News & Insights

The latest from Brandon Consulting Services

Setting hourly rates – what can we expect in 2023?

With the cost-of-living crisis continuing to bite, many companies are likely to be looking at an increase in the hourly rates they pay their contractors, consultants and marketing agencies in 2023.

Inheritance tax shock

More over 70s are choosing to cohabitate with a partner rather than enter marriage or a civil partnership, but this could have dire consequences if one of them passes away, according to an article in The Daily Express including Brandon Consulting Services client Continuum.

What makes a good media plan?

Whilst every company has their own unique needs, there are a few elements which all good media plans should cover, writes Kat Mitchell.

The house that Covid built

This week Kat Mitchell’s household has been isolating at home due to the toddler bringing home Coronavirus to share.

COP26: What is the role of the adviser in ESG?

With the COP26 conference dominating national press this week, support for environmental principles from the financial advice community has been evident on social media, writes Kat Mitchell.

Cuthbert the Caterpillar – PR triumph or flop

The legal row between M&S and Aldi over the discount supermarket’s Cuthbert the Caterpillar has wriggled its way onto the front pages of the UK press due to some bold posts from the Aldi social media team, but is it a good move from Aldi’s PR/social team?

Rishi Sunak: hero or villain

After the tax rises announced in yesterday’s Budget, everyone seems to have an opinion about Rishi Sunak and what he has done with the country’s finances over the past twelve months.

Think before you leap

This week I have been writing an article on what makes a good workplace pension for a client. Unsurprisingly it concludes that what makes a good workplace pension for one saver may not work so well for another. The same applies to marketing campaigns, writes Kat Mitchell.

Good Money – is ESG all its amped up to be?

Good Money Week kicks off this Saturday as ethical funds appear to be more popular than ever as the media spotlights investing sustainably. But does investing in ethical funds mean your investment returns take a hit, asks Kat Mitchell?

Pricing for advisory services

Not sure how much to charge for accountancy advisory services? We have worked on a guide with accountancy fintech Fathom.

Too few DC pension holders receiving advice

The number of people accessing free guidance appointments via Pension Wise rose 23% last year, however figures from the Financial Conduct Authority have shown that half of those accessing their DC pension pots for the first time are doing so without guidance or advice, writes Kat Mitchell.

Financial regulation at a crossroads

Financial services regulation is in dire need of reform. Communication and education need to form a key part of the reform process, writes Kat Mitchell.

Totus Re welcomes CII call to action

Financial strength of many businesses has been damaged by the apparent absence of insurance to provide protection in the event of a pandemic. Totus Re has welcomed the call from the Chartered Insurance Institute for the industry to establish an approach to pandemics and other systemic risks that clearly sets out the scope of government…

Financial planners jumping the hurdle of Covid-19

Kat Mitchell reports on the financial planning firms resolutely focusing on growth despite the pandemic and asks several to share their tips in her latest feature for Financial Planning Today Magazine.

Quality over quantity

In recent years the quality of press releases sent to the financial media has nose dived. Kat Mitchell calls on her fellow marketing professionals to review what has been sent out in the name of their organisation before brands are done any more damage.

Brits encouraged back to the office

People are to be encouraged to go back to the office as part of a Government campaign starting next week, but much of the financial services sector looks set to ignore the advice and continue working from home.

Pandemic partnerships

A special report from AM Best on the measures the (re)insurance industry is taking to mitigate the economic impact of future pandemics, has featured our client Totus Re.

Financial advice talent gap bites hard

For a while now the financial services industry has been struggling to attract new talent, and financial advice in particular seems to be an area that is suffering for it, writes Kat Mitchell.

Back to the office for the UK (re)insurance industry

As the Lloyds market reopens, September marks the return to the office for many insurance companies and brokers. As people return to the office environment things are likely to look quite different from what they remember.

Good marketing can be more affordable than you think

A survey from financial analysts AKG and wealth manager Charles Stanley today said that 12% of financial advisers are worried about marketing costs and how they will attract new clients. However, good marketing is a lot more affordable than they perhaps think, writes Kat Mitchell.

Rise of the small marketing consultancy

A look through my Linkedin feed sees the sad story of many great marketing professionals now finding themselves out of work. With few senior level marketing roles being advertised, are we soon to see many one-man-band marketing consultancies launching and short-term in-house contract roles advertised asks Kat Mitchell?

Dividends take biggest hit in generations

It now appears that 2020 will see the biggest hit to dividends in generations, with some commentators saying it could take until 2026 for dividends to return to their 2019 level. What does this mean for retirees asks Kat Mitchell?

