Ayoade Zahrah Bamgboye

If you’re a multi national comms agency working with one of the world’s biggest polluters and oil companies, helping them cover their tracks and greenwash the public… then sorry to burst your bubble but you’re not exactly a “B Corp”. Was so glad to hear the news yesterday about Havas’ B Corp status being revoked due to their work with Shell. Apparently, the agency had been offered the chance to take remedial action and maintain certification, but declined to do so. Speaks volumes about their priorities and ethics. Alternatively, it’s refreshing and reassuring to see B Lab do their job right and stick to their rigorously high standards when it comes to sustainability certification 🌍🌱 They are setting a strong example, proving that a legit sustainability certification has to be earned, not just bought. Restored my faith in B Corp 👏 What did you think about the news? . . . #sustainability #bcorp #communications #agency #certification #climatecrisis

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If Nothing Beats a Londoner was a seminal moment for Gen-Z, Arrive Like You Mean It was a game-changer for marketing to Gen-Alpha 💡 🎒 So, what was the insight behind this? After 18 months of disrupted schooling due to the pandemic, ASDA cottoned on to the fact that kids weren’t simply returning back to school—they were reclaiming their space - and this reclamation needed a moment and a platform. The insight was clear: this moment was about reconnecting their confidence. Kids needed to turn a potentially intimidating return through those school gates into one with a strut and a swagger. It was about chiselling away at post covid anxieties and allowing kids to re-engage with what it means to be unapologetically themselves again. The idea was to capture that revised energy by leveraging the cultural force of UK Drill music—a genre born from defiance & a desire for self-expression (Not to be confused with Grime music guys, please. 🙄 ) By creating a music video-style ad, performed by real kids (3 of whom were cast for their mic skills 🎙️ 😂 ), the campaign really did authentically capture the raw, unfiltered vibe of a Drill track - but in bubblegum form for a younger generation. It wasn’t just about showing off the uniforms, it was about giving primary school children an opportunity to own their return in the most dynamic way. This very quickly become a signficant cultural moment, all done through a genuinely co-created campaign with the pupils, & a UK musician who understands the musical genre (shoutout to producer KZ) It went totally viral on TikTok racking up millions of views, garnered over 11,000 re-makes, found it's way on to BBC Radio 1 and what's more incredible to me is that it has it's own lyrics page on Genius 😂. By focusing on music as a passion point and as a means for empowerment, Asda demonstrated a deep understanding of youth culture. Tapping into the emotional currency of what matters to young people will drive not just ad recall but lasting brand equity—with George at Asda reporting a 29% growth in online sales. The creative hit all the markers for salience, memorability, cultural and emotional engagement. This gets a verified Word on the Curb 'edutainment' seal of approval ✅ But here’s the provocation— Drill music, often originating from hardship and controversy, is now being used in mainstream ads. How many drill artists have seen their music banned or censored whilst seeing the big corporates adopt their expressionism? Brands ought to be careful to not just co-opt the cultural moment when it's trendy, but actually invest back into the communities from which they draw. While this was an exceptional example of cultural resonance done right, true brand authenticity comes when the communities that inspire your work are also the ones you actively uplift. Regardless - Shout out to Impero & Asda. It's definitely a winner. I share ‘What Was The Insight Behind...’ posts regularly so follow along for more...

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Just read this sentence: Britain's Thames Water said it would spend an extra $1.4 billion on tackling sewage spills and fixing leaks to try to persuade the regulator to allow it to hike bills by 40%. Source: Reuters How can British households / businesses afford a 40% hike for essential services ? This seems a symptom of a really poorly managed organization- as their careless pollution of British water sources and oceans with sewage spills demonstrate. #Privatesector failing the nation and the planet.

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💰 Influencer Investors 💰 The Advertising Standards Authority has pulled social media ads featuring Steven Bartlett for Huel and Zoe, arguing that they "omitted material information about Steven Bartlett being an investor". This is a complicated case as: 🛑 The ads were clearly marked and declared as ads 💵 Zoe's team argue that any ambassador relationship is clearly commercial and advertising regulations do not require details of those commercial relationships to be shared in ads ⏲ Ad formats and best practice do not lend themselves to long explanations of commercial structures ⭐ In the age of influencer investors, this is only going to get more complex... But it is not impossible. Alix Earle to the rescue here. She has set the tone for these commercial relationships by being open and transparent. She made a TikTok video about becoming an investor in poppi after working with the brand multiple times. She talks about going into "business mode", wanting to invest and be smart with her finances. Over communication and transparency are the key to getting this right. In these complex situations with murky regulations, brands need to be careful. Follow Alix Earle's lead and over-communicate - be as transparent as possible when declaring relationships and find ways to include that information in ad content or copy. #influencermarketing #stevenbartlett #ASA #advertising

