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For those in the renewable energy sector, the Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme is the financial backbone of Britain’s clean power future. For those outside it, it can sound like a plotline written by a committee of economists after too much coffee. Yet behind the acronym lies one of the most powerful policy tools driving investment in low carbon generation.

And, crucially, one of the richest storytelling opportunities for developers looking to stand out in a crowded and highly scrutinised market.

The CfD scheme provides long-term price certainty for renewable electricity generators by guaranteeing a fixed strike price for the power they produce. When wholesale prices fall below that level, the scheme tops up the difference. When they rise above it, developers pay back the excess. The result is a mechanism that reduces exposure to volatile energy markets and makes large-scale investment bankable

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That stability has helped transform the UK into a renewables powerhouse. From vast offshore wind farms to rapidly expanding solar arrays, CfDs have underpinned billions of pounds of investment and thousands of jobs. Yet, as every developer knows, the landscape is shifting again.

A new round, a new rhythm

The government’s seventh Contracts for Difference allocation round, AR7, is now in motion. For offshore wind projects, the results are expected between the second half of December 2025 and the second half of February 2026, depending on appeals. For other technologies, announcements will likely arrive in late 2025 or early 2026.

The financial and policy adjustments introduced for AR7 have real implications for how developers position themselves. The contract term for many key technologies is being extended from fifteen to twenty years. That means longer revenue certainty for investors but also a longer period of public expectation. A project’s reputation will now have to last for two decades, so consistency and transparency in communication will be vital.

Maximum strike prices have been raised, with offshore wind seeing an increase of around 11% to reflect cost pressures and inflation. While this will come as a relief to developers, it also attracts fresh attention. The public will want to understand why prices are rising and what this means for consumers. Developers will need clear, credible explanations to build trust and demonstrate value.

There are also changes to eligibility. Some fixed-bottom offshore wind projects can now apply even without full planning consent, subject to certain conditions. This creates flexibility but also invites scrutiny about deliverability and environmental responsibility. Communicating progress and managing expectations will be essential for maintaining confidence among investors, regulators and the public.

Perhaps the most significant structural change is the introduction of separate timelines for offshore and non-offshore wind technologies. This signals that the government wants to accelerate deployment in offshore wind while maintaining fairness across other technologies.

The opportunity ahead

Allocation Round 7 represents a defining moment for the UK’s renewable sector. The government is recalibrating policy to keep investment flowing, strengthen supply chains and accelerate delivery. Developers are gearing up for a competitive process that will shape the energy landscape for the next decade. At the same time, public interest in clean energy has never been higher, and neither has scrutiny.

When results are announced, some projects will find themselves front and centre of national headlines. Those who have invested in their communications now will already have the credibility, goodwill and clarity to make the most of that spotlight.

At BIG, we believe the CfD may guarantee a price, but it is strong communication that guarantees confidence. Our experience in energy means we understand both the policy detail and the public mood. We know how to explain a strike price without sounding like a textbook and how to make a grid connection date sound like a milestone worth celebrating. The countdown has already begun. Now is the time to prepare your narrative and ensure that when your project powers up, your story does too.

For years, marketers have repeated the line: “we’re not selling to businesses, we’re selling to people.”

Yet, much of marketing – especially in B2B – still sounds like it’s written for boardrooms, not for the humans sitting inside them.

While the discipline prides itself on logic, data and ROI, the brands that break through are those that remember one simple truth: emotion drives decisions.

Trust. Confidence. Belief. These are what make people choose you, whether they’re buying software, shoes or office space.

Why B2H Matters

At the heart of every marketing decision lies a human being, not a business or a job title.
Someone simply looking for something that makes their life, task or business easier, better, or more successful.

That means your campaigns and messaging must resonate on a human level and be clear, relatable and emotionally engaging – regardless of whether you’re selling to a consumer or a professional.

Empathy isn’t the opposite of commercial thinking. It is commercial thinking.

Because when people feel understood, they act with confidence.
And confidence converts.

The Problem: We’ve Mistaken Intelligence for Impact

Somewhere along the way, marketing became obsessed with sounding clever instead of connecting clearly.

We write for approval, not emotion.
We obsess over touchpoints, not turning points.
And we wonder why even the smartest campaigns struggle to land.

This is especially true in B2B, where brands have confused complexity with credibility. But it’s a trap plenty of B2C marketers fall into too – trying so hard to be clever, they forget to be clear.

When everything sounds the same ‘trusted partners’ ‘innovative solutions’ ‘delivering excellence’ – people simply stop listening.

Your buyer isn’t a “decision-maker.” They’re a person trying to make a decision – probably after five meetings, two coffees and one existential crisis about budget cuts.

