Having opened our New York office in July 2023, we were delighted to have been recognised by the BritishAmerican Business (BAB) in this year’s Transatlantic Growth Campaign and Tracker.  

Last week at the Institute of Directors we joined the roundtable to discuss UK investment and expansion into the US, hearing from a range of businesses of all sizes who have also opened offices and manufacturing facilities in North America in the past year.

The conversation covered topics including the importance of relationships, growth expectations and sustainability. 

For one professional services provider, a merger with an existing player in the marketplace had proved key, working because of shared cultural values. An anecdote about language and the need for human conversation rang true, with the words ‘significant turnover’ having polar opposite meanings - positive in British English (increased revenue), disastrous in American English (employee reduction).

Many shared that the US had now become the leading business market very quickly. 

Whilst almost all talked about the demand and growth in sustainable and responsible businesses and services, it was exciting to hear how the energy transition continues and the committed investment to making biomass and heat energy more prolific.

The roundtable was a precursor to the actual awards ceremony. Congratulations to winners Drax, Stax and Tower Cold Chain.  Then the networking began, the evening providing a great opportunity to meet other transatlantic pond hoppers - and create new alliances.  As always, personal relationships remain at the heart of doing business and we walked away from the event with some great new contacts.

With thanks to BAB for making Teamspirit part of this year’s celebration and continuing to help businesses strengthen that transatlantic leap.

![BritishAmerican Business Images](//images.ctfassets.net/sxw14dxmazhg/3CAfczTkdW6OYWN5dP2Oxz/2b1c07619a9921b4d4909079cc267027/Presentation1.png)

BritishAmerican Business roundtable celebrates the value of pond hopping

Over the last few weeks our PR team took to the streets of London, hundreds of mini jars of honey in hand, to visit journalists at the national, consumer and trade titles we speak to every day.

A desk drop used to be a classic PR technique. Pre-pandemic, a press release would accompany a gift that would land on journalists desks for them to cover on that day (ideally) with an electronic version arriving in their inbox at the same time. In spring 2020 we hand-delivered hundreds of money plants to the business and money desks across the capital, to celebrate our 25th birthday and remind them that we’re here to help money stories grow. Unfortunately, Covid hit a few days later - some journalists managed to take their plants home or keep them alive over their visits to the office, but many were lost. In a silver lining, a journalist wrote a short story based on the idea, which won her awards for fiction! 

Then the pandemic killed the desk drop - hundreds of journalists working at home aren’t quite so easy to reach in one fail swoop. 

But with journalists now back in the office, for at least a few days a week, it’s firmly time for the resurrection of the art form. I think it’s a great way to keep yourselves, and what you stand for, on journalists’ radars - and for those you haven’t met yet, to begin to build relationships with them. 

While we tucked into pizza on Budget Day, we spotted that Asda’s PR team had sent the money and politics desks at the nationals a hamper full of snacks to keep the journalists fuelled on one of their busiest days of the year. Smart, timely, and relevant. 

We chose to send journalists a pot of honey and a personalised honey twizzler. Not the first thing you might expect from a financial services PR agency. But, in ancient times, honey really was money. It was used to pay taxes and barter in shops. And today, it still is. Pollinators, like honey bees, contribute a huge $22bn to the European agricultural industry per year - not just in the honey they produce, but the crops they fertilise which grows the food we eat. 

While we don’t confess to be experts in hives and honey, we do pride ourselves in being experts in finding different ways to tell a story. Hence the honey desk drop. All with the plus side that our honey comes handmade straight from a Teamspiriter’s hive in the Sussex countryside.

And we decided to hand deliver the honey because it’s critical for us to be out and about, meeting journalists face-to-face - media excellence requires personal relationships. And it was great fun for the whole team, embracing the March showers and negotiations with receptionists across the city. 

And so far, it’s received rave reviews.

“Thanks so much – it’s really "sweet" and kind of you all!” 

“The honey pots are so cute and the little TS honey dippers were incredible. A happy team!”

“My colleagues who have tried the honey say it is delicious so thanks very much."

![Creating a buzz - Content](//images.ctfassets.net/sxw14dxmazhg/5HD1pZTPcdo9EDX2LLXg5s/249540907a60d1fbe5d5b3d1f6066534/Creating_a_buzz.jpg)

Over the last few weeks our PR team took to the streets of London to deliver some sweet desk drops to journalists. Read more about the art of the desk drop here:

Buzzing around London

__At our recent AI & Ethics breakfast event (with the Financial Services Forum) we explored how responsible brand guardians can enable AI to revolutionise marketing, without compromising ethical principles.__

With over 100bn users now using ChatGPT weekly, the breakfast event, held at JM Finn, discussed how AI can revolutionise marketing without compromising ethical principles.
Thanks to our expert panel for their invaluable professional perspective:

- David Copping, Partner, Farrer & Co.
- Nuno Godinho, Group CEO, Industrial Thought Ltd.
- Derek Yates, Associate Professor and Head of Creative Lab, Ravensbourne University London.
- Crispin Heath, Head of Digital, Teamspirit.

The UK is keen to take a pro innovation stance[1] and the City of London Corporation’s report, AI Accelerating Innovation, shows that the City is already harnessing this technology in positive and ambitious ways[2]. 90% of banks have already dedicated resources to generative AI initiatives with the goal of providing better customer experiences, improving risk management and creating innovative products[3].

