ππππ₯π¬ ππ‘ππ ππππeπ« π’π¬ ππππ€! This amazing campaign took home the cake for Campaign of the Quarter for Q3 at SMG. Take a look into what Meals That Matter is all about... From 29 October to 9 December, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, Special Olympics, The Makaton Charity, and Co-op have teamed up once again for another hyperlocal, multi-channel celebration of community and inclusion π« For every Co-op member who purchases a Coca-Cola Zero Sugar or Diet Coke 4-pack with their Meal Deal, Coca-Cola donates 25p to Special Olympics GB, supporting athletes across the UK. To champion our incredible athletes and the charities involved, weβve delivered a truly inclusive, multi-touchpoint campaign - with Makaton signposting and athlete stories placed front and centre across all creative. Our unmissable media moments include: π₯οΈ Front of Store Screen Takeovers π Window Vinyls: bringing local athlete stories to life π Pop-ups & branded bays: tailored to local communities π± Digital channels: Co-op Compass, emails, Uber & Deliveroo π Plus in-store activations: shelf talkers, floor stickers, pennants, and more! A massive thank you to everyone involved in bringing this to life. We canβt wait to see how Meals That Matter continues to grow in 2026 and beyond, celebrating inclusion, connection, and community with every meal.
Celebrating Our Q3 Value Award Winners β Our quarterly Value Awards shine a spotlight on SMGers who go above and beyond in living our core values and behaviours. Nominated by our people, they recognise the brilliant work and culture that make our team what it is. Congratulations to: β€οΈ Stay Honest: Richard Fogarty π Stay Hungry: Jordan Tai π‘ Stay Foolish: Katie Fox π Have Fun: Olivia Davidson A big well done to our winner, and to everyone nominated, for continuing to bring our values to life every day!
Black History Month at SMG β€οΈ π π As Black History Month comes to a close, weβve been busy celebrating, learning, and coming together to explore this yearβs theme: Standing Firm in Power and Pride. Throughout the month, our EDI team curated a series of events, listings, and resources designed to educate, inspire, and spark conversation across SMG. Hereβs how they did it π π Arts & Culture We shone a light on local community events celebrating Black creativity and history - encouraging everyone to explore, connect, and get involved. π¬ Hidden Figures Screenings Teams across our hubs came together to watch Hidden Figures - inspiring powerful conversations about representation, resilience, and the stories that shape us. π€ Spotlight on History Across our comms and office hubs, we celebrated influential Black figures - from curated BHM libraries and reading lists to posters honouring trailblazers in arts, science, and culture. You can take a peek at our initiatives below π Thank you to everyone who showed up, shared their voices, and helped bring Black brilliance to life - creating space for every story to be seen and heard, today and every day. Celebrate. Include. Belong.
Retail Media Summit UK '25, brought to you by SMG and ADWEEK, was bigger and bolder than ever, offering New Perspectives from some of commerce media's most innovative minds. π β€οΈ
π Weβre thrilled to share that SMG has been shortlisted at The Drum Awards for Best Place to Work! At SMG, flexibility isnβt a perk - itβs a core principle. While many businesses are scaling back on hybrid working, weβve accelerated ours. Over the past year, weβve doubled down on flexibility to create a smarter, more inclusive, and empowering way of working. β¨ Launched new Core Hours to give structure without rigidity β¨ Introduced Meeting and Email Principles to reduce overload β¨ Rolled out AI tools to free up time and spark innovation Flexibility is also key to our EDI strategy, empowering working parents, carers, and neurodivergent colleagues to thrive - both inside and outside of work. Because we believe flexibility fuels trust, performance, and growth. Huge congratulations to everyone at SMG whoβs helped shape this culture - and to all the finalists at this yearβs Drum Awards! π You can read a summary of our entry here using the link below.
Too many industry papers promise the world, and deliver little more than buzzwords. Our latest report, First-party data in action is different. Part One β The big picture: why first-party data matters and how itβs reshaping commerce media. Part Two β Making it happen: technical know-how, pitfalls to avoid, and tools you can use right away. Because knowing why matters. But knowing how drives real results. π π Download First-Party Data in Action: Unlocking Growth in Commerce Media using the link below.
β¨ This summer, our London office had a glow-up! To better reflect how we work today, and who we are as SMG, the space has transformed from a sea of fixed desks (great for spreadsheets, not so great for sparking ideas) into a vibrant, flexible, and collaborative hub. Hereβs whatβs new: πͺ Fewer fixed desks, more flexibility: spaces to suit different working styles π§βπ¦Ό Priority seating desks: reserved for colleagues with mobility needs, pregnancy, or other health/accessibility considerations ποΈ Collaborative seating: breakout areas designed to encourage connection π A fresh new look: colourful, energetic, and distinctly SMG π§ Smarter desk booking: choose a Fixed Desk for focus, or a Collaborative Space if youβre in and out of meetings The result? An office that feels less like rows of desks and more like a home for ideas, connection, and collaboration. Swipe through for a glimpse of our refreshed London space π‘π
This week, our UK hubs took part in Macmillan Cancer Supportβs Coffee Morning βπ A simple recipe: coffee, cake, and community. But the impact is huge - raising money for a cause that means so much to so many. Thank you to everyone who baked, brewed, donated, and joined in. Together, weβre proud to stand behind Macmillan Cancer Support and the incredible work they do for people living with cancer.
From Awareness to Action: Creating a Culture of Disability Inclusion π On Friday, we were joined by Esi Hardy, founder of Celebrating Disability, for an inspiring and thought-provoking session on what it really means to create environments where people with disabilities feel included, understood, and supported - both inside and outside of work. Esi reminded us that: π‘ Disability is not one single experience, but many - often shaped by other aspects of identity π‘ Attitudes and assumptions can unintentionally create barriers π‘ Empathy matters more than sympathy, and knowing the difference is keyπ‘ Spoon theory can help us better understand day-to-day working life The session left us with practical ideas on how each of us can play a part in building more inclusive and supportive environments. A huge thank you to Esi for bringing energy, honesty, and insight to the discussion - helping us move beyond awareness and towards real action. Celebrate. Include. Belong.
π‘ Great strategy needs great people. Thatβs why weβve reimagined how we hire. Weβve updated our interview process to create a better experience for candidates and to align with our ambitions as a business - bringing in people who can thrive with us and shape SMGβs future. The new approach is built to be: Fair - a consistent process for every candidate Focused - clear scorecards that assess what matters most Effective - data-driven and tech-enabled to reduce bias Efficient - quicker decisions with clear ownership Together, these changes mean every hire strengthens SMG for today and tomorrow. π Explore the link to see how the new process is already making a difference.
