Marketing is incredibly exciting, dynamic and connected, with no real barriers to entry. But it’s sometimes hard for businesses to get their heads round just how fast it is changing. Almost every day social media spawns a new version of itself, Google changes an algorithm and new digital reporting metrics become available. And the relationship between a brand, a website and the whole array of communications channels becomes ever tighter, more integrated and inter-dependent.
Of course, a marketing storm can start anywhere: from the Financial Times to a blogger from Bergen; from a single LinkedIn video to a nugget in a whitepaper. They can all be equally valuable and effective jumping-off points.
It’s perfectly understandable that some businesses remain focused on the value of traditional media like the Wall Street Journal, The Times or CNN above all else. And we’d be the first to agree…but there is so much more going on in the media out there, so many ways of blitzing your target audiences from dozens of different but connected channels both online and offline.
These days great marketing can start anywhere: a compelling piece of content, a digital ad, a YouTube video or a simple Instagram post. The goal is then to create a continuous, circular feeding frenzy that can keep your target audiences engaged, encouraging them to act by appearing in their online world day after day… A social post backed up by broadcast and press coverage, supported by digital advertising, search optimised website content and then back around for another blast of enhanced social media exposure. All driving your audience back to the website to, ultimately, generate leads.
Our job, as we see it, is to make the most of all the opportunities that the whole, integrated marketing mix offers our clients to get their messages hammered into their target audiences on a long-term, sustained basis and driving inbound web traffic ready to click, sign up and share contact details.
Talk to us about our integrated communications operation that is now at the heart of Aspectus. Come and see how we have achieved so many sensational successes with our digital campaigns. And listen, if you just want to have a chat about what is really going on in marketing right now and the astonishing pace at which it is changing, just give us a call. We’d be happy to help.
Question: what makes a great news story? Any thoughts? No? Well, guess what – as a client of Aspectus, we don’t care if you haven’t a clue. Because, quite simply, that’s our job.
We know exactly how the media works, what it wants and when it wants it.
It’s not just a matter of being whacky and coming up with whizz bang crazy ideas, like wing walking, or taking a fridge freezer across the Sahara or presenting a haircare plan for the Prime Minister.
That’s not our style.
We deal in creative narratives: ideas that appeal to journalists that we can develop into long-term sustainable and repeatable coverage that builds over time. Not only that, but we also make sure that our stories will work across all media. The trick is to get social media, broadcast and press all feeding off each other with our running story as the catalyst.
So how do we do it? The simple answer is that we live in the media world, watching and listening, scanning, searching and talking to journalists, opinion formers and influencers the whole time.
That gives us the knowledge.
But what really matters is applying our brand of considered creativity to this real-time insight.
That is our alchemy: the fusion of creativity and knowledge to produce fantastic, continuing mainstream and online media exposure on behalf of our clients. Stories that fit perfectly with the messages our clients want to get into their markets and target audiences.
So, back to the question: what makes a great news story? Well, if you really want the answer, ping us at Aspectus.
As a youngster once a month I journeyed down the Ashbourne Road in Derby. I’d be so excited.
Part of the thrill was walking on my own (although I am sure my parents followed behind).
Part of the thrill was my destination. An Aladdin’s cave of a shop that stocked anything and everything that I could possibly want to play with or eat.
But mostly the thrill was about what I was going to buy with my pocket money…The Eagle. A comic billed as the adventure paper of the eighties.
I wasn’t a great reader at the time but am sure that my Eagle fix of escapism lured me into being the veracious reader I am now. What captivated me? The stories. It was where Dan Dare did battle with the evil alien Mekon saving the world in a two-page comic strip which always teased the reader with a cliff hanger to ensure next month’s sales.
With only three TV channels to choose from at the time, The Eagle with its host of comic and picture-based stories alongside a dose of history, lived up to its bill. It wasn’t only me. When first published in the 1950s it was selling a staggering million copies a week engaging a generation of kids. And although its popularity waned in the seventies it was relaunched in the 80s and went on to publish around 1500 issues.
