While winning any award is great, winning for marketing effectiveness has got to be what matters most to marketeers. After all, exceeding KPIs, historic outcomes and delivering strong ROI have got to be the ultimate arbiters of campaign success.

Better still if your marketing effectiveness win is against the biggest names and most innovative brands in financial services.

We were delighted this week, therefore, to win no less than five at the 2024 Financial Services Forum Marketing Effectiveness awards. 

- We won Gold in the Global category for our ‘Invest in the heart of everything’ Biodiversity campaign for Fidelity International. And were also Highly Commended for this in the Most Effective ESG category.
- In the Earned Media category we struck Gold for our ‘Hidden Gems’ campaign for specialist mortgage provider Together, which gained nationwide coverage by mapping and shining a light on the UK’s empty properties and the opportunities they represent.
- We were awarded a Special Judges Award for Most Effective Use of Data and Analytics for The Mortgage Lender, helping them generate coverage and leads in a crowded market.
- And were Highly Commended as Agency of the Year.

### Integration

With effectiveness invariably achieved through the scientific integration of earned, owned and paid-for media, we were also delighted to win six further awards for clients in the international MarComs awards; for Integrated Marketing (for both BUPA and Fidelity), for Advertising (Fidelity), for Media Relations (BUPA) and in both the Social and YouTube video categories. All of the work created and produced by our in-house teams.

### Competing against UK and overseas agencies

To our delight, we also struck Gold again twice last week in the New York based Gramercy Institute Asset Management awards; one in the Public Relations category for our ‘Reaching the Undeserved’ campaign for Charles Stanley, the second for Fidelity international in the Branding category for our innovative ‘Suitably Individual’ strategy, impacting on both investors and their advisers.

With budgets across the board needing to do more, it’s been a great month for being recognised independently for having delivered on the effectiveness clients most crave.

Some awards simply matter more than others

A clip from the Graham Norton show recently went viral, when actress Saoirse Ronan reminded the rest of the male panel of the lengths women need to go to feel safe. Met with applause from the audience, Ronan has been widely praised since the clip aired for accurately and neatly reminding us all of the threat that women face on a daily basis.  

While the men on the panel have also come out to plaud Ronan, it’s abundantly clear from their stunned silence at the time that this isn’t an issue they need to think about regularly. Speaking about violence against women can be uncomfortable, no matter the setting. And no matter how disappointing it is that this is still a concern in 2024, any girl or woman will tell you just how needed it still is. Just as Saoirse Ronan did. 

The UN designates the 25th November as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. It marks the first of 16 days of action to end male violence against women. With so much abuse towards women happening behind closed doors and going unreported it can be easy to convince ourselves that this is not an issue that impacts us or our loved ones. 

But the reality is that one in three women will be subjected to physical or sexual violence within their lifetime. That’s an estimated 736 million women globally. And the majority won’t seek help or report it. Less than 40% of women who experience violence will seek help, and less than 10% will go to the police. Black women, trans women, and disabled women are at especially high risk. And climate change, economic crises, and global conflicts are only fuelling and exacerbating the problem. 

This year’s election in the US was a further reminder of how very real this issue is. With women’s reproductive rights on the ballot in many states, the previous Trump administration saw delayed authorisation of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and attempts to dismantle the Affordable Care Act that means reduced federal support and access to healthcare services that are crucial for women, including mental health support and services for survivors of violence. In addition, the behaviour of some of Trump’s supporters may embolden misogynistic attitudes that can create a hostile environment for women both online and offline.

White Ribbon Day acts to remind us of the scale of the issue, but also challenges us to consider the root causes behind this violence. While we may not have witnessed violence against women, we’ve all likely seen and heard problematic language and attitudes. It is up to all of us, regardless of gender, to stand against violence against women, and to fight against the outdated and harmful gender norms - including attitudes towards masculinity - that open the door to misogyny. 

For anyone that is, or knows someone who is facing abuse, whether emotional, physical or financial or simply wants to educate themselves further on this issue, there are resources and support available, which we have listed below:

[White Ribbon Day UK](https://www.whiteribbon.org.uk/)

[End Violence Against Women Coalition](https://www.endviolenceagainstwomen.org.uk/) 

[Refuge](https://refuge.org.uk/)

[Solace Women’s Aid ](https://www.solacewomensaid.org/)

[Woman’s Trust](https://womanstrust.org.uk/)

[National Domestic Abuse Hotline](https://www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk/) - 0808 2000 247

It is up to all of us, regardless of gender, to stand against violence against women, and to fight against the outdated and harmful gender norms - read more on the importance of White Ribbon Day from Teamspirit’s Eleanor Ross 

Why we should all pay attention to White Ribbon Day

Listen now to George Roffey, Chief Sustainability Officer, Centrus who welcomes the ESG shake down, and argues that with ESG now entangled in everything, we need to get to a place where sustainability is embedded and becomes the norm. Discussing the pros of recently becoming BCorp accredited, hear why the increasing focus on the ‘s’ for social impact is a natural progression onto common ground that everyone can relate to.

