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Author: Aspectus Group

Let’s ‘BeReal’ about how to build brand awareness and attract talent


By Account Director on the Financial Services team, Louise Veitch.

Depending on which side of the millennium you were born on, it is possible you will have had a different reaction to BeReal. But no matter the lap around the sun, you will at least know of the new viral app, and if you are a digital marketeer or business owner, age is just a number and BeReal is to be embraced.

The app which shares a notification with all users at a different time each day, asks you to take a photo (an automatic selfie and the view through your main phone camera) within two minutes of opening the social media platform. It’s designed to celebrate the mundane and everyday – but importantly – it peels away another layer into the personal lives of those you do and don’t know, and for whatever reason, we can’t get enough. Although the anti-instagram app launched in 2020, it has only gone viral in the last four weeks. Some will say the success can be attributed to their Series A funding last year, others that social media users have become tired of heavily edited snaps showcasing holidays or weddings all Summer. But maybe, just like Bebo, MySpace and Facebook before it, Instagram as a social media platform, is entering the winter of its popularity.

And while the premise to encourage users to ‘be real’ seems authentic for now, the app has all the foundations for being a legitimate digital marketing channel for businesses. Yes, it currently prohibits product promotion, which does limit scope. But even if this doesn’t become more flexible in the future, BeReal still has the potential to drive brand awareness for businesses or key spokespeople and recruit the next generation of talent. Brands have the opportunity to build their personality and online presence by posting behind the scenes shots of the inner workings of the business. This is key, because as a population, we are obsessed with celebrities and CEOs. And while Instagram gave us access to the curated images on their camera role, BeReal offers us an even deeper insight into the day to day lives of the people we don’t know, but really want to.

The non-believers out there are saying it’s a fad – so don’t dismiss your social media influencers just yet. However, do consider the benefits of building a profile on this app now, so you’re not showing up to the party much later – like you almost certainly did with tiktok.

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Media training: How do the Tory leadership election candidates stack up


By Catherine Hunter, Energy team Account Director

As we approach the results for the Conservative leadership election, there’s been significant scrutiny on the candidates’ policies around the NHS, environment and taxes. But there’s been a lesser focus on their media techniques.

Liz Truss has openly admitted she isn’t as well polished as a public speaker as her rival, Rishi Sunak, but what tips and tricks could both candidates look to work on as they steer the country into their direction as Prime Minister?

Bridging

Bridging is a technique that helps you move from one area of conversation to another. The approach works best when the question asked is answered – or at least in part – before moving onto a slightly different conversation point.

In this interview with Nick Ferrari, Sunak is asked about his image in politics. He’s challenged on both appearance and pulling pints while being tee-total. Rather than saying simply, “I should be judged on my ideas” Sunak acknowledges some of the criticisms given before saying, “this is about what I’m going to be able to do for the country” and he then uses that line to bridge into some of the core values of the party and how he supports them.

However, in this clip, Truss directly fails to answer the question on the emotions she’d feel around launching nuclear weapons. After failing to answer the question once, it’s repeated and the same soundbite of “I’m ready to do it” is given. And while the audience response clearly shows this is a popular reaction to the question, Truss could have deployed the art of bridging to make this stronger. Even simply saying, “I’m sure I’d be feeling a lot of emotions, but it’s a part of the job I’m ready to do.” This is still allowing that soundbite to come through but gives the sense the question is answered.

The bridging technique works well for both parties in a media dance. The interviewer gets an answer, but the interviewee can also steer the conversation towards an area they feel more comfortable in – or in this case – get some key vote winning ideas across.

However, when taking a question from the public around jobs in the cabinet, Truss performs an excellent display of different two techniques. The first is bridging, where she responds to the need for a “leaner” cabinet by rejecting that idea but calling for a leaner Number 10.

Underscoring

The other technique displayed here is underscoring. Truss acknowledged Kemi Badenoch could be in her cabinet at the start of her answer before she returns to Badenoch and her credentials. Underscoring the point that she’s a good fit for a cabinet post.

And while Truss does this well, Sunak clearly details vulnerable customers as a dividing line between him and Truss on energy bills. Not only do we notice a return to that theme at the end of this clip, he also uses changes in tone to draw attention to the words “vulnerable” and “pensioners”.

