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Transforming Global Marketing for the British Council through HubSpot Marketing Hub
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- An outdated technology stack that was not integrated, leading to inefficient marketing efforts.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.
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.
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:
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- Automatically update webinar schedules in emails based on real-time data.
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- Eliminate manual updates, saving time and reducing errors.
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- Ensure all communications were up-to-date, improving recipient engagement.
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.
Cathy Blake discusses the results.
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.
Cathy Blake shares the project's impact
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."