All Leads 2024 – What I Learned I recently had the pleasure of speaking at the All Leads 2024 event at Everyman..
Google Core Update March 2024: Our Thoughts It’s here. Month 3 of 2024 and we’ve got our first core update. With..
The Real World Webinar – Episode 1: Unpopular Opinions The Real World is a new webinar series from Creative Race where we explore a..
Helping Operation Santa support vulnerable children in Leeds For the second year running, we’ve chosen to support Engage Leeds’ Operation Santa initiative rather..
Not another trends, predictions, and how to cut through the noise post… You’re about to be hit with a flurry of “How to cut through the Christmas..
Designing for irrational behaviour In a previous blog, I discussed how design uses certain cues to create a lasting..
Being negative can be positive for your brand The received wisdom in the world of marketing is that brand communication, from TV ads..
5 tips for designing effective out of home ad creative Out of home media specialists Talon Outdoor dropped in to offer us an insightful presentation..
CreativeRace’s ultimate guide to Black Friday The arrival of this year’s Christmas adverts comes with the acceptance that the festive season..
CreativeSpace Webinar: 9 Trends for Spring 2023 Welcome to CreativeSpace, the new webinar from CreativeRace. CreativeSpace Episode 001: November 2022 Webinar ..
How to combat rational unpredictability through comms Marketeers are working harder than ever to master the art of nudging consumers through to..
Untangling design and human behaviour: trickier than it sounds The relationship between graphic design and human behaviour has always been a complex one. Even..
How to align paid social creative with the user journey It’s been a tricky 12 months for paid social marketers. Ongoing reductions in targeting options,..
Halloween: scarily good engagement, or not worth the risk? The end of the year is fast approaching and Halloween, as well as many other..
7 behavioural nudges to help increase PPC performance Marketing is all about getting someone to do what you want. In the PPC world,..
Introducing CreativeSpace – our new webinar & podcast series CreativeRace has launched a ground-breaking webinar & podcast series aimed at brands and marketers. “CreativeSpace”..
How to harness the ‘predictable irrationality’ of consumers More sales. More awareness. More loyalty. More fame. Whatever you call it, marketing strategy is..
Brighton SEO day 2: networking, topical authority, quality & more Friday, day two of Brighton SEO and generally the busier of the two days. After..
Brighton SEO Day 1: Faceted nav, GA4 & more Another Brighton SEO is done. The sun shone, the seagulls were on their best behaviour..
Is it newsworthy?: Creating editorials, not advertorials All brands want to get their name, their message, and their purpose out to the..
CreativeRace appointed by adult education provider City Lit London-based adult education provider City Lit has appointed CreativeRace for its retained PR activity, as..
What’s new in paid social: 3 big changes for Meta Meta has been busy, with many new features and changes that paid social advertisers need..
Content isn’t always king There’s a time and a place for everything. Discretion is key. Content isn’t always king…
Honest marketing, accessible OOH & the continued rise of BeReal It’s September, which means it’s time for #005 of CriticalReading – your resource for the..
CreativeRace named as Northern’s lead creative agency Integrated, independent agency CreativeRace has been named as the lead creative agency for Northern Trains,..
5 ways marketers can harness that back to school feeling New pens, a shiny new pencil case and the excitement and anticipation of what’s to..
CreativeRace offers free solutions to marketers & business owners We’re giving brands and business owners the chance to have their marketing questions answered for..
When times are hard, brands win by making people’s lives easier The cost-of-living crisis means we are all getting less for our money. For everyone, except..
Content Creatives: reflecting on eight weeks in the CreativeRace studio Over the past eight weeks we’ve had the pleasure of welcoming two trainees into our..
When it comes to value, ‘no frills’ doesn’t have to be ‘no fun’ Communicating value during the cost-of-living crisis. In January, the food writer and anti-poverty campaigner Jack..
Motorhome hire platform Camptoo appoints CreativeRace to manage its SEO Motorhome hire platform Camptoo has appointed CreativeRace to manage its SEO services, as it drives..
To stunt or not to stunt? … that is the question. We all know that ideas [generally] win pitches. But are..
