APS Group has been recognised as a trusted leader in the global Customer Communications Management (CCM) and Customer Experience Management (CXM) space, earning a prominent position on the 2025 Aspire Leaderboard. This achievement underscores our ongoing commitment to innovation, client-centric delivery, and excellence in communications.

The Aspire Leaderboard is a globally respected benchmark that independently evaluates CCM and CXM providers across two critical dimensions: Capabilities, which reflect the strength and range of software, services, and solutions, and Strategic Direction, which encompasses innovation, future-readiness, and market vision. APS Group’s ranking as a comprehensive provider with strong strategic direction highlights our ability to design, manage, produce, and deliver communications across the full customer journey.

A reputation for innovation and integration

Our position on the Aspire Leaderboard is a testament to the value we deliver every day. Organisations looking for a partner to navigate the complexities of modern customer communications can trust us to provide solutions that are secure, scalable, and future-ready. The performance also reflects strategic investments in our expanding technology stack and the continued development of our AgilityCloud ecosystem.

AgilityCloud brings together best-in-class technologies and proprietary tools, enabling clients to manage communications in a flexible, resilient, and secure framework. With the imminent launch of Cohero, a new content-centric platform in 2026, APS Group continues to enhance its ability to support organisations with omnichannel content production, regulatory compliance, and workflow automation. By integrating AI for content detection, automation, and regulatory checks, we help organisations achieve efficiency without compromising on quality or security.

Kaspar Roos, CEO & Founder of Aspire CCS, commented on our performance:

“APS Group stands out in the customer communications and marketing services space, particularly in the UK, through its integrated, content-centric approach, underpinned by investments in its AgilityCloud platform and expanding technology capabilities. We were impressed with the way APS leverages its communications expertise to deliver measurable efficiency gains through automation and AI, while offering flexible service models that span creative, regulatory, and transactional communications, in a resilient and secure environment.”

Proven results for leading brands

Our commitment to innovation delivers tangible results. For example, our implementation of artwork automation across multiple channels achieved a 90% reduction in production time while maintaining brand consistency for a major enterprise marketing client. These outcomes demonstrate how our solutions drive measurable improvements in efficiency and performance.

David Herridge, Executive Director at APS Group, emphasised the importance of security in today’s communications landscape:

“Our clients operate in highly regulated environments where data security and compliance are non-negotiable. APS Group’s secure solutions are designed to ensure that every communication meets stringent regulatory standards while leveraging the latest technology to deliver speed and efficiency. This recognition on the Aspire Leaderboard validates our approach and reinforces our commitment to safeguarding client trust.”

Looking ahead

As the CCM-CXM ecosystem continues to evolve, APS Group remains focused on helping organisations adapt to changing customer expectations and regulatory requirements.

Working with us, you can expect,

• A comprehensive, future-ready communications platform powered by AgilityCloud
• Flexible omni-channel operating models
• Enhanced compliance and quality assurance
• Consistent end-to-end delivery across creative, regulatory, and transactional communication streams
• A partner with proven expertise in reducing production times, improving brand consistency, and elevating customer experience

Christine Caunce, Managing Director of Secure Solutions at APS Group, emphasised that APS Group’s strong standing is a testament to its commitment to secure, compliant, and client-focused communications:

“Being recognised by Aspire as a comprehensive provider with strong strategic direction affirms the value of the investments we continue to make in our secure infrastructure, technology stack, and service design. For our clients, it means they can rely on us not only for innovation and efficiency but for the highest levels of resilience, data protection, and operational integrity across every communication we manage.”

As organisations face increasing regulatory pressures, rising customer expectations, and rapid shifts in digital communications, APS Group’s leadership on the Aspire Leaderboard reinforces our role as a trusted partner for transformation. With a strong heritage in communications and a forward-focused investment strategy, we remain committed to delivering solutions that perform under pressure and keep clients ahead in a changing landscape.

For more information on the Aspire Leaderboard ranking, visit Review of APS Group. If you’d like to speak to the team about our Customer Communications service, please contact us at [email protected].

July marked Plastic Free Month – a timely reminder to rethink our historic and often unimaginative reliance on plastic products. At APS, we’re continuing to work closely with clients to help them make smarter material choices, particularly when it comes to Point-of-Sale (POS) and packaging.

In recent years, fibre-based alternatives have gained significant traction. Once considered niche, as often more difficult to work with, less durable, or less premium in appearance (and usually more expensive), these materials have now become the go-to choice for a growing number of brands. And it’s not just for environmental reasons: they’re becoming more accessible, more attractive, and, crucially, more affordable.

Fibre Finds Its Fashionable Side

One of the most exciting developments has been the evolution of fibre-based materials. We’re no longer talking about basic kraft board. While the exposed core of popular materials like Swedboard may still be kraft, the range of options is now extensive and innovative.

Today’s fibre-based alternatives are sleek, print beautifully, and offer a premium feel. From high-end finishes for in-store displays to beautifully engineered packaging, fibre can deliver on sustainability, cost-effectiveness, and design appeal. As a result, more teams are open to rethinking long-standing material choices, especially when they realise they don’t need to compromise on brand impact.

More Choice, Less Cost

The growing availability and demand for sustainable materials has naturally helped bring costs down. What once felt like a ‘nice to have’ is now a commercially viable alternative to traditional plastics and PVC.

In many cases, fibre-based substrates now compete directly on price, especially when you factor in potential savings from reduced weight, ease of recycling, and simplified end-of-life processes.

