It’s Teamspirit’s big 3-0, and we’re celebrating by compiling the most cringeworthy, overused, just-plain-awful corporate jargon into a bingo card you can sneak into your next meeting.

Synergistic, game-changer, best-in-class, out the box thinking… we’ve all got ones that get our goat. And now we need you to share them with us, for posterity.

So, drop your least favourite marketing buzz words into the box below and when people's responses are in we'll send you a patent Teamspirit buzz word bingo card.

Because let’s be honest, we don’t need another paradigm shift.


Let’s circle back on the worst marketing buzzwords of all time. Time to nominate the worst offenders. BHAG? Disruptor? Hyperlocal? For a bit of fun around our 30th birthday, we’re compiling a marketing buzzword bingo card.  Please give us yours here.

Aagh! What marketing buzz words give you the ick?

The confluence of three recent trends have got us thinking about what it might mean to be a ‘star’ fund manager in 2025 and beyond:

1. Interest in Targeted Support. The imminent Advice Guidance Boundary Review could see ‘Targeted Support’ becoming a more popular option, with 50% of financial advisers reviewing their client base for potential segmentation, according to a recent [Dynamic Planner Survey](https://professionalparaplanner.co.uk/half-of-firms-look-to-segment-clients-ahead-of-advice-guidance-boundary-review-outcome/) 
2. The arrival of PISCES (Private Intermittent Securities and Capital Exchange System), the new sandbox market for periodic secondary trading of private company shares.
3. The ascendancy of horoscopes. TikTok has over 4.5m videos tagged ‘astrology’ as of January 2025, and spending on astrology-related products is projected to almost double from $12.8 billion in 2021 to $22.8 billion by 2031, according to [Oxford Brookes University](https://www.brookes.ac.uk/about-brookes/news/news-from-2025/05/expert-comment-why-is-gen-z-looking-to-the-stars-f)

By bringing these three things together, we believe that we can provide ‘Targeted Support’ for people reconsidering their investment strategy, via the medium of Horoscopes.

*Obviously, none of what follows is either advice or guidance.*

__♈ Aries (Ram): March 21–April 19__ - 
Ambitious climbers like you could do well to remember the power of long-term value investing to return mountain-high compounding.

__♉ Taurus (Bull): April 20–May 20__ - 
Bull by name, bullish by nature. Look for those momentum signals to identify potential holdings that will lead the charge.

__♊ Gemini (Twins): May 21–June 21__ - 
Doubling down on your strategy and increasing your exposure to generative AI stocks could lead to significant changes in your fortunes.

__♋ Cancer (Crab): June 22–July 22__ - 
With Saturn in transit consider moving sideways into adjacent verticals and markets in the healthcare space to further diversify your portfolio with additional arms and legs.

__♌ Leo (Lion): July 23–August 22__ - 
Does pride come before a fall? Now isn’t the time to rush to follow the latest tech trends and instead focus on strengthening your core holdings.

__♍ Virgo (Virgin): August 23–September 22__ - 
With mercury in retrograde you need to keep an open-mind about how best to position your portfolio. Don’t rush into any decisions and keep your powder dry.

__♎ Libra (Balance): September 23–October 23__ - 
Rebalancing your portfolio couldn’t come at a better time. Trim your leaders to take some profit and reinvest that in your next growth idea. Don’t forget to review the fundamentals and check for a strong balance sheet.

__♏ Scorpio (Scorpion): October 24–November 21__ - 
It’s well worth exploring options off the beaten path and increasing your exposure to private markets. Just watch out for the potential sting in the tail.

__♐ Sagittarius (Archer): November 22–December 21__ - 
As Venus is in the ascendancy now is the perfect time to be hunting for profit. Consider increasing concentration in your strongest small cap holdings to target potential gains.

__♑ Capricorn (Goat): December 22–January 19__ - 
Although you might be tempted to cut your losses, it’s worth remembering the original motivations for your investment case and remaining stubbornly invested to avoid crystallising the losses.

