From TikTok hacks to ROI face-offs, the South Coast Digital Marketing Meet-Up that happened on 22nd May, 2025 proved why it’s fast becoming a must-attend for marketers, founders, and brands across the region.
Whether you were there in person or you’re catching up now, this recap brings you key insights, major takeaways, and the answers to the most asked questions about this energising event.
Why This Meet-Up Matters
In a world where digital marketing changes by the week, staying ahead takes more than webinars and YouTube deep-dives. Marketers today need real conversations, live insights, and genuine human connections.
Brimming with exciting speakers, practical strategies, and bold new ideas, the event equipped all attendees with some new knowledge to take home with them. It was a great chance to take an evening to really understand what is going on in the marketing scene.
Big Ideas, Real Talk, and Key Takeaways
The evening began as attendees arrived at the Apex Gallery in Gunwharf Quays, entering through the main gallery doors. They were warmly welcomed by Simon and Bob, directors and event sponsors from Mexa Solutions. As the space filled up, guests headed to the complimentary bar, where Terrance from Delivered Social was serving drinks. With a drink in hand, attendees began mingling and networking with fellow marketers, founders, and creatives.
Shortly after, Louise Helyer, founder of the meet-up, took the stage to introduce herself, the mission behind the event, and what the audience could expect from the night ahead.
Then, it was time for our first speaker.
First Speaker: Will Bowes on Branding That Sticks
Our first speaker of the evening was Will, an Account Director at Oyster Design, a creative marketing agency known for bringing brands to life. His talk, titled Creating a Lasting Brand Impression for Your Business Online, focused on how to build a strong and memorable brand in the digital space.
Will emphasised that whether you’re launching a new brand or refreshing an existing one, there are three key foundations that truly make the difference. These include:
- Authenticity – in a world of AI & Copycats, making sure your brand is authentic and reflective of your business is more important than ever! Faking it is hard work!
- Consistent – Making sure your brand is consistent across all your channels (online and offline) is key to providing a great brand experience!
- Note – this goes beyond design! Communication, messaging & values are equally as important to be consistent.
- Experience – Understanding the emotion you are trying to convey is key to creating a brand that resonates with people.
Will used practical examples that showed how a subtle tone shift or a tweak in visual identity can make your brand voice carry further. A powerful session for anyone looking to build a signature talk around their own brand or guide to building personal brands. The most important takeaway from his insightful talk was that customers don’t remember what you say, but customers remember how you made them feel.
Our Second Speaker: Becky Shepherd’s TikTok Masterclass
After Will’s talk we then heard from Becky Shepard, who is the director and founder of Swwim, which is a content marketing and social media agency.
Her talk looked into how to strategically use TikTok to better your brand awareness and to decide whether it is the best platform for your company.
Within her talk she emphasised that you need to think more about why you’re posting on the platform and the best ways to achieve it by having proper measurements in place rather than just likes, follows, and comments.
By doing this, you would be able to:
- Becoming known for something
- Shift perception or challenge outdated views of your industry
- Build positive sentiment and emotional connection
- Contributing to cultural narratives not just brand campaigns
Setting these types of goals means your content will earn attention and build real brand equity.
Her strongest advice? “Stop aiming for perfection when it comes to building content, but focus more consistency in your market area.
Stat: TikTok users spend an average of over 90 minutes a day on the app. If your brand isn’t visible there, you’re missing a captive audience.
Networking Break
After the speakers finished, we took a break for networking and grabbed another complimentary drink while we were at it. It was a fantastic opportunity to connect with others and really appreciate the warm, welcoming marketing community we have at SCDM.
The talks also sparked some great conversations, with many people discussing the impact of brand marketing online and on TikTok, two key themes that stood out across both presentations.
Panel Debate time SEO vs. PPC: The ROI Debate of 2025
Once everyone returned to their seats, it was time for our favourite part of the evening: the interactive panel debate. Unlike typical debates, the South Coast Digital Marketing event gives the audience a chance to get involved. Each question is displayed on the screen, and you can cast your vote live using a QR code on your phone. While our panellists discuss their viewpoints, you get to join the conversation in real time!
June’s panel featured two industry experts specialising in SEO and PPC. Representing SEO was the talented Ellie Clegg, Digital Marketing Executive at toob. On the PPC side, we had the fantastic Belita Ribeiro, who brings extensive experience in paid media and advertising.
The debate brought out some clear takeaways:
SEO Highlights:
-
Long-term gains
-
Builds authority over time
-
Compounds traffic value
PPC Highlights:
-
Immediate visibility
-
Easy to scale the budget
-
High control over targeting
Big takeaway: SEO is the marathon. PPC is the sprint. Depending on your goals, both play a vital role in driving high-quality leads. Smart businesses are now integrating both rather than picking sides.
What’s Next for the South Coast Digital Scene?
This event takes place every other month on a Thursday and always features fresh, exciting speakers along with a lively panel debate. Thanks to the strong support of sponsors like Mexa Solutions, Delivered Social, and Rebellion Marketing, our community continues to grow stronger.
To stay updated on upcoming events, be sure to follow the South Coast Digital Marketing Meetup LinkedIn page and sign up on our new event platform. There, you can see who is attending, get all the event details, and keep track of future meetups so you will never miss out.
Our next event will be on 10th July, once again at the Apex Gallery.
FAQ’S
Is the event free to attend?
Yes, attendance is currently free thanks to the support of our amazing sponsors. However, spaces are limited, so early registration is encouraged.
What kind of speakers do you feature?
We invite experienced professionals across branding, SEO, social media, strategy, design, content, and more. Our goal is to offer both inspiration and practical takeaways.
Is there parking nearby?
Yes, Gunwharf Quays has a large car park nearby, and it’s also accessible by train and bus. Check local transport before the event to plan your journey.
