Prolific North Live
Wednesday, 18 November 2026 • Sister, Manchester
The North’s must-attend event for media, marketing, digital and tech leaders returns for 2026, bringing together the region’s most ambitious marketers, strategists and business leaders. Attendees explored the latest trends, gained actionable insights and forged valuable connections across the industry.
THE NEXT BIG THING IN MARKETING
The pace of change in consumer behaviour and technology continues to accelerate. With new ideas and marketing solutions emerging daily, it can be difficult to cut through the noise and grow brand share.
Prolific North Live 2025 helped to demystify these challenges, equipping attendees with the tools and knowledge to navigate the fast-changing landscape and future-proof their brands.
The agenda covered:
- Looking Ahead to 2026: Predictions in media, marketing and digital
- Consumer Trends: How people discover, buy and interact with brands
- Marketing Mavericks: How underdog brands stand out
The event took place on 6th November 2025 at UA92 in Manchester, bringing together industry leaders and innovators from across the North.
Prolific North Live Returns...
09.00 Doors open
09:45 Welcome from Prolific North on the Trendsetters stage
09:50 Hitting the mark - everything you need to know about creating campaigns that click, connect and convert
‘8 steps to email success’ distills insights from Dot digital’s Hitting the mark report into a practical roadmap for marketers ready to elevate their email performance. Each step is designed to help marketers connect more meaningfully with their audiences, proving that email’s greatest power lies not in doing everything at once, but in doing the next right thing, consistently.
Presented by Jenna Paton, Content Marketing Manager at Dot digital
10:10 Keynote: The 2026 speed-to-market Playbook: SharkNinja's strategy for high-paced, high-converting launches
Budgets are tight, launch calendars aren’t. This session shows how SharkNinja keeps shipping at pace, and how a lean design system powered by agency partner Tall, turns strategy into live journeys that convert. We’ll look at 2026 trends that matter, how consumers really discover and decide, and the operating habits that cut time to go-live. Expect practical examples: a global design system as a set of reusable building blocks, content made modular for channel fit, social and community signals turning into product pages people trust. You’ll leave with a simple framework for speed, three metrics to track, and a checklist your team can use. Less theory, more do.
Speakers:
- Ged Hirst, Director of UX & CRO at SharkNinja
- Andy Beckwith, Creative Director at TALL
10:30 - Be the 5%: Turning AI into ROI
Innovation initiatives, including those involving AI, often fail to deliver a measurable return. The challenge isn’t the technology, but how organisations harness it. In this session, Chris will share a practical framework for separating hype from value, showing you how to spot the right trends, pilot with purpose, and scale only when ROI is proven. Attendees will leave with clear, actionable insights to position their organisations among the 5% that consistently turn innovation and AI into measurable results.
Key takeaways:
- Innovation framework: How to move from idea → pilot → ROI with a repeatable model.
- AI and beyond: Practical examples where AI and innovation drive efficiency, new revenue, and competitive edge.
- Future positioning: How to embed AI and innovation into strategy so your organisation is in the 5% that thrive, not the 95% that stall.
Presented by: Chris Burgess, CEO of CTI Digital
10:50 Panel discussion: How are top brands adapting to the current market?
We’ll explore the trends—from shifting consumer behaviors to the rise of new technologies like AI—that are directly impacting brand strategies and marketing spend. How are leaders adapting tactics, making tough decisions with tight budgets, and shaping their teams to drive measurable growth in a fast-paced environment?
Panellists:
- Rufina Lawani – Regional Sales Director at Sky
- Phil Gripton – Partner at Waypoint
Chaired by Carla Murray, Partner & Head of Commercial at Slater Heelis
11:15 Coffee break in the Hangout
TRENDSETTERS STAGE
11:30 - Gen Alpha: The Future of Attention, Influence & Brand Loyalty
Set to be the most powerful generation yet, Gen Alpha are already reshaping brand engagement.
Learn how brands can not only survive but thrive, while navigating the ethical responsibility that comes with marketing to the most powerful generation yet.
Drawing on examples from Horlicks and Specsavers, you’ll learn how to communicate directly and via parents, without losing credibility, and secure loyalty that lasts a lifetime.
Speakers:
- Kim Bull, Brand Communications Lead at Specsavers
- Jane Duffy, Associate Director at Tangerine
11:50 - From Hype to Habit: Why TikTok Shop is Now a Brand’s Biggest Opportunity
TikTok Shop has gone from experiment to essential. UK sales are up 93% year-on-year, fuelled by 24.8 million active users—that’s a 55% lift in just 12 months. Those users now spend 49+ hours a month on the app, and more than half have already purchased via Shop in 2025.
