Last Tuesday, we hosted our first Digital Bites event of 2026 at one of our favourite venues, the Everyman Cinema in Manchester. A huge thank you to all our attendees and speakers for joining us and making it a memorable day. Since launching Digital Bites in 2021, we’ve loved bringing marketers from the North together for afternoons filled with actionable strategies, expert insights, and networking – we’re looking forward to bringing it back later this year!

This particular event felt like one of those sessions where everything clicks into place. Not because there was a single big theme, but because every talk, in its own way, pointed to the same underlying shift in marketing right now. Things are getting harder to track, harder to measure and harder to predict, but the opportunity to stand out has never been clearer.

Let’s break down the talks, one by one

Dan Seekings – Group Head of Creative, Connective3

Talk: The last legal unfair competitive edge

Dan opened the event by bringing the conversation back to something simple but often overlooked. As more brands gain access to the same tools, platforms and data, the gap between them isn’t getting smaller because of capability, it’s getting smaller because everyone is following the same playbook.

What still sets brands apart is creativity. Not just in big campaign moments, but in how they show up consistently. It’s one of the few areas that can’t be easily replicated or automated, which is exactly why it matters more now than ever.

View Dan’s slides here

Charlotte Stevens – Consumer Data Media Lead, Nestle

Talk: How to scale data activation in a world with fewer signals

Charlotte’s talk shed light on a huge challenge for today’s marketers: navigating a world of diminishing data. Signals are disappearing, people are harder to identify, and at the same time expectations around personalisation haven’t dropped.

A big part of the shift is also on the consumer side. People are more aware of their data and more in control of it, which makes staying addressable more difficult, but also more important. The brands that adapt are the ones that stop relying on a single source of truth and start thinking more flexibly about how they can build a full picture of their audience.

View Charlotte’s slides here

Keira Penney – Social Media Strategist, Freelance

Talk: Underqualified or overthinking? Why you don’t have to be an expert to have a personal brand

Keira’s session was a reminder of how easy it is to overcomplicate personal branding. The biggest barrier for most of us isn’t a lack of knowledge or a missing niche, it’s the pressure to be an expert on day one. The takeaway was less about tactics and more about mindset. You don’t need to have it all figured out to start, you just need to start.

View Keira’s slides here

Lizzie Lewington – Head of SEO Performance, Connective3
Talk: The future of search – How to win in SEO in 2026 and beyond

Lizzie unpacked how much search has changed, even in the past twelve months. While traditional search still dominates, it’s no longer the only place for brand discovery and consumer decision-making.

Customer journeys are more fragmented than ever, with users moving across platforms, formats and touchpoints long before converting. That means showing up in one place isn’t enough anymore. Visibility needs to stretch across the entire ecosystem, including the moments that influence and assist a conversion, not just the ones that claim credit for it.

The takeaway: SEO isn’t just a Google tactic anymore, it’s everywhere.

View Lizzie’s slides here

Nick Handley – Performance Director, Connective3
Talk: Measuring what actually matters in the age of brand-led performance

Nick’s talk focused on the growing measurement gap, and more specifically, the difficulty of isolating the metrics that truly matter.

As brand and performance continue to overlap, it’s harder to separate what’s driving results. Standard platform reporting only tells part of the story, which is why incrementality testing is becoming essential. Understanding what activity genuinely drove additional value versus what was going to happen regardless of the spend is where the real insight sits.

View Nick’s slides here

Alicia Torres – Marketing Manager, Force24
Talk: Inbox energy vs buyer reality

Alicia highlighted a disconnect that a lot of marketers overlook. While many believe their activity plays a big role in influencing buyers, most consumers feel like they’re making those decisions on their own.

That gap changes how we should approach things like email and messaging. It’s not about sending more, it’s about being more relevant. Personalisation and segmentation play a big role here, particularly when it comes to understanding the difference between engaged and unengaged audiences.

Ronja Ostner – PR Strategist, Connective3
Talk: Why PR must stay human in an AI-saturated world

Ronja’s talk centred on the growing impact of AI in PR and the challenges that come with it. With more AI-generated content being produced than ever before, the space is becoming increasingly crowded.

However, it isn’t just about the volume, it’s the lack of distinction. When everything is designed to sound right, very little stands out. This is where the human touch wins. Emotion, originality and lived perspective are harder to replicate, and they’re exactly what create your competitive advantage.

Her takeaway was simple but powerful: In a world of AI content, being human is your edge.

View Ronja’s slides here

Heather Clark – Head of Luxury & Fashion, Pinterest
Talk: Decoding dreams – Using Pinterest Predicts to power decisions

Heather introduced Pinterest Predicts and how it can be used to understand emerging trends before they fully take off.

