Up North 2025: The themes that stuck with us

Last month, our team headed Up North to one of the boldest and brightest marketing events. Rather than take you through a talk-by-talk breakdown (you’re welcome), we wanted to share the standout themes that got us nodding along, furiously typing notes, and firing off Slack messages mid-session like “YES, this!!”.

Here’s what stuck with us:

1. AI isn’t here to steal your job. It’s here to do your admin.

A recurring message of the day? AI is less “rise of the robots” and more “finally, someone else can do the data input”.

From internal tools which split tasks between specialised AI agents (including one that pulls PR trends — hello, dream tool), to the IDEA framework (Identify, Determine, Extrapolate, Anticipate) that helps teams figure out what’s best left to tech vs. humans, the vibe was clear: AI is a collaborator.

The real takeaway? Use AI to give yourself back the time and headspace to think bigger, lead better, and create work that actually matters.

2. It’s time to rewire how we think about leadership and teamwork.

We heard loud and clear that self-leadership is becoming as important as management titles — especially in fast-changing, often chaotic environments. Think: curiosity over certainty, emotional agility, and having the resilience to bounce back (with humour intact).

And when it comes to teams? It’s not about avoiding conflict, but embracing it in a healthy way. The most successful teams thrive on cognitive diversity, shared ownership, and even a bit of positive tension.

3. Influencers need freedom, not briefs that smother.

A standout moment from the influencer panel: if you’re not giving your influencers creative freedom, you’re doing it wrong.

The most trusted, highest-performing content comes from creators being… well, themselves. And it’s time to stop underestimating micro and nano influencers. Smaller following, sure — but often, way bigger impact.

4. Your brand is more than just clicks.

In “Beyond the Click”, we heard from Connective3 about the eight different ways to measure brand impact — from SEO visibility to share of brand search.

One of our fave examples? A certain Peppa Pig gender reveal moment that sent search traffic soaring. It was a masterclass in being reactive and knowing how to jump on cultural moments without being cringey. (No easy feat.)

5. Repurposed content is your secret weapon.

Noticed’s Mercy Fulani reminded us that a piece of content flopping once doesn’t mean it’s destined for the bin. In fact, with a fresh caption, thumbnail tweak, or smarter keywords, it can outperform the original.

This applies just as much to pitching and PR as it does to organic content — it’s not always about new ideas, but new angles.

6. Marketing is not linear. Neither are your audiences.

Perla Bloom from Expedia talked about treating the marketing mix like an eco-system, not a funnel. Big yes from us.

To make comms that connect, you’ve got to meet your audience where they are, speak how they want to be spoken to, and get comfortable with pitching new ideas — risk and all. The best marketers? They celebrate the wins and embrace the flops.

In summary?

The big themes were all about working smarter, not just harder. Whether it’s through AI, authentic influencer partnerships, or better teamwork, the future of marketing is all about removing the noise to make space for impact.

Roll on the next one.