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A great and insightful article from Matt Boffey at Design Bridge and Partners about the WPP BAV Best Countries Index which reveals Global Perceptions of Britain: https://lnkd.in/dFD94CPj #WPP #WPPBAV #Bestcountries

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Yes. The wider issue concerns joining up good quality data with an appropriate narrative for the company and their specific products and services. One can collect good data that doesn't support the end narrative that is deployed. I saw this when I was a a uni professor... the times we'd have the comms office write a press release for an academic paper and I'd have to hold on to their feet.... "That's a fantastic story, but the data don't support points two and five". This is normal, and businesses just need experts to hold on to their feet when making green claims. THEN, they can confidently grasp sustainability opportunities. #esg #greenwashing #biodiversity

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Yesterday’s significant decision by B Lab to revoke the #BCorp status of Havas in light of the agency winning the global Shell account, sends out a clear message – agencies need to do better. ​ ​ The responsibility of the creative industries not to promote the world’s worst polluters is something our founder Solitaire Townsend speaks passionately about in her TED Conferences Talk, calling on all business truly dedicated to tackling the climate crisis to disclose their client rosters. ​: https://lnkd.in/exXFCPSp. ​ It's not just Havas facing scrutiny – all companies are facing a significant trust gap. Stakeholders now demand more than just financial performance; they want businesses to actively address global challenges. As the first agency to offer Client Disclosure Reporting to any business willing to share their credentials, we at Futerra we understand B Lab’s decision. ​ Client Disclosure Reporting (CDR) is more than just reporting – it’s a transformative tool that can enable positive change. Watch this space as we launch an even more robust approach, made even simpler for our clients to undertake in the coming weeks. ​ ​ Want to know more? Browse reports from the companies who have already stepped up to the plate https://lnkd.in/ebrQu5j And join our mailing list to be the first to know when our new CDR offer goes live!​ https://lnkd.in/ezTMAkPi #ClientDisclosureReporting #Havas

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📺 Could "less healthy" food and drinks brands effectively disappear from advertising on our screens? You might have seen headlines today around the ad ban set to come into play in October, I've attempted to explain below what's going on below 👇 Legislation around the advertising of junk food has long been on the table, and in October, rules banning ads depicting "less healthy" food and drink products from online channels and from TV before the 9pm watershed will come into force. Up until now the working assumption had been that this would only apply to ads depicting actual products and not to brand campaigns where no "less healthy" food or drink item is featured (think McDonald's "Raise Your Arches" platform). But today the regulator CAP/Advertising Standards Authority, following consultation (including with lawyers), warned that this kind of brand campaign may be subject to the law after all. This is down to the wording of the legislation, which states ads are subject to the law "if persons in the United Kingdom (or any part of the United Kingdom) could reasonably be expected to be able to identify the advertisements as being for that [less healthy] product.” So it seems if a consumer could infer that your ad is for a "less healthy" product then it could be banned. This actually goes against the intention of the legislation, successive governments have agreed brand advertising should be permitted. It actually works to incentivise brands to offer healthier options. For example, if my brand mainly sell chips I might introduce more salads so I can show that on my ads. It seems that under the incoming law, if I'm mainly associated with selling chips I might risk any pre-9pm ad being banned. The industry (including Advertising Association, IPA (Institute of Practitioners in Advertising) and ISBA) has consistently argued the brand campaign exemption should have been written in law... and were told that wasn't necessary. Now it looks like, come October, the ASA might need to enforce rules that go against the spirit of why they were actually introduced in the first place. More detail in the story below!

