Manchester DM was back last night for round three – and it was another packed evening at the Feel Good Club, with a great crowd, plenty of energy, and three excellent talks that gave us plenty to think about.
The Talks
We kicked things off with Chris Jones, Senior PPC Analyst at Journey Further, whose talk “Innovate with Purpose: Data Integration for PPC Campaigns Built on Strong Foundations” made a clear case for combining innovation with solid fundamentals. Chris walked through how to use first-party data more effectively, why automation needs context, and how to make sure PPC campaigns are built on something more solid than just a smart bidding strategy.
Next up was Alex Moran, SEO Lead at Space & Time, with “Google Loves To Show Things You Don’t Want Them To. And How You Can Stop It.” He broke down the realities of modern SERPs, the unexpected ways Google surfaces content, and the tools and tactics you can use to protect your brand and guide what people actually see. It hit home for a lot of people – especially those managing multiple stakeholders and unpredictable search results.
Closing the night was Graham Allchurch, Head of Brand & Campaigns at Your Golf Travel, with “How To Gain The Trust Of Senior Leaders And Decision Makers – And Avoid The Marketing Doom Loop.” Graham brought a refreshing honesty to the conversation, sharing practical advice on influencing upwards, building credibility, and steering teams away from reactive, short-term thinking. It resonated with marketers at all levels – whether you’re reporting to the board or trying to shift internal priorities from within.
The Q&A that followed was lively – with questions on everything from reporting and cross-team buy-in, to how to get more visibility for work that doesn’t always show up in last-click data. After that, we stuck around for another drink, more pizza, and some genuinely useful conversations between people doing the work day in, day out.
Manchester DM is about exactly that – real conversations, smart ideas, and building a community where marketers can actually learn from each other. We’ll be back in two months with a brand new line-up, and we’re always on the lookout for new speakers and topics, so drop us a message if you’ve got something to share.
Thanks again to everyone who joined us – and to Chris, Alex and Graham for making this one such a strong edition.