__♒ Aquarius (Water Bearer): January 20–February 18__ - 
Is it time to consider further diversification, diluting your exposure to markets that look like they may overheat and become steamy?

__♓ Pisces (Fish): February 19–March 20__ - 
Keep an eye out for potentially lucrative floats on the market, and your portfolio certainly won’t flounder.

For a more considered approach to segmentation and Targeted Support, or to discuss other emerging trends you might look to capitalise on, or just to get a personalised star reading, get in touch. 
If you do, I see great things in your future…

As advisers re-think their segmentation to deliver Targeted Support, could Horoscopes be the answer to identifying relevant investment opportunities? Strategy Director Dan Perry thinks… maybe

Star Fund Managers

When I joined Teamspirit, I enjoyed my job but couldn’t help feel something was missing. I’d always loved to write but it wasn’t as huge a part of my day to day (despite working in PR). So naturally I wondered how I might be able to squeeze it in. And that’s when someone mentioned a ‘squiggly career’... my ears pricked up so fast!

But what is a squiggly career? Well, these days careers rarely follow a single path. People change jobs and industries way more often, or even change their role within a company. Teamspirit were keen to help me kickstart my own squiggly career so conversations started and my role evolved into one much more suited to my passions.

It can be daunting raising those kinds of questions with a manager or trusted colleague, but you never know what’s possible for your own career. If you believe you have the skills and can add value, opportunities will arise and doors will open. So I encourage everyone to step out of their comfort zone and explore their own squiggle.

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<br /> 
<br /> 
And if you’d like to hear more from the Teamspiriters, check out some of [our previous episodes](https://www.teamspirit.co.uk/insights/the-teamspiriters).

Joe Hirst, PR Account Manager, explains what a squiggly career is and how he’s been embracing the squiggle here at Teamspirit.

Steering my career

I have told several of my friends and family that we’re launching Unity Works, a DE&I communications specialist proposition this month. I have been met - by and large - with a good giggle. 

I understand! It is not the natural year of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Political headwinds are blowing against ‘woke’ cultural movements, major US companies - including Google, JP Morgan Chase, Citigroup, and BlackRock [1] - are scaling back their DE&I policies and targets, and economic stagnation combined with tariff chaos means business leaders have other things to worry about. Perhaps it is a moment of madness. 

But I think there's a method in it too. 

There are three main issues facing businesses when it comes to marketing inclusion, and they’re not going anywhere. 

Firstly, __consumer spending power continues to follow authentic inclusive campaigns__. No cultural vibe shifts can mask the realities of an ever-more diverse population, and that diverse population wants to spend its money on brands doing things well. Adverts featuring black people perform better[2], 50% of people are more likely to recommend a product or service if their advertisements are diverse and representative[3], and 71% of LGBTQ consumers are more likely to interact with an online ad that authentically represents their sexual orientation[4]. With marketing budgets contracting, performance and ROI is everything; authentic inclusive campaigns are a financial must-have. 

Secondly, __regulatory and legislative pressure is bedding in, not backing off__. At a sector level, the FCA’s DE&I in FS consultation paper is crystal clear: “diversity and inclusion are regulatory concerns”[5]. Even with no new DE&I rules and regs[6], the FCA still plans to support industry initiatives which boost diversity. Concurrently, the Financial Reporting Council’s revisions to the Corporate Governance Code - which came into play this January - place additional pressure on Boards in particular, requiring a diversity of personal attributes, inclusive culture, and diverse executive pipeline for good corporate governance[7]. 

And at a broader policy level, last Autumn, the Labour Government announced a draft Equality (Race and Disability) Bill[8] confirming their intention to introduce a mandatory requirement for employers of 250+ employees to publish their disability and ethnicity pay gaps. While there’s no set date, it is likely the mandate for firms to have this data collected will hit within the next year - and this brings a whole host of challenges to communicate the findings well. 

