Social Media Will Soon Be The Fastest Growing Channel For Ad Spend

Global advertising spend will surpass £788bn (or $1trn if you want to be truly blown away) next year. These projections come from Warc, as the world’s economy recovers from inflation. Let’s talk numbers: This year, global ad spend is expected to reach £739.5bn, representing 4.4% growth for the market globally. The UK, however, is forecast to decline in US dollar terms by 1% in 2023. Europe is likely to grow slowly in 2023 with an ad spend growth of 0.6%. The UK is the largest single ad market in Europe, with a 4.6% share. The projected decline for the UK is somewhat of an anomaly compared to other markets in the region – Spain, for example, is forecast to grow 5.6%. In 2024, global ad spend is expected to rise by 8.2% to reach the aforementioned $1trn figure. The European rate will grow at 3.6% in 2024. Five companies continue to dominate: ecommerce business Alibaba, Google parent Alphabet, Amazon, TikTok owner Bytedance, and Meta. They are predicted to attract more than 50% of global ad spend this year, with that dominance continuing into next year at 51.9%. Retail media is projected to rise 10.2% this year and 10.5% next year to a total of £112.1bn – this represents 13.6% of all ad spend. Amazon is the destination for 37.5% of all ad spend in retail media, but there’s evidence that UK supermarkets such as Tesco and Asda are continuing to invest in their retail media offerings. Social Media Ad Spend In 2024 Perhaps most interesting is the impact of social media – it will be the fastest growing channel for ad spend within the next couple of years. In 2024, social media will be responsible for over a fifth of total ad spend, worth £179.6bn. Did you know that Meta alone controls 64.6% of the social media ad market? TikTok parent company Bytedance is the next biggest player, with an estimated £31.3bn ad revenue income in 2024. But that’s about 3.5 times smaller than Meta who are, of course, responsible for Facebook, Facebook Marketplace, Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp, Oculus, and more. Social media’s ad spend predictions are hardly surprising. In the UK alone, 84.3% of the population use social media, and spend an average of one hour and 52 minutes on social media every day. The average TikTok user spends 27.3 hours on the platform each month. Social Media Strategies If you’re not already capitalising on these captivated audiences, you should be. At Trident Marketing, we can oversee your digital marketing and social media strategies, with both organic and paid campaigns. And the collaboration can be big or small depending on your budget – we can do it all, or focus on a core area for your business such as Google Ads or Instagram management. Find out more about our digital marketing services or get in touch today: 📲 01473 823700 📧 enquiries@tridentmarketinguk.com

National Adoption Week 2023: What It Means To Trident Marketing

It’s National Adoption Week (16th-22nd October 2023) which holds a special place in our hearts here at Trident Marketing. This week aims to improve the level of awareness about adoption by sharing real-life stories. The campaign, in turn, aims to find homes for children awaiting adoption. Our very own Victoria and Carl have recently been through the adoption process, and they are now the proud parents of an amazing three year-old girl. We caught up with them so they could share their story. What Made Us Want To Adopt? We’ve always wanted to adopt, having been part of many positive adoption experiences. Carl’s dad was adopted, a best friend’s brother was adopted… it’s something very familiar to us. We have a son and there is often pressure after your first child – “When are you having another?” – but we didn’t feel that pressure at all. During lockdown, however, adoption was on our minds a lot. We decided to start the process in December 2020. The Adoption Process Can Be Frustrating There’s no way of sugar-coating it – the adoption process is longwinded and frustrating. It’s also emotionally up-and-down. You could have a really full-on week with lots of ‘adoption homework’, then you might not hear anything for weeks. There are different stages and various requirements, from having your health and finances checked to working in a nursery to demonstrate your capability. We were incredibly lucky that we already had a son and were coming from a happy and secure place, not a place of loss. We can’t imagine how much more difficult it would be for people dealing with infertility or baby loss. However, the end result outweighed any of the frustration for us. The most important lessons we learned? Be respectful of the process, even if you don’t understand the process It takes as long as it takes There is a process for a reason The Day We Met Our Daughter Our adoption approval took 11 months, it was another nine months before we were matched with our daughter, then we had to wait another five months until we actually met her for the first time. But that moment was amazing; like something out of a film. She ran up to us with the biggest grin on her face and shouted “Mummy!” That was thanks to her incredible foster parents, who she’d been with since birth. We got to send a toy and a book beforehand, showing pictures of us, our son and our parents, plus our house and her new bedroom. We were told to wear the exact same outfits from the pictures for that recognition, and it clearly worked. We stayed in a nearby Airbnb for a couple of weeks, so we could build upon the amount of time we spent with her each day, giving her the opportunity to meet her brother too. Then we drove her home, which was incredibly surreal. Our Proudest Moments So Far Naturally, we wondered whether we would love our daughter as much as our biological son. But, hand on heart, we truly do. We’re most proud of the bond our children share. They idolise each other, argue with each other… just as siblings should. We’re also proud that she’s adopted. And of how our daughter openly talks about being adopted – she says that her “tummy mummy” couldn’t look after her, but we can. Don’t be fooled, it’s not all perfect. There have been difficult weeks, but that’s us adapting to each other. Every child is different with different backgrounds, and our daughter already had a routine with her foster parents for two and a half years, which we had to navigate. The ultimate goal is to make sure our daughter is a kind, happy human – that’s all we want. Are you looking to adopt? Visit the Adoption UK website to find out more.