The Eagle spawned my love of cartoons and, although I didn’t realise it at the time, an interest in storytelling and creative thinking. After The Eagle I’d spend my pocket money in book shops and my time scouring libraries for copies of Asterix and Obelix, the magic potion fuelled French freedom fighters taking on the Romans, and Tintin, the young journalist and detective.
While Hergé, Goscinny and Uderzo, alongside the characters they invented, were brilliant at telling a story in 40 pages they were my gateway to more powerful cartoons that tell a story in one hit. The geniuses of newspaper cartoonists Matt, the Alex cartoons and of course the celebrated illustrator Gerald Scarfee. All of whom capture the mood of a nation in a single image produced at breakneck speed. It’s no coincidence that my favourite bar is called Scarfe’s and displays his work.
For me though, the master of the art, who still gets me to roar out load with laughter is the American Gary Larsen who created the Far Side. Many of his best, single-panel cartoons have no words, but they all manage to hit a storytelling bullseye.
We have written about the power of pictures in storytelling before. And we all know how many words a picture tells. What many in the B2B space don’t recognise is the impact that a piece of engaging, shareable visual content can have on their business. White papers, technical articles, thought leadership etc. all have their very important place. But when you can integrate a creative idea, the written word and visual content into a campaign and super charge its impact through all available channels the results can be transformative.
So, the reason we have chosen a series of cartoons to promote the work we do isn’t just because of my lifelong love of cartoons, their cleverness and their simplicity or indeed the fact that The Far Side still gets me guffawing. It’s that with gentle, engaging humour they capture the impact we believe we can make to a client’s business.
Our cartoons are reassuringly old school, they consciously ebb the style of the masters of the craft. We hope you enjoy them, that they hit bullseye with you, make you laugh and like any successful creative execution cause you to pause, think and get in touch to discuss the difference we can make to your business.
On the very first day of COP 26, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi made headlines with the first big promise of the climate change summit. Modi pledged that India would reach a state of net-zero carbon emissions by the year 2070 – some 20 years after the aim of the UK.
The reactions to this announcement have been mixed. While this commitment has been downplayed by some as too little coming too late, the fact that one of the world’s largest CO2 emitters had pledged anything has to be seen as a step in the right direction. India joins the group of 140 countries (who are responsible for around 90% of global emissions) who have pledged some kind of net-zero target. The gauntlet has been thrown down, but how will India reach their target?
Renewable revolution well underway
In 2020, only China and the United States emitted more CO2 than India. It is clear that there is a long way to go, but the nation is not setting off from a standing start. Solar is already a massive contributor to the Indian grid, with 114 GW set to be contributed by solar by 2022. On top of this, 67GW are estimated to be provided by wind power, with the goal for 2022 being 227GW of renewable energy contributed. This shows that renewables are being taken seriously in a period where power for all is an Indian political catchphrase.
The biggest strides have come in solar and no doubt they will continue, but what else is on the horizon – where will India look next? One answer has to be to the ocean. India has more than 7,500km of coastline. Studies estimate that as much as 54GW could be generated from tidal and wave power, though this is theoretical and therefore somewhat optimistic. Tidal energy has been a stumbling block for Indian energy production, with attempts to utilise the Indian Ocean going back decades with relatively little success. While it may be a tough nut to crack, there is definitely potential for coastal states such as Kerala to make the most of the sea to help cover the burden of lowering the dependence on fossil fuels.
New nuclear on the horizon
Another area where India will hope to make up the fossil fuel shortfall is in nuclear energy production. According to the World Nuclear Association, India currently has 23 active reactors with 7 more under construction as of June this year. In 2021 nuclear output was 6,255 MWe, rising to 6,885 Mwe this year. This is set to rise massively over the next decade, with 6 reactors each able to produce 700MWe set to start construction in 2021/22, potentially adding 4,200MWe of energy when fully operational.
Will India reach its target?
In the wake of India’s COP 26 revelation, it is clear that net-zero is on the minds of policymakers in the subcontinent. How exactly they will go about decarbonising energy production will be scrutinised for decades to come. Of course, this blog simply covers power generation – there are also the small matters of transport, industry, agriculture, heating and cooling to consider when thinking about how India will reach net-zero. If you want expertise on the next steps that countries and businesses are taking and insight into what this will mean for your communications efforts then get in touch with us at Aspectus Group, experts in energy public relations, communications and marketing.