![9995 ESG Podcast Stand and Deliver v1 2 1920x1080px](//images.ctfassets.net/sxw14dxmazhg/3uMZHY8uLyiUiR9dhpVAxL/5bfb61b986a412d3f72c7b14c16496e7/9995_ESG_Podcast_Stand_and_Deliver_v1_2_1920x1080px.jpg)

<iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1665665835&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-240158474" title="Teamspirit" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Teamspirit</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-240158474/centrus-mixdown-2" title="Stand And Deliver The ESG Activists Podcast Series From Teamspirit Episode 6:Centrus" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Stand And Deliver The ESG Activists Podcast Series From Teamspirit Episode 6: Centrus</a></div>

<br><br>

More episodes from this series:

Episode 1: Ketan Patel, Fund Manager, EdenTree. Listen [here](https://www.teamspirit.uk.com/news-and-views/stand-and-deliver-the-esg-activists-podcast-series).

Episode 2: Chris Gardner, Joint CEO, Atelier. Listen [here](https://www.teamspirit.uk.com/news-and-views/stand-and-deliver-the-esg-activists-podcast-series-episode-2).

Episode 3: Tom Matthews, Sustainable Investments Senior Manager, J O Hambro Capital Management. Listen [here](https://www.teamspirit.uk.com/news-and-views/stand-and-deliver-the-esg-activists-podcast-series-episode-3).

Episode 4: Alex Struc, Founder and CEO, GOALSFIRST. Listen here [here](https://www.teamspirit.uk.com/news-and-views/stand-and-deliver-the-esg-activists-podcast-series-episode-4).

Episode 5: Lily Billings, Head of Sustainability, Foresight Group. Listen here [here](https://www.teamspirit.uk.com/news-and-views/stand-and-deliver-the-esg-activists-podcast-series-episode-5).

If you’d like to understand more about how to create credible ESG communications contact us at [hello@teamspirit.co.uk](mailto:hello@teamspirit.co.uk). 


Listen now to George Roffey, Chief Sustainability Officer, Centrus who welcomes the ESG shake down, and argues that with ESG now entangled in everything, we need to get to a place where sustainability is embedded and becomes the norm.

Stand and deliver. The ESG Activists Podcast Series: Episode 6

### In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, sustainability has transcended the realm of buzzwords to become a baked-in pillar of business strategies.

### However, sustainability in branding extends beyond just reducing carbon footprints; it entails the creation of a durable and enduring brand identity.

Ultimately, a brand’s assets need to be adding value at every touchpoint. Having a strong brand ecosystem, or brand world, that enables a brand to show up consistently, is definitely worth it – in fact, according to YouGov, consistent branding has been proven to lead to a 23% increase in revenues.

But as technology, particularly Artificial Intelligence (AI), continues to redefine various aspects of our lives, it has emerged, perhaps inadvertently, as a catalyst to fortifying the foundations of sustainable brands. 

After all, this is an era of urgency. From the 24-hour news cycle, to urgent global challenges, to the rapid onset of incredibly fast asset creation through AI, brands, brand owners and marketers can feel that they must always act in haste. But at what cost?

In this paper we are looking specifically at the effect of a rushed, AI-speed world on financial services brands, and how to create strong brands built to adapt and last. We explore the key components of what makes a strong brand in this new world, and how to maximise brand assets.

*__“In an AI world, a strong brand has never been more vital.”__*

Read more in our latest report: [Sustainable Brands in the Era of Urgency](https://assets.ctfassets.net/sxw14dxmazhg/3n2htqNs4tyWVTNbvGlyD2/f1d1441c2e38601d212a88d8badfddeb/Sustainable_Brands_in_the_era_of_urgency.pdf)
<br>

![sustainabilityreport-ts-2](//images.ctfassets.net/sxw14dxmazhg/6Cbk8FNXEwXwbrngtOeYl1/c88cbfee4218fdfbb24d39dbdf9f15d4/sustainabilityreport-ts-2.png)

As we navigate the era of urgency and rapid technological advancements, it is imperative for financial services brands to re-evaluate and strengthen their brand assets to ensure sustainability. Read more in our latest report. 

Sustainable Brands in the Era of Urgency

In our second ESG Activist podcast, __Chris Gardner, Joint CEO, [Atelier](https://acp.co.uk/)__ reveals how he has focused the business proposition to realise ESG ambition.  Listen to: why collaboration and empirical evidence through 3rd party assurance is vital; the need to be honest about what can be committed to and get it done and to realise that if you’re going to do it properly, it’s going to hurt.

![9995 ESG SAD Podcast 1920x1080 TN 3](//images.ctfassets.net/sxw14dxmazhg/3Ws7ibGSoIlEYjDFnYQTeM/cf3db6151e375655b984d3d871265e47/9995_ESG_SAD_Podcast_1920x1080_TN_3.jpg)

<iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1265530483&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-240158474" title="Teamspirit" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Teamspirit</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-240158474/stand-and-deliver-the-esg-activists-podcast-series-from-teamspirit-episode-2-atelier" title="Stand And Deliver The ESG Activists Podcast Series From Teamspirit Episode 2 Atelier" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Stand And Deliver The ESG Activists Podcast Series From Teamspirit Episode 2 Atelier</a></div>

Below are the previous podcast episodes from the series: 

Episode 1: Ketan Patel, Fund Manager, EdenTree. Listen [here](https://www.teamspirit.uk.com/news-and-views/stand-and-deliver-the-esg-activists-podcast-series) 

If you’d like to understand more about how to create credible ESG communications contact us at [hello@teamspirit.co.uk](mailto:hello@teamspirit.co.uk)

Stand and deliver. The ESG Activists Podcast Series: Episode 2

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Stand and deliver. The ESG Activists Podcast Series: Episode 6

Fri 6 Oct 2023

Sustainable Brands in the Era of Urgency