That’s where empathy comes in.

The Shift: From B2B and B2C to B2H

B2H isn’t about being more emotional for the sake of it. It’s about understanding the emotion that drives logic.

Because behind every rational decision is a very human motivation – to look capable, to feel confident, to make something work better.

When you shift your thinking from what we sell to what they feel, everything changes:
your tone becomes warmer, your content becomes clearer, and your brand becomes more trusted.

The smartest brands don’t just understand their audience – they feel them.
The most rational thing you can do in marketing is connect emotionally.

Make Empathy Commercial

Empathy doesn’t mean being fluffy. It means being focused on the human factors that actually move money.

Here’s how to make it pay off.

Understand the person behind the label
Forget “IT Director.” Think James, who’s terrified the new system will crash on launch day.
Forget “busy parent.” Think Emma, who’s juggling three tabs, two kids and one cold cup of coffee.
Empathy isn’t a mood. It’s a map of their mental load.
Design for their reality
From how you structure your website to how your sales team or social feed shows up, design around how people actually think and feel.
Less product-speak, more plain speak.
Less “solutions,” more “what this actually helps you do on a Monday morning.”
Tell stories that connect
From software to sneakers, storytelling gives meaning to your message. It turns features into human benefits and facts into feelings.
People remember stories, not specs.
Keep it simple, clear and human
Complexity isn’t credibility. Straightforward, honest language cuts through noise and builds approachability, because nobody wants to decode your marketing.
Build trust, not just traffic
Proof beats promise. Case studies, reviews and testimonials translate empathy into evidence, showing that you understand not only what your customers want, but what they need to believe to buy.

Proof It Works

The best proof that empathy pays off is the brands already doing it.

In B2C, the examples are everywhere. Nike, Apple, and Dove have shown that connecting to emotion doesn’t just sell products, it builds movements. They make people feel something first, then buy into what comes next.

And even in B2B, the most successful brands do the same thing.
Salesforce built its empire on trust.
HubSpot built a movement around help, not hype.
Even IBM made “Let’s put smart to work” feel like a rallying cry for people, not just software.

Then there’s Xero, who made accounting beautiful.
By stripping out jargon and simplifying design, they turned an emotionless category into an empowering one. Accounting went from stress to self-belief – that’s empathy, commercialised.

And Bruntwood gets it too.
They don’t just sell offices – they create places people genuinely want to be.
They understand that employees want to feel inspired, connected and part of a community, while businesses want environments that help them grow.

They’re not in the property business. They’re in the possibility business – helping people and companies thrive by creating spaces that spark progress, purpose and belief.

These brands prove that when you translate empathy into brand behaviour, you don’t dilute commercial value – you multiply it.

Our BIG Takeaway

It’s not B2B. It’s not B2C. It’s B2H.

And making empathy commercial might just be the smartest business decision you ever make.

Because when you understand what people feel, you understand what they’ll value, choose, and champion.

Every brief, buyer and business decision starts with a person – so stop marketing to job titles. Start marketing to human beings with hopes, fears and inbox fatigue.

Ready to make your business more human and your marketing more impactful? Contact the team at BIG.

The UK Government’s long-awaited North Sea strategy is expected to set the tone for the next phase of energy transition – one that could redefine investment, regulation and jobs across the offshore sector.  

It will help industry shape the commercial environment, determine investor confidence and influence the future of the North Sea supply chain for decades. 

In an uncertain landscape, the North Sea remains a cornerstone of the UK’s energy system, industrial base and regional economies. The forthcoming strategy is expected to formalise this transition.  

While operators will be waiting for an update on the much-maligned Energy Profits Levy, the government will set out how the UK intends to move from hydrocarbons to a diversified, net-zero-aligned offshore energy mix while safeguarding jobs, competitiveness and supply chain resilience. 

A real energy mix? 

Based on recent government consultations and industry engagement, several priorities are expected to underpin the new framework. 

Analysts believe the government is unfortunately unlikely to issue new exploration licences, but will support production from existing assets through their economic lifespan. Industry will want clarity on how decommissioning, infrastructure reuse and late-life asset management will be incentivised to gradually decline oil and gas. 

The Energy Profits Levy (windfall tax) is due to expire in 2030 and recent speculation is that the Chancellor will bring this end date forward by a year in her Autumn Budget with a new long-term fiscal framework under consultation. A predictable, investment-friendly tax regime which is responsive to price volatility will be essential in sustaining capital flows.  

The expansion of offshore wind, hydrogen and carbon capture, usage and storage (CCUS) projects are expected to feature prominently and there is expected to be commitments to a ‘skills passport’ model, allowing workers to move between oil, gas and renewables projects.  

