{"id":17406,"date":"2023-09-11T14:34:08","date_gmt":"2023-09-11T13:34:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/?post_type=news&#038;p=17406"},"modified":"2023-09-11T14:34:08","modified_gmt":"2023-09-11T13:34:08","slug":"vccp-group-launches-calico-to-revolutionise-market-research-operations","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/news\/2023\/sep\/vccp-group-launches-calico-to-revolutionise-market-research-operations","title":{"rendered":"VCCP Group launches Calico to revolutionise Market Research Operations"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"lazyblock-two-column-text-quote-image-ZxJrIG wp-block-lazyblock-two-column-text-quote-image\"><section class=\"fullwidth fullwidth--overflow \" data-aos=\"fade-up\">\r\n  <div class=\"container container--spaced-lg\">\r\n    \r\n    <div class=\"row\">\r\n      \r\n      <div class=\"col-md-6\">\r\n        <p><b>London, 8th September 2023:<\/b> <b>Watermelon Research<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, part of <\/span><b>VCCP Group<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, today announced the official launch of <\/span><b>Calico<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, a new technology-focused market research operations agency<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">With a mission to make their clients\u2019 lives easier the new agency aims to provide a \u2018one-stop shop\u2019 for specialised Insight agencies to get all of their operational needs from just one provider.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Calico is brought to market by Mark Squires, CEO of Watermelon Research, a leading CX agency that drives tangible business improvements for large organisations across a range of sectors.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Mark Squires, CEO of Watermelon Research<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> said: \u201cAt Watermelon, we\u2019ve always taken a client-focussed approach to our business, immersing ourselves in our clients\u2019 cultures and ways of working, integrating with them and acting as one team.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cOur goal with Calico is to provide this same service to the rest of the industry and deliver best-in-class operations to other agencies that want to focus on insight and analysis, rather than supplier management and operational headaches.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Backed by a team of seasoned experts and powered by state-of-the-art technologies, Calico is primed to deliver on its three core business propositions: complex survey scripting, global fieldwork and data services.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Calico will manage all MR operations including translations, quality procedures and data processing, and will be led by David Adley, who started his career at Facts International\u2019s operations centre in 2010 and has been Watermelon\u2019s Director of Operations since 2020.<\/span><\/p>        \r\n                \r\n  \t\t\t      <\/div>\r\n      \r\n      <div class=\"col-md-6\">\r\n    \t\t<p><b>David Adley, Managing Director of Calico<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> added: \u201cOur in-house team of programmers and client managers not only understand the principles of market research, but also the pressures of our industry, and our goal is to provide a transparent and trustworthy service to our clients\u201d said Adley, adding \u201cThe team we\u2019ve put together really loves what they do and can\u2019t wait to get out there and work with other passionate researchers to provide a hassle-free solution to MR Ops.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The name Calico draws inspiration from calico cats, who proudly display three colours in their coats, and Calico will similarly present three clear business priorities:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Expert survey scripting &#8211; from the simple to the highly complex (including max diffs,<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">conjoints and integration with external software), Calico\u2019s in-house team of programmers<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">script surveys in multiple platforms and optimise survey design to deliver engaging and user-friendly interfaces.