What makes this tool so valuable is that it tracks future intent; what people are planning to do, not just what they’ve already done. That gives brands a clearer view of where culture is heading.  The real value lies in the transition from insight to action – using these pioneer trends to guide everything from creative campaigns to core product development.

The takeaway was clear: Spotting the trend is the baseline, but knowing how to pivot your strategy to meet it is the real win.

View Heather’s slides here

That’s all from us! We’ll be back with another Digital Bites later this year, so we hope to see you there for more actionable insights. In the meantime, check out the full photo album here and make sure you’re following us on social to kept in the loop with our latest updates!

Lucy’s recap

Volunteering for the Ukrainian National Women’s League of America (UNWLA) was an experience I’ll never forget. As a Ukrainian with family living in occupied territory, being able to contribute in some way meant everything to me.

My family are from Crimea, Ukraine, where they still live, but since Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014, they haven’t been able to leave, and I haven’t been able to visit. Over the years, the region has faced severe repression of Crimean Tatars, restrictions on free speech, ongoing human rights abuses, and damage to the economy, environment, and cultural heritage. Not being able to return or see my family for the past ten years has been difficult, so I stay connected to my culture through language lessons, Ukrainian events in the UK, cooking, and Ukrainian media. Volunteering with UNWLA in the U.S. felt like a meaningful way to continue that connection and contribute to a cause I care so much about.

These two weeks were unforgettable. I met so many incredible Ukrainians, by blood and by heart, all full of love for Ukraine. I practiced my Ukrainian language, made connections, and felt even closer to my family’s heritage. Being part of these events reminded me that even far from home, there are ways to stand up for your roots, and that the passion, courage, and unity of the Ukrainian community can inspire hope and strength, no matter where you are.

On Thursday 20th November 2025, we wrapped up our final Digital Bites event of the year and what a fantastic way to close out Connective3’s 2025 event season. The Everyman was looking wonderfully festive, decked out in Christmas decorations, and we welcomed guests with a fully stocked bar and a very popular pizza lunch.

The afternoon brought together a brilliant mix of 8×8-minute talks from brands including Hip Pop, Cox Automotive, Connective3, GIFTA and more. Topics ranged from influencer gifting and data, to brand building, personal development, and unsurprisingly, AI.

We have been running Digital Bites for the past five years and we’re incredibly proud of where it is today. The event has grown in size and scale but what remains the same is our commitment to bringing a fun, friendly and informative event to the Manchester marketing community.

Digital Bites continues to sell out each time, with a growing waitlist of marketers hoping to grab a spot. This is a testament to the hard work our team put into delivering the event, the short and snappy content our speakers deliver and the thriving digital scene here in Manchester.

A huge thank you to our event sponsor, GIFTA, to our brilliant speakers, and to everyone who joined us on the day. Digital Bites wouldn’t be what it is without your support.

You can view the event photography here.

Catch up on each session below, including talk summaries and speaker slides.

Kirsty Perkins – Director of Training, Dale Carnegie
Talk: Brand soundbites – Connection is the new currency

Next up was Kirsty Perkins from Dale Carnegie who delivered an interactive session that had the whole room up on their feet. The premise of the talk was that delegates were given eight prompts to discuss with someone they had never met before in the room, and each prompt had to be discussed with a new person.  The prompts got the audience discussing why it’s important to:

– Skip the blame game
– Remember names
– Ask good questions
– Give real recognition and more

Tom Higgins – Co-Founder & CEO, GIFTA
Talk: From gifting to genuine trust: Redefining the influencer-brand relationship

Tom Higgins from GIFTA took us through the evolving world of influencer gifting, emphasising that while AI has its place, it is people and their honest reaction that truly shape a brand’s credibility. He explained the importance of treating influencers as consumers first and not just content creation machines and accepting that not everyone will love your product and that’s ok. His recommended approach was simple, if the influencers your gifting products to love it then they should feel free to post about it and if they don’t, the brand should want to hear why. Tom highlighted that viral moments can’t be engineered by brands but they happen when creators are trusted to tell the story in their own way. He also underlined the need to track all content in real time to feed insights back to stakeholders and noted that as the influencer landscape evolves rapidly, brands should be leveraging creators of all sizes to ensure their marketing remains effective.

Eve Rodway – Brand Manager, Hip Pop
Talk: From noise to noticed: Marketing that actually cuts through

Eve Rodway, Brand Manager at Hip Pop, delivered the next session on how challenger-brand thinking can help any business cut through an increasingly noisy online world. She explained that consumers don’t always want polished perfection but instead they want to feel something and this is what gives challenger brands the freedom to take risks, use their personality and show up as real humans. Eve shared fun, low-budget and experimental examples from Hip Pop, from a Mr T–inspired outfit to a pumpkin drink stunt. Her core message was that the work that feels spontaneous and a bit experimental sticks ten times longer than the work that feels safe. In a digital landscape that can feel increasingly fake, she encouraged brands to embrace realness, lean into their quirks and create moments that genuinely resonate.