The remit of the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) is likely to evolve to reflect the multi-energy nature of the basin. Clearer permitting, spatial planning and environmental rules that are coordinated across devolved administrations will be key to improving project delivery timelines. 

While net zero remains the long-term goal, the government is also expected to frame this strategy around security of supply and resilience, ensuring the UK remains competitive in attracting offshore investment relative to Norway, the US and the EU. 

Implications for industry 

The biggest factor for operators and developers will be stability. Investors need confidence in fiscal terms, permitting frameworks and timelines for project approvals. The strategy must deliver a clearer investment roadmap, particularly for those considering cross-sector portfolios. 

With production declining, the North Sea’s extensive infrastructure becomes a strategic asset. Industry will expect incentives for repurposing pipelines and platforms for CO₂ transport and storage, as well as guidance on shared infrastructure use to cut costs and emissions. 

There is strong political momentum to maximise UK content in offshore projects with more localised supply chain work. Companies should anticipate requirements or incentives to anchor manufacturing, fabrication and servicing activity domestically in regions such as Aberdeen, Teesside and the Humber. 

A practical framework for transferring expertise from hydrocarbons to renewables will be critical. The government is likely to fund training and certification schemes to support this, but industry partnerships with universities, training providers and trade bodies will be required to scale capacity. 

The offshore industry has long called for simpler, faster consenting for major infrastructure projects. If the strategy includes concrete proposals to streamline planning, potentially through a “fast-track” process, it could remove one of the biggest barriers to timely investment.  

Uncertainty to Opportunity 

The North Sea strategy represents a chance to reset the policy environment for offshore energy. For industry, its success will hinge on clarity and collaboration. 

There are key challenges to be addressed. The balance between decarbonisation targets and investment viability is likely to remain an ongoing issue. Moving too fast risks supply instability while going too slow risks missing net-zero milestones. 

With energies such as hydrogen and CCUS still maturing, project financing will depend on strong government guarantees or contracts for difference (CfDs). Holyrood and Westminster’s differing approaches to new licensing and renewables funding could also complicate planning for cross-jurisdictional projects. 

If the government can deliver a coherent, cross-sector plan that recognises the industry’s operational realities, it will help unlock the investment and innovation needed to transform the North Sea into a world-leading clean energy basin. 

However, if there’s ambiguity or policy uncertainty, there’s a strong chance that capital, skills and competitive advantage will continue to move overseas. Further industry engagement in this strategy’s final phase will be critical to help shape the long-term future of the UK’s offshore economy. 

In today’s world, where audiences are flooded with content across every platform imaginable, your brand is much more than a logo or tagline.

It’s the lasting feeling that people carry with them and the story that is shared about you when you’re not in the room. That story doesn’t write itself. It’s shaped by what you say, how you act, and what others say about you. That’s where PR and brand come together, and why they’re always stronger together.

Brand defines your promise; PR makes sure the world believes it

Apple is the ultimate example of this. The tech giant is defined by its sleek, minimalist brand identity. This is then amplified by a communications strategy that positions it as a design-led innovator. And through clever PR, Apple turns every product launch into a global moment.

As a proud Swiftie, it would be remiss of me not to mention Taylor Swift, arguably one of the world’s most powerful personal brands. Her carefully curated identity, built on authenticity, empowerment and storytelling, is amplified by brilliant PR. From reclaiming her master recordings to directly engaging fans via social media and surprise album drops, Swift seamlessly blends brand control with PR savvy. TayTay doesn’t just sell music; she cultivates trust, sparks conversation and keeps her audience invested in her (love) story.

Whether for businesses or personal brands, the lesson is clear: building a brand without PR is like throwing a party and forgetting to send the invitations. You might have something incredible to offer, but without the right conversations, very few will show up.

A strong brand gets noticed; a trusted brand gets remembered

That’s where PR’s credibility factor comes in. For instance, when outdoor clothing brand Patagonia announced in 2018 that it was “in business to save our home planet,” it wasn’t just a marketing slogan. PR brought the promise to life through storytelling, founder interviews and editorial. Patagonia turned its values into tangible proof points, using a variety of communications tactics and messaging to showcase this.

The result? Customers see authenticity

, not empty promises. PR ensures every message aligns with the brand’s values of sustainability, activism and responsibility, creating trust that keeps people coming back – and rocking that Patagonia fleece like a badge of honour.

PR isn’t just about protecting reputation; it preserves brand equity

Consider KFC’s “FCK” apology campaign when supply chain issues caused chicken shortages. Instead of hiding from the problem, the brand used smart, self-aware PR to turn potential backlash into praise.