The panel started by talking about the positive possibilities that AI is creating, particularly its ability to create more personalised recommendations and communications. And reducing volumes of repetitive work. Derek Yates, Head of Creative Lab, Ravensbourne University, highlighted its ability to create inclusion with the shift from making by hand, to thinking and visualising.

We then delved into one of the criticisms, the AI data bias which is undetectable to most people. Latest research in Scientific American suggests human users may unconsciously absorb these automated biases[4].

Nuno Godinho, Group CEO, Industrial Thought Ltd explained that the bias will exist and be reinforced if you let AI exclusively use existing and undirected sources, and shared examples of just how quickly bias is revealed when AI is left undirected. ‘Prompt Engineers’, individuals who set the direction for what is being sought by AI, will become a vital future role. Businesses, therefore, need to be vigilant in not creating a new bias by programming AI to only reflect their current business. Nuno went as far as forewarning about the risk of FS businesses using the same AI tools, which could lead to in inadvertent market manipulation in supporting similar stock picks.

Next the issue of how brands can ensure content authenticity and protection was explored. According to Gartner’s CMO Priorities report 2024, 55% of brand reputation leaders are concerned about risks associated with GenAI. Crispin Heath, Head of Digital, Teamspirit talked about the increasing ability to create brand content which is already turbo charging social content. AI output is often more vanilla and risks brand dilution which is why he advocates less output of better quality as the overriding objective.  

The conversation then moved to IP and defining the lines of ownership when using AI for creation. David Copping, Partner, Farrer & Co, outlined the UK’s existing framework around copyright and ownership which the regulator continues to promote. For David, transparency is critical and encourages companies to have an agreed approach to AI and to maintain a record of the prompts employed to direct their AI outputs. Ultimately the panel discussed how, similar to the music industry, the market will mature towards immutable tokenisation that will help to provide clarity around ownership.

The panel concluded by providing their top three tips for successfully integrating AI into future marketing strategies. Becoming familiar with the tool that AI provides is critical as the better the prompts the better the results.  Key is remembering that it is a tool not an end product in its own right. It provides possibilities that have the potential to allow greater inclusion, when used responsibly.

Join us in September where we will be discussing the latest usage cases as AI’s deployment matures.

---

## Sources:

1. UK Gov pro innovation stance March 2023, and interim report [here](https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5803/cmselect/cmsctech/1769/summary.html)
2. [https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/supporting-businesses/economic-research/research-publications/ai-accelerating-innovation](https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/supporting-businesses/economic-research/research-publications/ai-accelerating-innovation)
3. [https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/supporting-businesses/economic-research/research-publications/ai-accelerating-innovation](https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/supporting-businesses/economic-research/research-publications/ai-accelerating-innovation)
4. [https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/humans-absorb-bias-from-ai-and-keep-it-after-they-stop-using-the-algorithm/](https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/humans-absorb-bias-from-ai-and-keep-it-after-they-stop-using-the-algorithm/)

While AI is helping rethink the accepted rules of marketing creation and production, it presents an ethical minefield that embraces inclusion, privacy, consent, trust and accountability. 

AI & Ethics: Revolutionising marketing without compromising ethical principles 

## Breakfast Event

### __Thursday 21 March 2024__

__8.45am Registration, 9-10am Panel Discussion__
__Venue: JM Finn, 25 Copthall Avenue, London EC2R 7AH__

### Can AI revolutionise marketing without compromising ethical principles?

As AI is increasingly integrated into marketing, what are the ethical considerations marketers need to consider to ensure its responsible and equitable use?

With many favouring a pro innovation stance, the reality is nuanced, with social issues ranging from data set bias and consent, to increased carbon footprints through limitless content creation. So, what do marketers need to be aware of as they seek to maximise AI’s potential in future strategies?

Join our panel as they discuss the latest creative, legal, and moral considerations for AI usage in marketing.

__[SIGN ME UP NOW](mailto:hello@teamspirit.co.uk?subject=FSF%20Breakfast%20Event:%2021st%20March%202024)__

### Speakers

![EventPanel](//images.ctfassets.net/sxw14dxmazhg/6qalIopTIWqUOHqMWvr2aB/ed8aa29c42ba3cf1e2acf8adf121c00c/EventPanel.png)

As AI is increasingly integrated into marketing, what are the ethical considerations marketers need to consider? Join our panel as they discuss the latest creative, legal, and moral considerations for AI usage in marketing.

FinTech Breakfast Event: Can AI revolutionise marketing without compromising ethical principles?

We’re over the moon, having just been shortlisted for ‘Agency of the Year’ in the 2018 Financial Services Forum Marketing Effectiveness Awards.  We’re particularly pleased as it’s the second time in as many years.  And follows directly on from the launch of our ‘People First’ strategy, a key element of our 2016 rebrand as The Transformation Agency.
 
For Teamspirit, The FSF awards are one of the most important in the calendar to win.  Firstly because they’re focused on results for our clients – both at marketing and business level.  And secondly because they’re where we compete against the best of our financial services peers – both in the UK and overseas.
 
The ‘Agency of the Year’ nomination is in addition to the three additional entries we were shortlisted for a month ago (for PR, Brand Strategy and Digital Marketing categories).  Fingers firmly crossed.
 


We’re over the moon, having just been shortlisted for ‘Agency of the Year’ in the 2018 Financial Services Forum Marketing Effectiveness Awards.

We've been shortlisted for the FSF Agency of the Year!

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