Underscoring is an invaluable tool to making sure the key messages you’ve worked on are the lasting memory for the interviewer.

Signposting

There are, however, times when the topic being discussed is very narrow in its focus and you want to introduce a new idea entirely. This is where signposting becomes important.

After taking a few questions on the public sector pay and her revoked policy, Truss sees an opportunity to move the conversation onto the wider topic of the cost of living in this interview with Kay Burley. The back and forth on public sector pay isn’t really moving forward and so it’s Truss that makes the decision to move the topic on, which Burley follows and questions on cost of living follow. This is arguably safer ground for Truss as there wasn’t a political U-turn on the issue to defend.

Both candidates will have a set of key messages – some even in the form of soundbites – they intend to get across to media and the effective deploying of signposting is a great way to bring them into a debate or interview that would otherwise not cover key topics.

And while being the best public speaker, or media performer, is unlikely to be the only reason a candidate becomes the favourite, it helps to ensure key messages resonate.

If you’d like to hear more about how media training could help your key messages land in your next campaign, find out more here.

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Cooling cities: regrowing our urban green spaces


By Jessica Ginting, Account Manager, Energy team

As global temperatures continue to exceed records annually, urban heat islands are exacerbating the problem of summer heatwaves to dangerous levels. 

Demand for air-conditioning is rising in countries unequipped with indoor cooling systems, including the UK. However, this could come at a cost for energy efficiency and sustainability gains. It’s been estimated that by the end of the century, air conditioning could increase the UK’s power consumption by up to an estimated 15% during the summer. Worldwide, air conditioning accounts for about a fifth of the electricity used in buildings and is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions.  

Is there another way to keep our cities cool while still maintaining a path to net zero?  

Nature as climate resilient infrastructure

 

Green spaces can mark a difference in temperature in an urban area by several degrees, but to truly see results on a wide scale, this relies on robust urban planning and green policies. 

Rocky Mountain Institute, as an example, outlines a 3-step, whole-systems approach to urban cooling: 

  • Reduce heat at an urban scale 
  • Reduce cooling needs in buildings 
  • Serve cooling needs in buildings efficiently 

So, in order to reduce the cooling loads in buildings, cities should first be reducing heat at an urban scale, by exploring urban form and design, nature-based solutions and cool surfaces. 

On average, plants reflect more solar radiation than pavements do. Apart from creating shade and preventing too much heat from being stored in substrates or facades, plants can also extract heat from their immediate surroundings through evaporation.  

 

Mendellín, Columbia’s green corridors

 

After experiencing rapid, unplanned growth that eliminated green spaces and created significant urban heat islands, the 2016-2019 Government Plan of the Mayor’s Office of Medellín, Columbia set goals to make the city healthier and more sustainable under the “Medellín, Environmental Urbanism” project. As a result, the city created green corridors that would follow and restore the geography of the area prior to recent development.  

From 2016 to 2019, the city created 36 corridors, 18 along major roads and 18 along waterways, covering over 36 hectares. Studies confirmed that areas with the least green spaces had the highest temperatures, so green corridors were focused on these areas. The areas with green corridors have already seen temperature reductions of up to 4°C. 

 

Green cities and equality

 

According to research from the University of Manchester, minority groups are four times more likely to be in neighbourhoods most vulnerable to extreme heat. Low-income neighbourhoods are also likely to be hotter than more affluent areas. Creating and maintaining green spaces in cities can also be costly, and not all communities can afford them. Local governments need to ensure that their greening plans won’t be concentrated in areas designed to attract wealthy residents and tourists. 

One result of the pandemic is that cities such as London are recognising the importance of their green spaces. Initiatives such as the 2022 Grow Back Greener Fund will support London’s communities to plant trees to provide shade, create and enhance green space and increase climate resilience. It prioritises areas where Londoners live further than a 10-minute walk from their nearest green space and are at a high climate risk. 

It’s becoming clear that cooling infrastructure, including the increased adoption of air-conditioning, is not a luxury but a necessity in today’s warming world. As the rate of rising temperatures continue to accelerate, we must consider ways of prioritising nature-based solutions that will keep our cities cool while maintaining our path to net zero. 