With tongue firmly in cheek, the brand came out stronger, earning respect by using its well-established brand traits, transparency and humour to turn a problem into a memorable story, all while keeping things finger-lickin’ good in the process.

PR, brand and the marketing mix

A smart strategy that blends brand and PR will make your marketing mix work harder. Your brand should define who you are and what you stand for, while PR ensures people see, hear and believe it.

Whether you’re launching a new product, repositioning your business or driving growth, PR is a critical part of the marketing mix. It doesn’t replace advertising, social media or content marketing, but strengthens them, creating credibility, generating conversation and giving your brand the authority to cut through the noise. Without PR, even the best marketing efforts may struggle to make an impact.

At BIG Partnership, our teams combine strategic brand thinking with bold PR delivery to help clients not just make noise but make an impact. If you want your brand to be seen, remembered and believed, get in touch.

The 2025 party conferences highlighted the starkly uneven state of UK politics. In Aberdeen, the SNP projected stability and competence, while in Liverpool, Labour sought to regain lost momentum and the Conservatives struggled to command attention. Reform UK, meanwhile, continue to loudly reshape the political environment siphoning support and forcing established parties to rethink their strategies. For businesses, the central takeaway is unambiguous: the environment is fluid, and agility is now a necessity.

In the Granite City, the SNP appeared calm, focused and optimistic. John Swinney has stabilised a party that cycled through Nicola Sturgeon, Humza Yousaf and a financial investigation in quick succession. Independence remains the headline, but Swinney is cautious – another referendum is contingent on winning a majority at Holyrood. Polls suggest they are well-placed, with Reform UK nibbling at the unionist vote. Confidence is high, but the path is narrow by design. Swinney’s strategy is clear – show the SNP as the only party that represents Scotland’s interests and hope the threat of Nigel Farage as Prime Minister is enough to increase support for independence. 

Labour is clawing back momentum 

In Liverpool, Starmer framed Reform UK as Labour’s main competitor, creating a clear rallying point. Momentum is fragile and the government’s early goodwill has been destroyed. The challenge now is turning this ‘us or them’ narrative into votes. The conference was about proving that just over a year on from a thumping election win,  all is not already lost for their term in government. The Budget on 26 November will go a long way to proving whether that is the case. 

Conservatives are fighting for relevance 

The Tories’ conference highlighted the challenge of staying in the game. Empty halls underscored their diminished presence. High-profile speeches and policy announcements sought to regain attention, but Reform UK’s rise has forced the party to compete harder for every voter. Kemi Badenoch and others are battling both visibility and influence internally and externally. 

Reform UK is the disruptor 

Reform UK is the increasingly important wildcard. Farage’s party is taking support from both Labour and the Conservatives and forcing established parties to adapt. They have reshaped the political debate even without holding office. With strong showings expected across the UK at next year’s English local elections and Scottish and Welsh parliamentary polls, they are here to stay. How each party deals with that will be what decides not just upcoming votes, but the next Westminster election in 2029. 

What this means for business 

The 2025 conference season is a reminder, if we needed one, that businesses cannot take political stability for granted. Three key implications stand out: 

Engagement with all parties is essential. The SNP, Labour, the Conservatives and Reform UK are all potential influencers of policy. A single-party or government engagement strategy is too narrow; businesses need relationships across the political spectrum now more than ever. 

Time-sensitive strategy is critical. With Holyrood elections next year, policy windows can and will shift rapidly. Businesses must identify key moments now for engagement and advocacy before positions solidify ahead of next year’s elections. 

Focus on impact, not just compliance. Success is not about passively reacting to government decisions; it is about shaping the environment. Early and sustained cross-party engagement now, including at local and regional levels, will pay dividends later. 

The political environment is fluid. The SNP has regained stability, Labour is recalibrating, the Conservatives are struggling for relevance and Reform UK is forcing everyone to rethink assumptions. For businesses, the message is unambiguous – act proactively. Build relationships across all parties, anticipate shifts in policy and be prepared to adapt quickly. Success will go to those who move first, not those who wait. 

The Scottish Renewables Onshore Wind Conference 2025 brought the sector together at a crucial moment. With political headwinds, grid bottlenecks and public scrutiny on the rise, the industry is being asked to deliver more, faster and at greater scale. One theme ran through every discussion: if we want to unlock the full potential of onshore wind, we have to talk about it better.