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Non-Domestic Accounts Drive Far-Right Narratives and Disinformation Fueling Social Unrest in the UK This week, we have been communicating with partners and media organisations, conducting an in-depth analysis of the online narratives and disinformation threads currently circulating. Much of this has already been widely and admirably covered in the press, but some points are concerning and could use further acknowledgement. Our research shows that it is non-domestic accounts that are spearheading narratives within the UK online discourse. These international accounts, amplified by opportunistic bot networks, are significantly influencing the domestic conversation, contributing to real-world social unrest. Our analysis indicates that existing bot networks are opportunistically amplifying these external far-right narratives, artificially inflating the reach and popularity of non-domestic accounts. These networks manipulate public perception and fuel unrest within the UK. 🇺🇸  The most widely shared content comes from an American account associated with the US-based RAIR Foundation. This organisation promotes anti-immigrant and pro-Russian narratives, focussing on sowing division within EU member states and reinforcing pro-Russian/anti-Ukrainian talking points. This piece of content has received over 22,000 shares and 27 million impressions. 🇳🇱 The second most widely shared content comes from a Dutch account. The post is a short clip from a speech given at CPAC Hungary 2024, a right-wing global conference. This video—removed from YouTube for breaking hate speech platform rules—has garnered 57.3 million views, where it remains on Twitter/X. The full video advances the great replacement theory, a far (extreme?) right position, and conspiracy theory. 🇪🇺 The next most shared piece of content comes from a notorious account known for anti-migrant content and pushes disinformation about the suspect's name and religious beliefs. This post achieved 6.8 million views and remains live on the platform. This account also frequently shares AI-generated fake images, mainly around immigration topics. Non-domestic sources' consistent and opportunistic amplification of inflammatory content and disinformation represents a deliberate and cynical effort to influence and polarise UK public discourse and undermine social cohesion. If you want to discuss disinformation narratives and how they spread and influence audiences online, please reach out directly for a chat. #disinformation #misinformation #counterdisinformation #audiencenarratives

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I'm really on the fence about Havas losing its B Corp status. First, let's get the main point out of the way. Any agency that helps a "challenging" client greenwash should be drummed out of town. End. Of. No. Question. But, I have always taken the view that having an ethical agency presents an opportunity for organisations struggling with their "responsible business image". Working in the legal sector ELE comes across clients all the time that are both purpose-driven but also working for what some might consider to be "bad" businesses. For example, being based up in Scotland, we often work with large Scottish law firms, themselves advising oil and gas companies. My approach has always been clear (and passionately voiced): To create true systemic change, businesses need ethical professional service-providers, helping them understand how they can change and do better. On the basis that "someone" is going to advise them, surely it's better that that "someone" is an ethical business themselves? And surely, a B Corp is a solid certification to demonstrate this? My opinion is that it comes down to whether they're using their B Corp status as a platform for helping Shell do better and using the global platform they have to create change across the industry, or whether they're ignoring the power they have to make a difference. In the case of our law firm clients, grappling with their own "challenging" clients there's no denying that it would be an easier marketing message if they ditched them. But what does that say about their commitment to client care, when some of them have been clients for decades? And what do they risk by casting them out to, potentially, get picked up by a far less ethical firm? Rather, we work with them to evolve their working relationships, and to help them communicate the many ways they're helping their clients to do better. Leading the way with their own ethical credentials - whether through environmental clauses in contracts, renewable energy deals, ethical procurement programmes, changes to working conditions, community investment and more. And, in turn, we're helping them to share this impact warts and all... both the successes and the "work to be dones". For me, the issue isn't really whether ethical advisors are advising "bad" people. It's about whether they're covering things up and greenwashing. The reality is that we could and should all do more to create systemic change across the business community. And, being a B Corp isn't about shouting about how precious and better than everyone we are. It's about making a public commitment to HELP other businesses do better. #bcorp #marketing #responsiblebusiness https://lnkd.in/eq65_4vv

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Introducing the A.I. Political Manifesto Summarisation Challenge! APEX A.L.I.C.E. has been employed to summarise UK Political Party manifestos as they are released. You can view the summarised manifestos here: https://lnkd.in/ed_AT4US Once all manifestos are available from the main political parties, we will generate an A.I. based comparison! Methodology: 1. Text Extraction and Vectorisation: The APEXE3 RAG pipeline extracts and vectorises text from the manifestos. 2. Policy Identification and Grouping: Policies are identified and grouped accordingly using a fine tuned vector similarity matching model. 3. Bias and Hallucination Control: Identical guardrails are implemented to minimise bias and hallucinations. 4. LLM Processing: A one-time few-shot prompt is executed using the above context, sending it to an integrated large language model (LLM) with a consistent prompt, adhering to the format required by the LLM. 5. Result Rendering: the APEX GUI component framework is used to render the results in a straightforward tabular format. 6. On average, it took about 20 seconds to generate the summary. All page refrences available on request - we have kept it simple viewing for now! #Artificialintelligence #LargeLanguageModel #LLM #politics #ukelections #manifesto #policies