Recycle Week 2023: The Big Recycling Hunt

Now in its 20th year, Recycle Week (which runs from 16th to 22nd October 2023) is the flagship annual event by Recycle Now. A celebration of recycling across the nation, it’s the one week of the year where retailers, brands, waste management companies, trade associations, governments and the media come together to achieve one goal: to galvanise the public into recycling more of the right things, more often. Trident Marketing is an ISO 14001 accredited company, so recycling is always a hot topic in the office. Let us tell you more about the event… The Big Recycling Hunt This year’s theme is The Big Recycling Hunt, focusing on ‘missed capture’ AKA the items that can be recycled but are commonly missed in the home. Culprits include aerosols, plastic trays, cleaning products, shampoo bottles and – would you believe it – food tins. The campaign will have two distinct elements. Firstly, encouraging the country’s children to partake in fun activities throughout Recycle Week by providing schools and teachers with a free download pack and various resources. Secondly, there’s a focus on local authorities, partners and brands to share the central message. Which is exactly what we’re doing here. How Do I Know What To Recycle? Rather unhelpfully, recycling rules differ from council to council across the country. Some councils collect glass, others don’t so you have to head to the bottle bank. Some councils accept batteries, but most don’t. Some councils let you mix your recyclables, others want them separated. It can be a minefield. That’s why the work that Recycle Now does is so important. It’s also why everyone needs to spend more time getting to know what is and isn’t recyclable in their area. The best thing to do? Visit the official Recycling Collections gov.uk page. You can type in your postcode, then be directed to your local council’s website – and the rules. If In Doubt, Look At The Label Many of us act on autopilot when disposing of waste, but if you take mere seconds to check the label, it will give you a good idea on whether it’s recyclable or not. The various icons are pretty self-explanatory, but Recycle Now has a guide on recycling symbols for extra clarity. For example, stating when something should be recycled with its lid on. Did you know that caps and lids under 40mm in diameter are too small to be captured for recycling, because they fall through the holes in the screens at the sorting facility? At Trident Marketing, we make sure everything that can be recycled, is recycled – from cardboard packaging to tin foil and even grass cuttings. It’s the very least we can all be doing to reduce our collective carbon footprint.

Threads vs X: What’s Going On?