Politics, Policy and Perception

The political environment is increasingly challenging. Negative sentiment from Reform UK, coupled with anti-wind rhetoric overseas, is shaping public debate and creating uncertainty at home. The to-do list is long, but there are positives. The rejection of zonal pricing was a win for fairness. Repowering older sites offers a chance to boost output without starting from scratch. Co-location with other technologies can bring new flexibility. The sector is clear on what needs doing: aim high, unblock projects and sort the grid.

Winning Hearts and Minds

Yet perhaps the most urgent challenge isn’t technical – it’s cultural. Public dissent is growing. Communities are asking tougher questions about what onshore wind means for landscapes, lifestyles and local economies. And they deserve answers.

This is where communication matters most. The sector must do more than just state its benefits. It must showcase them.

Affordability: Onshore wind keeps bills lower.
Security: It strengthens energy independence and resilience.
Climate Action: It reduces emissions and supports national targets.
Local Value: Projects create jobs, investment and community funds.

It’s not enough to tell people onshore wind is competitive. We have to show them through real stories, visible benefits and honest conversations.

Communication as the Superpower

Onshore wind is one of the UK’s cheapest and most reliable energy solutions. It has the potential to transform our energy system, create jobs and strengthen resilience. But none of that will happen at the speed we need unless we get better at talking about it.

The conference made one thing clear: technology, policy and planning are vital, but communication is the missing piece. It’s the superpower that will decide whether the sector can overcome political turbulence, accelerate delivery and secure public support. Onshore wind has the projects. It has the know-how. Now it needs the voice.

As helicopters buzzed overhead on their way back and forth from North Sea platforms and thousands of delegates shuffled around the grounds of P&J Live, you’d be forgiven for thinking that Aberdeen is a city in its pomp. Even the Scottish Cup trophy made an appearance at SPE Offshore Europe (OE).

But it is not the eighties anymore. The North Sea is not the oil and gas hotspot it once was and, even if Aberdeen FC did win the Scottish Cup earlier this year, Alex Ferguson is no longer leading the local football club to continental dominance.

The halcyon days are over. Once a conference of excess where oil and gas professionals filled their pockets with freebies before indulging in what Aberdeen’s night life had to offer, OE is now instead a meeting of pragmatism.

Let’s cut to the chase: there’s a conflict at the heart of the UK’s energy sector which is inhibiting it. The oil and gas firms which once made abundant profits out of the North Sea are now strangled by the vice like grip of the Energy Profits Levy (EPL). Investment is being curtailed, jobs are being lost and the money that could be used to drive the energy transition is not being generated. It is no surprise that one of the strongest images of the conference was that of a room of raised hands, after OEUK chief executive Dave Whitehouse asked the audience to do so if they knew someone who had lost their job in recent months.

The people and the companies who make up the world-leading supply chain around Aberdeen are committed to reaching net zero by 2050, but policy isn’t allowing them to kick this movement into overdrive.

At a dinner on Tuesday night, DNV’s UK and Ireland chief Hari Vamadevan made the point that by mid-century the country will still require between 13 to 15 billion barrels of oil equivalent (BOE), with anywhere between 2.5 billion and 4 billion coming from the North Sea. Analysts estimate that there is anywhere between 8.5 and 11 billion BOE left in the ultra-mature basin.

The message, therefore, was simple: we’re still going to be using oil and gas by 2050, so why not use our own cleaner resources rather than carbon intense LNG imports? It made for a compelling case for Labour to shift its stance.

Of course, a line of politicians made their way to the north-east of Scotland to show their support to the beleaguered sector. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch shifted the party’s standing closer to that of Reform’s and to ‘Drill Baby Drill’, but that sort of headline grabbing move didn’t cut much mustard with the sector experts who recognise that North Sea reserves are limited. The SNP’s Kate Forbes – who will step down from her role as an MSP next year – made the point that leaving people and jobs behind is not a transition, but a “betrayal”.

Michael Shanks, the Energy Minister, was the key Labour figure in the Granite City, and delivered a speech on the Tuesday of the conference stressing that the UK government will back the region and its workers. Encouraging policy in areas such as CCS, hydrogen and offshore wind send the right signals but won’t release the sector of the fiscal handcuffs it finds itself in.

Keir Starmer, meanwhile, also made a recent trip to Scotland, making it as far north as Glasgow to highlight Norway’s purchase of five new British warships. The Prime Minister returned to London without taking any questions from the Scottish press pack.

Perhaps it was entirely coincidental that, while the conference was in full flow, Rachel Reeves announced that the Autumn Budget will take place on November 26, but the timing could not have been more pertinent. For the companies who invested the time and resources in making OE a success, they will hope that the statement will unveil tax policies that enable an acceleration of the transition. Independent Wood Mackenzie analysis, unveiled during the conference, emphasised that investment attractiveness “hangs in the balance”. It also provided several key design elements that would make for an effective mechanism. The industry is full of people willing to provide logical, fair answers.  