 

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ESG comms: sincerity can silence sceptics


By Ophelia Jeffrey, Senior Account Executive 

A collective ambition for a more purpose-driven approach to business has propelled environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues up the agenda. To the extent that businesses hoping to remain competitive must now adopt a strong position on these issues or risk being labelled a laggard. 

And whilst a company might be making sincere efforts to factor good ESG practices into its wider business strategy, navigating the most effective way to communicate this undertaking without selling it short – or overstating its impact – is a very real challenge. There are reputational risks associated with doing both too much and too little, which can feel something like being stuck between a rock and a hard place – but with an effective communications plan, it’s possible to strike the right balance. 

The term ‘ESG’ has rightly attracted its fair share of sceptics – any term that’s associated with such hype requires sufficient scrutiny – but at Aspectus, we believe that whilst it’s likely to evolve considerably in the coming years, ESG is more than a passing fad.  

It follows then that businesses should be looking to incorporate strong ESG practices into their core strategies before they’re forced to – either by the demands of a regulator, or the ever-rising expectations of their own customer base. 

So, to help businesses as they consider how to effectively communicate their ESG strategies, or begin to devise one from scratch, we’ve pulled together five top tips for best practice: 

Be sincere

It’s essential to avoid either under or over claiming the impact of your work – as mentioned, both could do serious reputational damage. Under communicate and you risk alienating stakeholders, but over communicate and you could open yourself up to serious greenwashing allegations. Instead, be sure to contextualise any achievements within the business’ broader journey towards further progress, which will demonstrate both the business’ ambition and credibility. 

Provide proof

The best way to show stakeholders that your ESG claims are legitimate is to show them the evidence. That means setting targets that are clear and measurable in the first place and then centring your communications strategy around those proof points. If data isn’t available, then being as detailed as you can about your methodology is essential.

Stick to your promises

Establishing accountability is one of, if not the most, important factor when it comes to devising a credible ESG comms plan. Issuing plans early and publicly will make the achievements all the more impressive, demonstrating both forethought and follow-through. 

Regularly review your messaging

Done right, ESG should be incorporated into a business’ core strategy, operations, and values not tacked on as an afterthought. As such, from a communications perspective it’s important to revisit the company’s messaging when devising an ESG strategy. Whether an ESG commitment alters your company’s mission statement or enhances it, it’s essential that it’s reflected within the overall messaging at every level. 

Consider a dedicated ESG report

Increasingly, an annual ESG report has become a popular way to evidence the impact of a strategy and it has the advantage of helpfully mirroring an annual financial report, which visually elevates ESG on to an equal footing with more traditional measures of corporate performance. However, considering the importance of creating continuity as mentioned in the tip above. So it’s important that ESG still appears core to the business at an everyday operational level and not simply an annual status check that ticks a box. 

An effective ESG communications strategy can seem like a delicate balancing act but living up to these new expectations in business stands to benefit both planet and profit. 

If you’d like to dig deeper into our recommendations for best practices when it comes to ESG communications, we’ve recently published a whitepaper drawing from expertise across our five sectors, which is available to download here. 

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Can Aberdeen become the Net Zero Capital of Europe?


Jamee Kirkpatrick, Account Director in our energy team
Aberdeen has been hailed as the ‘Oil and Gas Capital of Europe’ for decades and latterly the ‘Energy Capital of Europe’, but that could all be set to change.  

Recently, in a bid to gain Green Freeport status of its regional port alliance including Peterhead Port Authority, Port of Aberdeen, Aberdeen International Airport and both Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire councils, the city is eying up a new title – the ‘Net Zero Capital of Europe’. 

For many, the goal of achieving net zero by 2050 has been misunderstood by the general public. While it does mean increased urgency to phase out fossil fuels, it is very unlikely that they’ll be completely eliminated in the near future, particularly when you consider how many byproducts of oil there are.  

There is light at the end of the tunnel though, with high levels of investment, research and development (R&D), and testing in place to ramp up scalable green alternatives for hard to abate sectors. One only needs to look at the increase in electric car sales, production and supporting infrastructure in recent years as evidence.  

 

So, what does Net Zero mean?

The key to understanding net zero is to focus on the ‘net’ part. We’re not talking about absolute zero here – a world where there are literally no emissions – but rather one where emissions are reduced as close to zero as possible, and the remainder are re-absorbed from the atmosphere or offset by carbon negative activities such as carbon removal. 