We understand that leaving school can be a hugely daunting prospect for many people. There are many decisions to be made. What do I do next? Should I go to university? What else is out there? How do I find out?
We therefore wanted to introduce ourselves. We are a global PR and marketing agency with our head office in Old Street, London. We specialise in serving the technology, financial services, energy and capital markets industries, working for both business-facing and consumer-facing clients. We have recently launched The Aspectus Academy – an exciting opportunity for school leavers to kick-start their careers.
So, what is The Aspectus Academy, what does it offer and how can it work for your school and pupils?
The Aspectus Academy is a fully paid, two-year placement in PR and digital marketing. It’s a hands-on course that will provide each candidate with experience across all aspects of communications. Over the two years they will establish their writing, interpersonal, leadership, digital marketing, client management and business skills. This will involve on-the-job training across our five divisions:
Technology
Financial Services
Energy
Capital Markets
Digital Marketing
The Aspectus Academy is dedicated to providing an environment that truly helps our employees grow. Here are some of the ways we will support school leavers:
Everyone on The Aspectus Academy has a dedicated line manager
Everyone on The Aspectus Academy has a mentor from the senior leadership team e.g. CEO, Managing Director
All employees complete mental health awareness training
You will be part of the Aspectus thriving company culture
Constantly evolving your skill set
We are also investing in school leavers by offering them the opportunity to gain a qualification up to a foundation degree.
After the first year of the apprenticeship, school leavers can choose to specialise in either PR or Digital marketing. Then, they can decide to study for either a level 4 (equivalent to a foundation degree) qualification, or a level 3 (equivalent to an A-level) qualification. They will get one study day a week to make sure they achieve their goals.
We understand there will be many more details that you and your pupils will want to know before making any decisions, therefore we offer a range of introductory workshops, talks, webinars and training days.
Talks, workshops and career days
As part of our outreach programme, we visit schools and colleges to give talks on The Aspectus Academy, what it entails, the opportunity, as well as providing more insight into PR and marketing. We can create bespoke workshops depending on your requirements, but to give you an idea, here’s how we would typically structure a one-hour session:
Introductions – who we all are, our backgrounds and why we love our job
What is PR? – we’ll use the Avengers and Kylie Jenner to demonstrate
What is marketing? – marketing and PR do different things but go hand in hand
What is The Aspectus Academy? – a fully paid, two-year placement for state school students in London. A hands-on course that will provide experience across all aspects of communications
Q+A – an opportunity for students to ask questions e.g. how we got into our role, any barriers we faced, what a day in the life is like
We host webinars too, and you can watch one of our previous webinars online or read about it in this blog.
Career fairs are also an important part of our outreach and help to broaden the horizon for many people who may not know this path is an option.
We hope that these talks enable students to feel invigorated by the potential and eager to learn more about it.
Open days
We will be hosting open days in our office to give students an idea of what the working world is like. This provides pupils the chance to check us out for themselves. It is important for them to be just as bought into us as we are them. we’ll make each open day informative and engaging to showcase who we are, what it’s like to work in this industry and what a career path at Aspectus could look like. Please get in touch if you’d like to be on the mailing list for this opportunity.
If you would be interested in finding out more information, or setting up a talk in your school, please drop us an email to: academyjobs@aspectusgroup.com.
As the founder of a non-profit EdTech startup, Academus, I know just how hard it can be to overcome the initial challenges of entering the market. EdTech is such an exciting space with information, data and knowledge all at our fingertips, but communicating this and standing out can be tough. I’ve learnt that trust, brand identity and public awareness are all crucial to success. In this article, I’ll give an honest overview of what these challenges can look like and how you can successfully overcome them to lead your company towards achieving its goals.
It all starts with the brand
The EdTech sector is primarily split into three major strands:
Synchronous/Asynchronous virtual learning: environments that involve a person teaching either in real-time or they are recorded.
