It’s that time of year, when Business Link Magazine invites the region’s business leaders to offer up their predictions for the year ahead.
It has become something of a tradition, given that we’ve been doing this now for over 30 years.
Here we speak to Matthew Hayes, Managing Director at Champions (UK) plc.
Business confidence has taken a downturn in recent months, with growth expectations turning negative for the first time in 2024. The OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) said British inflation was likely to average 2.7% in 2025 – higher than in any other G7 country.
The landscape for business is likely to get harder before it improves. The Government and The Bank of England seem to be set on challenging, rather than supporting entrepreneurial opportunity creators.
The marketing landscape will evolve in 2025. With the continued growth of AI, technology will play a greater role in marketing. AI is a powerful tool and enables businesses to go bigger, faster and stronger quickly BUT it is not a silver bullet. The key is, and always has been, having the basics in place. This includes ensuring frequency and consistency of customer messaging and also brands being able to differentiate their offering through a multichannel approach. The more that technology influences marketing, the more people will crave genuine human experiences. This provides a challenge for marketing managers as to how they can embed these new tools into their marketing plans.
In social media there will be a move away from controversial social media platforms like X. Increasingly, social media channels will grow in impact beyond just channels for engagement and brand awareness, into revenue-driving performance channels.
Entrepreneurs are used to overcoming adversity and turning challenges into opportunities. In times of uncertainty, the key is to go left when everyone else goes right. Double down on sales & marketing activity rather than cut back. When competition is reduced, you get a greater share of voice for your money. Spend and grow while the rest are just ‘surviving’, so when the market bounces back, your brand has greater market share.