Thirdly and lastly, all of those concerns about productivity, growth, and the bottom line are all well and good, but the UK is 80% service-led… and those services are driven by people. The __UK is heavily dependent on an engaged, happy, productive workforce__. Our recent research revealed that 71% of C-suites and HR Directors in the UK believe DE&I is going to be more important to prospective employees in the next couple of years. Businesses that fail to talk about diversity properly will fall behind in the recruitment race - and those that can run engaging, authentic, cool campaigns will be top of the list for young talent.

So with these three pressures, AND a more complex societal conversation, it actually feels like businesses are crying out for expertise more than ever before. 

That’s why we’re launching Unity Works, and why we’re launching it now. We can use our truly second-to-none specialist skills, across strategy, PR and research, social and search, digital development, content, and creative to solve client communications challenges which link to diversity, equity, and inclusion. We can do it as consultants, balancing business needs with communications excellence. And we can do it with passion, energy, and authenticity - we love inclusive comms, and we’re here to help you love it too. 

To find out more about Unity Works, check our our webpage [here](https://www.teamspirit.co.uk/insights/unity-works) or email [unityworks@teamspirit.co.uk](mailto:unityworks@teamspirit.co.uk)

## Sources:

1. [https://www.forbes.com/sites/conormurray/2025/03/01/state-street-drops-corporate-board-diversity-requirement-here-are-all-the-companies-cutting-dei-programs/](https://www.forbes.com/sites/conormurray/2025/03/01/state-street-drops-corporate-board-diversity-requirement-here-are-all-the-companies-cutting-dei-programs/)
2. [https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/big-uplift-performance-when-black-people-themselves-represented-ads/1730746](https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/big-uplift-performance-when-black-people-themselves-represented-ads/1730746)
3. [https://www.statista.com/statistics/1331225/customer-attitude-diversity-inclusion-in-advertising-us-uk/](https://www.statista.com/statistics/1331225/customer-attitude-diversity-inclusion-in-advertising-us-uk/)
4. [https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/future-of-marketing/management-and-culture/diversity-and-inclusion/inclusive-marketing-consumer-data/](https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/future-of-marketing/management-and-culture/diversity-and-inclusion/inclusive-marketing-consumer-data/)
5. CP23/20: Diversity and inclusion in the financial sector – working together to drive change - Foreword p3 
6. [https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/mar/12/bank-of-england-decides-against-new-rules-on-improving-diversity-and-inclusion](https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/mar/12/bank-of-england-decides-against-new-rules-on-improving-diversity-and-inclusion)
7. [https://sustainability.slaughterandmay.com/post/102j73g/the-uk-corporate-governance-code-2024-changes-from-a-sustainability-and-di-pers](https://sustainability.slaughterandmay.com/post/102j73g/the-uk-corporate-governance-code-2024-changes-from-a-sustainability-and-di-pers)
8. [https://www.gov.uk/government/news/office-for-equality-and-opportunity-to-break-down-barriers-to-opportunity](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/office-for-equality-and-opportunity-to-break-down-barriers-to-opportunity)

A moment of madness?

Critical illness is not traditionally the easiest category to gain positive awareness for in consumer media.

But our work for AIG Life was recently recognized for doing just this, winning gold in the PR and Brand Storytelling category at the Marketing Week Masters awards.

Beating shortlisted entries from Lego, Vodafone, Greenpeace and the Roald Dahl Foundation, our winning campaign told the story of Max, a toddler who was
diagnosed at birth as being profoundly deaf. Protected by AIG Life, Max’s parents received a no quibble pay out for their claim, allowing them to give Max the care and quality of life he – and his family - needed.

An innovative content and PR strategy led to interviews on ITV’s Lorraine, BBC and ITV news, sending the story viral.  Well over 200,000 views were achieved across YouTube, national media, Facebook and Twitter. Cover magazine described the activity as ‘a communications vision for the industry’.

Critical illness is not traditionally the easiest category to gain positive awareness for in consumer media. But our work for AIG Life was recently recognized for doing just this...

‘Max’s Story’ wins Marketing Week Masters

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