Pandemic driving advisers to digital marketing

Over the past few years, we have seen larger numbers of financial advisers turning to digital content marketing to reach new clients and the pandemic seems to have accelerated this trend, writes Kat Mitchell.

No quiet season

Usually at this time of year my diary is relatively quiet, and I find time to catch up on all my administration and planning. However, this year things seem to be picking up, writes Kat Mitchell.

1 in 5 five over 50s have no savings

I was a little concerned to read today that one in five of Brits over 50 have no savings or investments (excluding pensions). It suggests that the problems of an aging population unable to fund their own retirement may be upon us sooner than many think, writes Kat Mitchell.

No superwoman

A slightly more personal blog today as Kat Mitchell would like to applaud all the other parents who continue to have children at home whilst trying to do full time jobs.

Internal comms are vital as we return to the office

Many of us are returning to the office for the first time in months but it is a very different workplace than the one we left. Communicating the changes ahead of time with your staff can help ease a bumpy transition, writes Kat Mitchell.

Copywriting – corporate vs journalistic, can you do both?

With regular work at financial publications becoming harder and harder to come by, many freelance journalists are turning to corporate copywriting work to pay the bills. This can cause issues with bias sneaking into their journalistic work, writes Kat Mitchell.

Totus Re cautions against single peril view to societal risk

Totus Re is fully supportive of the Pandemic Re steering group but it does not go far enough. In our rush to treat the symptom we need to make sure we don’t fall into the trap of simply adding a pandemic silo to the government’s ad-hoc architecture of guarantees and backstops in a game of…

MPs tell regulators to coordinate communications

MPs have urged financial regulators to work together to improve their communications to combat financial scams in a report released today the Work and Pensions committee.

Why you should sweat the little things

Even content with a compelling story to tell can be pulled down by poor proofreading. Kat Mitchell explains why proofreading is so important and shares a few tips.

Lies, damned lies, and statistics

Sometimes despite using the same dates and parameters, you can get considerable different analytics statistics for your content across different platforms. However, contrary to popular opinion, the success of your content isn’t all about the metrics, writes Kat Mitchell.

Insurance marketing on a shoestring

Reports suggest that insurance spending is starting to return to normal. The insurance industry has much to do to regain the trust of the UK public, is your marketing ready to bolster public trust and help you take a slice of the action, asks Kat Mitchell?

TotusRe asks business bodies to call on the Chancellor

Financial strength of many businesses has been damaged by the apparent absence of insurance to provide protection in the event of a pandemic. TotusRe has called upon professional bodies to help ensure adequate insurance can be accessed by all businesses.

Working with new clients in lockdown

Starting work with four new clients during the lockdown has seen us facing some interesting challenges and has me missing the ability to go on client visits, writes Kat Mitchell

Does going on the attack pay off?

Attacking the motives of a professional body or a whole section of the market can be an easy way to achieve press coverage, and is a tactic used by many in the insurance market. However, it can easily backfire especially when approached in a subjective or emotive manner, writes Kat Mitchell.

SIPPs on trial

The SIPP sector has seen consolidation and growing regulatory concern, particularly over pension transfer business and court cases. Read Kat Mitchell’s latest article in Financial Planning Today.

Choosing the right PR and marketing agency for you

You have decided you need external support, but what questions should you be asking agencies or freelancers that you are considering working with? Kat Mitchell shares her top tips

Content is king

Content is becoming an increasingly important part of the marketing and PR mix, and the trend has only been exacerbated by the current lockdown writes Kat Mitchell.

What is copywriting and can’t anyone do it?

Anyone can write but is a specialist skill to write well. By letting an untrained or non-specialised writer loose on your marketing content you could end up doing more harm than good, writes Kat Mitchell.

Don’t make assumptions when it comes to communication

Every client likes to communicate with their professional and financial services advisers differently so be careful not to make assumptions based on the likes of age and profession, writes Kat Mitchell.

Busting media myths

There are a lot of common mistakes financial, fintech and professional services business are making when it comes to dealing with the media, writes Kat Mitchell.

Communicating change – pricing

One of the most sensitive conversations you will ever have with a client is when you need to make changes to your pricing.

Doesn’t this look a bit lonely?

You’ve set yourselves up a lovely new website but haven’t written any content? Don’t you write content for a living?

Don’t be a homeworking martyr

As someone that has spent many years of their career working from home I’ve been asked by a few people for tips when it comes to working from home successfully.

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