The opportunity is huge—but success isn’t just about listing products and hoping for the best. Winning on TikTok Shop takes brand at the core and smart activation across every pillar: ads, lives, shoppable content, and affiliates.
Join IF. on the Trendsetters stage as we show how to turn TikTok Shop into a channel that both sells and builds brand.
Speakers:
- Myke Hamilton, Director, Client Service
- Laura Selby, Director of Digital
- Jo Whiteley, Director of Creative
12:10 - Earned Everywhere: Building brands in a culture of Infinite scroll
In a world of infinite scroll and zero-click searches, brands are fighting harder than ever for visibility. Audiences now discover content everywhere from TikTok and Reddit to Google’s AI Overviews. That means your stories need to travel further, faster, and work harder across every platform.
In this session, Embryo reveal how to evolve earned content – creating multi-format, search-driven, culturally-relevant stories that show authority in every space your audience scrolls and help brands spot trends early to turn them into SEO-driven sales opportunities
Speakers:
- Tom Hemingway – Head of Digital PR at Embryo
- Shona Worsman – Content Lead at Embryo
STRATEGY SPOTLIGHT STAGE
11:30 - Intelligent disruption
It’s not about breaking things, it’s about breaking through. See how challenger brands can shake up categories with ideas that outthink, not outspend.
Presented by Richard Midgley, Founder and Group Strategy Director at Ponderosa
11:50 - What Stephen King taught me about Google's Knowledge Graph
Google’s Knowledge Graph underpins everything we see in search, yet few people truly understand how it works. In this talk, we’ll explore how real-world thinking, like the simple act of browsing a book shop, mirrors how Google organises knowledge. You’ll discover how entities and relationships shape natural language understanding, and why that’s the key to thriving in an AI-driven search landscape.
Presented by Dave Gossage, SEO Manager at Click Consult
12:10 Unfiltered: How authenticity drives brand success
What happens when your brand lives in a space people hope they’ll never need? In this compelling session, we’ll explore how embracing authenticity—through real voices, real stories, and disabled talent—can transform the narrative, break down barriers, and spark meaningful connections. Discover how leaning into difficult conversations and being unfiltered can redefine your brand and create real impact.
Speakers:
- Jonnie Norgate Head of Brand and external comms – Irwin Mitchell
- Lisa Thompson – Strategy and Planning Partner – Wavemaker
12:30 Lunch break in the Hangout
13:15 Madferit: Berghaus x Liam Gallagher – Turning cultural moments into competitive advantage
Take a sneak peak behind the scenes of one of this year’s most iconic collaborations and how Liam Gallagher’s genuine affinity for the ‘Icons’ jacket reignited Britain’s love for Berghaus.
This talk is packed with actionable strategies for leveraging cultural moments, forging authentic collaborations, and connecting authentically with audiences for tangible brand impact.
Speakers:
- Emily Lewis, Senior Comms Planning Manager at Pentland
- Jenny O’Sullivan – Digital Client Partner at EssenceMediacom
TRENDSETTERS STAGE
13:40 Will AI kill the influencer?
In a climate of low trust – in institutions, media, and even people – a new challenge has emerged: AI.
Brands rely on social influencers to fill the void left by traditional advertising, using them as trusted storytellers, advocates and even direct sellers. But when it becomes impossible to tell if the person on screen is real or AI-generated, how does the public know who to trust any longer? And what does this mean for the future of influencer marketing?
Influencer experts at Democracy PR will tackle these challenging questions, offering fresh insights, case studies and best-practice advice to ensure we’re all AI-ready when it comes to influencer marketing.
Panellists:
- David Edmundson-Bird FRSA CMBE SFHEA, Principal Lecturer in Digital Marketing and Faculty Lead for AI at Manchester Metropolitan University Business School
- Graeme McGilliard, Strategic Communications Director at Democracy PR
- Collette Reid, Influencer Manager at Democracy PR
- Sophie Noa, a body positivity influencer
14:00 TikTok Grit vs Netflix Polish: The Brand Video Smackdown
Marketers are stuck in the same battle: do we lean into scrappy, authentic user-generated content or invest in glossy, high-production video that builds brand authority?
In this fireside panel, Wander’s award-winning content leads go head-to-head, arguing the case for both sides. Expect strong opinions, fresh insights and real-world examples from brands doing it right.
