Ashgrove Marketing

18/02/2026

Consumers no longer ask what a brand does better. They ask what it stands for.

The shift from differentiation to meaning is already reshaping marketing.
https://ashgrove.im/the-death-of-differentiation-and-the-rise-of-meaning/

With technology fast eroding the ability to make products and services stand apart, marketers must look deeper to connect with customers and consumers.

11/02/2026

Something to ponder.

AI tools have become ubiquitous – and have much to offer – but marketing success still needs the human touch, says Ashgrove’s Terry van Rhyn

16/11/2022

Thank you Digital Isle of Man. It was a pleasure to be part of such an inspiring event.

It was a brilliant opportunity for the industry to get together - with great engagement from the audience!

Last Thursday (10th November) the Isle of Man’s technology sectors came together to learn, share knowledge and network at Digital Isle 2022. The day featured...

08/11/2022

It was the year the first iPhone was launched, the new Wembley Stadium was completed and Gordon Brown became UK Prime Minister. But 2007 was also the year that Ashgrove Marketing opened its office in the Isle of Man. Happy 15th anniversary to us and to all those who have joined us on the journey!

14/06/2022

how many of you design veterans remember these?

21/04/2022

Working with the Isle of Man Woodland Trust, we developed a “Plant it Forward” campaign that launched in March 2021 featuring a series of simple black and white pen and ink drawings that each illustrated a different fact about how trees support biodiversity and improve our lives – and that used elements of trees themselves to create the image.

We’re pleased to say that not only did the Isle of Man Woodland Trust have its best tree-planting year ever with 7,093 trees planted, an increase of more than 1,000 over the previous year, it also saw an increase in donations, the number of volunteers and corporate members as well. In fact it was their best year across all measures.

Reputations. By Design.

17/04/2022

Happy Easter from all of us at Ashgrove.

Cadbury has brought back its "Cadbury worldwide hide" campaign for a second year as it hides giant purple eggs to celebrate Easter.

Running in the lead up to Easter, the campaign has virtual and physical elements and has rolled out in more global markets than last year and includes a partnership with Manchester United.

Two "Huge hides" have popped up at Old Trafford, Manchester and Butler's Wharf, London. Two giant purple Cadbury eggs, each measuring three metres in height, have brought the "worldwide hide" experience into the real world.

The Instagrammable eggs feature stories as to why they're hidden there, prominent hashtags and a QR code to drive people to a bespoke Manchester United brand platform.

The brand has partnered with Manchester United to continue its ‘Cadbury worldwide hide’ campaign.

14/04/2022

Far Shore Merchants approached Ashgrove Marketing to develop, design, and partner on the complete construction of a brand portfolio and business model. They were looking to tap into the fast-growing rum category with a branded portfolio of rums that would disrupt the segment with unique and powerfully captivating back stories.

Their goal was to create brands consumers were asking for by name in a very quick time frame. This needed a disruptive approach to both branding and messaging breakthrough.

The results speak for themselves: sales have been 75% over the initial plan. The expansion program into the UK is six months ahead of plan due to customers contacting Far Shore Merchants, having seen the range in a carefully targeted social media campaign and in industry literature.

Reputations. By Design.

06/04/2022

The Isle of Man Government asked us to create a distinctive and impactful visual identity for Finance Isle of Man, and specifically for a campaign to raise awareness of and promote the Isle of Man as an International Finance Centre.

The campaign performed very well in raising awareness of the Isle of Man’s experience and expertise as an international finance centre along with its key propositions of strength, stability, independence, respect, and agility. The distinctive design elements have been warmly welcomed and now feature widely on Isle of Man Finance communications.

Reputations. By Design.

04/04/2022

Are you familiar with Huginn and Munnin? These were the names of Odin’s two ravens in Norse mythology and they served as the inspiration for the design of the Bläk Byrd coffee liqueur label, our fourth gold medal winner.

Dark and dramatic – much like the liqueur – the illustrations for Bläk Byrd were created by handcut lino print for a bold and edgy look while a black wax seal was chosen to top off the tall elegant bottle.

31/03/2022

Today we’re shining a light on Ashgrove’s multitalented PR guru, Annie!

Annie has been with Ashgrove for over ten years (you’d get less time for murder) and is absolute dynamite when it comes to advising clients on strategy, managing accounts, and developing + overseeing projects to improve reputation and drive business.

29/03/2022

Good ad agencies who go the extra mile to really understand your business are your partners in solving a problem, not just the people who “colour in” the creative idea and provide that shiny new promotion that perhaps you didn’t even need.

Read our latest Insights article, 'Keep the cart behind the horse' which looks at resisting the temptation to jump straight to the marketing solution before the problem is even understood.

https://ashgrove.im/keep-the-cart-behind-the-horse/