The heightened imperative of reaching net zero has required supermajors to assess their energy mix and, in particular, their green energy portfolios such as wind, solar, carbon capture and hydrogen. Several oil majors have announced that they will stop exploration, but they have not committed to stopping production due to demand, particularly in view of energy security pressures. Instead, they are looking at:  

  1. how they can reduce emissions of their existing assets, such as electrifying assets or eliminating fugitive emissions and;  
  2. how they can offset the impact of their current ‘dirty’ operations, with green projects, such as offshore wind. 

 

Where does this leave Aberdeen?

Transition isn’t a new concept for the city. In 2015, the UK’s first hydrogen production and bus refuelling station opened in Aberdeen, and now you can barely see a bus pass by that isn’t hybrid. Even before that, in 2012, bus fleets went hybrid with the introduction of electric buses on all major city and shire routes. Aside from transportation infrastructure, the Scottish Government recently launched a £10m hydrogen initiative which will see investment in hydrogen technology development and exports from the region for which Aberdeen is primed to support.  

Aberdeen is also home to the European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre (better known locally as Aberdeen Bay Wind Farm) which is an offshore wind test and demonstration facility. The local Acorn Project, which will utilise existing oil and gas infrastructure such as pipelines, is on track to become Scotland’s first operational carbon capture and storage (CCS) facility, despite recently losing out on government funding back in 2021.   

These are just a few examples of transition in the city. On top of CCS and renewable energy, there’s also traditional oil and gas transition, such as well abandonment and decommissioning to consider, which will take decades to complete.  

Aberdeen’s legacy in oil and gas, married with its commitment to a net zero future, makes it really quite unique as an energy hub. A wealth of knowledge, expertise and experience is met with technology, innovation and a willingness to not only embrace change – but thrive in it. In fact, trade bodies such as Oil and Gas UK and The Oil and Gas Technology Centre have rebranded to Offshore Energies UK and Net Zero Technology Centre respectively to support the city’s growing diversity in the wider energy mix.  

 

So, is Aberdeen primed to be the Net Zero Capital of Europe?

There’s no reason why not – Aberdeen, as noted above, has a remarkable ability to adapt and excel. But as a city that has been left to its own devices for far too long, it will require help. National and local government support to transition traditional oil and gas workforces is needed, as well as funding and investment to aid infrastructure and technology development to allow SMEs in the traditional supply chain to adapt.  

Real investment and time will be required to ensure that the city isn’t left behind or forgotten. Given the opportunity, Aberdeen can cement its place in the net zero journey and even offer further stability for the city than it did in the ‘boom’ days of oil and gas. The wider energy industry, globally, can also learn from the knowledge held within the Granite City.   

Transition isn’t a buzzword, it’s something that Aberdeen is actively pursuing and doing, so the goal of becoming the Net Zero Capital of Europe is in reach – but to cross the finish line, collaboration, investment and innovation are required.  

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How can we bridge the gap until the energy transition?


By Paul Noonan, Lead Copywriter

The EU was long heralded as the world leader in renewables yet it is now reviving fossil fuel projects and even reopening coal power plants in the wake of an unprecedented energy security crisis.  Russia’s recent strangulation of natural gas supplies to the EU means the dilemma of how to build an affordable, secure ‘bridge’ to the energy transition has once again reared its head. And the global renaissance of oil and gas production has now left many fearing that the Ukraine crisis has heralded a permanent return to fossil fuels that could undo the progress of COP26.  

The collapse of the bridge to renewable energy

The EU’s rush to renewables relied heavily on interim imports of natural gas as a bridge to the energy transition, yet this bridge is now collapsing under a perfect storm of circumstances. The closure of much of the EU’s coal power capacity meant replacing a domestically produced dispatchable energy source with natural gas to fill the gaps from fluctuations in wind or solar supply. This left Europe uniquely vulnerable to the trifecta of a 15% slump in global windspeeds that slowed wind power production, a post-pandemic surge in energy demand from Asia and geopolitical conflict with its major gas supplier Russia.  And analysts warn that we are still a decade away from having enough green hydrogen, utility-scale batteries or carbon capture utilisation and storage to fill in for fluctuations in wind and solar. With Europe still reliant on Russia for 20% of its gas, there is now an urgent imperative for other short-term solutions to fill the void. 