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Oops, we did it again 😀. Ellen MacArthur Foundation FLTC Alumni (London chapter) met this Tuesday at The Conduit (where else? 😊) 2 years ago, when Jessica Mével, at the time in the EMF team, asked who wants to organise the Alumni meet-up in London, Tim Bartmann and I put our hands up. And what an amazing ride we had! Why we meet? Simply to get to know each other as humans and create the personal relationships that will then support the #circulareconomy agenda. This is our 3rd meet-up and as usual the conversations just flew. There were SO many interesting and intriguing conversations, sharing just 5 of them here (would love to hear your thoughts). ✅ Our respective journeys into circularity. Somehow we all seemed to have gone first through a "sustainability" phase. Have you noticed that when talking about personal journeys the human connection is stronger? 🤔 ✅ Circular versus sustainable vs regenerative. If it's circular does not mean is sustainable? Circular is implicitly regenerative? ✅ Growing our own vegetable in the UK weather 😀. We seem to be defeated on this one. Any tips? ✅ Challenges face by the big multinationals when it comes to innovating and introducing circular products and business models. Risk averse came up as a big blocker. Any other thoughts? ✅ Promoting and finding clients for circular solutions. What works and what doesn't and how much a TEDx helps. Jessica Mével and Isabelle Groenewegen you were greatly missed ❤️. @anacarneiro, Saskia Childe, @willgompertz, Diva Shah, Rob Hulmes, @jowilson, Elizabeth A., Rachel Sheila Kan wonderful to meet you all and thank you for all the deep, meaningful, fun, inspiring and more conversations. The only regret I have is that I didn't have the chance to speak more with some of you. And Tim Bartmann, thank you for giving up a lot of your time and soul to organise this! You're absolutely the best co-organiser (I could start an events company with you today 😀)

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Ok, full disclosure—some people are going to hate this post. Why? Because it’s only July (it feels like we’ve barely had a summer yet!), and we're about to mention the 'C' word... Christmas! 🎄 No, it’s not just around the corner (although we imagine Selfridges' Christmas shop isn’t far from opening), we’ve got a few months to go, but now is the time to be thinking about your annual festive parties. Planning your festive events early has so many benefits: 🎄 Securing the best venues: the most sought-after venues get booked up quickly. By starting your planning now, you’ll have a better chance of securing a fantastic location that fits your needs perfectly. 🎄 Booking top suppliers: from caterers to entertainers, the best suppliers often get booked months in advance. Early planning ensures you get your first choice. 🎄 Tailored experiences: with more lead time, you can work with us to create a truly bespoke experience. Whether it’s a themed party, unique activities, or special entertainment, planning ahead allows for more creativity and personalisation. 🎄 Cost efficiency: many venues and suppliers offer early bird discounts for bookings made well in advance. Planning early can help you maximise your budget and avoid last-minute premium charges. 🎄 Reduced stress: avoid the last-minute rush and the stress that comes with it. Early planning means everything is organised well in advance, allowing you to enjoy the festive season without the last-minute scramble. So, while Christmas might seem a long way off, the best time to start planning your festive celebrations is now. Let Alpas Events Ltd. help you create a memorable and magical experience for your team this festive season. Contact us today (team@alpasevents.com) to get started!

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Our student landed a job offer in the UK at Havas in less than 90 days! 🎉 Here's how 👇 This student had been tirelessly applying for jobs for months, facing countless rejections despite studying at a prestigious G5 university in the UK. Feeling dejected and helpless, she decided to join us at Careertegy—and in LESS THAN 90 DAYS, with our guidance and support, this student secured a job offer at Havas! How? Here’s what we did: 1️⃣ Revamped their CV: We restructured their CV to highlight their skills in a way that grabs recruiters' attention. 2️⃣ Weekly coaching sessions: We had dedicated sessions to discuss application strategies tailored specifically for the competitive UK job market. 3️⃣ Mock interview practice: Weekly group sessions to drill those interview skills, so they were fully prepared and confident. 4️⃣ Online test preparation: Practice with over 250+ company assessments to get familiar with the tests used by top firms in the UK. 💥 Bonus: Our coach created a personalized study plan to help the student strategically apply to jobs without feeling exhausted. We know that applying for roles can feel like a full-time job itself and we are here to help you every step of the way! All this combined led to a game-changing job offer at Havas in the UK! We couldn’t be more excited for our student’s success! 🎉 If you’d like to get our proven CV template, just comment your email below, we'll send it to you!! ------------------------------------------------------ PS. If you are struggling to land a job in the UK and want to secure a role in less than 90 days, DM us on Mingke Pan or Careertegy and we'll help you out! Let us help you land your DREAM JOB 💃

