Is Your Creative Agency Ready for the Next Economic Downturn?

Why Now Is the Time to Strengthen Your Business Development Strategy.

Economic downturns rarely arrive with warning. The headlines look optimistic. Markets trend upward. Business seems stable—until it isn’t.

We’ve seen it before:

  • 1929
  • 1987
  • 2000
  • 2008
  • 2020

Every crash came quickly. Every time, most were unprepared.

Today, the FTSE 100 and S&P 500 might be in the green, but the fundamentals are flashing red:

  • Inflation is rising again
  • Consumer demand is dropping
  • Global instability and corporate pressure are squeezing budgets
  • Business confidence is shaky

This isn’t sustainable growth. It’s a bubble—and bubbles always burst.

Creative Agencies Can’t Afford to Wait

If you’re running a UK-based creative agency, marketing firm, or design studio, the next few months are critical.

During downturns, client acquisition slows, marketing budgets are slashed, and competition increases. Relying on word-of-mouth or repeat clients won’t cut it. The agencies that survive—and grow—are the ones that invest in proactive business development before the crash hits.

Why Business Development Needs to Start Now

Business development is not a quick fix. It’s a long game. That means now is the time to build your new business pipeline—not when the market tightens.

Common signs you’re not ready:

  • You’re relying on a few big clients
  • You’re waiting for referrals to fill your pipeline
  • You haven’t updated your lead generation strategy in months
  • You’re not tracking tenders, company moves, or sector trends

The Advertist: Helping UK Creative Agencies Stay Ahead

The Advertist is a specialist business development platform for UK agencies, designed to help you identify opportunities before your competitors do.

With The Advertist, you can:

  • ✅ Access verified new business leads and tenders in real time
  • ✅ Identify decision-makers and warm contacts
  • ✅ Track industry shifts like M&A activity, funding rounds, and key leadership moves
  • ✅ Discover sector-specific insights to sharpen your targeting

It’s used by some of the UK’s top lead generation and creative agencies—agencies that aren’t just surviving, but growing even in tough markets.

Don’t React. Prepare.

When the next crash comes, it won’t announce itself. Your pipeline either supports your business—or it doesn’t.

Be the agency that’s ready.

🎯 Start your free trial of The Advertist
🔍 Discover how smarter business development can protect your growth
📈 Position your agency for long-term success

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Paul Holmes: Thought PRovoking

We are on the cusp of a fundamental shift in the role that journalism plays in our lives. Terms like “Fake News” exist to downplay scandal, social media has unchained hate and negativity and allowed those with the most money to have biggest voice and to punch down on anyone who speaks out against them.

Public Relations stands at the vanguard of democracy right now, defending free speech, diversity, climate change and exposing hypocrisy and cruelty.

As Chairman of PRovoke Media, Paul Holmes is the figurehead for the world’s public relations business.

If you need to know what’s what in the increasingly influential world of public relations, anywhere in the world, then you’d better speak to Paul.

All of us at The Advertist invite you to check out The Fuel Podcast, where we pull on the experience of leaders of companies in a variety of sectors with loads of fantastic interviews, tips and tales.

To check out this episode of the podcast click here.

Get your agency’s #newbusiness started with The Advertist.  What do you do when the referrals dry up? Do you think it would be better to make new business part of your weekly routine? All the experts agree and a project in motion, stays in motion. You can take a 2-day free trial of the UK’s leading new #businessdevelopment platform and see for yourself how it can elevate your new business workflow: Daily #newbusiness opportunity news. The UK’s most accurate and comprehensive brand and company contact #database. Daily #peoplemoves (#moversandshakers). The UK’s ONLY new business #tender alert service. Hot news of investments, VC funding, tech startups, spinouts and MBOs Sector intelligence, market reports, marketing spend, trends and SWOT charts. Take a free trial here: https://www.theadvertist.com/join.aspx.

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Debbie Little: Better pitching for PR agencies

Are you winning enough business? And when you do win business, is it regular enough and is it the right kind of business? Have you been ghosted? Are clients not revealing budgets until the last minute? Have you had your pitch ideas stolen? Above all – how do you know how much business to win?

All these questions and more are addressed in the new blockbuster PR agency new business report from the PRCA. ‘Pitch Forward’ is an astonishingly detailed survey of PR agencies around the UK on the critical issue of new business.

The report gets up close and personal with PR agencies on their new business habits and more importantly, those of their clients and prospects.