Speakers:
- Liam Dawson – Head of Marketing
- Simon Pettett – Head of Production
- Caitlin Wright – Marketing Strategist
14:20 Nothing beats seeing your idea and voice go viral – The Jet2 summer story
Join us to hear the story of Jet2’s unprecedented viral sensation this past summer. We’ll hear from the voice of the campaign, delve into the madness and dissect how 8 years of relentless consistency and brand equity building suddenly created the overnight sensation that exploded across the internet. Learn some of the key factors behind its success and what your brand can do to create fame and if you’re lucky, infiltrate popular culture.
Speakers:
- Don McGrath, Executive Creative Director & Co-Founder, Supersonic
- Zoe Lister, Voiceover artist, Jet2
STRATEGY SPOTLIGHT STAGE
13:40 Lead Flow: Finding the Leaks That Cost You Sales
In the midst of the AI boom, it’s easy to forget that the biggest wins rarely come from chasing the latest shiny platform or tool.
More often than not, success depends on fixing the leaks already in your funnel. In this talk, Ben Ashcroft, Head of Digital at Edison Media, shares a real-world client example to map out your entire lead flow, from first click to closed sale – and show where performance is won or lost.
Packed with practical takeaways, this session will show you the levers you can pull to plug leaks, improve conversion, and make your advertising spend work harder.
Presented by Ben Ashcroft, Head of Digital at Edison Media
14:00 Signals & Stories: How to approach creative storytelling to drive revenue
Learn how to turn data into compelling storytelling that drives action and revenue. This dynamic session packs a practical three-step framework with examples from photo and video shoots, creative approaches to developing effective ad campaigns, and a takeaway checklist for your team:
- Signal: Filter data to isolate insights that matter
- Story: Build a narrative hook to draw people in
- System: Plan and repurpose visual assets to maximise efforts across channels
Speakers:
Ben Hanley, Co-Founder of three&six
Lindsey Sagnella, VP, Content at three&six
14:40 Afternoon break in the Hangout
15:00 The rocky road to challenger brand success
In this session, we ignore the big budget challenger brand conversations that are commonly leading the industry. We’re looking at the brands that often have limited start up style budgets but real ambition, drive and a passion for the product created, and the market they serve. We look at how to break down a long term plan that builds a sustainable brand, go to market strategy, incremental growth plan that drives ROI, and targeting that will build long term success, market gains and stability.
Presented by David Wadsworth, Managing Director of Cornerstone
15:30 The Power of Talent: How Cole Palmer Helped Pringles Show Up Authentically in Culture
Rebecca Worthington is the Salty Snacks Marketing Lead for the UK at Kellanova, where she oversees iconic brands such as Pringles and Cheez-It. With over 19 years of experience in the FMCG sector, Rebecca brings deep expertise across the full marketing mix. Rebecca will talk through how an opportunity with Cole Palmer had them re-think a traditional OOH product launch and how the campaign helped them engage and show up in new ways to audiences.
Speakers:
- Rebecca Worthington, Head of Salty Snacks at Kellanova
- Nicole Sime, Digital & Social Consultant at Ear to the Ground
15:55 Closing session: How to turn today's marketing trends into tomorrow's most effective omni channel advertising campaigns
Fergal O’Connor is the CEO and Founder of AI powered Ad tech platform Buymedia. In this session, he will share his advertising experience, industry knowledge and practical insights into how AI can help empower marketing teams to plan and execute the most effective omni channel advertising campaigns.
Presented by Fergal O’Connor, Founder & CEO of BuyMedia
16:15 Drinks & networking in the Hangout
Headline Sponsors
CTI Digital
Slater Heelis
Speakers
A MUST-ATTEND EVENT FOR MARKETERS
Prolific North Live 2025 was a sell-out success!
The event brought together the North’s creative, digital, media and tech community for a day packed with insight, inspiration and connection.
A huge thank you to everyone who joined us, shared their expertise and helped make this year’s event such a success.
Stay tuned for updates on future opportunities to get involved and be part of the conversation.
For partnership or speaking enquiries, contact [email protected].
2025 Event Partners
Wavemaker
EssenceMediacom
Democracy
Supersonic
CTI Digital
Slater Heelis
Click Consult
3&6
Cornerstone
BuyMedia
Edison Media
IF Agency
Tangerine
Waypoint
University Academy 92
Dotdigital
Embryo
TALL
