise quiz, clients value an agency that anticipates their needs and is prepared to react quickly.

We are constantly exploring new ways to help partners succeed. This mindset allows us to offer creative solutions that not only meet but exceed expectations, ensuring clients stay ahead in their respective markets across financial services, capital markets, technology, energy and industrials.

So, what does this look like?

Embody clients’ business: immersion into their business plan, operations, and culture allows us to understand their unique needs and objectives.

“They are proactive and understand where our company is in its lifecycle.”

Contingency planning: strategic planning ensures we are always prepared to act swiftly and effectively in line with clients’ messaging and goals.

Study competitors: understanding the competitive landscape allows us to identify gaps and opportunities to exploit.

Conduct thorough market analysis: staying abreast of industry trends helps us anticipate changes and adapt tactics accordingly.

Identify challenges and opportunities: by keeping an eye on market developments, we can anticipate evolving conversations and stories to leverage emerging opportunities – especially when the client is unsure where to tap into.

“Wonderful team, super proactive even when we struggled to find story angles on our side. Very professional and can rely on them to deliver.”

Creativity: Standing Out in Saturated Markets

In increasingly saturated markets across social channels and publications, businesses are looking for agencies that can think outside the box. But creativity can sometimes feel out of sync with the logic and rationality of business strategy. The challenge lies in carving out space for them to own and make a lasting impression.

At Aspectus, we set ourselves apart with a special kind of creative energy, which we call ‘considered creativity’. We don’t just do creativity for creativity’s sake. Instead, our ideas are big and bold – designed to ensure organisations stand out – but firmly grounded in an understanding of target markets, audiences, and business goals. Whether it’s through a press release, product launch, or LinkedIn campaign, this guiding principle means our work cuts through the technical (and sometimes monotonous) noise.

I always want more proactive, creative ideas coming my way, so I encourage the team to keep their foot on the gas in that respect. They do a good job today and I want to continue this focus.”

Most importantly, we do not want to create an echo chamber. Creativity thrives on diversity. This is why we are committed to a balanced approach, uplifting talent from different backgrounds, with unique experiences and perspectives to bring fresh, innovative ideas to the table.

“The team has the right blend of skills to deliver communication objectives.”

Deep Sector Knowledge: Driving Business Forward

Importance of sector knowledge in marketing is paramount. Organisations want an agency that understands their industry inside out and can provide insights that drive their business forward.

96% of clients see their account team as a genuinely consultative partner, and 93% say the team has a good understanding of the client’s sector.

“I think the team have a very good understanding of the traditional telecoms market. They also seek opportunities to bridge the gap with the new technology sector by connecting stories in AI, cloud and digital technologies.”

We strive to stand in our clients’ shoes to understand their distinct viewpoints – delving into their marketing plans and sales targets – aligning our approach with their targets. Building this kind of rapport with a client takes considerable time and effort until it becomes intuitive within account teams.

Dedication to understanding the essence of organisations, every nuance of their industries, and the specifics of their products and services allows agencies to provide tailored, effective strategies that resonate.

Reliability and Responsiveness: The Backbone of Agency Success

After the intensity of a demanding first term, students get to have some much-needed rest and relaxation (R&R) during the half-term break. This rejuvenation period allows them to reflect on their performances, celebrate their successes, and plan for the future.

 Similarly, it is important for agencies to take a step back to evaluate their performance – not just to identify areas of improvement, but also to understand what is going well.

When asked what teams do that clients value most, the resounding answers were: responsiveness and reliability. 100% of our respondents said the Aspectus account team is organised, reliable and communicated effectively.

This combination of traits ensures we can respond quickly to media requests and other last-minute needs, without any drama. They value collaboration and a deep understanding of their unique operational processes, enabling agencies to seamlessly integrate as an arm of their marketing team.

Each agency has its own approach to working with clients. For us, the term “client” doesn’t fully capture the essence of our relationships with the companies we serve. We see them as integral partners who keep our lights on. Recognising that each point of contact has a unique personality, workflow, and objectives, we strive to be agile and adaptable to meet their diverse needs.

We see the Aspectus team as an extension of our internal team – they are extremely knowledgeable about our organisation, our messaging and objectives, and we can trust them to come to us with proactive ideas which will help support our overall mission and goals. Fantastic communication from the whole team – and they are so flexible with our timings and always accommodate our often-last-minute requests.”

That is our take on proactive marketing agency strategies 2024. Ultimately, businesses desire marketing agencies that exemplify proactivity, foster considered creativity, possess deep sector knowledge, and demonstrate unwavering reliability and responsiveness.

At Aspectus, our commitment to these values defines our approach and drives us to excel. We’re looking forward to what’s to come in the next year, and how we can continue to push boundaries to deliver exceptional results for our partners.

Key takeaways

Q: What is the importance of proactivity for marketing agencies? A: Proactivity involves anticipating client needs and offering innovative solutions, ensuring agencies stay ahead in the market.

Q: How can creativity help marketing agencies stand out? A: Creativity, especially when grounded in market understanding, allows agencies to create impactful and memorable campaigns that cut through the noise.