Brittany Deller – Senior Marketing Analytics Manager, Connective3
Talk: Swipes, clicks & cart ghosters: Insights are the matchmaker for all channels

Connective3’s very own, Brittany Deller, took to the stage next to deliver a clever, dating-themed session exploring why marketers focus too much on the “first date” — the click — and not enough on what happens next. She reminded the audience that clicks aren’t commitment, and vanity metrics don’t tell the full story, especially when the ad is brilliant but the website experience falls flat. Instead of ignoring the users who ghost, Brit explained that we should be looking at why they drop off. She explained that your insights are key to effective marketing as they act as the matchmaker that connects your channel. By leaning into first-party data and understanding how users behave on your website and across your campaigns, we can build experiences that attract customers and more importantly keep them around.

Jim Ker – Digital Marketing Lead, Cox Automotive

Talk: The infinite AI marketing muddle

Jim Ker opened with a relatable confession that: “AI is doing my head in” – capturing the pressure many marketers feel as the landscape shifts faster than anyone can track. With stakeholders asking for proof of how teams are adapting, Jim shared the areas that he’s focused on. First up is reporting which he stated is still the way to a stakeholder’s heart, but AI has changed things. Impressions are rising, clicks are falling, and marketers need to explain why the quality of traffic now matters more than the volume. He urged the industry to diagnose problems before prescribing solutions and to evolve traditional skillsets to include AI search and prompting, and find trustworthy sources amidst the noise. SEO, he joked, has “died” seven times – “she’s not dead, she’s having a glow-up.” His closing message was simple: value your copywriters, embrace frameworks like RISE, and don’t be scared of AI – “just get on the damn bus.”

Will Brittain – Head of Brand Media and Tash Carlisle, Senior Brand Media Manager, Connective3
Talk: Stop wasting brand budgets: A new playbook for creating measurable attention

C3’s Will Brittain and Tash Carlisle delivered a practical session on how to stop wasting brand budgets and build campaigns that genuinely earn attention. They stated that brand campaigns are long-term by nature, making them harder to justify to stakeholders, especially when quarterly reports demand immediate results and true uplift often only appears when ads with strong creative are seen at higher frequencies. They walked through measurement approaches like GEO-testing and creative analytics, stressing that creativity is what gives media its impact. Their creative motive framework helps brands identify audience motivators and barriers and translate these into emotionally resonant creative that clearly communicates benefits. Using examples from clients (including how different emotional drivers can reshape positioning), they showed how great storytelling and influencer content can bring these motivations to life authentically. Their takeaway was simple: if you want brand media to work, you need emotionally grounded ideas, clear measurement baked in from the start and creative that resonates far beyond narrow, transactional messaging.

Jennifer Livesey – Founder & CEO, Bizzy Humans
Talk: Chaos can’t sit with us: The secret to a calmer, more productive work week

Jennifer Livesey from Bizzy Humans closed the day with a fast, funny and brilliantly relatable session on why so many of us feel busy but not productive and why the problem isn’t us, it’s the systems we work in. Drawing on her experience managing mission-critical projects, she explained the three forces that silently sabotage our workdays: ourselves (overthinking, multitasking and people-pleasing), each other (constant pings, group chats and chaotic collaboration) and our systems (messy processes and unclear expectations). Jen showed how small fixes like reducing low-value tasks, setting boundaries, simplifying workflows and ditching or muting group chats can unlock huge gains in calm and clarity. Her biggest takeaway was for the audience to start noticing friction, write it down, and commit to fixing one thing each week. By engineering chaos out of your workday, you free up the time, focus and energy to actually thrive.

Check out all the event photos here and make sure you’re following us on social to kept in the loop with our latest updates!

Apple’s  iOS 26  are reshaping how digital campaigns are tracked and measured. These shifts are driven by stronger privacy protections, smarter analytics, and evolving user behaviour, especially on mobile.  

Here’s what’s changing, how it impacts your advertising, and what you should be doing to stay ahead.  

What’s changing?

The biggest headline from the iOS 26 announcement is around privacy updates. Apple may now  strip tracking identifiers such as gclid (Google Click ID) and fbclid (Facebook Click ID) from Safari, Mail, and Messages which could mean a large portion of campaign data that marketers previously relied on is no longer being passed back to advertising platforms

On top of that, App Tracking Transparency (ATT) continues to require users to actively opt in to tracking which most users choose not to, further limiting the available data to advertisers. 

SKAdNetwork 5.0 is now the default framework for app install attribution and while it is more accurate than earlier versions, it still only offers aggregated insights rather than the detailed, user-level view that many marketers are used to. 

What do these changes mean?