Linear computer-based training (CBT): online courses/games that assess progress by computer run tests and assessments.
Computer supported collaborative learning (CSCL): a hybrid of the two – some reliance on computer teaching and other elements that rely on human assistance.
When creating a brand, it is important to understand which category your company falls into. My startup, for example, is a mix between synchronous and asynchronous virtual learning. Once you have an understanding of who you are and how you provide education, you can begin to understand your place in the market. Is there a need for your product? Who is your audience? Who are your competitors? What is your unique selling point? Answering these questions will help define a strong brand.
As a startup it’s natural to be driven, but you have to be realistic. Developing a brand strategy will help ground you. As a first port of call, establish your key messages and what you stand for. From then, you can understand the core values of your business, where you need to invest time, money and in people.
There are a number of things to consider when creating a brand such as logos, a name, your visual identity and tone of voice. My advice is to take it step by step. I can assure you, starting with what you want the world to see will enable you to keep the cogs ticking over.
Building trust
Once you have established what you want your brand to be, you have to get people to believe in it. Trust is the most valuable asset to build for your EdTech in the early stages. The science to this being: with trust comes investment, engagement and faith. When you begin an EdTech, there is a period where you need people to trust your offering, even if it does not yet exist in its full form. When I launched Academus we had three staff, a big idea and a strategy for a BETA launch, since we have worked with over 1000 students across the UK and have run over 10 different programmes, all stemming from building trust with the public.
In EdTech, trust is an even greater requirement than elsewhere. Why? Because with any education product, you are providing knowledge and, ultimately, the truth. The key, therefore, is transparency. Having a brand and key messages to ground you is the first step, then you have to communicate this. On a practical level, creating a cohesive and dedicated web space with founding principles and clearly outlined policies is so important. This page will become a congregational area for people to understand they are engaging with something safe and trustworthy.
Standing out from the crowd
There’s an assumption amongst many tech founders (including EdTech) that the product will carry itself. However, it doesn’t matter whether you have developed the best technology in the world, it is nothing if people aren’t using it. Putting your brand out there and demonstrating that you have built trust amongst your audience can generate hype. You need to consistently channel your efforts into brand awareness through PR and marketing.
There are a range of brand awareness tactics to try, and it varies depending on the EdTech, however, something I found fundamental to Academus’ growth was using social media. We don’t have the biggest following, but we have a loyal audience, and it’s exactly what our prospects need to see.
Having a social media strategy means you can directly engage with your audience on a personal level, get involved in important industry conversations and control the narrative you want to share about your company with the public. For example, at Academus we specifically develop Twitter and Instagram campaigns tied to current affairs, for example, during Pride Month, we promoted our series of LGBT+ articles to get our audience engaged in our services.
Ultimately, the EdTech space is exciting, everchanging and such a positive environment to be in. Whilst getting off the ground takes grit and perseverance, establishing your brand, building trust and using PR and marketing to raise awareness of your product should make those mountains easier to climb and get your EdTech where it wants to go.
Emily Shead is an Account Executive on the tech team at Aspectus and founder of Academus. If you’d like to get in touch with your questions about EdTech PR and marketing, feel free to email emily.shead@aspectusgroup.com.
It’s fair to say that one of the remaining major unresolved post-Brexit legislative areas that has been increasingly under the spotlight recently is the future for the Euro-denominated OTC derivatives market. It is a complex issue that has many layers to it and has been under the spotlight at AFME’s virtual European post trade conference as we heard from several senior executives of major players such as LSEG & Eurex.
With the euro clearing market sized at €83.5 trillion, you wouldn’t be mad to assume that the EC has taken a firm stance on the issue of what to do with the ‘temporary equivalence’ deal that currently stands between the UK & EU and is set to expire on the 31st June next year. The reality, however, is that senior officials are now hinting at a further extension – leaving the market completely unclear on the future for a major OTC derivatives market. With this in mind, there has never been a more important time for those with skin in the game to capitalise on the media attention to ensure they are in the conversation.