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According to PRWeek UK research, over 65% of #publicrelations agencies rate the quality of briefs that they receive from in house comms teams as either 'very poor', 'poor' or just 'average'. Only 2.2% say they receive an 'excellent' brief. This is clearly a massive challenge and shows how important it it that the whole industry steps up, if we're to ever break out of the chicken and egg cycle that we spend too much time inhabiting. Senior in-house practioners that I speak to are regularly frustrated by the quality of #PR agency reponses and work - typically across their #planning, #strategy and #measurement / #evaluation appoach. Tactics and activty are rarely questioned, and are where the PR agency focusses in response. This research helps explain why - without excellent briefs, the PR agency can be in the dark about how else to respond. The rise of #procurement departments implementing rules where prospective suppliers can't contact the prospective client just makes the matter worse. The PR agency is literally blindfolded. #PRWeek's article, linked in the first comment below, sets out a number of challenges that need addressing. They focus on : Budget Clarity - Some briefs fail to mention any budget, while others provide unrealistic ranges Clear Organisational Objectives - Many briefs lack clear, specific objectives. Without well-defined goals, clearly defined audiences and transparent sharing of benchmark data, agencies will always find it challenging to tailor their strategies effectively. Objectives need to be outcome focussed and SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) Decision-Maker Involvement: A lack of up front attention from decision makers and absence at critical stages can easily lead to misalignment. RFPs and pitch processes are not a chore to be delegated and avoided Procurement and Process Efficiency: Overly complex procurement processes can be burdensome, and frequently result in clients buying based on price, not value Realistic Expectations: Some clients exhibit a lack of understanding of PR's capabilities and can set unrealistic expectations If we want to improve the perception, practice and achievements that can be delivered through PR and Comms programmes, we all need to work together to take responsibility. In house teams need to invest the time to write great briefs and run great RFP processes. They need to provide clearly stated outcome focussed objectives, realistic budgets and be present and engaged throughout the process. In turn, agencies need to focus on strategic planning based on these objectives, great creativity and brilliant tactical execution. With all of this aligned, we can all move on to a world of better #measurement and #evaluation as well. Let's all work together to make frustrated quotes like this from the article be a thing of the past! 😖 “Lack of SMART objectives across all briefs” – Anon 😖

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New research reveals imposter syndrome impeded economic growth by £14bn in the UK Never before have our most creative leaders and entrepreneurs spoken up about their IMPOSTER SYNDROME. No more secrets, this is the TRUTH Our ground-breaking qualitative research report unveils shocking findings on how Imposter Syndrome and our pervasive inner critic impedes business growth. How underplaying achievements and not feeling good enough is sabotaging the best, most daring audacious creative work from happening. Introducing: “Creativity in Crisis:The Hidden Cost of Imposter Syndrome & The Inner Critic” The findings reveal the truth: 👉 Imposter syndrome impeded economic growth by £14bn in the UK 👉 Social economic ELITISM and lack of social mobility is the real root cause of the mounting crisis, NOT GENDER 👉 Unaccepted individualism and personal differences of gender, ethnicity and socioeconomic background is leaving our best talent and entrepreneurs feeling like imposters 👉 Artificial intimacy fuelled by AI feeding the increased loss of human connection, is stopping honest open conversations needed to address imposter syndrome 👉 Normalisation of imposter syndrome leading to its acceptance, to a temperature of chronic anxiety, rumination and a forever feeling of ‘not good enough 👉 Education failing to support the next generation of entrepreneurs and creatives prepare for the realities of the capitalistic world 👉 Greater expectations of our leaders to be responsible for creating safe spaces of vulnerable and open conversations 👇 and what's coming through loud and clear is...👇 👉 STOP telling women they have imposter syndrome because MEN experience it EQUALLY! The difference is they just don’t speak up, that is until this report. It’s a media feedback loop created to amplify a belief that isn’t real and helps feed white male supremacy 👉The classic “all knowing leader” archetype is unrealistic and unfair in today's uncertain rapidly changing world. More support and training, room to learn and fail MUST be given to our leaders if any of us are going to have the chance to navigate the shit show that is our world today …….. 💥 and for more - read the report ..💥 We wouldn’t have been able to create do this research without the incredible people we interviewed; their vulnerability, honesty, generosity of time and spirit has been amazing. Thank you to all our supporters on this journey and for helping us 'flip the lid' open this conversation. This report is not the end, it’s the very beginning, so we invite you to share this post with your connections. See LINK in comments to download this FREE research report. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Methodology: 60 x 1:1 In depth, supported with quantitative secondary research and analysis. (Analysing all reports, articles, scholar papers written on the topic since 1970s)

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#CreativeEffectiveness is a huge money saver on creative and media costs. But everybody in a business needs to buy in to that. This WARC 'Building a Culture of Creative Effectiveness' Paper is well worth a look for anyone taking it seriously and pushing the rhetoric into action. Little snippet below of the ABE framework to embed the culture into your organisation. Get involved. https://lnkd.in/ezetirZN?

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