• Less visibility into user-level data, especially on iOS devices: With gclid and fbclid now potentially being removed, you’ll see fewer details about individual users’ journeys, making it harder to understand exactly how campaigns are performing. 

• Smaller retargeting audiences due to limited tracking: With less third-party data available, the pool of users you can retarget on social and display platforms will  could could shrink and so it will require smarter audience segmentation. 

• More reliance on modelled data and first-party signals: Insights will come from more aggregated or modelled data, as well as the information you collect directly from users, rather than from third-party tracking. 

What should you be doing right now?

These changes don’t mean the end of campaign measurement (Apple has said so themselves historically, they don’t want to break the internet) but they do mean marketers need to adapt quickly. With less reliance on third-party identifiers and user-level tracking, success will come from strengthening your measurement foundations, leaning into privacy-first practices, and making better use of the tools that still work. Here are our five steps to stay ahead: 

1. Use UTM parameters on every link

With the latest iOS update, Apple are still fully supporting UTMs, making them one of the most reliable ways to measure campaign performance in GA4. It is important to make sure every link is tagged with parameters such as utm_source, utm_medium, utm_campaign and by standardising your UTM structure across all channels (email, social, paid media, influencer campaigns) this will give you cleaner and more consistent reporting. 

2. Build and use first-party data

First-party data is now the most reliable and you can collect it directly through your site or app using clear, consent-driven forms. It is important to focus on valuable identifiers such as email addresses, phone numbers, and in-app behaviours. Once captured, this data can be fed into ad platforms like Meta, Google, and TikTok to build stronger audience targeting.  

3. Configure GA4 for smarter attribution

GA4 should be seen as your central hub for campaign measurement. You should ensure you key conversion events are setup and tracked correctly – whether that’s purchases, sign-ups, or app installs. GA4’s Data-Driven Attribution (DDA) model will do the rest to get a more accurate picture of the customer journey across multiple touch points.  

4. Optimise for consent

Tracking only works if users opt in, especially on iOS. To increase your consent rates, ensure that your opt-in flows are transparent, value-driven and easy to understand, and experiment with different messaging over time to see what users respond to best. 

5. Consider server-side tagging

As browser-based tracking becomes increasingly restricted, server-side tagging offers a more resilient solution. By sending events directly from your server to GA4 and ad platforms, you reduce reliance on cookies and client-side scripts while improving data accuracy.  You can look into using tools like Google Tag Manager’s server-side setup to future-proof your tracking infrastructure. 

Overall, this isn’t something to panic about, keep an eye out on your metrics, and as long as you or your data solutions team is abiding by best practices, you’ll remain ahead of the curve.

When retail giant Amazon stepped out of the Google Shopping auction in late July 2025, it was a huge moment that had the whole industry talking. The immediate question on every marketer’s lips was: “What happens to my Cost Per Click (CPC) now?”

The easy answer is to look at a ‘before and after’ snapshot. But easy answers are often wrong. To get to the truth, we used a Causal Impact analysis to scientifically measure the real-world effect of Amazon’s exit on CPCs across key retail verticals. The results were not what you might expect.

This report will take you through our study, explaining why we chose Causal Impact analysis, the results for each vertical, why it’s important to understand consumer intent, the actual CPC shifts we saw and ultimately why Amazon could afford to walk away from Google Shopping.

Note that as of 25^th August Amazon are back in Google shopping auctions showing this was indeed a true holdout test to measure incremental value Google Shopping is providing to the revenue uplifts for Amazon.

Why Casual Impact beats simple Period-on-Period comparisons 

A Period-on-Period (PoP) comparison only looks at how metrics move between two timeframes (e.g., before vs. after Amazon’s exit). While useful, it assumes that any change is directly caused by the event, ignoring seasonality, broader market shifts, or randomness.

Causal Impact, on the other hand, uses a Bayesian structural time-series model to estimate what would have happened if the event (Amazon’s exit) hadn’t occurred. This gives:

1. A True Baseline: It doesn’t just compare ‘before’ to ‘after’. It compares the ‘after’ to what should have been, creating a synthetic control group.
2. Statistical Proof: It tells us the probability that the change was a direct result of the event, separating genuine impact from statistical noise.

A Clear Narrative: It quantifies the average and cumulative effect over time, showing whether the impact was a short-term blip or a long-term shift.

For example, a simple PoP comparison showed CPCs in the Gifts category fell by 3.3%. A tempting conclusion would be that Amazon’s exit reduced competition. However, our Causal Impact analysis revealed the confidence interval overlapped with zero, proving the effect was not statistically significant. We avoided a misleading conclusion that a lesser analysis would have produced.

Pink is Causal Impact and Grey is PoP.

