Immediately following the country’s first lockdown, we reached out to businesses to see how they were faring, and how that measured up with global trends and insights. The top-line themes we saw were as follows:

- The majority of our businesses’ performance has been negatively impacted by the pandemic.
This aligns with the overall view presented by global CMOs, half of whom either expected or have experienced significant budget cuts. However, it has been the opposite picture for a lucky few in some fields.
- Growth is still the main objective for almost every business.
We had assumed, perhaps incorrectly that many businesses were in ‘survival mode’. This however is not the case, with most still pursuing a growth agenda – but it may take longer than expected to recover.
- Businesses are trying to find the balance between strategy and execution.
Businesses are looking to adapt and define their strategy in the wake of Covid-19, with the majority stating brand strategy as their most important capability over the next 18-24 months. This is then supported by other capabilities that are focused on short term performance and ROI.

- Digital is accelerating (for everyone).
As the world is forced to ‘go digital’, we see businesses feel the need to invest in digital capabilities to generate and meet demand; finding new ways to communicate with, and sell to, an increasingly digital customer base.
- As everything changes, so do brands in their choice of marketing channels and use of budgets.
Want to know what the priorities were for UK brands and businesses and what seven consumer trends are shaping the way we work this year? Fill in the form and download your own copy of our 2020 Client Marketing Survey. We hope you enjoy the read.
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