If SPE Offshore Europe 2025 proved anything, it’s that businesses are ready to step up. The people, the technology and the willingness is there. It is homegrown and it’s on our doorstep. It’s now over to government to create the environment that allows it to flourish.  

Ahead of SPE Offshore Europe, BIG Partnership’s Head of Energy, Richard Crighton, analyses the state of play in the UK’s energy sector.

When Labour swept to power last year, it did so on a platform of transformative ambition. This included the promise to turn the UK into a clean energy superpower while navigating the economic and social complexities of a just transition. There was a commitment to end new oil and gas licences in the North Sea and accelerate investment in renewables through the launch of Great British Energy, a publicly owned energy company.

Twelve months on and off the back of several damaging U-turns in other policy areas, energy has been one domain where the strategy has largely remained on course. But has Labour successfully delivered on its green agenda without undermining the vital role of the oil & gas industry – an industry still critical to the UK’s economy, energy security and global competitiveness?

Ambitious green reform

Labour has taken significant strides toward decarbonisation. Central to its programme has been the establishment of GB Energy, headquartered in Aberdeen, with a remit to invest in homegrown renewable energy projects.

Backed by an initial £8.3 billion, it has begun funding large-scale solar, offshore wind and grid-scale battery projects. However, questions remain about the full scope of GB Energy as budget pressures bite across the board.

The government has pushed on energy efficiency, planning reforms and community energy schemes for funding and support. New strategies on solar and onshore wind have also been published during the summer.

Renewable generation reached record highs over the past year, and new investment commitments in clean energy technologies are underway. Labour’s green jobs plan has also started to take shape, with training and skills programmes announced in regions historically dependent on oil & gas.

However, the window of opportunity for delivering a just transition is closing.

Backing the backbone of energy: a stronger case for oil & gas

For all its green progress, Labour has faced criticism for its position on the oil & gas sector. The continuation of the Energy Profits Levy and the pledge to halt new exploration licences has created uncertainty, particularly in the north east of Scotland, where oil & gas supports approximately one in six jobs and provides a critical engine for economic activity, export earnings and technical innovation.

The UK’s oil & gas industry stands as a world-class sector that underpins the very success of the country’s net zero ambition. It provides revenues that support green investments as well as supplying the engineering, infrastructure and workforce capability required to scale up carbon capture and hydrogen production. The sector must be seen as a partner, not a problem.

While Labour has reiterated that existing licences will continue and that production decline will be managed, it must now go further. Approving projects like Rosebank and Jackdaw is a positive signal, but the UK must resist policies that prematurely shrink the basin or drive away investment to other regions.

The government has made welcome moves in supporting carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS), with backing for projects like the Acorn scheme in Peterhead. These kinds of investments will only succeed if they are supported by a confident and capable oil & gas supply chain – one that is not eroded by mixed signals on taxation and licensing.

Countries such as Norway and the Netherlands have shown that it is possible to champion both renewables and responsible fossil fuel production. The UK should do the same, or risk ceding economic advantage and global influence in energy transition leadership.

A recent report from Robert Gordon University warned that the UK could lose tens of thousands of offshore energy jobs by 2030 unless it acts swiftly. In the report’s low-case scenario, the North Sea oil & gas workforce could shrink by as much as 400 jobs every fortnight over the next five years. This isn’t just a warning, it’s an urgent call to action.

Collaboration over conflict

Labour’s first year in government has aimed to bridge the divide between climate urgency and economic continuity.

A more pragmatic path recognises the co-dependence of these sectors and the opportunity to build an integrated energy system that draws on the UK’s full industrial strengths. This means reforming fiscal policies that discourage long-term investment in hydrocarbons, providing clear timelines for energy transition infrastructure and accelerating planning approvals for both oil & gas and renewables.

As Ed Miliband outlined in his keynote speech at the Global Offshore Wind conference, clean energy development should be a “mission-led partnership” between government, industry and workers. This mission must also include those currently delivering the UK’s energy needs as well as those who will be key to delivering its future ones.

What comes next

The weeks in the lead-up to the Autumn Budget will be pivotal. Labour must now cement its commitment to an inclusive energy strategy that doesn’t pit one sector against another but instead harnesses the strengths of both.

At SPE Offshore Europe, industry leaders, policymakers and the energy workforce will gather in Aberdeen to discuss how to unlock the investment and collaboration needed for a resilient transition.