The surprising results: Deconstructing the CPC shifts

So, what actually happened when Amazon left the auction? The big surprise is that the impact was highly concentrated. We didn’t see a widespread surge in CPCs. Instead, we saw one clear winner, one category with a significant drop, and a whole lot of stability elsewhere.

The chart below shows the statistically significant impact, or lack thereof across key industries.

📈 The major outlier: Laptops (+21.9%)

The only category to see a statistically significant and substantial CPC increase was Laptops. The story here is a perfect storm of timing and technology. Amazon’s exit coincided with the back-to-school season, a peak demand window for everything from headphones and tablets to monitors and speakers.

As students and parents began their shopping, conversion intent surged. Google’s Smart Bidding algorithms, which are designed to maximise outcomes, recognised this high probability of conversion and bid aggressively to capture those valuable clicks, pushing CPCs up. This proves a critical point: modern auctions are driven by conversion probability, not just competitor volume.

📉 The big decline: Protein Supplements (-10.5%)

At the other end of the spectrum, Protein Supplements saw the only statistically significant decrease in CPCs. This reflects a different, but equally important function of Smart Bidding: efficiency. This period often coincides with a post-payday lull in spending for this category. The algorithm likely identified lower conversion intent and reallocated budget away from less valuable clicks, causing the average CPC to drop as it optimised for efficiency.

Everything in between: Statistical stability

For every other category we analysed – including Consumer Electronics, Mattresses, Garden & DIY, and Gifts, the impact was not statistically significant. As you can see on the chart, the error bars for these verticals all cross the 0% line. Any minor CPC fluctuations observed were simply statistical noise, not a direct result of Amazon’s departure. This is a crucial distinction that only a Causal Impact analysis can provide.

Beyond the bid: Why consumer intent trumped competition

The impact of Amazon’s absence is less about auction mechanics and more about the consumer’s path to purchase. For many products, shoppers simply don’t default to Amazon, which fundamentally changes how the market reacts.

• High-consideration purchases: When buying a mattress or medical equipment, trust, specialist advice, and brand reputation are paramount. Consumers gravitate toward dedicated retailers, meaning Amazon’s presence or absence in a SERP is a minor factor.
• Emotion-driven buys: Products like personalised gifts or unique home décor are discovery-led. Shoppers are actively browsing independent stores and specialist sites. Amazon leaving the auction doesn’t create a vacuum; it just redistributes attention among existing players.
• Commoditised products: Laptops are a different beast. Consumers are highly price-sensitive and often use Amazon as a default for convenience and comparison. When the default option disappears from the most visible ad space, it dramatically reshapes demand dynamics and forces algorithms to react.

The new rulebook: CPC is a symptom, not a sickness

If you’re still managing your paid search accounts with CPC as your primary KPI, you’re looking in the rearview mirror. With the dominance of Smart Bidding strategies like Target ROAS and Max Conversions, CPC has become a byproduct, not a goal.

Here’s why:

• Bidding is outcome-driven: The algorithms aren’t trying to find the cheapest click; they’re trying to find the most profitable conversion.
• Auction-time signals are king: Google adjusts bids in real-time based on hundreds of signals like device, location, and audience data. It cares more about the predicted value of a user than the number of advertisers in the auction.
• Value beats volume: If the algorithm predicts a user is highly likely to convert, it will gladly pay a higher CPC to win that click, even if overall competition has decreased.

This explains our findings perfectly. CPCs for Laptops rose because Smart Bidding chased high-value, back-to-school conversions. CPCs for Protein Supplements fell because algorithms likely reallocated budget away from lower-intent clicks that are more common as consumers move away from a payday spending spike.

In today’s landscape, CPC is no longer the metric to optimise for. The true measure of success is efficiency, tracked through metrics like ROAS and cost per acquisition.

Amazon’s endgame: Why they could afford to walk away

Finally, let’s consider Amazon’s perspective. For them, leaving Google Shopping isn’t the risk it would be for a smaller retailer. Why? Because consumer behaviour is already hardwired in their favour.

Studies consistently show that the majority of product searches begin on Amazon, not Google. This means Amazon isn’t just a player in the market; for many, it is the market. By pulling out of Google Shopping, they weren’t risking invisibility. They were running a massive-scale experiment to answer a simple question: “Does paying for Google Shopping ads provide incremental value, or would these customers have found their way to us anyway?”

As mentioned, as of 25^th August they are  back in Google shopping auctions, showing this was indeed a true holdout test to measure incremental value Google Shopping is providing to the revenue uplifts for Amazon.

Their brand gravity and established customer habits mean they can capture demand with or without being in every auction. For them, it is a calculated test of channel value, and for the rest of us, it was a masterclass in the new dynamics of paid search.

Methodology for Casual Impact Analysis

1. Data Sources and Selection

This analysis utilised a combination of proprietary in-platform data from Google Ads and publicly available data from Google Trends to construct and validate the Causal Impact model.