On 5th July 2023, Meta launched Threads, an app built by the Instagram team for sharing with text. Essentially, it’s a close rival to X (formerly known as Twitter). That’s a whole other story. On 23rd July, Elon Musk tweeted “And soon we shall bid adieu to the Twitter brand and, gradually, all the birds” – before saying that if a good enough logo were posted, it would go live worldwide the next day. Quite the bold strategy, as we’ve come to expect from Elon Musk. So, what does all this mean for you and your business? Firstly, let’s cover the basics: What Is Threads? Threads is connected to Instagram, but it’s a separate app. It offers a new space for real-time updates and public conversations. Posts can be up to 500 characters long and include links, photos, and videos up to five minutes in length. Posts can be shared onto Instagram via stories. It’s a casual, conversational space. In fact, Mark Zuckerberg – the founder, chairman and CEO of Meta – described it as the “friendly alternative to Twitter”. How Successful Is Threads? Naturally, many people asked if we needed another Twitter. But the numbers are certainly impressive. Threads is the fastest growing app in history with over 100 million sign-ups in the first week. Plus, Website Planet reported that 87% of the brands they analysed generated more likes on Threads vs Twitter, with a higher engagement rate too. Fast-forward to August and the app began to slow down. In early July, Threads peaked at around 50 million daily active users on Android devices worldwide – but that number is now hovering at around 10 million, according to digital intelligence platform Similarweb. That’s less than 10% of X’s user numbers. According to Sensor Tower, users spend just 2.4 minutes a day on the app – down more than 80%. However, as with any new app or update, there’s a period of adjustment, which Mark Zuckerberg acknowledged early-on. “Tens of millions of people now come back daily. That’s way ahead of what we expected,” he wrote in a Threads post on 17th July. “It’ll take time to stabilise, but once we nail that then we’ll focus on growing the community. We’ve run this playbook many times (FB, IG, Stories, Reels etc).” He also announced new features, including search and web functions, plus sharing via direct messages. Has Twitter’s Rebrand To X Gone Well? When Elon Musk rebranded Twitter to X, weekly active users dropped by 4% from 6th-20th August. The app also fell four spots in the Overall category rankings, down to number 36, according to a new analysis from app intelligence firm Sensor Tower. Around the same time, Threads saw an uptick in downloads with growth up by approximately 50% – moving up to number 12 in the Overall category rankings. Interestingly, in the first week of the X rebranding, Twitter Lite downloads increased by around 350%. That’s the lesser-known, faster, data-friendly version of Twitter. So you could summarise that consumers are confused, with ‘Twitter’ still firmly in their minds. Should I Use X or Threads? That’s the big question. Our advice in the latest edition of Vision still stands. If your target audience is on Threads, along with your competitors, and you can commit to posting, it could be a great option. Odds are your brand is already on X (or Twitter) so you can continue there too. Social media is forever adapting and it’s a good idea to ride the wave. While Threads finds its feet and the dust settles with X, you could duplicate the content across both platforms and compare the success for yourself. Alternatively, get us to worry about it for you! Our Digital Marketing team would be happy to oversee your social media strategy. Get in touch with us today: enquiries@tridentmarketinguk.com 01473 823700

What Are Brand Guidelines & Why Are They Important?

A blog by Caitlin Aitchison (Senior Graphic Designer at Trident Marketing) Branding is in my DNA. It’s something I do regularly in my role, whether it’s designing a logo for a company from scratch or working up an aesthetic for a new home development. It’s an incredibly creative process, starting with name ideas. I go on the hunt for inspiration – which could be researching a local area and its history, simply looking at the world around me, or hitting up Dribbble and Behance for a dose of design genius. From there the logo develops. I design various options, regularly checking their implementation on brochure covers. It’s so easy to get carried away, but making sure a logo works in situ is incredibly important. Next come the colours, then any associated graphic design elements that can help bring the brand to life – such as an eye-catching background pattern. And yet… no matter how chuffed I am with what I design, it would all be fruitless without brand guidelines. What Are Brand Guidelines? Essentially, they’re a set of rules which can determine how a brand presents itself. They can be as in-depth or as simple as you like, as long as they work for your company. First and foremost, they showcase the correct logos and desired spacing, colours, fonts and design, but they can also go on to specify tone of voice, what the business symbolises, 3D accompaniments and much more. Why Are Brand Guidelines Important? These guidelines stabilise your brand’s integrity, consistency and recognisability. They also anchor what you’re all about, giving guidance to a potentially wide breadth of people. For example, you may do some tasks in-house and others with a marketing agency, but you need everyone singing from the same hymn sheet. When Should You Update Brand Guidelines? Don’t be afraid to update them if you need to. Naturally, you’ll have new ones created if you’re undergoing a full redesign, but you’ll also need to update them as your brand develops in smaller ways – perhaps you’ve launched a new website and the logo needs to be displayed in a different way, or maybe you’d like to introduce foiling to your print marketing. The number one rule? Make sure you rename them (i.e. Trident Marketing Brand Guidelines September 2023) and distribute to everyone that needs them. At Trident Marketing, we can design your branding and the accompanying guidelines – whether you have an existing brand or you’ve got nothing but a blank sheet of paper. Our offering massively varies. For a new home developer such as Weston Homes, we’ve created guidelines for their main logo, along with countless guidelines for their developments. These can be short-lived, because once the properties have sold they’re no longer needed – but that doesn’t make them any less vital. In addition to my recent project of creating brand guidelines for Finborough School, I delved into a comprehensive and meticulous process to ensure the school’s identity is consistently represented across various touchpoints. This encompassed selecting specific embroidery thread colours to adorn the school’s knitwear, crafting email footers to maintain a high level of professionalism in digital communications, and developing a suite of alternative logos tailored for distinct scenarios like compliment slips and promotional materials. It’s important to note that these guidelines are adaptable, with customisation options available to meet the unique needs of the brand in each case. This approach ensures a versatile and cohesive visual identity for Finborough School, enhancing its recognition and impact in diverse contexts. Want to find out more about what we can do for your brand? Take a look at our clients page for some recent examples, call us on 01473 823700 or email enquiries@tridentmarketinguk.com.

