It’s not just No. 10 which is establishing a Northern powerhouse, as Debbie Marshall found out last week attending two industry-leading events in Leeds and Manchester.
First up was The Age of Opportunity, hosted by HUB and Prolific North in the congenial setting of Bill’s in Leeds.
We were delighted to meet the HUB team – Chris Hudson, David Slater, Rob Shaw and Abbie Harrop – along with some of our members, including Annie Stirk, Shahissta Raytal from HMCA, and Ben Phillips and Jeanette Howard-Jones from Damart. Also in attendance were Louise Webster from Acklams Holidays, Sam Jenkinson from Woodlands Home & Garden Group, Tom Richardson from Senior Stairlifts and Venessa Hodgson from Complete Care Shop.
The discussion was wide-ranging and honest, covering the art of balancing functional messaging with realistic creative that still feels aspirational; the media channels that are building real trust; the role of AI; and the commercial challenges facing marketers targeting the silver demographic.
Thank you to HUB for hosting an excellent and thought-provoking discussion.
From Leeds to Manchester – and how to get your brand on TV
A quick hop on the TransPennine Express to Manchester and the Everyman Cinema followed, for a lively event hosted by REIGN Media and ABF Pictures on how to get
your brand on TV.
If you’ve ever thought about TV advertising but assumed it was too expensive, too complex or simply “not for your kind of brand”, this session set out to dispel some of those myths and presented TV as affordable, accessible and, importantly, the single most trusted media channel, ranking well above social media and influencers. That’s especially relevant when it comes to the silver audience.
A lively presentation from Matt Barraclough from ABF Pictures – including a brilliant “name that jingle” quiz – was followed by fascinating media insights from Simon Rigby from REIGN.
The session culminated in an excellent panel discussion with Mark Watts from Channel 4, Sharon Furey from Sky Media and Gillian Roberts from ITV, bringing together perspectives from across the television industry.
Again, we were delighted to see more of our northern-based members, including Louise Pode, Lee Collett from Alfa Holidays and Quentin Boyes from Humbug.
Two superb events, one important market
Two superb events, each very different, but both demonstrating the growing conversation around how brands can better understand, reach and engage older consumers.
They were also a great reminder of the value of bringing people together to share ideas, challenge assumptions and make new connections – and of the strength of the Silver Marketing community beyond London.
Thank you to everyone involved in making both events such enjoyable and thought-provoking occasions.