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Efficient and tailored global fieldwork &#8211; Calico partners with dozens of consumer, B2B and specialist panels, deploying and blending them independently and impartially based on their suitability to provide the best solution for each and every project.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Quality-focussed data solutions &#8211; utilising market-leading automated in-survey checks<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">alongside a large in-house team of QC specialists, Calico will provide ultimate flexibility on how data is processed and provided, backed up with state of the art data security and protection, with ISO 27001 and Cyber Essentials accreditation.<\/span><\/p>  \t\t<\/div>\r\n  \t\t\r\n    <\/div>\r\n    \r\n  <\/div>\r\n<\/section><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":67,"template":"","categories":[191],"class_list":["post-17406","news","type-news","status-publish","hentry","category-agency-news"],"acf":{"author":false,"capability_ids":[],"client_id":"","hero_video":"","hero_image":{"ID":17410,"id":17410,"title":"Calico","filename":"Calico.png","filesize":95797,"url":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Calico.png","link":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/news\/2023\/sep\/vccp-group-launches-calico-to-revolutionise-market-research-operations\/attachment\/calico","alt":"","author":"57","description":"","caption":"","name":"calico","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":17406,"date":"2023-09-11 12:05:18","modified":"2023-09-11 12:05:18","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/png","type":"image","subtype":"png","icon":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1920,"height":1080,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Calico-150x150.png","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Calico-300x169.png","medium-width":300,"medium-height":169,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Calico-768x432.png","medium_large-width":640,"medium_large-height":360,"large":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Calico-1024x576.png","large-width":640,"large-height":360,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Calico-1536x864.png","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":864,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Calico.png","2048x2048-width":1920,"2048x2048-height":1080,"Header":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Calico-1920x720.png","Header-width":1920,"Header-height":720,"Wide":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Calico-1920x960.png","Wide-width":1920,"Wide-height":960,"Square":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Calico-768x768.png","Square-width":768,"Square-height":768,"Tall":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Calico-307x615.png","Tall-width":307,"Tall-height":615,"Mobile":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Calico-768x960.png","Mobile-width":768,"Mobile-height":960,"Facebook":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Calico-1200x630.png","Facebook-width":1200,"Facebook-height":630,"Grid-Item-Square":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Calico-768x768.png","Grid-Item-Square-width":768,"Grid-Item-Square-height":768,"Grid-Item-Wide":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Calico-768x384.png","Grid-Item-Wide-width":768,"Grid-Item-Wide-height":384,"Grid-Item-Tall":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Calico-307x615.png","Grid-Item-Tall-width":307,"Grid-Item-Tall-height":615}},"meta-title":"VCCP Group launches Calico to revolutionise Market Research Operations","meta-description":"London, 8th September 2023: Watermelon Research, part of VCCP Group, today announced the official launch of Calico, a new technology-focused market research operations agency.","social-media-image":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Calico.png","news_id":"191","related_content_title":"You may also like","relateditems":[{"relateditem":{"ID":16557,"post_author":"57","post_date":"2023-05-25 10:26:46","post_date_gmt":"2023-05-25 09:26:46","post_content":"<!