Winning in a recession – a guide for marketing and brand managers Emerging from a global pandemic. Combatting rising energy prices and skyrocketing inflation. Growing political uncertainty…
7 Digital PR ideation techniques to spark your creativity Let’s face it, ideation is hard. If you’ve been working on the same brand for..
How to make your influencer collabs count We all understand the power of influencers in today’s online landscape. But how do you..
Stop worrying about your brand’s USPs How many times have you heard this question (or read it in a brief template)…..
4 authentic Digital PR examples to inspire your next campaign If you want consumers to make a genuine connection to your brand, you need to..
CreativeRace welcomes Channel 4 digital marketing trainees We’re delighted to be working alongside two trainees from Channel 4’s Content Creatives programme. Kas..
Why PR strategy is more than just channel recommendations It’s all too easy to fall into the rabbit hole of getting a PR campaign..
Measuring the true value of paid media in the luxury sector Having a lack of data insight across your customer journey can limit the potential growth..
A mature view on Google’s Broad Core Updates I didn’t want to write this blog post / viewpoint. Within SEO we have this..
Making brave happen No one likes being unpopular. In fact, for many of us, we’re more comfortable trying..
How to set up a GA4 property alongside your existing UA property If you have been in the Google Analytics interface recently you may have noticed the..
Featured snippets: how to optimise for ‘position zero’ The featured snippet, or the more commonly named position 0, has long been considered the..
5 content types to help you stand out on LinkedIn Whether you’re active on LinkedIn for B2B, B2C, or individual use, it is possibly one..
Transcreation: the power of marketing across cultures Brands wanting to expand worldwide need to evaluate their marketing strategy to better understand and..
Be outstanding – how to build a standout brand Neon colour and a bold brand mark may give you standout; however, it’s up close..
Stand out from the crowd by understanding your distinctive brand assets Want a brand with supercharged ability to stand out? Then you need to understand your..
5 brands that are killing it on social media in 2022 The world of social media chops and changes constantly. New platforms, changing algorithms, countless simultaneous..
The evolving art of PR evaluation PR has long been known as a difficult discipline to evaluate. AVE has been dead..
The dawn of GA4: how to respond to the sunsetting of Universal Analytics Last month Google announced the sunsetting of Universal Analytics (UA), with the recommendation to set..
The importance of auditing your paid media accounts Paid Media is complex. Many organisations will already have PPC and/or Paid Social accounts, which were set..
Resilience, persistence, and… Ronan Keating There’s no doubt the digital PR world has changed over the last 10 years. We’ve..
CreativeRace welcomes new Communications Director Independent, integrated agency CreativeRace has welcomed a new Communications Director to its senior leadership team…
How to humanise your brand on social media People connect with people. With the focus of building strong brand-consumer relationships, brands must adopt..
6 questions to ask to keep your Digital PR campaigns hyper-relevant If you’re solely focused on link numbers, it can be tempting to create broad-reaching digital..
Writing with SEO in mind: 7 things to consider Content writing is an art that is vastly undervalued. While anyone can technically put some..
22 incredible women to inspire & empower you this IWD To celebrate International Women’s Day, we reached out to find out more about the women..
8 golden rules for trendjacking on social media For brands to stay relevant on social, getting involved in trends and popular news is..
How to maximise the performance of paid advertising A common theme our performance team comes across when auditing a client’s Paid Social and..
Security headers for your site: where to start Web security has come a long way since the internet first launched, where inquisitive programmers..
CreativeRace joins C4 creative scheme for young people in Yorkshire Channel 4 has announced the launch of a new initiative to offer creative career opportunities..
GA4 vs Universal Analytics: How do they compare? Since the launch of Google Analytics in 2005, the platform has been through many iterations,..
What does Facebook’s drop in users mean for paid social advertisers? This week, Facebook announced a drop in its daily average users, for the first time ever…
Unlocking messy tensions* (*it’s where the best insights are) Strategy Director Victoria Aspinall discusses the subject of tension, and why exploring and unlocking tensions can help..
AVE & the challenge of PR measurement As the industry continues to try to link PR results with genuine business outcomes, the..
