In the latest of our Spotlight Series we recently talked to three Northern agency leaders: Richard Sharp, owner of The Sharp Agency; Laura Selby, Director of Digital at IF.; and Chris Holmes, Founder of Virtuopo, about their thoughts on what 2025 has in store for agencies in the North.
We asked them each 7 questions and had some very interesting and thought-provoking replies which you can read below. We talk challenges, pivots, TikTok Shop and of course AI, and how to help your clients get the best from their marketing spend in these constantly evolving times.
We’d love to know your thoughts.
After a rollercoaster few years, what are your predictions for 2025?
Laura predicts a huge shift in three spaces: fast result-driven solutions, the rise of TikTok Shop, and the demand for unique real-life experiences. She feels whilst it’s not a bad thing to strengthen performance marketing effort, this can be detrimental to the brand and brand longevity, so it’s important to ensure that organic brand building isn’t lost in this and is still prioritised when it comes to budget planning. She referenced the powerhouse that is TikTok shop, saying that the great return on investment they are seeing for their clients whilst this platform is in its infancy is one you can’t sit on. We also discussed community value and how challenger brands are building huge communities online and then bringing that online demand to physical destinations, think insane viral queues for sisters and Seekers.
Richard said that it looks like the rollercoaster ride isn’t over yet. With the recent budget reshaping plans for many businesses, 2025 feels to him like a “wait and see” year. He believes agencies that foster positive work environments and prioritise employee wellbeing will emerge stronger than ever.
As we head into 2025, Chris expects to see marketing budgets stabilise, with a greater investment in rapidly evolving digital trends. He said they are already seeing social shopping reshape the way brands connect with their audiences, and this is set to have a huge impact on the retail industry in 2025, particularly as TikTok Shop continues to grow. He has no doubt that AI will become more important across all sectors in 2025 as businesses look to automate routine tasks to help give valuable time back to employees, freeing them up to focus on more strategic work.
Are there agency sectors and specialisms that fare better in tough economic times?
Laura sees performance marketing agencies rising in stability during this time due to being able to provide more tangible hard results vs other spaces where results can often be overlooked in their contribution to the performance.
Richard believes that agencies focused on delivering outcomes, not just outputs, with a consultancy-style approach will have an edge. Sustainability is another key opportunity.
Chris says that events can be a smart investment during challenging economic times when businesses are looking to do more with less. The advances in technology mean that events don’t always require the same level of investment that was expected when the traditional in-person format was the only option. A virtual or hybrid event can deliver an engaging experience, and often achieve the same goals, in a more cost-efficient way.
How do you think the creative industries could pivot and react more quickly to changing landscapes?
Laura thinks it comes down to talent and trust. Hire the right talent who are hungry for growth, reactive and most importantly team players. Listen to them, give them the opportunity, as long as it makes business sense, trust them to go for it. You should be recruiting people who know more than you and be trusting them with the opportunities as you never know what it could bring vs being stuck in the ‘this is the way we have always done it’ mindset.
Richard says the key is understanding clients’ needs at a deeper level and delivering bespoke solutions. He believes that too often, agencies pivot to trends or “shiny objects” instead of adapting to what truly matters to their clients. In 2025, being client-centric won’t just be important—it’ll be essential.
Chris said that when he started Virtuopo almost five years ago, businesses were looking to shift their corporate events to the virtual format during the pandemic. He had been running huge virtual and hybrid conferences for years, back in the days when Zoom was a fairly niche platform, and was in position to provide a solution to one of the biggest challenges facing the events industry in decades. So, it’s important to be agile and identify and embrace emerging trends.
What other challenges is your sector facing, and how are you tackling them?
Laura said that Transactional Services vs Partnerships is a big area of concern for her, referencing the rise of ‘challenger’ agencies over this last year who on LinkedIn paper come across all shiny and innovative but behind the scenes, away from talking the talk, have little understanding on the most important aspect of the job – building a partnership with clients and peers. She said they go to battle for their clients so that they can win the war. She worries that this impacts future new relationships where partnerships and client relationships become too cold and transactional because they’ve been burned by others before.
Richard believes that AI will solidify its role in 2025, transforming how we work. The challenge lies in integrating it thoughtfully—not just automating processes but using it to elevate creativity and strategic thinking. They’re actively exploring how to blend AI with human ingenuity to unlock new possibilities for their clients.
Chris says that uncertainty around budgets is a significant challenge, particularly in times of economic challenge. Virtuopo addresses this by coming up with effective ways of making client budgets go further, helping them to achieve their overall event goals even when budgets are tight.
What exciting things are you involved in?
Laura: said that TikTok Shop is where they are seeing an increasing demand from clients and to be at the forefront of this growing new social commerce space is really exciting. TikTok shop offers brands the opportunity to create immersive and intimate shopping experience on a viral scale and that in turn delivers fast lucrative results. It’s a space where the more creative and inventive you are the more you are rewarded. They are seeing astronomical ROAS, industry beating creative and as a result, some incredibly attractive sales result for clients.
Richard says they are energised by partnering with bold leaders who have change at the top of their agenda. He also believes that their BCorp credentials are attracting clients with a shared ambition to make a real difference in the world. Together, they’re creating work that not only aligns with their values but also drives impressive performance for their brands.
Chris: As an official TikTok Shop Partner Agency, social commerce is a huge area of growth for us. Combining discovery, entertainment and creativity, there are now more than 5,000 live shopping sessions on TikTok every day, so it’s a very exciting time for e-commerce.
We’ve also invested in a virtual studio on-site at Virtuopo’s Liverpool headquarters, which opens up huge opportunities for client events and livestreams. Working in the studio, we can literally deliver a corporate conference or event to the same high standards of a TV talk show, using a virtual reality backdrop.
Is the industry skills ready? What new roles do you think the industry will see in the coming years?
Laura said they anticipate hiring for roles where skills are needed both in creativity but also with an analytical digital marketing hat on, and they’ve noticed a huge skill gap in bridging the two together. She feels the best marketers are those who get brand and can pinpoint that brand impact on consumer behaviour and why. There is a need for more analytically skilled social media creatives and brand marketers. She also sees a rise in skills needed to run TikTok shop: from affiliates to LIVE presenting to promotional activation through shoppable content. There will be a huge demand for specialists in these spaces as the UK scales on this platform.
Richard says the industry’s skill set is evolving, but there’s still room for growth. Roles centred around data-driven insights, AI integration, and sustainability strategy are emerging fast. Preparing the next generation for this blend of creativity, technology, and strategy is the big challenge, and opportunity ahead.
Chris answered with an emphatic No, they’re finding that there’s a real shortage of skills, particularly in livestreaming, virtual production and presenting. Investing in future talent is key in their industry and they have some fantastic apprentices at Virtuopo to support and complement their experienced team. He said if you rewind 10 years, most of the job titles at Virtuopo didn’t even exist. In the coming years, he can see there being a big demand for AI prompt engineers to help get the best result from AI tools or to train and test AI systems.
With special thanks to our contributors for Spotlight #4 Agency Predictions for 2025:
Richard Sharp is owner and CD of The Sharp Agency. They focus on enhancing their clients’ brand performance. They apply a strategic, creative approach to positioning brands, ensuring they stay competitive, and develop performance-driven campaigns that increase sales.
Laura Selby is Director of Digital at brand communications agency, IF. They specialise in building killer brands, both in creation and activation in online and offline spaces.
Chris Holmes is founder of professional livestreaming and corporate events company Virtuopo. They create engaging event experiences, whether in the virtual, hybrid or in-person format. They also work with brands and creators at the virtual studio in their Liverpool HQ.
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