About Winners in Change
We recently brought together some of the sharpest minds in digital marketing for our latest Winners in Change event at Leeds Dock. The goal? To shine a light on how smart brands are navigating change—not just reacting to it, but using it as a lever for growth.
The event, the first in our Digital Leader’s Collective series, had voices from Pure Gym, Sarah Raven, New Homes Mortgage Helpline (part of the Skipton Building Society Group), and our own team at Black Lab, we explored the practical realities of marketing in 2024, and where things are heading next. Our Director, James Starkey takes a look at how the afternoon unfolded.
Reddit: The Platform Hiding in Plain Sight
Kicking things off, Black Lab’s Ady Matheson-Bruce dived deep into Reddit as a performance platform; far from a fringe channel, it’s a goldmine for brands willing to meet users where they already are.
Reddit’s power lies in its niche communities and honest conversations. Ady unpacked how brands can tap into these interest-driven subreddits, use social proof to their advantage, and show up in a way that resonates rather than disrupts.
The message: “this isn’t spray-and-pray advertising. It’s precise, it’s authentic, and it works when done right.”
AI for Real-World Results in Finance
Next up, Ben Crawford from New Homes Mortgage Helpline shared a powerful case study on AI in action; not in theory, but in the day-to-day of helping customers get mortgages.
His team has built a custom GPT tool that speeds up tricky sub-prime applications by matching cases to the most likely lenders, based on lender criteria and historical approvals. It cuts out repetitive admin, streamlines decision-making, and gives time back to the people who matter: the team supporting customers.
It was a timely reminder that “while AI can feel abstract, its most effective uses often solve unglamorous, but critical problems”
The Panel: Automation, AI, and the Rise of First-Party Data
After a short break (and a strong coffee), we gathered our panellists for a discussion that tackled the biggest shifts happening right now in performance marketing.
Joining Black Lab’s James Starkey and Martin Jeffrey were Caroline Barrett, Performance Marketing Manager at Pure Gym, and Jake Newbould, Growth Marketing Director at Sarah Raven.
Together, they tackled some of the most pressing topics in our industry:
- Automation is here to stay, but the consensus was that the human element still matters, particularly when it comes to interpreting data and adjusting strategy in real-time.
- First-party data is becoming non-negotiable. As cookies crumble and platforms shift, those who understand their own customers best will win.
- Conversion rate optimisation (CRO) was a standout topic. Jake stressed the importance of qualitative data—understanding why users behave the way they do, not just tracking what they do.
- The search landscape is shifting fast, with Martin warning of significant changes to Google’s AI-driven results. His advice? “Don’t wait. Brands that prepare now will be those who outperform later.”
There was also a strong focus on the upper and mid-funnel. Caroline shared how Pure Gym is adjusting its strategy to reflect changing consumer behaviour, while Jake talked candidly about the importance of brand-building today to reach tomorrow’s customers.
Watch the recap in 60 seconds
In Summary: Be Bold, Be Ready
Winners in Change wasn’t about buzzwords or big reveals. It was about what actually works. From underused platforms to AI tools that make life easier, and strategies that see beyond last-click attribution, the key theme was preparedness.
The brands who are adapting fastest aren’t doing it for the sake of it, they’re doing it because they know what’s coming.
Thanks again to our speakers, our panel, and everyone who joined us at Leeds Dock. If you missed out this time, don’t worry, we’ve set to announce news of our next event next week.
If you’re interested in attending or speaking at a future event, we have more details over on the Black Lab Events Page, or pop our Head of BD, Rob, a note.
Stay Bold.