European countries have signed new deals to import natural gas from Qatar, Algeria and Egypt and new fossil fuel projects and pipelines are being revived across Africa. Yet there is a fear that, far from being a bridge to renewable energy, new fossil fuel projects could become a permanent bridge to nowhere. Some have warned the rash of new fossil fuel projects will either lock in global warming forever or leave an array of massive, stranded assets as the tide of demand recedes in favour of renewables. 

An alternative path to renewable energy

Yet could there be an alternative bridge to the transition that avoided the need for long-term fossil fuel production or expensive new assets while alleviating the current energy security crisis? 

New lean engineering innovations such as portable Mobile Offshore Production Units (MOPUs) now enable short-term development of small oil and gas fields in shallow waters without the need for permanent platforms. These low-cost solutions could make it economically viable to develop marginal fields in regions such as Africa with abundant shallow water sites, fulfilling our short-term energy needs until renewable storage solutions are ready. 

And countries from Angola to Nigeria have also been using lightweight Minimum Facilities Platforms or Conductor Supported Platforms as a low-cost way to develop oil and gas fields at speed without huge conventional jacketed support structures. Their lean design means they can be manufactured and assembled without big facilities or fleets, reducing lifecycle emissions. And these modular, modifiable designs could even be adapted for future offshore wind applications, creating a circular economy of assets that provides both today’s energy supplies and tomorrow’s renewable energy replacements.   

And in the downstream market, digital twins, data analytics and machine learning systems are enabling refineries to reduce downtime, extend their lifetime and safely scale up production. This could help existing refineries boost output without building new ones until the energy transition is complete. Similar technologies are being used to extend the lifespan of existing offshore oil and gas platforms without building replacements, freeing up capex for investment in offshore renewables. Meanwhile in the renewables industry, innovations from carbon capture and storage to green hydrogen could provide the large-scale storage needed to accelerate the transition. 

The key is to ally these innovations with a strong communications campaign that promotes how technology can both aid future decarbonisation and provide a smooth and swift transition to clean energy.  

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A guide to integrated PR and marketing for edtech companies


By Stacey Cockram, Senior Account Manager

At Bett 2022 this year (one of the world’s biggest education technology shows), I was inspired by the conversations I had around creativity, potential and the future — themes that are quintessentially ‘edtech’.

Among the hundreds of competing vendors exhibiting at Bett, everyone shares the same goal: to transform education. Although this collective goal is impressive, on an individual level it’s hard for edtech companies to cut through the noise. Everyone is trying to be the next big thing, but how do you prove you are?

My advice to edtech companies looking to stand out in an increasingly crowded market is to take advantage of integrated communications. Here’s what I mean by that.

Channel the momentum of a booming industry by starting with plan

The global edtech market was estimated at $237.6 billion in 2021 and by 2030, it is expected to reach $998.4 billion. There’s clearly a great opportunity here, but to capitalise on it, edtech firms must have a clear brand strategy, underpinned by the key messages they want to be known for.

Messages form the foundation of all communications and marketing. Once these are established, think about the industry conversations you want to be involved in, then, each month, plan activities in line with this.

For instance, in June, during London’s edtech week, writing a blog for your website and promoting it via social media and in email signatures could boost engagement. Preparing a comment to pitch to journalists for A-level results day in August, is a great way to secure top tier coverage.

Creative comms inspired by learning technology

Edtech – and particularly learning technology, which encompasses e-books and coding to VR and robots – is inherently creative. Your edtech PR and marketing should be too.

Back in 2011, an ‘imaginative thinking’ test commissioned by NASA found 98% of children between 4 and 5 ranked as creative geniuses. After entering the education system, by the age of 14 and 15, this had fallen to 12%. Less than 2% of the adults tested were creative geniuses.

As adults, some of us lose our creative spark, but that’s no excuse when it comes to communications. Just like edtech is bringing a burst of life into the classroom and nurturing creativity, the same attitude can be applied to PR and marketing. You must be distinctive and bold to make an impact. However, it isn’t necessarily about wacky, budget-consuming campaigns like floating a giant rubber duck down the Thames, it’s about creating ideas that are firmly tied to business results and what your audience cares about. At Aspectus, we call this “considered creativity”.

