Marketing Week

📊 Why B2B marketers are investing more in events Marketing Week’s State of B2B Marketing data shows 60.8% of marketers are putting budget into events and experiential - more than brand campaigns, social, PR or sponsorships. In this article, Emily Manock looks at: 🔹 How rising complexity in marketing is reshaping the role of events 🔹 Why measurement and alignment remain major gaps 🔹 The shift toward smaller, more targeted events as budgets tighten 🔹 How brands like Asana and Canva build event portfolios across the full funnel 👉 Read the full story: https://lnkd.in/eXqTA5-S

🎉🙌🏆Massive congratulations to our wonderful columnist Helen Edwards who has taken home the hotly contested prize of B2B Columnist of the Year at the 2025 BSME - The British Society of Magazine Editors Awards. The judges were impressed with her "clearly written and thoughtfully researched articles", and in particular her take on 'frugal innovation'. Congrats Helen! Link to the frugal innovation article in comments.

In this article, Letsignit’s CMO Amandine Fernandez sets out why brands overlook their biggest end-of-year opportunity — employee email. She highlights:  🔹 The Q4 paradox: Brands publish the most when audiences are the most distracted and fatigued.  🔹 The hidden channel: One-to-one emails — trusted, human, and already happening at huge scale.  🔹 Why it matters: A 300-person company sends 300,000+ personal emails in Nov–Dec, yet few brands use this touchpoint intentionally.  🔹 The opportunity: Bring consistency to the small interactions — recaps, thank-yous, confirmations — where brand perception is actually shaped.  🔹 How to activate it: Seasonal banners, year-end highlights, Q1 momentum-building, and culture storytelling — deployed simply and at scale. 👉 Full article: https://lnkd.in/e9ZSF36i #sponsored by Letsignit

This week in The Marketing Week 👇      This week, we chat with Diageo about how it is balancing effectiveness and efficiency, hear from Goalhanger's fractional CMO about its ambition to move from being seen as a podcast company to a media brand, and look at the reasoning behind UKTV's CMO adding AI to her remit.      Plus, we unpack what the 2025 budget means for brands and how B2B marketers are mapping their event portfolio to “every stage of the funnel”.      📩 Subscribe for weekly updates 

💡 Helen Edwards: Why marketers should stay optimistic post-Budget In her latest column, Helen Edwards explains that while the #autumnbudget has left many corporate functions cautious, marketers are uniquely placed to inject energy and find new routes to growth. She highlights three reasons for optimism: 🔹 Price as an underused lever - with smarter pricing models offering fresh value without blanket discounting 🔹 A wealth of existing data - past research holding insights that can spark innovation without new spend 🔹 The power of ideas - creativity and imagination remain marketing’s greatest assets in a flat, risk-averse environment 👉 Read the full column: https://lnkd.in/eb8T8gBX

⏰ Last chance to have your say! We’re closing entries soon for the Marketing Week Career and Salary Survey 2026 — the industry’s most comprehensive look at how marketers are paid, how teams are built, and where careers are heading next. The more voices we hear, the clearer the story becomes. As Molly Innes says, don't miss your chance to be part of it - closing tomorrow 👇 🗳️ https://lnkd.in/ed9G6uT9 #careerandsalarysurvey #marketingcommunity #marketingsalary #marketingcareer

From a different type of Black Friday to a miraculous love story, here’s your weekly tech round-up: 👉 AI agents step into retail. Google, OpenAI and Perplexity all ramp up shopping features this Black Friday, helping consumers find deals, but raising big challenges for brands and influencers. 👉 Warner Music Group signs a deal with Suno. After suing the AI music startup last year, Warner now allows artists’ likenesses to be used with permission, signalling a shift in the copyright conversation. 👉 Roblox faces renewed safety concerns. The platform rolls out age verification for chat, but a shaky CEO interview leaves questions around trust and brand safety unresolved. 👉 Goalhanger rebrands as GH. The podcast group behind The Rest Is History says it's no longer just a podcast company, as video formats and brand partnerships reshape the space. Dive in deeper: https://lnkd.in/efHA8aHH

💼 The 2025 Budget is here... But, what does it mean for brands? From EV taxation to skills investment, here are the key Autumn Statement updates marketers need to know. 📉 New EV tax: A 3p-per-mile mileage tax for EVs and plug-in hybrids comes into force in April 2028, alongside the introduction of Electric Vehicle Excise Duty. 🎰 Gambling tax changes: The tax on online gambling profits rises from 21% to 40%, while the 10% bingo tax is abolished. 🚀 Support for growth sectors: Simplified investment reliefs and commitments to speed up capital deployment for innovation-led businesses. 💷 Minimum wage rise: Over-21s will see an increase from £12.21 → £12.71 in April, as frozen tax thresholds continue to squeeze disposable income. 🥤 Sugary drinks levy extended: From 2028, the tax will apply to pre-packaged milkshakes and lattes. 🧑🏭 Skills + apprenticeships: Expanded investment in apprenticeships and vocational training across digital, engineering and green industries. ⚡ Energy updates: Removal of some household energy levies and sustained investment in grid modernisation and renewables. 👉 Read Emily Manock's full breakdown here: https://lnkd.in/eVJD9uvQ

📉 Diageo: Efficiency only works when paired with effectiveness Diageo’s GB marketing and innovation director, Ursula Mejía Melgar, says driving efficiency in advertising “for the sake of driving efficiency” will not work long term — insisting effectiveness must come first. Key points: 📊 Effectiveness + efficiency: “The equation only works if you’re driving efficiencies by being much more effective,” she says, noting Diageo relies on long-term data to inform investment choices. 🤖 Role of AI: While AI can reduce development costs and increase agility, Mejía Melgar stresses that “the thinking needs to still be human” because marketing relies on emotion. 📦 Portfolio management: Managing multiple brands requires both data and intuition, with consumer behaviours differing by category and occasion. 🧭 Long vs short term: Marketers should stay agile but avoid changing long-term strategy: “Do not compromise what you want most for what you want now.” 👉 Read Niamh Carroll's the full story: https://lnkd.in/etMNmrwR