The College Development Network’s Marketing and Communications Conference 2025 was a fantastic day filled with energy, ideas, and expert insights. Bringing together marketing and communications professionals from across the Scottish college sector, the event offered a perfect opportunity to explore the latest trends, tackle challenges, and share success stories.
The College Development Network’s Marketing and Communications Conference 2025 was a fantastic day filled with energy, ideas, and expert insights. Bringing together marketing and communications professionals from across the Scottish college sector, the event offered a perfect opportunity to explore the latest trends, tackle challenges, and share success stories.
A range of fantastic speakers addressed key topics identified by the Marketing and Communications Network, setting the stage for some truly engaging discussions.
This week, our very own Managing Consultant, Vivienne, took the spotlight at the conference, delivering expert insights on digital marketing and reputation management in an engaging and dynamic session. Packed with bold ideas, key stats, and smart strategies, Vivienne’s session had the room buzzing—because let’s face it, staying ahead of the curve is what we do best.
Did you know that over 5.56 billion people—more than 67% of the planet—are now online? That’s a whole lot of scrolling, clicking, and double-tapping. And here’s one for the digital sceptics: 55% of Gen Z now prefer social media as their go-to search engine. Yes, you read that right—TikTok isn’t just for questionable dance trends; it’s where real search behaviour is happening.
Vivienne hammered home the need to truly get your audience. It’s not just about throwing content into the void and hoping for the best. Smart marketers create detailed audience personas—because the better you understand what makes your audience tick, the better you can craft content that actually lands. That’s why we obsess over getting under the skin of our clients’ customers and tailoring strategies that speak their language (and no, that doesn’t just mean adding ‘vibe check’ to a LinkedIn post).
Then there was influencer marketing—because if you’re not talking about it in 2024, are you even in marketing? Global spending on influencers hit an eye-watering $35 billion last year, proving that the power of social sway is only growing. Vivienne broke down how we help clients navigate this space, cutting through the noise to build genuine, results-driven connections.
The CDN attendees left inspired, ready to shake up their marketing game, and we walked away reminded (yet again) why we love what we do—helping organisations amplify their voices, push creative boundaries, and drive real impact.
Thanks for having us CDN!