Currently, an overwhelming majority of the euro-denominated OTC derivatives market is cleared by LCH Limited, a subsidiary of LSEG in London. Since the drama of the Brexit referendum over five years ago, the EU has been on record saying that it intends on invoking a location policy for Euro-denominated clearing, preventing EU firms from clearing these contracts in the UK. However, when Brexit was ratified and Britain’s access to the EU financial market was largely severed on December 31st 2020, the future of this particular market was a major headache that the EU decided to put to the back of their mind.
With the deadline of 31st June 2022 on the horizon, financial institutions have increasingly argued that a forced relocation would harm liquidity and threaten financial stability. But it is not just those who hold positions in the Euro-denominated swaps market that should be interested in the future and the eventual decision (should it ever come) of the EC. Should the EC decide to press ahead with their plans to prevent EU access to UK clearing houses, it would create a very different landscape. As forced buyers and sellers, the migration would come at considerable cost to EU firms and would involve huge operational complexity – making this space a fertile hunting ground of new business for a whole range of market vendors.
The prospect of a further extension to the temporary equivalence deal that is currently in place has created an uneasy atmosphere and as the lights of the press shine increasingly on the contentious topic, it provides a significant opportunity for those firms in the thick of it all to contribute their views. Due to the large operational restructuring that such a major market shift would cause, market vendors have valuable contributions to make on the Brexit story that just doesn’t seem to be going away. And with this opportunity must come a sense of urgency – as the deadline approaches and industry conversations focus on this topic, it is important for those with valuable contributions to make to ensure that their voice is being heard.
Whilst the EC feels the pressure being applied by a host of financial institutions and mulls over an extension, it is clear that the issue will eventually come to a head as the EU seeks to resolve all Brexit related uncertainties as quickly as possible. With the turbulence that comes with this kind of uncertainty surrounding a major market changing event, now is the time to focus on messaging to take advantage of the spotlight.
The nation’s favourite cooking show is back on our screens for another year. No, not MasterChef, no, not Hell’s Kitchen, okay, favourite was a stretch. But the Great British Bake off is back – and this time with a banking bang!
What you might not have noticed, is that one of this year’s bright eyed and bushy tailed contestants is an insurance analyst at Goldman Sachs in London. Crystelle Pereira is the second Goldman Sachs employee to be on the show within three years.
This got us thinking, I wonder which other finance executives are keen bakers…does Warren Buffet like a Victoria Sponge (topped with some Dairy Queen, naturally)? Does Jamie Dimon whip up half a dozen scones every Sunday? Or does David Solomon spend hours kneading the perfect eight strand plaited loaf?
Speaking of Solomon, not only has he been the CEO of Goldman Sachs for three years, he’s also a keen DJ in his spare time. Going by the name of DJ D-Sol, the 59-year-old regularly ‘spins the deck’ on EDM (which does not stand for enterprise data management) and dance. With a DJ name that sounds like an off-brand vitamin supplement, there is no doubt in my mind he is an equally chaotic baker. Flour on the face, eggshell in the cake, maybe even mixing sugar for salt. Whilst baking may not be David’s forte, let’s not cut our losses on the DJing just yet, D-Sol’s best release did conjure up over half a million views on YouTube. Maybe he could try his hand at remixing the Bake-Off theme song? A treat for the eyes and ears.
From Solomon to a renowned investor in Goldman – the Oracle of Omaha. Warren Buffett, at the ripe old age of 91, strikes me as a much better fit. He is the Mary Berry of the finance world. Knowledge, experience, an aptitude for success, they could be twins. This is a man who first bought stocks when he was 11. He also filed his first tax at 13. With his incredibly successful investments and years’ worth of mastery, this man was born to succeed. My money is on Buffett frequenting star baker, as in the words of the master himself, “when it rains gold, put out the bucket, not the thimble.”
So, what of Goldman’s fiercest competitors? Well, longstanding J.P Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon is more the Paul Hollywood of the bunch. A diplomat and authentic businessman, he isn’t afraid to tell it like it is. Paul is a similar character in many ways, albeit a little more ruthless when it comes to under-proved bread. Jamie would be the type of baker to follow a recipe to a T, and present a well-polished, intricately decorated, masterpiece. In other words, a recipe for success (J.P’s shareholders certainly agree).
