At the recent Mad Up North in Manchester, Paul Cooper, COO at EssenceMediacom North; Louis Georgiou, VP Engineering at Agentic Intelligence, Choreograph; and Katy Woodward, Planning Director at EssenceMediacom North, took to the stage to discuss what they call ‘The Experience Equation’, a framework designed to enhance customer engagement and drive business growth.
The challenge: standing out in a crowded market
Paul Cooper set the stage by highlighting the modern marketing challenge: an overwhelming volume of advertising messages competing for consumers’ attention. With people exposed to thousands of ads daily, brands must work harder than ever to cut through the noise.
He also underscored the economic pressures facing consumers, where tighter budgets mean that brands must not only capture attention but also offer genuine value.
Against this backdrop, Cooper noted a concerning statistic, three out of four people don’t like advertising. The solution? Delivering better experiences. “If you can take an experience that is a negative and not just make it frictionless, but turn it into a positive experience, you’ve found a little bit of gold,” he said.
The Experience Equation is built on four core principles: Cues, Context, Content, and Agility.
Cues: understanding consumer signals
Katy Woodward emphasised the importance of reading consumer cues, which she described as “the subtle indicators of intent and engagement.”
While marketers often rely on data signals, she stressed that simple human observation can be just as powerful.
She shared a case study on Hillarys, a blinds and curtains retailer, which identified a disconnect in their customer journey. While many potential customers showed interest, adding products to Pinterest boards and browsing the site, there was a significant drop-off at the booking stage. Customers were being deterred by a lack of first-choice appointment availability.
By integrating a live booking system with deeper UX optimisation, they streamlined the process, reducing cancellations and no-shows. The result was an 11% increase in purchases.
“Sometimes, the biggest opportunities are the ones staring us in the face,” Woodward said.
Context: timing matters
Context is a powerful driver of consumer behaviour. As Woodward illustrated, even a simple text message can land differently depending on when and where it’s received. Brands must ensure that their messaging aligns with the right moments.
An example was Butlins’ partnership with The Masked Singer, she said. Recognising that customers associated Butlins with a sense of fun and family entertainment, they integrated The Masked Singer experience into their resorts. This activation didn’t just create memorable in-person experiences but also strengthened brand love, aligning Butlins with positive moments in consumers’ lives.
Content: creating meaningful connections
Great content is about engagement, not just selling. As the speakers pointed out, people don’t want to be sold to, they want to be entertained, informed, and inspired. The most effective content speaks to emotional drivers rather than just listing product features.
The team cited their work with Moonpig for Father’s Day, where they shifted the messaging focus from generic ‘golf dad’ or ‘beer dad’ cards to more meaningful, personalised content. By highlighting real text messages between dads and their children, they helped customers create more heartfelt messages, making the buying experience feel more authentic. The campaign led to a significant uplift in both brand sentiment and sales.
Agility: the power of AI and collaborative teams
Louis Georgiou discussed the final element of the equation, agility. Traditionally, teams have improved efficiency by optimising workflows and fostering collaboration. However, in 2023, AI became a game-changer.
EssenceMediacom developed Sidekick, an AI-powered tool that enhances productivity by providing expert guidance, content generation capabilities, and deep data analysis. This platform has transformed the way teams work, allowing them to create, test, and refine ideas at an unprecedented speed. With 300 micro-tools and over 500 user-generated innovations, Sidekick has become an integral part of its strategy.
“AI doesn’t replace creativity,” Georgiou said. “It augments it, acting as a critical friend that enhances ideation, efficiency, and execution.”
The impact: better experiences, stronger brands
The Experience Equation ultimately boils down to one simple truth: better experiences drive better business outcomes. Whether through more personalised interactions, well-timed messages, emotionally resonant content, or AI-enhanced workflows, the brands that focus on improving customer experiences will come out on top.
“Everything comes down to experience,” Cooper said. “By focusing on the sum of all the experiences we create, wherever we find people in their lives, we build better relationships, stronger brands, and ultimately, increased revenue.”