The UK has the potential to lead the world not just in clean energy but in showing how mature oil & gas sectors can evolve, adapt and enable a low-carbon future.

BIG will be at the heart of these debates, supporting the event as well as numerous clients. Get in touch to see how we can help you shape your role in the future of energy.

We live in a world where everything is content. A gesture, a joke, even a hug on a jumbotron can become front-page news before you’ve had time to process it. Just ask Andy Byron, now-former CEO of Astronomer, who resigned last weekend after a viral video taken of him and a colleague at a Coldplay concert threw his personal life, and professional future, into chaos. 

This wasn’t a campaign. This wasn’t a PR stunt. This was a human interaction, broadcast live, turned into a meme and then into a moral drama played out on social media and global news sites. And just like that, the whole world knew about it. 

Within 48 hours, memes were everywhere. Some brands, eager to prove they are up-to-date with the latest trends, started referencing the moment with jokes, mocking videos and recreations. While some found clever or light-hearted ways in, others risked engaging without fully understanding the context. And that’s where the real risk lies. 

As hard as it is for a comms person to say – not every trend is a marketing opportunity. 

In the rush to stay relevant, it’s easy to mistake virality for value. But just because something is being talked about doesn’t mean it’s appropriate for every business. A private incident becoming public doesn’t automatically make it something every business should jump on. There’s a difference between tapping into a trend and capitalising on someone else’s crisis.

The situation shows how one out-of-context situation can explode into a career-ending controversy – especially when brands and media outlets amplify it without perspective. When a moment becomes a meme, the people in it are often dehumanised in the process. 

Before joining a viral trend, brands should ask themselves: 

Are the circumstances sensitive, unresolved or controversial? 
If there’s any doubt, pause, or at the very least, proceed with care. 
Are there innocent parties who could be negatively affected by this (e.g. children) involved – and are they at risk of harm? 
If the trend centres on an identifiable person, remember: they’re not a character, they’re a person. 
Do we understand the context fully? 
Acting without context is a shortcut to backlash. 
Can we add value, not just volume? 
Engagement should mean more than just jumping on a bandwagon. Can your brand offer insight, compassion or a fresh, constructive take? 

f there are any doubts, maybe the right move is to sit this one out. 

That said, there are ways to engage thoughtfully. Some brands find ways to contribute humour or perspective without targeting individuals or exploiting pain points. Done with care, participation can still feel relevant – without feeling opportunistic. 

This incident and the response teach us to keep humans at the centre of our marketing, they’re the people who we’re speaking to but they’re also the people who are potentially affected by a viral trend – families, partners, colleagues.  

In this long-read, our Marketing Services Account Director Ross Molloy takes a detailed look at why communicators – especially those in B2B – should ignore feelings at their peril. Read on for his research-led insights and practical tips at the end on how you can leverage human connection for your organisation. 

“The best thing a company can do is protect its brand. A strong brand is a barrier that protects the business from competition.”  It’s a quote that’s been attributed to investor and philanthropist Warren Buffett; whether he said it or not, it’s one marketing and comms teams should always keep front of mind.  

And never has it been more the case than right now.  

In 2025, companies that recognise their brand is more than just a logo stand to be the big winners. Emotional storytelling is a competitive advantage. By designing communications that evoke joy, trust, nostalgia, humour or belonging, brands can enhance engagement, strengthen recall and, crucially, command premium pricing.  

Forging an emotional connection with audiences is not a new trend, but it has been taken to new heights by Nike with its powerful return to the Super Bowl ad scene earlier this year following a 27-year hiatus.  

In today’s increasingly crowded marketplace, emotion is the key to capturing attention, influencing decisions and fostering loyalty. A brand now must embody personality, values, promises and trust. 

With what was its first commercial for the Super Bowl since 1998, Nike’s return to this strategy with So Win marked a new dawn in brand building and emotional storytelling to a mass live audience. Since the Covid-19 pandemic, Nike has largely relied on direct-to-consumer promotions and digital membership initiatives, but why is this switch, led by CEO, Elliot Hill, important?   

Shifting from short-term gains to sustainable growth  

After heavily investing in e-commerce and tactical sales promotions, Nike experienced a drop in brand value to $29.8 million in 2024 against $31.3 million in 2023. An over-reliance on passive, targeted media, focused on fact-heavy messaging aimed at converting already-interested consumers, contributed significantly to the decline.  

This prompted Nike to choose generating future demand and short-term activation to convert existing demand, rather than choosing one over the other. The shift fuelled Nike’s strategic decision to seize a moment watched by millions, like Super Bowl 59, to reignite its brand mojo. 