Debbie Little is the PRCA’s ambassador for growth, heading up its Matchmaker service which helps clients find the right agency partner and in conjunction with 3 Gem Research & Insights and PR Software company Muck Rack, Pitch Forward covers every aspect of the pitch process and analyses what works, what doesn’t and how to make sure that you pitch to the right companies at the right time, regularly.

This is a fascinating journey through one of the most secretive aspects of agency leadership.

All of us at The Advertist invite you to check out The Fuel Podcast, where we pull on the experience of leaders of companies in a variety of sectors with loads of fantastic interviews, tips and tales.

To check out this episode of the podcast click here.

Get your agency’s #newbusiness started with The Advertist.  What do you do when the referrals dry up? Do you think it would be better to make new business part of your weekly routine? All the experts agree and a project in motion, stays in motion. You can take a 2-day free trial of the UK’s leading new #businessdevelopment platform and see for yourself how it can elevate your new business workflow: Daily #newbusiness opportunity news. The UK’s most accurate and comprehensive brand and company contact #database. Daily #peoplemoves (#moversandshakers). The UK’s ONLY new business #tender alert service. Hot news of investments, VC funding, tech startups, spinouts and MBOs Sector intelligence, market reports, marketing spend, trends and SWOT charts. Take a free trial here: https://www.theadvertist.com/join.aspx.

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Domenica Di Lieto: Breaking China

Everything you need to know about how to target, grow and thrive in China and the Far East with expert consultant Domenica Di Lieto of Emerging Communications agency.

You’ll learn how important it is to develop a bespoke approach to planting and growing your business in a market governed by a completely different value system.

You’ll hear predictions for business in the Chinese New Year of the snake and learn about the incredible speed of change in culture and business infrastructure.

Learn some of the common business assumptions and why it’s so important to know your new customers and your competitors.

We discuss how the sales process works in China and how the consumer mindset works.

We also discover how the work from home and the 886 culture works as well as hearing about all the new growth opportunities in Asia.

All of us at The Advertist invite you to check out The Fuel Podcast, where we pull on the experience of leaders of companies in a variety of sectors with loads of fantastic interviews, tips and tales.

To check out this episode of the podcast click here.

Get your agency’s #newbusiness started with The Advertist.  What do you do when the referrals dry up? Do you think it would be better to make new business part of your weekly routine? All the experts agree and a project in motion, stays in motion. You can take a 2-day free trial of the UK’s leading new #businessdevelopment platform and see for yourself how it can elevate your new business workflow: Daily #newbusiness opportunity news. The UK’s most accurate and comprehensive brand and company contact #database. Daily #peoplemoves (#moversandshakers). The UK’s ONLY new business #tender alert service. Hot news of investments, VC funding, tech startups, spinouts and MBOs Sector intelligence, market reports, marketing spend, trends and SWOT charts. Take a free trial here: https://www.theadvertist.com/join.aspx.

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Peter Souter: ‘That Christmas’ Special

Peter Souter legendary copywriting genius of the advertising industry and now Co-Producer of Netflix’s animated Christmas hit ‘That Christmas’ with ‘Four Weddings and a Funeral’ and ‘Love Actually’ Director Richard Curtis.

It’s an epic production starring Brian Cox, Bill Nighy, Jodie Whittaker, Fiona Shaw, India Brown and a galaxy of talent, including musical assistance from Ed Sheeran.

And Peter is here to tell us all about it and make sure we all book at least one viewing of it on our Netflix wish list.

We discuss how the movie came into being and what it’s like working with all that talent. We discuss the connection between Walberswick and Stellar Street and why you should always surround yourself with incredible talent.

Peter tells us why it’s important to pay attention to the numbers but to avoid the reviews in this Neo Hollywood landscape and we learn how he uses positive reinforcement.

How are Peter’s advertising and creative skills useful in film making and how good is his Christmas trivia knowledge? It’s all wrapped up in a bow by discussing the other greatest Christmas movie ever made.

Peter is an advertising industry A-lister and now he’s a movie big wig too! We were so lucky to snag him for the show and it was an incredible hour.

All of us at The Advertist invite you to check out The Fuel Podcast, where we pull on the experience of leaders of companies in a variety of sectors with loads of fantastic interviews, tips and tales.

To check out this episode of the podcast click here.