CreativeRace offers marketing leaders the chance to tour Production Park CreativeRace has teamed up with Prolific North to give marketing leaders an exclusive tour of..
indexifembedded: what does this new meta tag do? On Friday the 21st January, Google Search Central introduced a new robots meta tag – indexifembedded…
New year/new start… Or not? With January well underway, Strategy Director Victoria Aspinall discusses 2022 predictions, long-term brand growth and success. It’s..
The Manifest names CreativeRace among most-reviewed PR agencies We’re pleased to share that The Manifest has recognised us as one of the most..
Best practice for starting paid social in 2022 As we leave a busy festive period behind and head into the new year, thoughts..
The C word and its use in modern marketing The C word I’m talking about here is ‘culture’ or rather cultural relevance. I feel..
CreativeRace partners with Engage Leeds for Operation Santa Independent, integrated marketing agency CreativeRace has partnered with homelessness prevention service Engage Leeds to deliver Operation..
CreativeRace partners with Leeds Arts Uni for VMC design brief Following the success of this year’s Visual Media Conference (VMC), CreativeRace have announced that they..
In the press: CreativeRace announce two senior leadership hires Independent, integrated agency CreativeRace has announced two key additions to their leadership team, Victoria Aspinall..
CreativeRace develop concept for inaugural Centurion Corporate Challenge Integrated, independent agency CreativeRace has partnered with London Youth Rowing’s (LYR) three-time Olympic Rowing Gold..
“Christmas is a f***ing pain”: Why championing unpopular opinions could be your route to success Christmas has well and truly started, at least it has in the world of marketing…
In the press: CreativeRace announce latest client win, payment provider Nochex Independent, integrated agency CreativeRace has announced a further client win with leading payment provider Nochex…
Awards: CreativeRace and Asda win Best Retail Campaign at the Prolific North Marketing Awards On Thursday 25th November 2021, CreativeRace was named Best Retail Campaign winner at the Prolific North Marketing..
Tree-mendous tips to spruce up your Digital PR this Christmas Christmas is around the corner, and at this time of year, brands often fall into..
8 Things to consider when preparing your Black Friday PPC campaigns With Black Friday approaching, here are 8 things to consider when preparing your PPC campaigns..
Webinar review: What brands should ask their agencies about Digital PR On November 4th, Prolific North and CreativeRace tackled the question of what brands should be asking their..
Is traditional PR dying? Some thoughts on the future I recently read an article in PR week that had the headline “Why Traditional PR is dying*.” Apart..
CreativeRace adds colour to Crown Decorating Centres through strategic store redesign With the support of integrated agency CreativeRace, Crown Decorating Centres has opened its first new..
In the press: Go Car Credit appoint CreativeRace for digital services Independent, integrated agency CreativeRace has been appointed as the new integrated digital marketing partner for..
Pulp fiction and the art of the edit Here’s one of my favourite stories about writing. New York, 1912. A young wannabe scribe..
Google’s drive on automation continues, with the latest update affecting Expanded Text Ads (ETAs) What is the update? Google has recently announced that advertisers will no longer be able..
I am an introvert: personality and inclusivity With diversity and inclusion high on the agenda for most businesses, it got me thinking..
Don’t be cool, be effective As someone whose 40th year is not too far away and who finds themselves unconsciously drifting into..
In-depth analysis: connecting with consumers in the post-lockdown world As we move out of lockdown people’s lives and their shopping behaviour are changing, and..
Give it some flex In 2015, I was interviewed by MMB Magazine, a network of online and printed publications..
How offline retailers can overcome brand challenges right now It’s July 2021, pubs and restaurants are open and so is non-essential retail. The chance..
Multiple client wins for CreativeRace Independent, integrated agency CreativeRace has announced a number of major client wins from competitive pitching..
Brand Strategy: why the fame game works In the 1990’s American ad agencies hired lots of British strategists and soon after, US..
Auto-apply ads: review auto-applied recommendations before opting-in Google has recently announced the launch of auto-applied recommendations, with Microsoft swiftly following suit with..
New campaign? Don’t let PR be the last one to the table Here’s a story that every PR practitioner working as part of an integrated team will..