If your company lacks brand awareness, you’ll want to create a campaign that truly captivates your audience. For example, you could talk around an industry trend like the problem of getting buy-in from teachers and make your mark on the topic by tracking how educators of different generations embrace education technology – we all remember the teachers who struggled with interactive whiteboards. After your research you could create a whitepaper, gate it on your website to capture leads then promote this via a LinkedIn campaign targeted at CTOs in education, as well as aim to secure a keynote spot at relevant conferences – like Bett or Digifest

Amplification and integration – the champion of classrooms and communications

Edtech has the potential to transform our education systems, but only if it becomes fully integrated into our classrooms. Technology on its own won’t work, there must be training and buy-in from schools and students. What’s more, if schools are to create a winning learning environment, they should embrace all aspects of edtech – from interactive lessons and apps, to automating reporting systems and safeguarding.

Similarly, marketing teams cannot rely on one channel alone to achieve their goal. It’s not just technology PR, the industry must integrate all marcomms efforts. Sending out a press release and expecting the right publications to cover it isn’t enough.

Integrated campaigns combining demand generation, social media, PR and more (!) help you stand out, whether your goal is brand awareness or getting leads. It’s about taking one idea and making it cohesive across all channels like a company’s website, its social media and the press. And, even if you are getting great coverage, but your company isn’t found on Google, you’re missing a trick. SEO and ranking high on specific keywords is crucial.

Ultimately, a successful PR and marketing strategy for an edtech company will reflect the ethos of the industry it belongs to – focused on the future, creative and working best when integrated.

If you’re an edtech firm looking for PR and marketing support, get in touch with stacey.cockram@aspectusgroup.com

Stacey is a Technology Senior Account Manager, with a degree in Education from Durham University.

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How to grow your SaaS business


Mel Jones, Account Director, Technology 

Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) is one of the fastest growing segments in the technology industry, with over 25,000 SaaS businesses in the world, according to a 2021 Statista report.  

Thanks to their subscription-based and often self-service business model, SaaS businesses grow, on average, 18% year-on-year. 

So, how can you ensure that your SaaS business is keeping up with the growth trajectory?  

Growing your SaaS business 

If you’re looking to grow your SaaS business, there are three areas that you need to focus on: 

  1. Acquiring customers: getting new leads and securing sales 
  2. Retaining customers: getting customers to renew their subscriptions 
  3. Tracking annual recurring revenue (ARR) 

Whether you provide cybersecurity software, HR software, edtech, or any other kind of software, this article shares tactics for how you can acquire and delight your customers to keep your ARR growing.  

How to acquire customers for your SaaS business 

New customers are the lifeblood of your SaaS business. If you don’t get new people through the door, you’ll eventually stop growing. In addition to having a great product market fit, you need to acquire new leads to fuel your sales pipeline. How can you make that happen?  

Integrated marketing is the first part of the SaaS growth equation. Integrated marketing is the process of aligning all your marketing channels, both digital and traditional, to promote your software. It allows you to optimise all marketing channels, including search engine marketing, SEO and technology PR, which, used effectively, creates the sense that your brand is ‘everywhere’. So, when your target audience needs you the most, you’re the brand that is front of mind. 

How to retain customers 

Retaining your customers is all about creating a product that they love to use. If you continue to deliver value, they will continue to pay. You can measure what your customers think of your product or service through your Net Promoter Score (NPS). In fact, studies show that there is a correlation between NPS and growth. 

Aside from developing a great product, there are several things you can do to retain your customers. 

Invest in user onboarding 

Customers that are trained to use your product will understand its true value, making them sticky and less likely to churn.  

Reduce barriers for renewal 

Offering discounts or incentives for annual payments and removing the barriers for renewal all help to keep your customers subscribed to your product. This helps to maximise the lifetime value of the customer and generates a stable ARR, allowing you to better forecast growth.  

Deliver exceptional customer support 

Investing in live chat software and other forms of effective customer support is vital to deliver a seamless user experience and build brand loyalty with your customer base. 