• Treatment Data (Google Ads): The primary data source for the dependent variable was Google Ads. The specific metric analysed (e.g., conversions, clicks, branded search volume) was extracted using account-level data for the period spanning three months prior to the intervention (pre-period) and one month after the intervention (post-period). This dataset represents the “treatment” or affected data, which is the subject of the analysis.
• Control Data (Google Trends): The control data, representing the unaffected “counterfactual,” was sourced from Google Trends. The selection process for the control group was critical to the integrity of the analysis and followed these steps:
  1. Identification of Unaffected Keywords: Potential control keywords were identified as those with search interest that was highly correlated with the treatment metric before the intervention. These keywords were deliberately chosen to be outside the scope of the campaign being measured. For example, if the campaign was for “Luxebrew Coffee Maker” an unaffected control group might be the search volume for a similar but distinct query like “Premium Coffee Blenders”
  2. Correlation Validation: A correlation analysis was performed on the pre-period data to confirm a strong, statistically significant correlation between the treatment and control metrics. This step ensured the control data was a reliable predictor of the treatment metric’s behaviour in the absence of amazon in auction.

We were back in sunny Manchester this June for our third Up North marketing festival – a full day of networking, industry insights and standout talks, all wrapped up with an Aperol Spritz after party.

After months of planning, curating an agenda with 32 incredible speakers, partnering with 9 brilliant sponsors, and selling out for the third year running with 400 attendees, we couldn’t be prouder of what we brought to Manchester.

When we first launched Up North in 2023, it was important to us that we created something a little bit different. That’s why our focus has always been on the speakers, the agenda and our amazing venue!

A huge thank you to our sponsors Print.com, Ahrefs, Generation Digital, You Platforms, Passata, Girls in Marketing, Pedagogue, Powerhouse, GIFTA  and of course to all our attendees and speakers for joining us.

You can view the event photography here  – photo cred to Rebekah Middleton and C3’s Ryan Colleran.

Tom Lanaway – Innovation Strategy Manager, Connective3
Talk: AI: The magic and the machine

Tom Lanaway explored how AI has moved beyond hype to become a powerful “magic” that helps people do more with less effort. Drawing on lessons from building Merlin, Connective3’s internal AI, he shared practical advice on spotting real AI opportunities, persuading stakeholders to invest, and creating AI solutions that empower teams rather than replace them. His talk emphasised turning AI into a dynamic teammate and encouraged attendees to integrate it into their daily work.

Download Tom’s slides here

Kate Manton – Coach & Mentor – Baobab Works Ltd
Talk: Embracing disruption, through AI, team and you

Kate Manton explored how true disruption today comes from a powerful combination of AI, self-leadership and teamwork. With AI now an essential, unbiased team member, the talk emphasised embracing it as a collaborator that drives better performance and decision-making rather than a competitor. Yet, by challenging conventional thinking and reimagining team dynamics, listeners were inspired to harness the synergy between human creativity and AI, unlocking new levels of innovation and impact in today’s fast-evolving marketing landscape.

Download Kate’s slides here

Andreas Stefanou – YouTube Product Lead, Google

Talk: There’s only one YouTube: Where creative brilliance meets Google AI

Andreas Stefanou explored how brands can unlock YouTube’s full potential by combining creative excellence with the power of Google AI. He demonstrated how AI-driven tools help deliver full-funnel strategies, from awareness to conversion, by optimising creative, media, and measurement in one seamless ecosystem.

With short-form video on the rise and YouTube Shorts growing rapidly across screens, Andreas highlighted that today’s users are engaging with content in more ways than ever, making it vital for brands to meet them where they are. He also introduced the ABCD framework (Attention, Branding, Connection, Direction) for building standout creative, and shared how partnerships with creators can boost conversions and trust.

Claire Stanley-Manock – Chief Growth Officer, Connective3
Talk: Beyond the click: Building brands that drive real growth

In an era dominated by AI, ROAS metrics, and zero-click searches, Claire’s talk highlighted why building a strong brand remains your ultimate unfair advantage. Moving beyond last-click attribution, it focused on strategies to unlock sustainable, long-term growth by creating memorable brands that resonate with audiences, without compromising on immediate performance. The audience learned how to balance brand-building with data-driven results, ensuring their marketing efforts drive both recognition and real business impact.

Download Claire’s slides here

Holly Watson – Head of Marketing, Co-Op Live and Adam MacDonald – Commercial Publishing Lead, NewsUK

Talk: Cutting through the noise: Media, talent and storytelling in a saturated world

In this panel, Holly Watson and Adam MacDonald explored how entertainment and culture intersect in a fast-moving digital world. Though their roles differ, they both face the challenge of cutting through noise to reach passionate, media-savvy audiences. They discussed how they prepare for high-profile events, collaborate with talent, and use storytelling to create standout moments.