Q: Why is deep sector knowledge crucial for marketing agencies? A: Deep sector knowledge enables agencies to provide tailored strategies and insights that align with clients’ business goals and industry trends.

Q: How do reliability and responsiveness benefit clients? A: These traits ensure that agencies can quickly and effectively address client needs, fostering strong, collaborative relationships.

Bibliography

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How to grow your business in Asia

By Louise Veitch, Head of South East Asia

This blog explores strategies for growing your business in Asia, emphasising the importance of local presence, networking, understanding cultural nuances, and effective marketing & communications activity. Learn how to navigate the unique challenges of the Asian market to achieve sustained success.

Many people may not know this, but Julia Donaldson’s classic children’s tale The Gruffalo took inspiration from a much older Chinese folk tale, The Fox and The Tiger. It’s a tale worth reading and one that comes to mind when I reflect on moving to Singapore two years ago to expand the Aspectus office here.

The short premise of the fable is, like the mouse in Julia Donaldson’s book, a fox who is captured by a hungry tiger, manages to escape becoming dinner, through the sheer sense of determination and believing in himself in a testing and terrifying situation!

While I wouldn’t compare moving to Singapore with ending up in a tiger’s lair, I would be lying if I said it wasn’t challenging at times. However, it’s also been an incredible journey so far and from the tests we’ve encountered, I – and the business here – continues to go from strength-to-strength thanks in most part to the fantastic team and client base we are assembling out here.

When we first opened our doors in Southeast Asia, Aspectus’ presence here looked very different. With limited people on the ground the business wasn’t growing nearly as quickly as our US, UK & Europe counterparts. Fast forward to today the Singapore office has quadrupled in size and the agency also has a presence in Thailand, Vietnam, China, the Philippines & Indonesia.

Success and timing often go hand in hand, so Asia’s booming economic landscape, which is expected to far outpace global growth this year, has helped to slick the wheels. We started to invest in our presence and our people in this region just as our core clients were realizing the huge opportunities that Asia presents.

However, timing isn’t everything and while we can’t deny any absence of growing pains, I wanted to share some of our learnings for getting to where we are and manifesting Aspectus’ own ‘inner fox’.

Be on the ground

In our highly connected post-Covid world, the value of being on the ground can often be overlooked without consequence – but not in Singapore. Having local experts who understand the region’s nuances is crucial for effectively communicating with and selling to your target audience.

The same goes for the value of being in the same time zone as the people you want to do business with. With only a two-hour cross-over for the UK and no (sociable) business hour cross-over with the US, being on the ground is essential for making things happen.  

The importance of networking in Singapore

Thanks to Zoom or Teams, it is not out of the question to have clients in London & New York that you’ve never met in-person. However, in Asia the culture of face-to-face meetings has survived the pandemic and although what you do is important, who you know is crucial. In-person industry events are essential for getting face-to-face. In Singapore there are industry events every week, but if we had to recommend our top 5 for our specialist sectors, it would be Singapore Fintech Festival, Tech Week, Token 2049, Asia Clean Energy Summit, & Money20/20 Bangkok.

Good work leads to more work

It’s almost always the case that doing good work leads to winning more work, but never has this been truer than in Singapore and the rest of Asia. Recommendations in this region can be even more valuable than reputation. So instead of chasing the next sale, focus on doing brilliant work, surpassing expectations and delivering real impact.

Always consider cultural nuances

Each country in Asia has its own unique business etiquette and cultural nuances. In Japan you have no chance of connecting with your target audience unless you are communicating in Japanese, in contrast with Malaysia and the Philippines where English is the standard language for business.

Tailor your business practices, marketing, and communications to fit the local culture for individual countries in Asia. This might include translating materials into the local language or adapting your business model to meet local consumer preferences.

Marketing in a new market

Make sure people are finding you on Google and when they do, make sure your brand, messaging & content backs up why your audience should be choosing your services. Done well, pay-per-click (PPC) provides immediate visibility, very effectively targeting potential customers and recruits. The ROI is undeniable.

Then you can consider proactive outreach to grow your brand and network. We recently hosted a Marcoms in Asia webinar with some of the top marcoms leaders in the region, which led to another 100 new connections and opportunities to build our network out here.

So timing isn’t everything. Building a business in Singapore has taken a ‘fox’s courage’ – often in situations that can be high pressured and a step into the unknown. But with the support of a loyal client base and an exceptional team across Asia and the rest of the world we’ve been able to pull off something special that is only going from strength to strength.

Key takeaways

  • Q1: Why is local presence important for business growth in Asia? A1: Being on the ground allows businesses to understand local nuances and effectively communicate with their target audience, which is crucial for success in Asia.
  • Q2: How does networking contribute to success in Asia? A2: In Asia, who you know is often as important as what you do. Face-to-face meetings and strong connections are essential for business growth.
  • Q3: What role does cultural awareness play in expanding a business in Asia? A3: Each Asian country has unique cultural and business practices. Tailoring your approach to fit these nuances is key to successfully connecting with your audience.

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