Track annual recurring revenue 

For subscription companies, like SaaS businesses, annual recurring revenue (ARR) is a metric that helps to frame the success of your business, lead to stronger forecasting and propel your business’ growth strategy. It shows you how much recurring revenue you can expect based on yearly subscriptions as well as providing an annualised view of monthly recurring revenue (MRR) for the calendar year.  

Tracking your ARR gives you a high-level view of the health of your SaaS business. You can use this data to forecast how revenue will compound as your company grows and see year-on-year progression which is useful for long term planning.  

Growing a SaaS business isn’t easy, but if you focus on acquiring and retaining customers and tracking your ARR, you’ll have a good handle on the drivers of your business. 

If you’re looking for support with growing your SaaS business, contact melissa.jones@aspectusgroup.com for a free 30-minute strategy session and find out how we can deliver marketing campaigns that acquire new customers and delight your existing ones, like we did for HR software provider, Breathe.  

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We need to change our relationship with energy 


By Rob Hunt, Account Executive, Energy

More and more, people fall into the same trap when thinking about decarbonisation: 

Use EVs rather than internal combustion engine automotives. Switch from fossil fuels to renewable energy. Use batteries to store energy to use later.  

While these ideas do help to decarbonise, it just isn’t as simple as it seems.  

We can’t look at energy holistically in good or bad, black or white (or green) terms. As Graeme Cooper put it recently, speaking at Fully Charged Live, energy is brown – everything goes into the grid, be it renewable energy like solar and wind, or be it nuclear or coal. All the energy mixes. Our perceptions of the energy we use and see generated are simplistic. Ultimately, we need to change our relationship with energy.  

Less is more – the best energy is the energy you don’t use

Demand for energy is set to rocket in the UK, by 2030 the grid’s capacity will have to more than double in size to accommodate. One measure that can sometimes be overlooked is simply using less energy – the cleanest (and therefore best) energy is the energy that you don’t use.  

This doesn’t necessarily just mean switching off lights or getting rid of the tumble dryer in favour of a good old fashioned washing line. Increasing the efficiency of our products, homes and more will help use less energy in the long term. EVs versus internal combustion engine (ICE) cars are a classic example – ICEs typically provide around 30% efficiency, whereas electric vehicles tend to fall in the region of 70%. A transition to electric vehicles would therefore more than double the fuel efficiency of automotive transport – bearing in mind that more than a quarter of UK emissions come from transportation – this would help make a large dent in British greenhouse gas emissions.  

Right place, right time – the best way to use renewable energy

While reducing is a big part of decarbonisation, being smart on when to ramp up energy consumption can allow for responsible usage at period of high output. With regional network operators facing the shock of new renewable entrants across the UK, managing consumption to align with higher periods of renewable energy output could help utilise power that would otherwise go to waste.  

Likewise, geography plays a part, with areas ripe for renewable energy production often distant from hubs for energy consumption. Creating industrial hubs closer to the source of renewable energy could be an option moving forward, with automation allowing plants to dial up and down production 24/7 to make the most of abundant renewable energy when it is available.  

The circular economy – regeneration and recycling

Electric vehicles also exemplify how we need to transition to a more circular economy. The batteries used in modern electric vehicles require high value minerals including lithium, copper, graphite and more. With the vast expansion of EVs and other battery technologies to help deal with decarbonisation, ensuring that we refurbish and recycle battery elements is essential.  

EV batteries go through multiple stages of life, starting off, of course, as new systems fresh off the giga-factory production line. After years of service, they can be largely refurbished, giving them a second lease of life – in this phase they can still hold up to two thirds of their original capacity. These legacy batteries can be installed in homes or businesses, used to store surplus solar power in times of high production. Once these batteries become spent in this capacity, they are still able to be recycled. In 2020, 460,000 tonnes of lithium-ion batteries were recycled, with this set to increase to more than 1.2 million tonnes of recyclable batteries by 2030.  

With the price of minerals such as lithium set to multiply, potentially a hundred-fold, in the coming years, a regeneration and recycling mindset is a must to make sure that decarbonisation and net zero remain on track.  

Changing our relationship with energy will not be easy, but our expertise in the energy industry can help your business on its way. With deep knowledge bases in everything from renewable energy and sustainable mining to DSO grid management and cybersecurity, we have the people and the insights to help enhance our relationship with energy, as well as your relationship with your stakeholders.  

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