Highlights of the Year
2025
Let’s rewind through 2025 at ICG. Thank you to everyone who has played a part in another fantastic year in the barn.
January
Another new year and another new face at ICG. Digital Marketing Executive Emily joined the team working on organic and paid social, and PPC.
She’s a great addition to our team – find out more about her in our Take Five blog. There were also other new arrivals for the wider ICG family – baby Francesca to Senior Designer, Sam and his wife Molly, and baby Oscar to our Office Manager, Bekki and husband, Simon.
February
Togetherness and relaxation were firmly on the agenda for ICG’s annual conference in the sun in this year’s beautiful destination of Malta.
Three days of Aperol, Maltese cuisine and fresh air was the perfect antidote to the chilly weather back home. Beyond the sunshine, the trip offered valuable time to re-set for another exciting year ahead.
March
March saw the release of the annual ICG Marketing Survey. This year’s results painted a picture of a marketing landscape navigating cautious optimism amid ongoing economic challenges.
Budgets tightening was once again cited as among the biggest challenges while this year’s research showed the industry is using AI tools more than ever before.
April
It was London Marathon time – and our MD, Simon ran his 50th marathon just before his 50th birthday. Setting a Guiness World Record by running as a medal, he raised £3,000 for charity and was interviewed on BBC Sport.
Back at the ranch, our teams have taken part in all sorts of fun activities this year from an exciting paper plane competition and yoga work-out during our Wellbeing Week to a nail-biting pool tournament!
May
Our team certainly racked up some steps this year as we travelled the length and breadth of the country attending events and exhibitions.
We were invited to Sunbelt Rentals’ Technology and Innovation Event and joined The Racing Foundation Annual Conference. We were also ‘out and about’ at Grand Designs Live, UK Construction Week, the Baton of Hope launch, Mad//Fest London and the Prolific North Marketing Festival to name just a few!
June
It was a proud moment when, after many months of hard work, Eco Town went live. We had been tasked with creating an interactive 1km educational walkway experience at the Environmental Education Centre at Farington Waste Recovery Park in Lancashire. In response, Eco Town was born – an immersive and interactive experience to encourage people of all ages to reduce, reuse and recycle.
Working to tight deadlines alongside sustainability consultants and interactive display suppliers, we were extremely proud to see Eco Town open its doors to community groups this year. Read more about Eco Town.
July
The sun shone, the shoppers queued and the ribbon was cut. We couldn’t have asked for a better day for the opening of Cotswolds Designer Outlet.
As the strategic marketing partner of retail operator Multi-Realm, it was a unique opportunity to be at the heart of a brand new retail destination.
Working on a project of this scale and calibre is exactly the kind of creative challenge we relish and it was fantastic for the team to join the opening day celebrations in July. Read more here
August
No summer would be complete without the ICG family get-together. Rumi and his fabulous pizza van returned for a second year running and it was smiles all round in the sunshine.
It was great to catch up with everyone’s family and friends and the day is always another reminder of the strong community spirit that makes ICG such a special place to be.
September
Following the huge success of our inaugural staff awards, the Barnies were back….bigger and better this year. There was singing, popcorn, sweets and surprises.
Stephen retained the title of Snazziest Sneaks for his taste in trainers while Liam took the Ray of Sunshine award. Other gongs included the Laurence Llewelyn- Bowen best dressed desk (Emma) and the LOL award (Erin) !
October
October saw the launch of our new satellite office in Belfast enabling ICG to expand its reach into Northern Ireland.
Renowned for its Titanic ship building heritage, vibrant pub culture and tech scene, we are looking forward to engaging with local businesses, bringing ICG’s expertise and multi sector experience to organisations in the region.
November
It’s been exciting to welcome new clients and new projects to the agency this year. Creativity, problem solving, research and perseverance have all played their part in delivering some of our greatest successes.
Looking back, we are extremely proud to have launched some major website projects, social media campaigns and great PR.
We welcomed a series of new clients including Colliers, Designer Sofas, Walfinch, Zero Carbon and Cotswolds Designer Outlet.
December
In a break from tradition this year, we put all our festive fundraising into the Big Food Project instead of our annual Give Back Fridays. Known as the ‘foodbank of foodbanks’ the charity was so short of funds, there was a real risk of closure.
Supplying 17,000 meals a week across the Fylde, we agreed to become the Big Food Project’s dedicated marketing partner with a clear strategy to appeal to members of the public and businesses.
Widespread regional media coverage on TV, radio and print, essential website updates and social media support has led to the charity being able to secure vital funds to support its work into 2026.