Closer to home, the likes of Mark Carney might surprise you. After recently stepping down from his position as the governor of the Bank of England, perhaps he is one to focus his newly found spare time on perfecting a croquembouche. It’s challenging, unpredictable and everyone is expecting it to deliver – nothing he hasn’t come across before. Turning attention to Rishi Sunak, a second potential dark horse. As one of the youngest Chancellors of the Exchequer, and simultaneously inheriting the biggest economic downturn since 2008, ‘Dishy Rishi’ is surely on our radar. ‘A batch made in heaven’ has never been quite so apt.
On reflection, baking and finance is far from the perfect combination of flavours. It’s no chilli and chocolate or lemon and lime. So for now, it’s probably safer to leaving the baking to the professionals, and high-finance to the Wall Street wizards.
As we run up to COP26, net zero features on the agenda more than ever. And against a backdrop of rising global gas prices, the desire to diversify our energy mix away from fossil fuels seems stronger than ever.
However, reducing reliance on fossil fuels is only one strand of our net zero pathway. The Committee on Climate Change notes that over 40% of the abatement needed in scenarios to 2035 involves consumer action, but just how do we make that happen?
From Insulate Britain blocking the M25 near London, to Extinction Rebellion blocking an intersection near the temporary home of the Netherlands’ parliament and Build Back Fossil Free lobbying Biden, desire for climate action is palpable. But the direction the public should take is less clear. Ultimately the message is simple: change isn’t to be feared and a cleaner, greener future can also be better for you. There is bound to be disruption to lives as we navigate the changes needed to reach net zero. This blog, through the lens of heating, will consider how reframing the discussion away from being greener could be one step to encouraging more people to decarbonise their heating system.
Keeping warm
If you ask someone what they want from a heating system, they won’t talk about efficiencies or the running temperature of their radiators, they’ll likely say they’ll want a warm home at an affordable price. Whether the heat comes from hydrogen, electricity or through a district heating network is a minor detail.
That said, a lot of the focus at the moment is around heat pumps – with about 50 million expected to be installed by 2030 across Europe. Electrifying heating will reduce carbon emissions, but it will also reduce the running temperature of our radiators. Many homes will remain warm with a lower and longer heating regime, but not all. And we all know bad news spreads quickly, so while this technology is in the early-adoption stage, sound advice on all measures needed to make it work are essential. The planet can’t afford for heat pumps to be rejected before their full potential has been realised, so we must explain this change clearly.
Another significant grid benefit of heat pumps is grid flexibility, few consumers will be interested in hearing, let alone understanding, how flexibility works or why it matters. They will, however, be concerned if their heating is turned off to help reduce demand on the grid when their house isn’t comfortably warm. While not a fear for consumers today, it’s one to address upfront and to set out parameters for when heat pumps can be used for demand turn down. Until recently, customers were advised to switch and save. Money, however, wasn’t always a strong enough motivator to make the switch, so it can’t be sold as the only benefit to grid flexibility either.
That same cost thought should be extended to energy efficiency. With energy bills set to rise this winter, the additional cost of double glazing, loft insulation or a draught excluder is unlikely to be at the top of anyone’s shopping list. Add to this the idea that the initial outlay will be recovered in three or five years’ time and it becomes even less attractive. You may, however, see people rushing out to buy a hot water bottle as being warmer is a key driver to decision making.
Creative solutions
There’s a lesson in selling to be learned from the supermarkets. Sliced, grated or a block of cheese all ends up melting on a pizza so why can’t we package up those kWhs differently? One such example is heat-as-a-service, and the benefits of this extend beyond customer satisfaction. Insights from the Energy Systems Catapult, suggest customers are willing to pay more and are more likely to switch to a lower carbon technology for heating when buying heat-as-a-service. But the benefits of this are amplified for the supplier, the more you know about a customer the better able you are to target offers and new products making them a long-term customer too.
Our journey to net zero spreads much further than heat and bringing customers along with us on that journey will be crucial. While climate activism shows desires to be greener, selling net zero needs a considered, creative approach to make sure we go far enough, quickly enough.