The conversation touched on adapting to a mobile-first audience, the shifting definition of success in social media, and what the future holds for live entertainment and digital content, with both Holly and Adam spotlighting the rise of immersive experiences and new formats as key trends.

Perla Bloom – Senior Comms Planning Manager, Expedia Group
Talk: Audience, innovation & entertainment: What modern comms needs right now

In a fireside chat with C3’s Rosa Mitchell, Perla Bloom unpacked what modern communications really demands: audience-first thinking, space for innovation, and a bold embrace of entertainment-led storytelling. She shared how the strongest campaigns begin with a clear strategy rooted in audience insight – not just understanding who people are, but what they care about and how they connect with culture.

Perla emphasised the importance of creating room for experimentation within budgets and team culture, encouraging brands to treat failure as a pathway to innovation. As more brands shift toward storytelling that feels like entertainment, she highlighted that this isn’t just a trend, it’s how culture moves, and brands that adapt will build deeper, longer-lasting connections.

Gus Pelogia – Senior SEO Product Manager, Indeed

Talk: Why you need to trust your marketing data (and how to get there)

Gus Pelogia delivered a session on the importance of crafting an SEO roadmap that actually drives business impact not just busywork. His central message was cut through the noise and focus on what really moves the needle.

Too often, SEO teams get distracted by shiny tasks that don’t tie to real KPIs. Instead, Gus urges SEOs to zoom out: think in terms of projects, not tasks, and build a roadmap around big themes with measurable outcomes. Each initiative should be backed by a clear business case, helping you stay focused, justify priorities, and say no to one-off distractions that won’t scale.

Gus also emphasised the value of split testing and measuring causal impact, especially on large websites. For example, what seems like a minor menu redesign could actually be a month-long, cross-functional effort involving UX, SEO, product, sales, and leadership. Without a roadmap and business case in place, you risk losing alignment and momentum.

Download Gus’ slides here

Dan Morehead – SEO Manager, Channel4

Talk: SEO & PPC: Married at first sight

Dan Morehead explored how SEO and PPC can be perfectly aligned not competing, but complementing each other. Using the backdrop of the ever-evolving TV streaming landscape, including ITV Hub’s rebrand to ITVX and Channel 4’s own platform overhaul, the talk highlighted how search strategy must adapt with brand evolution.

Channel 4’s recent rebrand unified its streaming service under one name but legacy search behaviours persist. Many users still search using terms like 4oD or even Channel 4 iPlayer. Analysis showed that 80% of brand impressions still come from these outdated but familiar search queries. The takeaway from this insight was that if you’re not ranking organically for these terms, you’re missing out regardless of your current branding.

Dan also advises to use a VPN to emulate different locations and AI search behaviours, a smart move when reporting on SERPs visibility and testing search variations in new environments.

Elle Pollicott – Organic Search Director, Connective3

Talk: The SERPs are shifting: Here’s how to evolve your organic strategy with it

Elle focused on the shifting landscape of search and what it means for modern SEO. Her session centred on four key areas: AI Overviews (AIOs), video and social search, organic shopping, and Google’s AI Mode offering a look at how SERPs are transforming and what strategists need to do now.

1. AI Overviews (AIOs) Are Reshaping Search

The rise of AI Overviews (AIOs) is changing how users interact with Google and 14% of keywords now return AIO features, jumping to 88% for long-tail keywords. They’re especially prevalent in industries like life sciences, tech, biology, and finance, and month-on-month growth is accelerating fast.

However, AIOs are fuelling zero-click searches meaning your brand needs to be visible inside those results or risk getting cut out entirely.

2. Video and Social Search Are Non-Negotiable

With social platforms now being as legitimate as search engines, Elle emphasised mapping video formats, scripting effectively, and tightly aligning with keyword research. Tools like KeywordTool.io and Ahrefs can be used side-by-side for deeper insights.

3. Organic Shopping Listings Need SEO Input

As ChatGPT and Google start making AI-powered product recommendations, it’s essential your product pages and feeds are fully optimised. This includes high-quality images, clear titles, competitive pricing and structured data.

4. AI Mode & the Future of Search

With Google AI Mode (currently rolling out in the US), the search landscape is becoming hyper-personalised but Elle reassured the room that while this feels overwhelming, it’s also a major opportunity for agile brands.

All in all, Elle’s talk focused on the key takeaway of not losing sight of humans. As AI transforms the SERP, the brands that win will be the ones creating content for people not just algorithms. Strong EEAT signals (expertise, author bios, trust indicators) still matter more than ever.