Get your agency’s #newbusiness started with The Advertist.  What do you do when the referrals dry up? Do you think it would be better to make new business part of your weekly routine? All the experts agree and a project in motion, stays in motion. You can take a 2-day free trial of the UK’s leading new #businessdevelopment platform and see for yourself how it can elevate your new business workflow: Daily #newbusiness opportunity news. The UK’s most accurate and comprehensive brand and company contact #database. Daily #peoplemoves (#moversandshakers). The UK’s ONLY new business #tender alert service. Hot news of investments, VC funding, tech startups, spinouts and MBOs Sector intelligence, market reports, marketing spend, trends and SWOT charts. Take a free trial here: https://www.theadvertist.com/join.aspx.

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Peter Anderton: the Two Rules of Great Leadership

TEDx luminary, leadership mentor and coach, now book author, Peter Anderton is on the show to give us a historical lesson in great leadership.

In this show, Peter reveals the simple methods that anyone can learn about how to be a great team, business, sporting, family or company leader.

The secret hacks that will improve your leadership style, learning from the greats of the past.

Peter explains how a kid’s TV game show from the 70’s simply explains all you need to know about motivation and inspiration.

Peter also turns the tables and puts Keith under the spotlight; to examine his perceptions of leadership and he rates his old bosses from best to worst!

You can implement these rules whether you’re a company of one, or a leader of many, and we tell you how you can take a free test to find out what areas you need to improve.

How to focus on the stuff you can control and lessons from Nelson Mandela and Elon Musk’s weaknesses.

The power of positive belief, saying nice things about people behind their back.

How to listen and practice gratitude and why appreciation goes a long way.

All of us at The Advertist invite you to check out The Fuel Podcast, where we pull on the experience of leaders of companies in a variety of sectors with loads of fantastic interviews, tips and tales.

To check out this episode of the podcast click here.

Get your agency’s #newbusiness started with The Advertist.  What do you do when the referrals dry up? Do you think it would be better to make new business part of your weekly routine? All the experts agree and a project in motion, stays in motion. You can take a 2-day free trial of the UK’s leading new #businessdevelopment platform and see for yourself how it can elevate your new business workflow: Daily #newbusiness opportunity news. The UK’s most accurate and comprehensive brand and company contact #database. Daily #peoplemoves (#moversandshakers). The UK’s ONLY new business #tender alert service. Hot news of investments, VC funding, tech startups, spinouts and MBOs Sector intelligence, market reports, marketing spend, trends and SWOT charts. Take a free trial here: https://www.theadvertist.com/join.aspx

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Jason Falls: The Podcast Revolutionary

What makes podcasting such a great advertising platform?

Should you make your own podcast or advertise on existing ones?

Is your story compelling enough to build an audience or is it better to leverage any one of the established 4 million plus podcast hosts?

How podcasts can be used to train your people and help build a remote workforce.

Jason Falls is the CEO of Marketing Podcast Network (www.marketingpodcasts.net) and in this exclusive interview, we discuss how powerful podcasting has become to helping brands target a premium audience.

All of us at The Advertist invite you to check out The Fuel Podcast, where we pull on the experience of leaders of companies in a variety of sectors with loads of fantastic interviews, tips and tales.

To check out this episode of the podcast click here.

Get your agency’s #newbusiness started with The Advertist.  What do you do when the referrals dry up? Do you think it would be better to make new business part of your weekly routine? All the experts agree and a project in motion, stays in motion. You can take a 2-day free trial of the UK’s leading new #businessdevelopment platform and see for yourself how it can elevate your new business workflow: Daily #newbusiness opportunity news. The UK’s most accurate and comprehensive brand and company contact #database. Daily #peoplemoves (#moversandshakers). The UK’s ONLY new business #tender alert service. Hot news of investments, VC funding, tech startups, spinouts and MBOs Sector intelligence, market reports, marketing spend, trends and SWOT charts. Take a free trial here: https://www.theadvertist.com/join.aspx

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Linking-In with Keith & Natasha: The Perfect Client

Join Keith & Natasha as they chew the new business fat after a very long summer and autumn break, as they get to the bottom of what makes the perfect client.

Is there ever such a thing as the perfect client for any agency?

Is it a myth and legend on a par with Excalibur and Xanadu?

The guest for this exciting little podlet is Geraint Edwards, Chief Growth Officer for design agency Tangerine. He helps us answer some of the most intriguing questions around this subject, including:


What makes the perfect client for a creative marketing agency?

What can clients do to get the best out of their agencies?

What should agencies do to get the best out of their clients?