Showmanship over salesmanship  

Focusing too much on features and not enough on storytelling can make the brand feel less memorable and harder to relate to. Branding expert and the founder of ‘eatbigfish’ Adam Morgan described this pitfall in “the extraordinary cost of dull” (Warc, 2023) and explained that uninspiring campaigns require excessive media spend to achieve the same impact as an emotionally compelling one.   

Research consultancy System1 echo this in analysis of 1,700 ads across six B2B categories and found that:  

77% of all B2B creative scores 1 out of 5 for creativity; 
Only 0.5% scored 4 or 5; 
And 90% of content was forgotten within 48 hours. 

Content is everywhere and with attention harder to grab now than ever before, brands must be smart about where and when they show their messages. They should aim to show up in the right places, at the right times, when people are most engaged. 

Brands winning with emotion  

And Nike isn’t alone in playing to how people feel. Many brands across different industries and categories are dialling up emotional communications to differentiate themselves and stand out.  

A Town Called Bruce, is a campaign produced by BIG for Serica Energy. Focusing on a close-knit community of over 300 workers and their vital role in national energy security, the film and supporting brand materials use emotional storytelling to spotlight the lives of workers on the Bruce offshore platform, which processes nearly 5% of the UK’s oil and gas production. Designed to humanise the industry and appeal to public empathy and pride, the campaign uses real voices and stories to highlight the risks posed by current government policies to both jobs and domestic energy production. 

McDonald’s Famous Orders taps into nostalgia and personal connection by showcasing the go-to order meals of celebrities, making the brand feel more personalised and culturally relevant.  

Guinness Presents: A Lovely Day considers a world so polarised and divided with an ad that reframes our perspective on difference and promotes the benefit of finding common ground together. That unity starts with raising a glass, together.  

Rory McIlroy’s career grand slam is captured in a long-form social video that re-creates his rollercoaster final Masters round on 13 April when he fulfilled his childhood dream and made history by joining only five other elite golfers who have won the career Grand Slam of all four Majors. The timelapse highlight reel brings you through all the highs and lows, setbacks and near misses, restarts and comebacks on the long 11-year journey to victory since he won his last Major. It’s not just a celebration of athletic excellence: it’s a catalytic sporting moment, one that reignites belief, stirs global admiration, and shows the power of persistence under pressure. A masterclass in storytelling, this video is emotionally led communications in its rawest form – timely, motivational, and unforgettable feeling. 

Currys’ social strategy on TikTok zigs when everyone else zags, using original humour through its in-store staff to stand out in the electronics category. It’s distinctive, meaningful, culturally in sync and, most of all, is delivering impressive results, garnering millions of organic views, enabling the brand to reach a much broader audience on TikTok.      

Emotion is not restricted to the B2C world. In fact, it can be even more strategically important when applied to longer buyer journeys, where trust matters more than features, capabilities and/or price. The “We Bring Companies & Customers Together” campaign by Salesforce highlights the emotional connections between businesses and their clients, reinforcing trust and success rather than just selling CRM software.  

The business case for emotional branding  

Emotion isn’t just about making people feel good – it delivers measurable business results:  

Emotional differentiation drives pricing power whereby consumers display 30x higher willingness to pay more (Think with Google).  
Emotive messaging significantly influences B2B purchasing decisions, with a strong emotional connection accounting for 56% of the final decision (Why difference matters for B2B marketers – Kantar, 2024).  
5.3x higher brand consideration and 12.8x higher purchase intent (Think with Google).  
Emotionally engaging adverts generate 2.4x greater sales impact (ThinkTV).  
B2B buyers are 50% more likely to choose brands they feel connected to (Google & CEB, HBR).  

Measuring the impact of emotional branding  

Traditional metrics such as message delivery and brand linkage fail to capture emotional resonance. Modern measurement tools quantify emotional effectiveness:  

System1 assesses creative effectiveness through emotional impact and brand recognition.  
Nielsen Neuroscience tracks neurological responses to gauge engagement.  
Kantar’s framework evaluates emotional appeal and audience response.  

Takeaways for marketers  

 Deliver short-term targeted tactics aimed at converting already‑interested consumers using factual messaging and special offers.  
Support this with ongoing brand positioning campaigns, reputation management and community engagement to create future demand and lasting value. Invest in distinctive brand assets to trigger emotional connections and make a brand stand-out over time.  
Prioritise high-attention environments and moments where prospective buyers are attuned to what you have to say. Use creativity, multiple channels and mixed formats to maximise memorability.  
Implement a robust measurement system to track emotional engagement and its impact on creative effectiveness and brand performance.  
Maintain creative consistency across campaigns to reinforce brand identity and maximise long-term return on investment.