Growth under scrutiny: Lessons from marketers navigating regulation, risk and reputation

As Prolific North’s special focus week spotlighting marketing in regulated industries draws to a close, one message has been consistent across the week-long series.

Whether marketers are operating in finance, legal, healthcare, insurance or other highly regulated sectors, there is a constant balancing act: driving growth while protecting reputation, moving at pace while staying compliant, and pushing creative boundaries without crossing regulatory lines.

READ MORE: Creativity under compliance: the new reality of marketing in regulated industries

These challenges, and the opportunities that come with them, formed the focus of a recent roundtable hosted at PwC’s Manchester offices on 4 February, where senior marketers shared the realities of working under regulatory scrutiny.

Over the past week, we’ve explored some of the key themes from that discussion, highlighting practical and at times candid insights into how marketing leaders are navigating the tension between ambition and accountability. Their briefs may be complex, but one conclusion was clear: when marketing and legal teams truly understand each other’s pressures, the work becomes braver.

Trust, social media and creativity in an age of scepticism

Marketing leaders debated how social media feeds are increasingly being flooded with AI-generated content, paid promotions and claims. It means audiences are now becoming more sceptical about the content they see, and that’s especially true when your sector touches people’s health, money, or legal rights.

READ MORE: How regulated brands are winning trust on social media — without risking compliance

Now, verified reviews, credible press coverage, and clear, transparent messaging are no longer optional, they’re essential. There was agreement that earned media plays a central role here. A well-placed story can carry weight far beyond paid campaigns, and when amplified across social, email, and digital channels, it reinforces credibility while making marketing budgets work smarter.

And while social media rewards speed, personality, and jumping on trends, in regulated sectors, that speed carries risk. 

To tackle this, marketers like Will Jones, Director – Marketing & Customer Experience at DF Capital, emphasised the importance of collaboration. If a marketing team can work closely with compliance or legal teams, it turns approvals into a partnership and it’s where creativity really can shine. 

READ MORE: Faster campaigns, higher stakes? How regulated brands are using AI — and still keeping creativity alive

Kellie Butterworth, Ortho Marketing Manager at Mydentist, shared a perfect example of this: Mydentist’s pop-up campaign around Oasis’ return to Manchester’s Heaton Park last year. Within 48 hours, the brand temporarily rebranded a branch as “{r}dentist” to celebrate the event — it was playful, culturally relevant, and fully compliant. 

“It took a little bit of bravery, but we were still within those guardrails,” she said.

Influencer marketing is evolving, too, as big celebrity names are no longer the gold standard. Instead, micro-influencers and internal experts are helping regulated brands connect authentically. 

Bethany Lunt, Marketing Manager at Northern Accountants, said consumers increasingly crave “real people with real life experiences and stories”. 

AI and compliance

AI is changing how marketing teams operate, accelerating campaigns that once took months into days or hours. But for regulated industries, that speed is double-edged.

Will Jones of DF Capital described AI as a “tremendous tool”, but warned of the dangers if it’s “mismanaged, uncontrolled and ungoverned”.

But even when AI is adopted responsibly, brands must maintain oversight as automated tools can inadvertently come with risks and even the potential to alter marketing messages. And those small errors can come with big consequences for regulated brands. 

Despite the dangers, there was agreement that compliance isn’t a hurdle marketers working for regulated brands need to jump over. In fact, Paris Mannion, Brand Manager at Maxwellia, said compliance is a “huge part” of good marketing, ensuring messaging is responsible and doesn’t over-promise.

Eloise Lonsdale, Content and Copywriting Specialist at Glaisyers Solicitors, added that compliance isn’t a constraint, it’s a way to show diligence and build trust with your audience.

Allan Barr, CEO of BIG Partnership, summed it up neatly: “The organisations navigating this best aren’t bolting compliance on at the end. They’re involving marketing, PR, digital and legal early. In our experience, when those conversations happen upfront, the work is stronger, approvals are faster and risk is lower. It’s not about playing safe. It’s about being aligned from the start.”

READ MORE: Regulation does not stop good marketing but fragmented thinking does

Barr also revealed his key observation in his own review of the roundtable discussion: regulation does not prevent good marketing. Fragmented thinking does.

And while boards focus on growth, regulators focus on fairness, and consumers focus on authenticity, marketers need to translate complex rules and ambitious business targets into campaigns that are both compliant and compelling.

It might be a delicate balancing act but it definitely doesn’t mean creativity is being stifled. As the week’s discussions proved, the brands getting it right are the ones combining ambition, accountability, and authority from the very beginning.