-- wp:image {\"align\":\"center\",\"id\":16566,\"sizeSlug\":\"large\",\"linkDestination\":\"none\"} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><img src=\"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Team_faith_Group-AI_16x9-2-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-16566\" \/><figcaption>*faith team group shot:<br><strong>Left Top-Right:<\/strong> Alex, Michael, Phil, Luke, Morten&nbsp;<br><strong>Bottom Left - Right:<\/strong> Yariella, Kate, Ben, Peter, Henal, Claire, Harriet and Michael<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:lazyblock\/two-column-text-quote-image {\"text-left\":\"\\u003cp\\u003e\\u003cb\\u003e\\u003ci\\u003eSage will be the agency\u2019s founding client\\u003c\/i\\u003e\\u003c\/b\\u003e\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003e\\u003cspan style=\\u0022font-weight: 400\\u0022\\u003eThe UK\u2019s leading creative agency VCCP, is today launching an AI creative agency called \\u003c\/span\\u003e\\u003cb\\u003efaith\\u003c\/b\\u003e\\u003cspan style=\\u0022font-weight: 400\\u0022\\u003e. The new agency will act as the Group\u2019s Generative AI creative shop, producing work for new and existing clients and through a pioneering partnership with two universities will also act as an explorative R\\u0026amp;D hub.\\u003c\/span\\u003e\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003e\\u003cspan style=\\u0022font-weight: 400\\u0022\\u003eThe agency launches globally and will work alongside VCCP\u2019s seven international offices, servicing VCCP\u2019s worldwide roster of clients. VCCP has created and been using generative AI tools for several years within its media, data, planning, production and UX\/UI capabilities. This move sees the network further invest in their AI capabilities to accelerate and diversify their learning and client offering\\u003c\/span\\u003e\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003e\\u003cb\\u003efaith \\u003c\/b\\u003e\\u003cspan style=\\u0022font-weight: 400\\u0022\\u003ewill be spearheaded by VCCP Partnership CEO, Michael Sugden who will also become CEO of faith. The agency will launch with a collective of 14 practitioners made up of creatives, technologists, prompt engineers, strategists, data analysts and makers.\u00a0\\u003c\/span\\u003e\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003e\\u003cspan style=\\u0022font-weight: 400\\u0022\\u003eTalking about the agency\u2019s ambition Sugden \\u003c\/span\\u003e\\u003cspan style=\\u0022font-weight: 400\\u0022\\u003eexplains: \u201cWe have faith that AI, used responsibly, will be an unparallelled accelerator of human creativity and imagination. We reject the notion that AI will make human creativity obsolete. Sugden continues \u201cWe won\u2019t realise this potential however by\\u003c\/span\\u003e\\u003cspan style=\\u0022font-weight: 400\\u0022\\u003e noodling around with MidJourney and Chat GPT. This is why we\u2019re launching a dedicated agency to advance AI\u2019s creative applications, accelerate our collective learning and share it quickly with our clients\u201d.\\u003c\/span\\u003e\\u003cb\\u003e \\u003c\/b\\u003e\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003e\\u003cb\\u003efaith\\u003c\/b\\u003e\\u003cspan style=\\u0022font-weight: 400\\u0022\\u003e launches with a founding client Sage, the leaders in accounting, financial, HR and payroll technology.\\u003c\/span\\u003e\\u003cb\\u003e Cath Keers, Chief Marketing Officer at Sage\\u003c\/b\\u003e\\u003cspan style=\\u0022font-weight: 400\\u0022\\u003e explains: \u201c\\u003c\/span\\u003e\\u003cspan style=\\u0022font-weight: 400\\u0022\\u003eAs a market leading technology company, thousands of Sage customers are already benefiting from AI solutions and services, elevating the work of humans and freeing them from repetitive administration tasks. AI also provides us with powerful insights that help us deliver a more personalised and human experience for our customers.\\u003c\/span\\u003e\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003e\\u003cspan style=\\u0022font-weight: 400\\u0022\\u003e\u201cWe are excited about the possibilities of this collaboration and what it gives us from a creative agency perspective.\u201d\\u003c\/span\\u003e\\u003cspan style=\\u0022font-weight: 400\\u0022\\u003e\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\\u003c\/span\\u003e\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003e\\u003cb\\u003efaith\\u003c\/b\\u003e\\u003cspan style=\\u0022font-weight: 400\\u0022\\u003e launches with two knowledge sharing R\\u0026amp;D partnerships with universities at the forefront of innovation in the creative and technology sectors.