New Feature: Julia on Making Marketing Budgets Actually Deliver
In a new article from the Chartered Institute of Marketing, Julia Payne is quoted on why budgets fail and what leaders must fix before spending a single pound.
Inside the article:
Where budgets should sit and who must be accountable
- How to set spend using real conversion assumptions
- What to prioritise when headcount and resources are limited
- The metrics that actually show if marketing is working
- Why misalignment between sales and marketing kills ROI
Julia’s point is sharp: a budget only works when it has purpose, ownership and a clear definition of success.
Read the full article: Making Your Budget Work for You (CIM)
New Feature: Julia on Getting Real ROI from Digital Advertising
Most small businesses know they should be running digital ads, but knowing where to spend, what to test and how to measure success is where budgets are won or lost.
In her latest expert contribution for Croner-i, Julia Payne explains how businesses can maximise ROI even with limited budgets, by getting their strategy tight before a single penny is spent.
Right now, many businesses jump straight into PPC or social ads hoping for quick wins. The result is wasted spend, unclear messaging and campaigns that don’t convert. Julia highlights that success doesn’t come from tactics alone, it’s built on clear goals, defined ownership and a strong customer journey.
Her guidance focuses on disciplined planning: knowing exactly who you’re targeting, the single action you want them to take and ensuring the human follow-up is ready before launch.
Inside the piece:
Why clarity on your goal, audience and offer must come before any ad spend.
How to set budgets using realistic conversion expectations, not guesswork.
When to test multiple platforms and when to double down.
How to identify whether poor performance is caused by messaging, targeting or the landing page.
Why ROAS and cost per sale matter more than clicks or impressions.
Practical ways to keep human follow-up aligned so leads don’t leak.
Julia’s takeaway is simple: start small, stay focused and learn from every click. Smart testing and clear accountability outperform big budgets every time.
Read the full article: Digital Advertising 101: Maximising ROI on a Limited Budget
New Feature: Julia on Marketing in the Age of AI
Most marketing teams know AI is transforming the way campaigns are planned and delivered. The challenge isn’t if AI should be used, it’s knowing where it adds real value instead of noise.
In her latest feature for London Daily News, Julia Payne breaks down what this shift means for agencies and brands competing for attention and efficiency in 2025.
Right now, teams are under pressure to do more with less. Budgets are scrutinised. Margins are tighter. Client expectations are rising. AI promises speed and scale, but without the right structure, it can create more problems than it solves: inconsistent quality, fragmented workflows, and a race to the bottom on output.
Julia’s article explains how to integrate AI in a way that strengthens strategic clarity instead of replacing it, focusing on the parts of marketing where human judgment still drives advantage.
Inside the piece:
Which marketing tasks are best automated vs. kept human-led.
Why the real competitive edge isn’t AI output, but the brief, the insight, and the interpretation.
How AI will reshape team roles, workflows, and skills over the next 18–36 months.
The risk of commoditised creative work and how to avoid it.
Practical steps for agency and brand leaders to build AI-enabled operating models.
The takeaway is clear: AI isn’t replacing marketers, it’s replacing marketers who can’t use AI well. The value shifts from execution to direction.
Read the full article: Marketing in the Age of AI: What’s Next?
New Feature: Julia’s Latest Article in Finance Derivative
Most leaders know their sales and marketing teams should be aligned, but few have a system to make it happen.
In her latest feature for Finance Derivative, Julia Payne explains how Revenue Operations (RevOps) can give UK businesses the structure and speed to scale, even in tough economic conditions.
Right now, firms face rising costs, shrinking forecasts, and growing skills shortages. Yet the biggest threat to growth isn’t always external, it’s internal. Siloed teams. Disconnected systems. Competing KPIs. All creating friction that slows momentum when it’s needed most.
Julia’s article breaks down how RevOps unites go-to-market functions around shared data, goals, and accountability, creating one coordinated engine for efficient, repeatable growth.
Inside the piece:
- Why 73% of companies now employ senior RevOps leaders to align sales, marketing, and customer success.
- The four core pillars of a scalable RevOps model — People, Processes, Data, and Technology.
- How to turn siloed operations into a single, measurable system built for resilience.
- Proof points from BCG and Forrester showing firms with RevOps achieve up to 200% greater marketing ROI and triple the revenue growth.
- What leaders must do now to capture recovery as inflation cools and markets rebound.
The takeaway is simple: RevOps isn’t a buzzword, it’s the operating system for modern growth.
Read the full article: RevOps explained: the smarter way to scale your business
New Feature: Julia’s Step-by-Step Guide to RevOps in The Financial Services Forum
Most B2B leaders know their sales and marketing teams should be aligned—but few have a system to make it happen.
That’s the focus of my latest feature for The Financial Services Forum, where I break down how to build true Revenue Operations (RevOps) alignment step by step.
Inside the article:
The structural shifts needed to unify marketing, sales, and customer success.