Second Hand September 2023: Help The Planet!

Shopping second-hand in charity shops is brilliant. You can find unique items at a fraction of the original cost, all whilst helping the environment and the charity itself. What’s not to like? Our copywriter Rosie has bought two vinyl records, a rattan cutlery tray, a beautiful ceramic vase, and a never-worn John Lewis jacket with the labels still on… and that was just August’s haul. Last year, she schlepped a huge armchair home on the roof of her car for a bargainous £35. It’s hardly surprising – everyone at Trident Marketing is focused on sustainability and we all make a conscious effort to do our bit. It’s why we’re sharing details of Oxfam’s Second Hand September campaign with you. What Is Second Hand September? Its aim is to encourage everyone to shop second-hand and donate, reuse, rewear and restyle throughout this month – and beyond, of course! The Second Hand September campaign has been running since 2019 and has already inspired thousands of people to shop in a way that is kinder to both people and planet. The idea is that you don’t buy any new clothes for the month of September – come on, we can all commit to that for a mere 30 days! By signing up this year, you’ll get a free limited-edition poster and postcard set so you can help spread the word about sustainable shopping. Did You Know? When a new pair of jeans is made, an estimated 16.2kg of CO2 is emitted – the equivalent of driving over 58 miles in a car. So, by recirculating our clothes (buying, wearing and donating second-hand) we can help to reduce the demand for new clothes. And this could in turn help to reduce the damage to our planet. No Oxfam near you? Fear not! They have partnered with Joules, Superdry, Mamas & Papas, M&S, Sainsbury’s and House of Baukjen, so you can drop off your donations there too. If you get involved, make sure you share your secondhand finds on social media using the hashtag #SecondHandSeptember. Find out more here: Second Hand September

Proofreading Pointers: 13 Tips To Make Sure Copy Is Error-Free

A blog by Rosie Savage (Copywriter & Proofreader at Trident Marketing) It’s fair to say that proofreading sounds easy: you read it, you spot a mistake, you correct it. Throughout my years as a professional proofreader, however, I’ve learned some invaluable lessons on how to do it well. Read on to discover my top tips, from reading it backwards (yes, really!) to using a crucial keyboard shortcut. 1. Print It Out There are pros and cons to proofreading digitally or with a hard copy, but sometimes you just can’t beat putting (red) pen to paper. It gives you a much-needed break from your computer or phone screen, and you can sit somewhere different to change your surroundings too. Better still, when implementing any changes, you can whack out your highlighter pen and tick them off as you go. If digital is your only option, I recommend tracking changes so that checks on second proofs are more efficient. 2. Read It Backwards The brain is a clever, clever thing – sometimes it automatically corrects written mistakes as you read them. Even more so if you wrote the piece yourself. Proofreading it backwards essentially turns it into gobbledegook, making you focus on each individual word. This may not always be practical because it’s time-consuming, but it’s a neat trick for important copy, such as headlines. 3. Change The Font We’ve all got a go-to font, so changing it up for something different will offer a fresh perspective and wake up your brain. You could also change the font size for a similar effect. Proofreading work that’s been designed already? You could always copy and paste the text into a word document. 4. Take Your Time If you’re able to, slow the pace down. You’re bound to miss errors when skim-reading at speed. Instead, read at a steady pace and go back over key areas a couple of times. 5. Take Regular Breaks! Reading but not taking it in? Getting blurry vision? Your eyes could do with a break. Go make yourself a cuppa or walk around for a bit. If time is of the essence, follow the 20-20-20 rule: take a break of at least 20 seconds, every 20 minutes, looking at least 20 feet away. 6. Read It Out Loud Your colleagues or family will love you for this one, but reading out loud is a gamechanger. Not only will you spot errors, but you’ll also be checking for flow and sentence structure. If you can’t say a sentence without catching your breath, it’s too long! 7. Use Ctrl F I lose count of the number of times I press ‘Ctrl’ followed by ‘F’ on my keyboard. That’s the Find command. I primarily use it to target unintentional repetition, so I can replace some of the words with alternative options. It’s how I know I’ve used the word ‘copy’ six times in this blog! 8. Get It Double-Checked I’m a proofreader by profession, but even I can miss the odd mistake. The number one rule of proofreading is to get copy checked by more than one person, so it’s not just edited by the individual who wrote it. At Trident Marketing, I’m not solely responsible for typos and grammatical errors – our whole team takes pride in proofing. Make sure you find out more about our copywriting and proofreading services. 9. Sleep On It This one’s not always possible, but sleep on it if you can. Coming back to words with a fresh pair of eyes after a good night’s rest is ideal. At the very least, check it after a lunchbreak or different task. 10. Don’t Make Assumptions Whatever you do, don’t assume that what you’re proofing is factually accurate. One of the most time-consuming aspects of proofreading is checking people’s names, place names, page numbers, dates, phone numbers, websites… the list could go on. Google is your best friend here. 11. Go Somewhere Quiet Easily distracted? Go to a quiet room or buy noise-cancelling headphones so you can really focus. On the flip side of that, you might be someone who hates silence so having the radio on is preferable. 12. Post-It Note Your Pitfalls We all have words that trip us up. ‘Occasionally’ always used to get me. And I very rarely read ‘beautiful’ without having Jim Carrey’s b-e-a-utiful in my ear – thanks Bruce Almighty. If there are words that you regularly get stuck on, why not put a Post-it note on or near your computer screen to remind you of the correct spelling? 13. Use Proofreading Tools Like Grammarly Still need help? There are lots of plug-ins and apps that can help with proofreading. Grammarly is a great one that goes above and beyond spelling and grammar. Its AI-powered suggestions appear wherever you write, coaching over 30 million people and 50,000 teams every day to improve the correctness, clarity, engagement, and delivery of their writing. You can also use its Free Grammar Checker. Combine these top tips and you’ll be onto a winner. Most importantly, find out what works for you.

Meet The Team: Rosie

Rosie is our Copywriter, Proofreader and Administration Manager. She’ll be focusing on copy for our clients, ensuring it’s well-researched, accurate and creative. Previously, Rosie worked as a magazine editor in Colchester. She takes great pleasure in spotting a pesky typo.

As a Photographer in a Marketing Agency, You Must Push Past Your Niche

Rewind a few years, and you’ll probably have found me snapping a picture of my beautiful horse, Timmy. Equestrian photography was my focus.

Fast-forward to today in the Trident Marketing office, and it’s likely you’ll hear me saying: every day’s a school day. It’s something I say a lot. But it’s so true, and the fundamental reason behind why I love my job. Because I’m not purely an equestrian photographer anymore – I’m a turn-my-hand-to-anything photographer.

Clerkenwell Design Week With RAK Ceramics

Working in Digital Marketing, my job moves quickly. I have to keep on top of all the latest trends on social media, online, in apps, technology, software and in general of what people are talking about so that I can make sure I am up to date in such a rapidly changing world and able to predict where Digital Marketing is heading in 2023.