\u00a0\\u003c\/span\\u003e\\u003c\/p\\u003e\",\"text-right\":\"\\u003cp\\u003e\\u003cspan style=\\u0022font-weight: 400\\u0022\\u003eA Knowledge Transfer Partnership with Staffordshire University\u2019s Digital Technologies and Arts faculty will be focused on designing the new \u201cframeworks for use\u201d within the industry. A partnership with Keele University Business School will explore the implications of AI on the operational and commercial structure of businesses.\u00a0\\u003c\/span\\u003e\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003e\\u003cspan style=\\u0022font-weight: 400\\u0022\\u003eVCCP Partnership Chief Strategy Officer Michael Lee will also become CSO of \\u003c\/span\\u003e\\u003cb\\u003efaith\\u003c\/b\\u003e\\u003cspan style=\\u0022font-weight: 400\\u0022\\u003e. He explains \u201cWe\u2019re delighted to have partnerships with two of the most forward-thinking universities in the UK. Staffs \\u003c\/span\\u003e\\u003cspan style=\\u0022font-weight: 400\\u0022\\u003eis a world leader in virtual production, and \\u003c\/span\\u003e\\u003cspan style=\\u0022font-weight: 400\\u0022\\u003eKeele University has already worked successfully with other industries such as law and architecture to develop and understand the implications and opportunity of real world applications of AI.\u201d\\u003c\/span\\u003e\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003e\\u003cb\\u003eDr Colin Rigby, Director of Enterprise\\u003c\/b\\u003e\\u003cspan style=\\u0022font-weight: 400\\u0022\\u003e at \\u003c\/span\\u003e\\u003cb\\u003eKeele University\u2019s Business Schoo\\u003c\/b\\u003e\\u003cspan style=\\u0022font-weight: 400\\u0022\\u003el said: \u201cWe\u2019re very excited to be working in partnership with VCCP. At KBS we\u2019ve been exploring the potential of AI in areas as diverse as neuromarketing, net zero opportunities, customer service and work enrichment. The creative sector is an area of almost unlimited potential for successful application of these new AI capabilities.\u201d\\u003c\/span\\u003e\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003e\\u003cb\\u003eProfessor Carlton Reeve, Associate Dean for Research and Enterprise, School of Digital, Technologies and Arts, Staffordshire University\\u003c\/b\\u003e\\u003cspan style=\\u0022font-weight: 400\\u0022\\u003e added: \u201c\\u003c\/span\\u003e\\u003cspan style=\\u0022font-weight: 400\\u0022\\u003eWe have a unique transdisciplinary approach that brings together expertise from diverse but complementary disciplines ranging from art and design to engineering including media, games and computing. Our partnership with VCCP is an important way to explore new ideas and ways of working with AI in the creative sector. It\u2019s great for our staff to share and develop their expertise and for our students who gain invaluable real world experience.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\\u003c\/span\\u003e\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003e\\u003cspan style=\\u0022font-weight: 400\\u0022\\u003eWith the belief that AI should only ever be used for good, \\u003c\/span\\u003e\\u003cb\\u003efaith \\u003c\/b\\u003e\\u003cspan style=\\u0022font-weight: 400\\u0022\\u003elaunches with a detailed generative AI policy based around four principles:\\u003c\/span\\u003e\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003col\\u003e\\n\\u003cli style=\\u0022font-weight: 400\\u0022\\u003e\\u003cb\\u003eBe Transparent\\u003c\/b\\u003e\\u003cspan style=\\u0022font-weight: 400\\u0022\\u003e when AI is being used\\u003c\/span\\u003e\\u003c\/li\\u003e\\n\\u003cli style=\\u0022font-weight: 400\\u0022\\u003e\\u003cb\\u003eBe Authentic\\u003c\/b\\u003e\\u003cspan style=\\u0022font-weight: 400\\u0022\\u003e, fact-check AI-generated content\\u003c\/span\\u003e\\u003c\/li\\u003e\\n\\u003cli style=\\u0022font-weight: 400\\u0022\\u003e\\u003cb\\u003eBe Compliant\\u003c\/b\\u003e\\u003cspan style=\\u0022font-weight: 400\\u0022\\u003e and break no laws\\u003c\/span\\u003e\\u003c\/li\\u003e\\n\\u003cli style=\\u0022font-weight: 400\\u0022\\u003e\\u003cb\\u003eBe Ethical\\u003c\/b\\u003e\\u003cspan style=\\u0022font-weight: 400\\u0022\\u003e, only use AI for good\\u003c\/span\\u003e\\u003c\/li\\u003e\\n\\u003c\/ol\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003e\\u003cspan style=\\u0022font-weight: 400\\u0022\\u003eThe shop is actively recruiting for further prompt engineers. For further information on faith, please visit \\u003c\/span\\u003e\\u003ca href=\\u0022https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/capabilities\/ai\\u0022\\u003e\\u003cspan style=\\u0022font-weight: 400\\u0022\\u003ehttps:\/\/www.vccp.com\/capabilities\/ai\\u003c\/span\\u003e\\u003c\/a\\u003e\\u003cspan style=\\u0022font-weight: 400\\u0022\\u003e.