Is it right for agencies to question the brief they’re given?

How should clients react if you offer up diverse, radical ideas?

Plus a perfect news story and Natasha reports on the very latest hair styling trends for the season.

All of us at The Advertist invite you to check out The Fuel Podcast, where we pull on the experience of leaders of companies in a variety of sectors with loads of fantastic interviews, tips and tales.

To check out this episode of the podcast click here.

Get your agency’s #newbusiness started with The Advertist.  What do you do when the referrals dry up? Do you think it would be better to make new business part of your weekly routine? All the experts agree and a project in motion, stays in motion. You can take a 2-day free trial of the UK’s leading new #businessdevelopment platform and see for yourself how it can elevate your new business workflow: Daily #newbusiness opportunity news. The UK’s most accurate and comprehensive brand and company contact #database. Daily #peoplemoves (#moversandshakers). The UK’s ONLY new business #tender alert service. Hot news of investments, VC funding, tech startups, spinouts and MBOs Sector intelligence, market reports, marketing spend, trends and SWOT charts. Take a free trial here: https://www.theadvertist.com/join.aspx

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Steve Fair: The GOOD, the BAD & the UGLY pitch decks

Is your company pet holding your agency’s sales back?

Is your leadership giving out leader-ick vibes?

Agencies often think they know what makes a winning creds deck, web site or even presenter, but if that were the case, you’d win more pitches, right?

Steve Fair of Sponge NB is an expert in agency credentials targeting, preparation and presentation and in this show, he gives us a simple list of do’s and don’ts for advertising, marketing and PR businesses.

He outlines what creds and pitch decks are supposed to say, what to leave in and what to leave out, where to meet, meeting length, meeting chemistry, web site hierarchy, personalisation and the art of cold outreach.

All of us at The Advertist invite you to check out The Fuel Podcast, where we pull on the experience of leaders of companies in a variety of sectors with loads of fantastic interviews, tips and tales.

To check out this episode of the podcast click here.

Get your agency’s #newbusiness started with The Advertist.  What do you do when the referrals dry up? Do you think it would be better to make new business part of your weekly routine? All the experts agree and a project in motion, stays in motion. You can take a 2-day free trial of the UK’s leading new #businessdevelopment platform and see for yourself how it can elevate your new business workflow: Daily #newbusiness opportunity news. The UK’s most accurate and comprehensive brand and company contact #database. Daily #peoplemoves (#moversandshakers). The UK’s ONLY new business #tender alert service. Hot news of investments, VC funding, tech startups, spinouts and MBOs Sector intelligence, market reports, marketing spend, trends and SWOT charts. Take a free trial here: https://www.theadvertist.com/join.aspx

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THE FUEL PODCAST: Nancy Zare: The LinkedIn Whisperer

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then what does your LinkedIn profile say about you?

Your LinkedIn profile copy, posts and pictures should all be carefully crafted to convey the message you want to give.

And so are your prospects’.

This gives you a fantastic opportunity to learn more about the person or company that you’re looking to sell into.

But how do you decode the hidden cues and clues that could mean the difference between you being an also-ran to pole-position contender?

If your LinkedIn profile and web site simply and effectively displayed what you do and how you do it, then you’ll automatically have a 60% greater chance of converting the client.

Nancy Zare is the LinkedIn Whisperer. By day, she helps companies and sales professionals achieve high-quality results by using her psychology background to analyze their prospect targets’ LinkedIn profiles and web presence. By night she rescues dogs!

Nancy’s in-demand talents for helping sales teams are legendary in the USA but not so well known in the UK, but now she’s been on the show, that’s all about to change!

Even the most talented, service-minded people stumble on sales calls, either because they are unsure of how to sell effectively or by accepting “no” too quickly. Her company Rapport Builderz teaches business people to overcome these obstacles to make more money with confidence and ease with her AlikeAbility(TM) System. Helping them understand and communicate like their buyers.

She’s like a forensic detective who uncovers subtle insights that elevate any sales pitch and give every sales call the best possible chance of success.

This show is a masterclass in salescraft techniques that can give your new business effort a boost.

And Nancy is also offering a free exclusive LinkedIn profile audit, to help you see how your LinkedIn profile measures up and give you tips to help you optimize it.

This show perfectly aligns with our mission for 2024 of uncovering the intangible elements of the sales process and is a must-listen for anyone interested in the clever techniques that some might call ‘special sauce’ in new business.

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