Download Elle’s slides here

Gaby Mendes – Co-Founder, Passata and Olivia Hanlon – Founder, Girls in Marketing and Co-Founder, Passata
Talk: People power: How communities build the brands of tomorrow

Gaby and Olivia shared their journey from meeting in 2020 to building thriving, community-led brands. Girls in Marketing (GIM), now a global learning platform and movement, has grown to 20 million social media impressions, partnering with over 60 global and local companies. Gaby also built Talk Twenties from a podcast into a large-scale platform reaching millions.

Their core message of their talk: community isn’t just an add-on, it’s the foundation. Whether it’s the inside jokes or the vulnerable spaces they’ve created, both founders stressed that community means belonging, safety, and shared identity. Community, they argued, is your most powerful marketing strategy, with 64% of consumers wanting brands to connect with them beyond product.

They outlined three key points:

1. Community isn’t just followers, it’s the people who would miss you if you disappeared.
2. Community is a foundation, not a feature, it supports openness and vulnerability.
3. Community is about belonging, it’s where people feel seen, heard, and understood.

Download Gaby and Olivia’s slides here

Helen Hope – Heritage Brand Manager, NBrown
Talk: Magnetic Marketing: The laws of brand attraction

Helen explored how belief, energy, and vision drive brand success just as much as strategy. Using the Stanley Cup trend as an example, she showed that cult brands like Amazon and Lululemon don’t just sell products, they sell belief.

Sharing her personal journey from a struggling shop owner to life-changing success through visualisation, Helen emphasised that belief fuels action, and action builds momentum.

Helen’s magnetic marketing framework follows three steps:

1. Clarify the vision
2. Align the energy
3. Activate the attraction

Ash Jones – Founder, Great Influence, Clair Heaviside – Co-Founder, Serotonin, Rosa Mitchell – Director of Manchester, Connective3
Talk: More than followers: Building a personal brand in 2025

This panel explored what personal branding really means, how it impacts professional growth, and how to build an authentic presence that resonates with the right audience.

Ash Jones emphasised that personal branding should reflect who you are offline, not just your online persona. Micro shifts in language can change who you’re speaking to, so clarity matters. Relevance is more important than reach and going viral only works if there’s meaning behind it. He encourages playing the long game and using AI wisely as building your brand yourself has long-term value.

Clair Heaviside described personal branding as more than ego, it’s how people perceive your purpose. She encouraged treating yourself like a brand: define your values, goals, and what makes you different. Content should offer value and reflect who you are beyond your job title. Use AI as a tool, not a crutch, refinement is key to keeping content meaningful.

Rosa Mitchell spoke openly about imposter syndrome and the importance of self-belief. With over a decade in marketing, she shared that building confidence in your voice takes practice. She recommends keeping evidence of your expertise to remind yourself you’re capable, as personal branding starts with backing yourself.

Check out all the event photos here and make sure you’re following us on social to kept in the loop with our latest updates!

Where is Up North?

Up North is being hosted at Victoria Warehouse, Manchester – full details on how to get to us can be found here.

If you’re travelling by tram, the nearest stops are Exchange Quay and Wharfside, both just a short walk from the venue.

Still a bit stuck on how to get there? Check out this video showcasing the route to take from Manchester Piccadilly train station.

Will there be parking?

Yes there is free parking at the venue, there are 100 spaces and it’s first come first served. If you have accessibility requirements please email [email protected]. We encourage the use of public transport where possible!

What is going to be happening at Up North?

Who’s speaking?

We’ve got an agenda JAM PACKED with great talks, panels, fireside chats, and more. You’ll be hearing from F*ck Being Humble, Expedia, Sidemen Entertainment, Co-Op Live, Google, TikTok and more. You can view the full speaker line-up here and full talk overviews and check out the agenda here.

Refreshments and lunch

We’ll have morning pastries and tea & coffee provided by Ahrefs, giving you that all-important brain power for the day ahead! There will be delicious lunch options available to purchase from Victoria Warehouse.

Say hello to our sponsors

Alongside our amazing agenda of talks, there will be lots of networking opportunities throughout the day and you can chat to our sponsors who are exhibiting. There’ll be merch, give-aways, prizes, cookies and stroopwafels from print.com, Powerhouse, GIFTA, Generation Digital , You Platforms, Passata, Girls in Marketing and Pedagogue.

After-party

There’ll be post-event networking drinks from 5-7pm sponsored by Print.com.

There will of course be free wifi on the day. The password for this is Connective3. However with 400 people trying to access the network, it may be a little slower than expected at times, so please bear with us.

Not sure what to expect? Check out the behind-the-scenes vlog from Up North 2023:

Timings

Last and most importantly, the when – join us on Thursday 19^th June at Victoria Warehouse, doors open at 8.30am with talks kicking off at 9.30am. With delicious lunch onsite, networking, and an after-party, we’d love to host you right up until the conference closes at 7pm.

We’ll see you there!

For any additional information, please check out our FAQs.