How to map and measure the end-to-end buyer journey for consistent revenue growth.
Practical ways to use shared data, joint KPIs, and process clarity to eliminate friction.
What a mature RevOps model looks like—and how to start moving toward it today.
RevOps isn’t a buzzword. It’s the foundation for sustainable, scalable growth—especially when your teams are stretched and every lead must convert.
Read the full feature here: RevOps: A Step-by-Step Guide to Sales & Marketing Alignment
New Feature: Julia’s Q&A in Finance Day
Founders don’t just need funding. They need a system to make that funding work.
That’s the throughline of my latest feature in Finance Day, where I talk about the biggest blind spots holding back B2B companies.
Inside the Q&A:
Julia’s career journey, leadership lessons, and the shift from company-first to customer-first marketing.
Common pitfalls in growing businesses: siloed teams, campaign stop-start, vanity metrics, and lack of strategic alignment.
Core principles and future outlook: customer understanding, continuous effort, empathy plus data, and AI-powered personalisation.
The truth is simple: growth isn’t about hiring more people or spending more money. It’s about building the operating system that makes every hire and every pound count.
Read the full Q&A here: Finance Day – Julia Payne Interview
New Feature: Julia’s Latest Article in Business Age
When brands hit the fan. Ten steps for leaders outrunning a boycott
Boycotts used to be rare. Now they’re part of daily business reality and not because of faulty products, but because of broken brand values.
From global giants to local businesses, no one is immune. And often, the biggest damage isn’t the misstep itself, but the silence, mixed signals, or half-apologies that follow.
In my latest piece for Business Age, I break down a ten-step playbook for leaders navigating boycotts:
Respond quickly, but don’t panic. Speed matters, but clarity and understanding matter more.
Bring everyone to the table. Align PR, legal, sales, and leadership on one honest message.
Acknowledge, apologise, act. Consumers forgive when brands take responsibility and back it with change.
Communicate with courage. Say it straight, don’t hide behind corporate polish.
Turn promises into proof. Make change visible, measurable, and accountable.
Track the noise. Social listening is your early warning system.
Don’t go it alone. Bring in crisis experts when the stakes are high.
Make value-based marketing real. Align your brand purpose with authentic long-term action.
Make CSR a priority. Not a PR stunt, an operating principle.
Play the long game. Trust isn’t rebuilt overnight.
The throughline is simple: survival demands authenticity, transparency, and the courage to act. In a world of instant backlash, only brands that truly mean it will last.
Read the full article here: When Brands Hit the Fan – Business Age
New Feature: Julia to Speak at Festival of Entrepreneurs
I’m excited to be joining the Festival of Entrepreneurs this year to share the secret to RevOps success.
Revenue Operations (RevOps) isn’t a “nice-to-have” anymore, it’s the operating system that keeps sales, marketing, and customer success aligned on one goal: growth.
Too many founder-led companies stall because these teams run in silos.
In my session, I’ll be breaking down how to build a RevOps engine that:
- Removes the friction between sales, marketing, and success
- Puts data at the centre of every decision
- Turns marketing and sales from rivals into one growth system
- Creates repeatable revenue processes that scale past the founder
This isn’t theory. It’s a blueprint built from years of working with B2B companies turning over £1–10M, the stage where growth either compounds or stalls.
The Festival is all about giving entrepreneurs the tools to scale smarter. My goal is to arm you with the operating system to do exactly that.
You can read the full announcement here: Business in the News article
New Feature: Julia’s Latest Comment in the Daily Mail
Costa’s reign as the stalwart British coffeeshop appears to be wobbling as experts say the ‘predictable, bland and outdated’ brand is losing customers to trendy artisanal cafes – with owners reportedly considering selling the chain for a ‘cut-price’ deal.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, marketing and branding aficionados revealed how the trademark burgundy lettering once beloved by both the commuter and sweet grandmother alike is losing appeal with customers who are looking for more rustic, earnest aesthetics – and more value for money.
Read the full article on the Daily Mail:
New Feature: Julia’s Latest Article in Corporate Vision
Marketing creates leads. Sales wants results. But too often, these teams speak different languages and the cost shows up in missed revenue, poor conversion, and internal friction.
In this new piece for Corporate Vision, Julia breaks down a structured, no-nonsense framework to finally align marketing and sales—so they operate as one revenue engine, not rival departments.
What’s inside:
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The 6 most effective tactics to drive alignment—from shared KPIs to unified lead scoring.
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How a common CRM and automated workflows boost both speed and trust.
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Why joint training, regular check-ins, and co-created content aren’t just “nice to have”—they’re essential for revenue growth.
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A clear roadmap to replace blame with shared accountability—and hit your numbers faster.
“Alignment isn’t a one-off fix—it’s a mindset backed by systems, routines, and honest feedback.”
Whether your teams are just starting to collaborate or struggling to stay in sync, this article will help you build the cultural and structural glue that drives commercial results.
Read the full article on Corporate Vision: