Industry insight, analysis and opinion
2025 has been a year of disruption rather than drift. Consolidation at the top of the advisory world, landmark transactions, and the industry’s attempt to find its footing in a landscape increasingly defined by AI and technology have forced corporate affairs functions and agencies to rethink how they operate.
Read MoreInternal talent teams have never been better.
They understand the culture, the politics, the personalities. They know which leaders really hold influence, where the fault lines are, and what “fit” means beyond the job description. In most organisations, they are more sophisticated than many external recruiters.
Read MoreConference season, we made it through! I have gathered quite the post-mortem of this year’s shifts and sentiments through catch-ups with clients and candidates. Let’s break it down.
Read MoreCorporate affairs agencies are under pressure. UK corporates are taking longer than ever to sign off comms/public affairs budgets and approve campaigns. What once moved in weeks now drags for months, leaving agencies squeezed: revenue lags, pitches stall, and teams sit in limbo. Delay isn’t just frustrating, it’s commercially damaging.
Read MoreIn our line of work, the first question on the phone is always, “How are you?” For me, the honest answer for most of this year has been, “OK, but dealing with grief.” That’s not an opening someone would expect on a professional call.
Read MoreThe European Commission’s proposed €2 trillion multiannual financial framework (MFF) for 2028–34 has landed with a political *thud*. Alongside significant spending for climate, defence, digital, and enlargement, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has called for five new EU-level revenue streams, including a meaty corporate levy on companies with turnover exceeding €100 million.
Read MoreHalfway through 2025 and we’re sharing a market review of how the corporate affairs landscape has evolved this year. Cautious and considered investment defines the tone of the market, impacting new business, hiring plans and broader industry sentiment for 2025.
Read MoreIn the communications industry, there's no shortage of myths and misconceptions when it comes to working agency-side versus going in-house. Recently, we have spoken to candidates who have moved in-house, only to consider a return to agency life, and vice versa. The grass isn’t always greener, and so let’s look at some of the assumptions, stereotypes, and genuine differences, and discuss what candidates should really consider when thinking about making the move.
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