AI is one of the fastest evolving technological advancements, and its impact is being felt across multiple touchpoints, including search. Both frontend and backend, AI is changing the game when it comes to SEO and PPC, but what are the big challenges and opportunities?

In this episode, we’re joined by Tracey Pilon, Commercial Director at Microsoft, and UM Birmingham’s Katherine Ray, Business Director and Tom Williams, Senior SEO Director, to break through the jargon and uncover the. current state of AI in search, what it means for marketers and brands, and what the future of search might look like.

What we cover in the episode

• The evolution of the SEO landscape
• How Microsoft is harnessing the power of AI
• Will fragmentation in search increase?
• The potential rise of zero-click searches (and why this might not be a bad thing)
• Why marketers need to consider the full funnel
• Using Copilot for creativity

About the speakers

Tracey Pilon is Commercial Director at Microsoft. With over 18 years of experience with one of the world leaders in technology, Tracey is an experienced leader in the digital industry.

Katherine Ray is Business Director at UM Birmingham, part of McCann Central. Kat has significant experience in Paid Search across a range of industries.

Tom Williams is Senior SEO Director at UM Birmingham, part of McCann Central. Tom is a passionate SEO Specialist with more than 13 years of experience, both agency side and in house.

In 2021, washable rug brand Ruggable launched in the UK after steadily growing in the US. With a big focus on filling the social feeds of millennials, the brand is looking to grow its audiences through new channels all whilst building trust.

Expanding your audience can feel like a challenge at the best of times, but as a relatively young brand operating on a global scale, there’s a lot to navigate.

For this episode, Ellis Bird is joined by Charlotte Ford, European Senior Marketing Director at Ruggable, and Sarah Warewinter, Managing Partner, Strategy, at McCann Bristol. During the conversation, they discuss the journey to expanding audiences, the importance of data, finding the right channels, and getting internal buy-in.

What we cover in the episode

• Ruggable’s journey so far
• How do you know when it’s time to start expanding your audience?
• Finding like-minded audiences
• Why you shouldn’t change your brand to suit a new audience
• How challenger brands can find connection
• Finding local relevance on a global scale (without being precious about your brand)
• How testing has shaped Ruggable’s strategy
• Building (and maintaining) trust as a D2C online brand

About the speakers

Charlotte Ford is European Senior Marketing Director at Ruggable. With extensive experience across some of the biggest consumer brands including Heycar, Treatwell and Amazon, Charlotte is a specialist in brand and customer engagement. Passionate about brand building and solving complicated strategic challenges, she joined Ruggable in early 2024 and has since led the way on growing audiences and channels.

Sarah Warewinter is Managing Partner, Strategy, at McCann Bristol. With a traditional planning background, Sarah is well versed in customer insight, research, brand management, creative and business strategy; and believes that brands need to be built on strong strategic foundations to develop amazing creative marketing. Her experience is channel agnostic, and she is passionate about making sure that brands use all available resources in the right way to connect with their customers.

In 2022, the Elections Act introduced a huge change for in-person voting – voters would now be required to present eligible photo ID at polling stations or face being turned away. The Electoral Commission had to find a way to clearly communicate the new ID requirements to the nation across a vast array of demographics, without impacting the public’s motivation to vote.

The solution? Giant sticky notes.

For this episode, we’re joined by Susan Crown, Flick Duncan, and Kayley Almond to uncover the challenges the new law presented, the story behind the campaign, how they shifted behaviours, how they got the first ad out within 24 hours of the General Election being announced, and the incredible results the campaign has generated.

What we cover in this episode

• Where do you begin when trying to change the behaviour of so many demographics?
• Going down wormholes and the importance of segmentation
• Overcoming apathy and understanding barriers
• The importance of research and accessibility
• How the sticky notes stood out amongst 12 options
• Why the team were operating at severe risk early on
• The pressure of overcoming negative public opinions and getting the tonality right
• Finding longevity in the creative
• How the team go the first assets out within 48 hours of the general election being announced
• Bringing the ‘warm and fuzzy’ to life-admin
• Finding the human touch (including hand written sticky notes)
• Key lessons in accessibility and inclusion
• Why post-campaign analysis is a must
• Connecting with key audiences
• The incredible results generated by the campaigns

Watch the ads

Voter ID: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDU6_ZW-mRw

Voter registration: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHb8lrjRPIY

About the speakers

Susan Crown is Head of Campaigns and Corporate Identity at The Electoral Commission and is passionate about encouraging participation in democracy. An expert in marketing, press, strategic, internal, and corporate communications, Susan as extensive experience in developing behavioural change campaigns.

Flick Duncan is Managing Partner at McCann Demand, leading on some of the biggest household names. With a belief in building trusted, open and collaborative partnerships, she is dedicated to achieving ambitious, world-first creativity and growing industry-leading client servicing teams.

Kayley Almond is a seasoned Strategy Director at McCann Demand, celebrated for her innovative thinking and passion for igniting creative sparks that help businesses meet their growth potential. With over a decade of experience shaping impactful campaigns for esteemed brands like Hargreaves Lansdown, Lancome, and the Electoral Commission, Kayley approaches her work with humility and a desire to connect with real people.