Transforming Global Marketing for the British Council through HubSpot Marketing Hub

BritishCouncil

Winner of HubSpot’s Product Excellence Impact Award

This project with the British Council won HubSpot’s Product Excellence Impact Award, achieving a perfect score of 100/100. The recognition reflects the scale and complexity of this global HubSpot Marketing Hub deployment, designed to support the British Council’s mission of connecting people worldwide through education and cultural exchange.
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The Challenge: Overcoming Fragmented Marketing During a Global Pandemic

The British Council, a global organisation that fosters cultural relations and educational opportunities, faced a significant marketing transformation challenge. 

With a presence in over 100 countries, their operations were extensive, yet the organisation relied heavily on face-to-face engagement, which was severely disrupted during the COVID-19 pandemic. 


This disruption exposed deeper inefficiencies in their marketing processes, creating an urgent need for digital transformation.

Cathy Blake, the Global Group Marketing Director, highlights the key challenges the British Council faced.

Key Challenges:

  • Fragmented customer data stored in silos, making it difficult to gain a holistic view of customers, limiting upsell and cross-sell opportunities.
  • An outdated technology stack that was not integrated, leading to inefficient marketing efforts.
  • Other platforms used lacked the comprehensive features, ease of use, and ease of implementation required.
  • Complex, decentralised operations across multiple regions with differing levels of digital proficiency.
  • The need for growth-driven marketing that would align brand awareness, customer engagement, and lead acquisition goals.


Their ultimate goal was to modernise their marketing approach, integrating regional and global teams and driving growth through data-driven decisions. 


The British Council needed a future-proofed system that could adapt as the organisation evolved in different regions and markets.

Cathy Blake, British Council
Cathy Blake
British Council

"COVID was incredibly difficult for the British Council. We operate face to face, and not being able to do so meant that we had to completely transform how we operate."

The Solution: Tailored Automation for a Complex Global Organisation

To address these challenges, Huble began with an in-depth discovery phase to fully understand the British Council's KPIs, pain points, and existing processes before recommending any solutions. 

Huble worked closely with stakeholders from across the organisation, conducting workshops and benchmarking the “as is” state of their marketing operations. 

The proposed solution centred on implementing HubSpot Marketing Hub to scale across the British Council’s global and regional operations. 

HubSpot was selected from a rigorous review process, as it met all the British Council’s requirements, including ease of use, scalability, and integration potential.

Cathy Blake, British Council
Cathy Blake
British Council

"We went through a very comprehensive review of all potential vendors in the marketplace. And what we were looking for is one that fit our requirements and would work as we grew in different areas going forward. And HubSpot met all of those compared to five other vendors."

Maria Christoforidou, Huble's Consulting Team Lead EMEA, shares how the solution was developed.

Core Aspects of the Solution:

  • HubSpot Marketing Hub Implementation: A tailored implementation approach was necessary due to the complexity and global scale of the British Council. This began with a pilot program to test and refine rollout strategies. Key capabilities included dynamic personalisation, nurture workflows, and reporting on cross-engagement data.

  • Multi-language campaigns: HubSpot's multi-language functionality enabled the British Council to balance global consistency with regional flexibility. Using an 80/20 approach, campaigns combined standardised global content with regional customisations. Dynamic multi-language assets simplified management, while localised content improved engagement and strengthened connections with diverse audiences.

  • Programmable emails: Using HubSpot's beta capability, Huble developed multiple dynamic modules, including  an email module linked to HubDB, allowing the British Council to:
    • Automatically update webinar schedules in emails based on real-time data.
    • Eliminate manual updates, saving time and reducing errors.
    • Ensure all communications were up-to-date, improving recipient engagement.

 

Maria Christoforidou Huble
Maria Christoforidou
Huble

"We reviewed their existing campaigns, their tech stack, their lead management frameworks, everything that they had available."

The Results: Measurable Success in Efficiency and Satisfaction

The impact of the HubSpot Marketing Hub implementation was immediate and significant. 

The British Council saw improvements across several key areas. 

Teams were able to work more cohesively, leveraging a unified data system that allowed them to understand their customers better and drive more effective marketing strategies.

Key Results:

  • Operational Efficiency: The British Council experienced a significant increase in operational efficiency, particularly in terms of how their teams could manage and execute campaigns. 

  • Data Integration: HubSpot provided a single source of truth for customer data, breaking down silos and unlocking new marketing opportunities. By integrating data across regions, the Council could develop targeted campaigns leveraging personalised content, identify and act on upsell and cross-sell opportunities, and tailor their marketing efforts with greater precision.

  • Staff Satisfaction: Employee satisfaction surveys revealed a significant improvement, with teams reporting that marketing automation made their jobs easier and more efficient. The simplified processes saved time and reduced complexity, allowing employees to focus on more strategic tasks.

  • Pilot Success: The successful pilot program led to a phased global rollout, with increasing adoption across various teams. This early success generated excitement within the organisation, prompting other departments to request similar automation solutions.

The Impact: Future-Proofing Growth and Driving Strategic Initiatives

The transformation went beyond just operational improvements; it fundamentally changed the way the British Council approached marketing. 

The move to HubSpot enabled them to achieve their vision of marketing as a growth engine. 

Marketing through HubSpot became central to the British Council’s overall strategy, helping them connect more meaningfully with customers and partners.

Key Impacts:

  • Strategic Growth: Efficient processes freed up time and resources, allowing the British Council to focus on high-value, growth-oriented initiatives. By simplifying marketing automations, teams were able to invest more time in strategic marketing activities that contributed directly to the organisation’s goals.

  • Future-Proofing: Building on the HubSpot Marketing Hub implementation, the British Council is exploring AI-driven tools like Breeze agents and automation to improve targeting and personalisation. Plans include new integrations for efficiency, AI-based trend prediction, and expanding into B2B and B2G markets to drive growth.

  • Cultural Shift: The success of the project fostered a new, collaborative culture within the marketing teams. Regular town halls, newsletters, and feedback sessions helped maintain momentum while showcasing successful case studies created excitement and engagement throughout the organisation.

As Cathy Blake, the Global Group Marketing Director, noted, "We asked for a major investment. So it's important that we were able to prove that it worked. And there were two things the organisation was looking for. One, were we more efficient? And two, were we driving growth? Through the pilot program and the rest of the implementation, I'm so happy to say we delivered on both of those."

Performance & Productivity Stats

178%
Reduction of email open lag time through send-time optimisation
163%
Reduction of email click lag time through send-time optimisation
48.9%
Open rates vs industry benchmarks of 29.5%
80%
points increase in campaign creation speed
20%
points reduction in repetitive tasks
34.2%
Click-through rates vs industry benchmark of 12%

Partnership and Collaboration

The successful implementation of HubSpot transformed the working relationship between the British Council and Huble into a true partnership.

Regular communication, feedback loops, and stakeholder engagement were critical to the project’s success.
Huble British Council Grpahic
Cathy Blake, British Council
Cathy Blake
British Council

"One of the keys to success for this program was how well we worked together with Huble. They became part of the team. We were able to talk about challenging times. We were able to talk about shared objectives. And it was this partnership that made sure this implementation really worked."

Continuous Improvement and Future Plans

The British Council and Huble continue to collaborate on new projects, including customer journeys, brand campaigns, and content writing. The partnership aims to further empower the British Council teams to maximize the use of HubSpot and explore new marketing automation opportunities.
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"It's been such a journey working with Huble to get to where we are, and I'm really excited about the things that we can still continue to develop."

Cathy Blake, British Council
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