\u00a0\\u003c\/span\\u003e\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003e\u00a0\\u003c\/p\\u003e\",\"blockId\":\"Z1AuAtM\",\"blockUniqueClass\":\"lazyblock-two-column-text-quote-image-Z1AuAtM\"} \/-->\n\n<!-- wp:lazyblock\/quote-full-width {\"quote\":\"We have faith that AI, used responsibly, will be an unparallelled accelerator of human creativity and imagination.\",\"quotee\":\"VCCP Partnership and faith CEO, Michael Sugden \",\"blockId\":\"1ge9h7\",\"blockUniqueClass\":\"lazyblock-quote-full-width-1ge9h7\"} \/-->","post_title":"VCCP launches AI creative agency, faith","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"vccp-launches-ai-creative-agency-faith","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-05-25 10:38:22","post_modified_gmt":"2023-05-25 09:38:22","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/?post_type=news&#038;p=16557","menu_order":0,"post_type":"news","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}},{"relateditem":{"ID":17326,"post_author":"57","post_date":"2023-09-04 11:07:15","post_date_gmt":"2023-09-04 10:07:15","post_content":"<!-- wp:lazyblock\/text-full-width {\"text\":\"\\u003ch4 style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eFor his latest Campaign column, VCCP's Chairman and Founding Partner Charles Vallance asks if we are beginning to see light at the end of the permacrisis tunnel.\\u003c\/h4\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003e\\u003cspan style=\\u0022font-weight: 400\\u0022\\u003eAre we beginning to see a chink of light at the end of the permacrisis tunnel?\u00a0\\u003c\/span\\u003e\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003e\\u003cspan style=\\u0022font-weight: 400\\u0022\\u003eIt may be faint, and it may be flickering, but it looks like a slight glow is detectable. The last few weeks have seen a steady flow if not of exactly good news, then at least of less than exactly bad news.\u00a0\\u003c\/span\\u003e\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003e\\u003cspan style=\\u0022font-weight: 400\\u0022\\u003eHeadline inflation fell from 7.9 percent in June to 6.8 percent in July. Still high. But lower, all the same. Even core inflation is beginning to subside, falling from 7.3 percent in May, to 6.9 percent in June and 6.8 percent in July.\u00a0\\u003c\/span\\u003e\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003e\\u003cspan style=\\u0022font-weight: 400\\u0022\\u003eOn the demand side, wages grew by 7.8 percent in the April to June period, the highest annual growth rate since comparable records began in 2001, which means that wage inflation is now outstripping price inflation. According to GfK, savings confidence was at a 21-month high in June, which is perhaps not surprising given that, according to the Bank of England, household deposits stood at \u00a3340 billion, 23 percent higher than they were on the eve of the pandemic.\u00a0\\u003c\/span\\u003e\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003e\\u003cspan style=\\u0022font-weight: 400\\u0022\\u003eIt is important, of course, that these positive statistics are seen in the context of more negative ones. For instance, after hitting a 50-year low, unemployment has edged up from 3.8 percent to 4.2 percent over recent months. Similarly, having climbed to a 17-month high in June, the GfK Consumer Confidence Index fell back by 6 points in July.\u00a0\\u003c\/span\\u003e\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003e\\u003cspan style=\\u0022font-weight: 400\\u0022\\u003eMore importantly still, it is vital to understand that the effects of the cost of living crisis are very far from evenly distributed. Some groups in society have been less impacted, and have even been cushioned by what David Smith recently described in the Sunday Times as \\u0022involuntary savings\\u0022. In a segmentation study commissioned by VCCP, these groups are classified as 'Carefree Comfortables', representing 33 percent of the population. For other groups, the impact has been severe, and they have faced serious financial difficulties ever since the spike in inflation began nearly two years ago. In the same study, these groups are classified as 'Just Hanging On\u2019, representing 27 percent of the population and highlighting the polarised nature of the cost of living crisis and the severity of its effects across different social groupings.\u00a0\\u003c\/span\\u003e\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003e\\u003cspan style=\\u0022font-weight: 400\\u0022\\u003eJust like the economic news, it is a mixed picture, with mixed signals. Some markets are doing very well, especially 'revenge spending' categories such as holidays, flights and live events. Other categories are struggling, particularly those that are affected by high interest rates, such as house sales and new car purchases.\u00a0\\u003c\/span\\u003e\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003e\\u003cspan style=\\u0022font-weight: 400\\u0022\\u003eThe big question, as we look ahead, is whether the recent trickle of good news will gain sufficient momentum for consumers to feel that the tide is turning, that they are nearing the end of the cost of living crisis. Renewed consumer confidence, coupled with high savings levels, falling inflation and rising wages could herald a bumper year for brands in 2024, certainly by comparison to the last three years.\u00a0\\u003c\/span\\u003e\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003e\\u003cspan style=\\u0022font-weight: 400\\u0022\\u003eAccording to a recent survey by Citi Research, it would seem that the consensus within marketing departments is that we might well be turning the corner. They interviewed 175 CMO's in 5 countries and found that the anticipated change in marketing budgets over the next 12 months was +10.5 percent. The UK CMO's within the sample were even more bullish, expecting an 11.8 percent uplift, rising to 18.5 percent over the next 2-3 years.\u00a0\\u003c\/span\\u003e\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003e\\u003cspan style=\\u0022font-weight: 400\\u0022\\u003eThese are encouraging findings because a brand is essentially a bet on the future. You invest in it now in order to maximise returns further down the line. If the light at the end of the tunnel is approaching, then the conclusion for CMO\u2019s is clear. Don\u2019t be too late in having the conversation with your CFO about the need to invest ahead of rather than behind the demand that is on the horizon.\u00a0\\u003c\/span\\u003e\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003e\\u003cspan style=\\u0022font-weight: 400\\u0022\\u003eBrand predisposition takes time to build, but it is long-lasting and can be efficiently maintained once secured in the minds of consumers. As we head into the recovery, the best shape for marketing budgets will be front loaded so as to anticipate demand. In the famous words of Willie John McBride, there can be advantages to \u201cgetting your retaliation in first\u201d.\u00a0\\u003c\/span\\u003e\\u003c\/p\\u003e\",\"blockId\":\"20DwPs\",\"blockUniqueClass\":\"lazyblock-text-full-width-20DwPs\"} \/-->","post_title":"Charles Vallance in Campaign 'Crisis Countdown'","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"charles-vallance-in-campaign-crisis-countdown","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-09-05 10:02:49","post_modified_gmt":"2023-09-05 09:02:49","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/?post_type=news&#038;p=17326","menu_order":0,"post_type":"news","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}},{"relateditem":{"ID":17197,"post_author":"64","post_date":"2023-08-04 09:43:01","post_date_gmt":"2023-08-04 08:43:01","post_content":"<!-- wp:lazyblock\/two-column-text-quote-image {\"text-left\":\"\\u003cp\\u003e\\u003cstrong\\u003eVCCP Singapore\\u003c\/strong\\u003e has today unveiled two new super hires to strengthen its leadership team and propel the agency to its next stage of growth. Katya Obolensky joins the agency as Managing Director alongside new hire, Mark Teal who becomes its Chief Marketing Officer. Both hires start with immediate effect.\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003eVCCP Singapore has experienced rapid growth since its launch in 2019 after winning founding client Shell. In its short time it has grown to 25 people, created award-winning creative work for industry leaders such as Cathay Pacific, Deliveroo, Sun Life and Toll and was even crowned Independent agency of the year in 2020, in only its second year of operation.\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003eObolensky and Teal join to lead the agency\u2019s development, further strengthen the agency\u2019s presence in Singapore and drive growth into other Asian markets. As Managing Director, Obolensky will also ensure the creative shop continues to deliver outstanding creative work and exceptional client service.\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003eKatya Obolensky most recently led the Virgin Media O2 account in VCCP\u2019s HQ in London, but joined the\u00a0 London arm as a Senior Account Director in 2015. Her impressive work and exceptional leadership skills have propelled her to a meteoric rise after only eight years with the agency. With over fifteen years of experience in the advertising industry, both in New York City and London, Obolensky brings a wealth of experience to the agency. Beginning her career at JWT NYC working on the Microsoft account, she then moved to London where she joined M\\u0026amp;C Saatchi and contributed to the success of various high-profile clients such as Hyundai, Currys\/PC World, Public Health England, and Havana Club alongside introducing several cultural initiatives which led to her taking on a global network role, where she played a pivotal role in nurturing international offices and securing international clients.\\u003c\/p\\u003e\",\"text-right\":\"\\u003cp\\u003eKatya Obolensky, Managing Director at VCCP Singapore added, \u201cI\u2019m absolutely thrilled to be bringing the challenger spirit of VCCP London to Singapore, and couldn\u2019t be more pleased to have Mark join us at such an exciting time in our growth story. We\u2019ve had an incredible few years and I\u2019m excited to take our Asia offering to its next stage \u201d\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003eMark Teal is also a seasoned veteran in the realm of advertising and marketing technology, with a track record that spans over two decades. Teal joins from Wunderman Thompson where he was Head of Business Development and led on garnering marketing technology partnerships as well as leading creative and technology related pitches for the agency.\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003ePrior to that, Mark was at Digitas as Business Development Director where he invested all of his time on new business with a focus on building Digitas\u2019s capabilities around CRM and CMS build projects. His role of Head Of Business Development in 2019 saw Mark grow the agency's headcount threefold.\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003e\\u003cstrong\\u003eJulian Douglas, International CEO at VCCP\\u003c\/strong\\u003e said, \u201cVCCP Singapore has seen solid momentum, bringing in clients Canon, Cathay Pacific, Toll and Deliveroo and welcoming several new superstar hires. Now with both Katya and Mark on board, we have the right leadership in place to propel the agency and Network even further as we reach the third phase of our global expansion plan which has APAC at the heart of it. I look forward to seeing their impact on our business.\u201d\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003eVCCP Singapore is part of VCCP Group which employs more than 1,400+ people across its 11 offices in Auckland, London, New York, San Francisco, Salt Lake City, LA, Sydney, Shanghai, Madrid and Prague.\\u003c\/p\\u003e\",\"blockId\":\"29wqIC\",\"blockUniqueClass\":\"lazyblock-two-column-text-quote-image-29wqIC\"} \/-->\n\n<!-- wp:lazyblock\/quote-full-width {\"quote\":\"It's a hugely exciting time to be joining VCCP Singapore. Our unique minimum-viable-network proposition has proven to be successful, I\u2019m keen to scale that further in a way that benefit our clients.\",\"quotee\":\"Mark Teal, Chief Marketing Officer at VCCP Singapore\",\"blockId\":\"Z2aYJ14\",\"blockUniqueClass\":\"lazyblock-quote-full-width-Z2aYJ14\"} \/-->","post_title":"VCCP Singapore supercharges leadership teams","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"vccp-singapore-supercharges-leadership-teams","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-08-04 09:44:09","post_modified_gmt":"2023-08-04 08:44:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/?post_type=news&#038;p=17197","menu_order":0,"post_type":"news","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}}],"hide_related_items":[],"visible_on_home_page":["1"],"websites_to_publish":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/17406","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/67"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17406"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17406"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}