BIG Partnership

With March on the horizon, here’s a look at what we’ve been up to in the final week of February. We hosted a great media breakfast and content day with legendary Michelin-starred chef Michel Roux Jnr ahead of the launch of Crossbasket Castle Hotel, Spa & Restaurant new hotel and entertainment-led restaurant. Amy Watson-Keast attended Scottish Renewables’ Grid & Networks conference to hear all about the latest industry updates. Rita Wadley, Head of Energy Policy for NESO, said it best: “In terms of grid, we need everything, everywhere, all at once.” Carlowrie Castle’s executive chef David Millar has been crowned Scottish Chef of the Year 2025 after wowing judges with his creativity and skill at the Scottish Culinary Championships. A huge?congratulations?to David on this incredible achievement. ????? Hannah Fisher and Kat Wallace attended Glasgow Chamber of Commerce's Glasgow Talks event, led by an expert panel including CBRE's David Smith, who held an insightful discussion on the opportunity for Glasgow to drive change on everything from funding models to occupier demand to bringing older buildings back into use. The Manchester team hit the bullseye with a fun night of darts at Flight Club.?? Our Public Affairs team attended the Association for Scottish Public Affairs' Annual Conference at Dynamic Earth and heard from the First Minister on his priorities for Scotland ahead of the 2026 Holyrood Election.?? ????? It’s CyberScotland Week 2025 and we’ve been working with our client CyberScotland Partnership to promote it. Orna Clarke attended Cyber Security 2025, run by Futurescot, Scotland’s leading public sector cyber security conference. Rachel Watson attended an inspiring afternoon tea, run by the Cyber and Fraud Centre - Scotland at the George Hotel, celebrating women in cyber and encouraging young girls to get in the field. Orna Clarke and Jen Ward attended Deloitte’s State of the State report launch on Thursday, which then resulted in front page coverage in The Times. ?? Our drinks team visited the annual Scot Hot event, Scotland's premier food, drink and hospitality trade show.?They spent the afternoon having great conversations with Scotland's emerging food and drinks brands, hearing from a panel of Scotland's micro rum producers and bartenders on industry trends in a post-Covid world.?The team left with some great food for thought and bellies full of samples from the amazing vendors.??????? The team enjoyed a delicious meal at Siam Cottage last night as part of Aberdeen Restaurant Weeks.??? Bobbi Whyte, Rochelle Frances Giblin and Kevin Prentice enjoyed a short trip to London, visiting client Qodea to discuss the 2025 digital marketing strategies. Stewart Argo spoke at an event about Understanding Scotland's Government, Parliament and MSPs in 2025, sharing his insights on crafting effective messaging, the importance of media and what truly makes something newsworthy.

?? The BIG Picture: Energy security matters and voters see the need for pragmatism. The question is: Will policymakers adjust their stance, or will they pay the price at the ballot box?

Our latest poll from OpinionMatters has revealed that public support for oil and gas production in Scotland is far broader and less polarised than often assumed. ? The research, conduced on behalf of BIG Partnership, has shown that over 80% of Scots favour continued oil and gas production?— either alongside renewables or as part of a long-term energy mix — this research calls into question the energy policies of both the UK and Scottish Governments. These findings could be a wake-up call for Labour and the SNP, whose energy strategies risk alienating a large portion of the electorate. ? Read the full article here: https://bit.ly/4h0SlMi

Our director Stewart Argo, and chair of CIPR Scotland, is presenting at tomorrow's Mackay Hannah conference on Understanding Scotland’s Government, Parliament, and MSPs in 2025: How They Work and How to Influence Them. ? Stewart will be discussing messaging, media and social media, covering: ?? How to use them ??Why the media matters ??Making and reporting the news ?? Getting media attention Book your spot here:?https://bit.ly/3ERDhn0

New polling from OpinionMatters on behalf of BIG Partnership has revealed that Keir Starmer has more influence on Scottish voters than Anas Sarwar. 29% say Starmer impacts their Holyrood vote vs. 13% for Sarwar. The challenge is clear: should Scottish Labour align with Westminster or carve out a distinct vision? Full insights here: https://lnkd.in/eYVcWR44 #ScottishPolitics #LabourParty #Polling

February may be short, but our week was packed! Here’s what we’ve been up to... Some of the Aberdeen energy team made their way to Subsea Expo at P&J Live to catch up with clients and, of course, collect a few free pens. ????? BIG helped the Mermaid Subsea Services (UK) Ltd team with the setup for their sponsored drinks reception at the Subsea Expo awards ceremony in Aberdeen. ???? Our PA team is all set for this weekend's Scottish Labour Conference in Glasgow with Scottish Professional Football League. ??? The team are busy with client strategy planning with Rock Face and meetings across London and Manchester. ????? Charlene Sweeney and Ben Archibald attended client Johnston Carmichael Chartered Accountants and Business Advisers’s annual Food and Drink Report launch in Edinburgh, hearing about the challenges and opportunities facing these sectors in 2025. Speakers included Jonathan Warburton, chairman of Warburtons, who gave a fantastic insight into how this family business has transformed itself to produce 2.5 million bakery items every day. ???? Last week, the social team attended the CIM | The Chartered Institute of Marketing ‘How to Navigate Social in 2025’ event, learning how to make socials more people-centric. ???? The Digi team enjoyed their team social at Murphy’s Pakora Bar, sampling delicious small plates. ???? We were in Aviemore with clients HHA and Tulloch Homes with the BBC Reporting Scotland team. Looking good, Gail Matheson. ???? Eva Curran, President of Strathclyde Union, spent a week of work experience in Glasgow alongside the PR and marketing teams learning about everything from influencer strategies to drafting press releases to writing advertorials. ??

As the initial 'New Year, New Me' campaigns fade, it's clear: wellness shouldn’t be a seasonal trend - it’s a year-round commitment.??? The brands that make a real impact don’t rely on quick-fix campaigns. They build lasting strategies that evolve with their audience’s lifestyle. ?? Want to build a health-focused brand strategy that stands the test of time? Check out our latest blog for tips on keeping the momentum going all year round.

?? The BIG Picture: Everything is politics – is your business ready? Consumers are making choices based on values, not just value. With consumers shifting their spending to align with moral views, politics can’t be a corporate afterthought.

??Renewable energy success starts with people. Community engagement isn't a checkbox - it’s the foundation for sustainable, successful energy projects. Our latest blog from our recently appointed renewables specialist, Amy Keast, explores why?early involvement and continuous dialogue are essential for building trust, gaining support and delivering long-term benefits to local communities. As Scotland reviews its 'Good Practice Principles' for community benefits from wind energy, now is the time to shape the just transition to net-zero ?? ?? Read more:?https://bit.ly/4b0QTbz

BIG love this Valentine's Day ????