Ritual, habit, routine. Why brands should get the habits habit As we reach (hopefully) the beginning of the end of COVID restrictions, everywhere you look,..
Former Social Chain Creative Director joins CreativeRace Independent, integrated Leeds-based agency CreativeRace has announced the appointment of Tim Donald as Executive Creative..
Are you ready for Google’s match type update? In February this year, Google announced it was making changes to the phrase match and..
Wellness: thinking beyond the hype ‘Wellness’ is one of those buzzwords that people and brands love to chuck around. It..
What’s the story morning glory: how storytelling will cut through Storytelling isn’t new. And when I say that I’m not just referring to the Epic..
Fortune favours the agile: how brands will win post-lockdown As we reach the beginning of the end of COVID restrictions and allow ourselves to..
All new regex: Google Search Console Although it’s been on the horizon for a while, Google has finally released regex (or regular expression)..
Together apart Two heads are better than one. That’s long been the accepted wisdom in creative departments,..
CreativeRace appointed by Crown Paints Crown Paints has appointed independent Leeds agency CreativeRace following a multi-agency pitch in 2020. The..
Weather: a marketer’s friend Us Brits have a reputation for being a bit obsessed with the weather. And with..
A non-technical site speed primer for marketers and business owners With the upcoming Google Core Web Vitals (CWV) update ready to roll out in May,..
The Future of Relationships Between Marketers and their Agencies A CMO survey prepared by CreativeRace. Download PDF. At CreativeRace we’ll help you understand what..
Everyone’s talking about…. Clubhouse Clubhouse is the latest hot new social app being talked about, having launched in Spring..
When it comes to data, better answers require better questions I remember being so excited having email in my first job, it was like magic…
If you want your brand to be heard, start by listening When I was 16, I was lucky enough to sit behind the scenes and watch..
Novelty bias, our friend and our enemy We’re all quite used to Zoom meetings by now. No doubt you’ve experienced someone forgetting..
CreativeRace appoints new SEO Director, Malcolm Slade Independent integrated agency CreativeRace has announced another high-profile recruit, following on from a number of..
Fact, fiction or both? Working in marketing you often read or hear bold statements about what people do and..
People want more value, not lower prices Times are tough. Does that mean you should start cutting prices? The UK’s unemployment rate..
United you stand Building a segmentation is a perennial marketing obsession. This can be useful of course, few..
Brand experience is not blind Christmas is coming. Although the festivities will be different in 2020, people are starting to..
CreativeRace announce significant 2020 appointments to secure growth into 2021 Independent agency CreativeRace have announced a number of key hires in 2020 to support the..
It pays to be popular Marketing, it’s about persuading people to do things. Right? Buy our new product. Visit our..
CreativeRace partner with Asda to design sustainable store As Asda begin work driving sustainability in store, they turned to long-term partner CreativeRace to..
Appointment of a new CEO for CreativeRace CreativeRace Chairman, Gordon Bethell today announces the appointment of Rob Shaw as CEO to lead..
Let’s hear it for the rule breakers “You can’t do that.” “Why not?” “Well, no one’s done it before.” It’s a scene..
Time for a change What did you have for breakfast this morning? Toast? Cereal? Scrambled egg, maybe a smoothie?..
Marketing, it’s a mind game Marketing is about people. More specifically, it’s about changing their behaviour. Strip away all the..
Real life is complicated, like it or not You may have seen this article in Campaign Magazine. Or, you might have better things..
Did they help? The Coronavirus pandemic has seen amazing humanitarian responses from organisations and individuals around the globe…
Don’t try to change the world Quite a few of my leisure activities involve purposefully making life hard for myself. I..
Do you really understand your audience? As marketing people, we often like to think that we naturally ‘get’ our customers/audience/consumers, whatever..
More leverage please… Out of the tragedy and loss that wraps the entire Covid-19 period, there has been,..
Punch above your weight The marketing and media landscape has changed. Getting mainstream consumer attention used to be easy,..
COVID-19 on digital COVID-19 on digital – The Trends, The Facts & The Winners Having worked in search..
