River 25th Anniversary 25 Mile Walk Raises over £5,000 for Charity
On Thursday, 16 May 2019, 18 members of staff took part in a 25-mile sponsored walk around London to celebrate the 25th anniversary of The River Group. They raised money for River’s three chosen charities: Katie Piper Foundation, Demelza Hospice Care for Children and Dogs Trust. As of 16 May, the walk had raised £5,000 […]
The River Group turns 25 today
The River Group is today celebrating its 25th year as a business. The River Group, based in London’s Marble Arch, was started in 1994 by CEO Nicola Murphy and her then business partners – and has become the largest independent content agency in the UK. It produces industry-leading campaigns for 23 international brands, including Holland […]
River Predicts: Healthcare in 2044
We are in the middle of a healthcare revolution, although you may not have realised it. Every few decades, healthcare experiences disruptive changes that lead to revolution. In the 1870s, germ theory, antiseptic and advances in anaesthesia meant you were less likely to lose your life if you lost a limb. In the early 20th […]
River Predicts: Automotive in 2044
There probably isn’t a better marriage than that of the music and the car industries. Just like the many songs written about driving, cars have stories to tell. They talk of freedom, mobility, status and individuality. ‘Here in my car, I feel safest of all, I can lock all my doors, it’s the only way […]
River predicts: What will utilities look like in 2044?
Becoming a ‘utility’ must be what every service provider both aspires to and dreads in equal measure. From being a highly valued resource that delights the customer, you become something that ‘just happens’, so your value drops. This isn’t an article about the future of fuel – if it were, we’d have to choose from […]
How River CEO built a marketing agency with an 80% female workforce
This is how Nicki Murphy, River CEO, bucked the industry trend to build an agency with a female workforce at its core. It was 1994, the Chinese Year of the Dog, the year Kurt Cobain died, The Lion King and Forrest Gump were released in cinemas, and John Major was Prime Minister. But it was […]
Photography trends: The future of photography and why you’ll soon be wearing your camera
What are the photography trends of the future? Alex Marks sees these five camera products, techniques and concepts developing. ‘A picture is worth a thousand words’, they say, which was probably marketing gold to camera manufacturers in the 19th century. And despite initial underwhelming results, they eventually managed to convince us that viewing blurry images […]
Food trends: What your dining-out experience will look like in 25 years
Alex Marks explains how changing restaurant and food trends will dramatically impact the way you dine out – and sooner than you think. Humankind has been paying for meals outside the home since the time of the ancient Greeks, but it was the French who gave us the word ‘restaurant’ sometime in the early 16th […]
River Predicts: Food in 2044
‘Food, glorious food! Hot sausage and mustard! While we’re in the mood, cold jelly and custard!’ …Sings no one any more because we’ve been told that sausages give you cancer and custard is a gateway food to type 2 diabetes. Our usage of and attitude towards food has changed a lot over the years. A […]
River Predicts: travel and tourism in 2044
In the 1990 film Total Recall (a film set in the future in case you needed context), there is a memorable conversation between Arnie’s character, Douglas Quaid, and a travel agent, which goes something like this: ‘What is it that is exactly the same about every single vacation you have ever taken?’ Quaid: ‘I give […]
River Predicts: Clothing & Fashion in 2044
If there was one thing that sci-fi writers of the past were sure about it was that spandex cat suits, gold or silver, would be de rigueur when it came to clothing in the 21st century. Sadly, none of them seem to have predicted a global obesity crisis, which, if it continues to escalate, may […]
River and Fish Predict: Professional Membership Organisations in 2044
At the last count there were, if you include the unions, more than 500 professional membership organisations in the UK with around 20 million members. So the chances are that you or someone else reading this article is more than familiar with acronyms such as CIM, RCN, CIMA, HRLA, TUC, ICE and WARB. Spoiler: one […]
Cash and the high-street bank in 2044
We all went a little mad about money in 2018. There was the rush to find the face of Mrs Tiggy-Winkle and turn 50p into £500, followed by a desperate hunt (somewhere in Wales, I think) for the £5 with Harry Kane’s face on it. As ploys to make us think about cash, they were […]
River Predicts: Work in 2044
‘Welcome, robots. You’ll help us. But humans are still our future.’ Joe Kaeser, president and CEO of Siemens AG Which is a reassuring statement from someone who should know what they are talking about. This author still has nearly 20 years before he can claim his pension and it would be easy to get a […]
River Predicts: Manufacturing in 2044
There’s a lot written about the decline of manufacturing in the UK: how we’ve stopped making things and become a nation of call centre operatives. While we are no longer the world’s leading industrial power, the manufacturing sector still accounts for 45% of our exports and between 2012 and 2017 was outstripping the growth of […]
River Predicts: High Street Retail in 2044
The health of our retailers has long been a part of our collective psyche. Not since a short, French war-monger (that’s Napoleon to you) labelled us ‘a nation of shop keepers’ does a day go by without some comment or more recently, dire warning on the success or failure of our high street stores. Online […]
River Predicts: The future of beauty 2044
Predicting the future isn’t always as difficult as you might think. In most market sectors there are long-term trends, environmental factors and technological developments that you can identify and follow their likely path to a reasonable conclusion. The beauty market is a little more difficult. Something that’s ‘so hot right now’ can disappear in an […]
River Predicts: Entertainment in 2044
The act of providing or being provided with amusement or enjoyment is how ‘entertainment’ is defined. It is a broad church – from watching someone trip over in the street to jumping out of an aeroplane without a parachute, sports, theatre, film, music and everything in between. In 1980, ‘Lights going out and a kick […]
River Predicts: Social Media in 2044
For years we have been informed about the ever-increasing adoption of the internet, so you’d be forgiven for thinking that now, in 2018, it is pretty much ubiquitous. You would, of course, be wrong. Of an estimated global population of 7.6 billion in 2018, just over half are online. That’s around 3.5 billion people who […]
River Predicts: The home in 2044
Spoiler alert! The home of the future is unlikely to be a curvy white pod on stalks. Yes, some parts of the world might resemble the set of Logan’s Run, but most of the houses standing in 2044 have already been built. The shell will remain familiar, but it will be a very different story […]
River Predicts: Education 2044
It is often said that education is the foundation upon which a country is built. That it is through education that we help our children to reach their full potential. And that’s why I think Voldemort waited until the end of the school year to kill Harry. Showing that despite his flaws he really cared […]
River Predicts: The Luxury consumer in 2044
It is often said that one person’s ‘tasteful hall of opulent mirrors’ is another’s ‘vulgar waste of an idiot’s money’ – usefully illustrating the challenge of trying to define a sector that defies definition. For a long time, our perception of luxury was all about the supercar, the designer handbag, the perfect timepiece and the […]
River Predicts: Fundraising in 2044
For those of a certain age, your initial introduction to the charity sector was quite possibly the rather genteel ‘totaliser’ on Blue Peter and the ‘bring and buy’ sales. For those a little younger, it was a big hairy Irishman shouting ‘give us your f***ing money’ – and ever since, the record, the relief and […]
River kicks off its 25th year with plans, pizza and Prosecco!
Monday 15th May marked the start of The River Group’s 25th year in business. To kick off a year of celebrations and charity challenges, Nicki, Jackie and Keith arranged a company-wide extra special brunch, described by all as ‘the best Monday ever!’ Over pizza and Prosecco, the board took everyone through the exciting plans instore […]