From a reputational perspective, and with internal stakeholder pressure growing, many of our clients see alignment with sustainability goals, whether their own, their customers’ or their investors’, as a fundamental part of doing business. Choosing fibre-based POS or packaging is a clear and visible way to support those goals.

Real Wins with Small Changes

We’ve helped a wide range of clients achieve big impact through relatively small material changes. One of our major successes has been supporting the shift away from PVC and mixed-material signage or displays. In some cases, this has been as simple as removing a plastic component or switching to a board with a recyclable barrier coating instead of lamination.

Whether it’s a minor spec change to a large requirement or a bigger update to just a few products, the result is often a significant reduction in waste, improved recyclability, and alignment with net zero ambitions. In fact, several clients are now proudly promoting entire packaging or POS ranges as PVC-free, plastic-free, or 100% recyclable – real, measurable impact to celebrate.

Why This Matters

There’s good reason why fibre-based plastic alternatives are leading the way in sustainable design. Not only are they easier to recycle, particularly in retail settings, but they also tend to have a lower overall carbon footprint.

Plastic materials, especially complex or multilayer types, are rarely recycled in real-world environments. More often than not, they end up in landfill or are incinerated, both of which carry heavy environmental costs. Fibre-based materials, by contrast, are accepted into existing recycling waste streams and enjoy high recycling rates.

Ready-Made Swaps

To make things easier for our clients, we’ve developed a practical range of alternative materials that map directly to commonly used plastic-based options. This includes substrates for hanging boards, FSDUs, and signage.

Some examples include:

• Instead of foam PVC, consider fluted fibre board or recyclable display board.
• Instead of laminated signage, opt for water-based coated boards that offer durability without compromising recyclability.
• Instead of polyprop-based dump bins, try structurally engineered fibreboard.

To support sustainable innovation, we provide clients with samples and print trials, an essential step in enabling change and removing barriers to implementation.

Permanent Thinking for a Circular Future

We’re also seeing increased adoption of permanent and semi-permanent displays, especially in retail and branded environments. This approach, a key part of our Retail & Brand Experience service, allows for longer-life display structures made from durable materials like timber or metal, paired with fibre-based graphics that can be easily updated over time.

This shift brings two major benefits: it reduces waste by avoiding full display replacements with every campaign change, and it supports more efficient logistics, thanks to lightweight, easy-to-ship graphics. Combined with smart design, this modular approach is helping drive both environmental and operational gains.

Looking Ahead

Plastics will continue to play a key role in creating impactful retail environments and POS but there is better choice and better reason to look elsewhere than ever before. Alternative materials can be more creative, more cost-effective, and more compelling material choices in their own right.

The key now is for brands to give themselves the time and space to explore alternatives. Reviewing material specifications, planning ahead for changes that allow specification changes to be integrated with the least impact i.e. at the end of the life of existing, and inviting suppliers, substrate manufactures and the value chain to collaborate to understand what brands and retailers want and what’s possible, to bring forward ideas are all simple steps that can lead to big wins.

At APS, we’re proud to be supporting this change. Whether it’s helping clients explore alternatives, trial new materials, or rethink display strategies, our goal is always the same, make better possible.

Last week, we attended MadFest London 2025, the UK’s most exciting marketing festival, held from 1–3 July at East London’s iconic Old Truman Brewery. 

As part of the Alliance of Independent Agencies, we joined a dynamic crowd of marketing leaders, creative agencies, and forward-thinking brands for three days packed with big ideas, bold inspiration, and brand storytelling at its best. From early morning coffee catch-ups to DJ’s and cocktails, the energy was non-stop and exactly the kind of creative charge that fuels what we do best. 

In the Thick of the Creative Conversation 

MadFest is more than just a marketing event, it’s a barometer for emerging marketing trends and where the industry is heading next. This year, the message was loud and clear: brands want creativity that performs, delivered by partners who understand how to connect with audiences in fresh, meaningful ways. 

From conversations with some of the UK’s most exciting marketers to connecting with fellow agencies doing standout work, the event reinforced our place in a bold, progressive industry, one that’s rewriting the rules on brand experience, audience engagement, and creative innovation. 

What We Learned (and Loved!) 

MadFest always delivers on inspiration, but this year’s lineup hit a new level, packed with insight on AI in marketing, creative confidence, and what it really takes to stand out in 2025. Some standout moments included: 

• Nationwide used satire to shift brand perception and resonate with a younger audience. 

• Brompton Bicycles have seen a culture change from pure product innovation to investment in marketing to drive global growth  

• Octopus Energy have been driving a psychological shift in how people consume energy to grow market share.  

• Wrexham FC have capitalised on the fame and reach of their high-profile owners for phenomenal global growth.  

• Ikea have turned up in unexpected locations like Paris fashion week to raise brand awareness in unexpected places. 

 What It All Means for Us and Our Clients 

These talks weren’t just entertaining, they were energising. They echoed the same principles we bring to every brief: creative thinking, strategic insight, and a sharp understanding of what audiences really want. We’re here to create marketing that excites, performs, and resonates. And judging by the conversations we had at MadFest London 2025, that’s exactly what brands are looking for too. 

Events like MadFest put independent agencies like ours right in the heart of the action. They keep us plugged into the pulse of modern marketing and help us bring the latest thinking back to our clients, whether we’re launching a bold campaign, delivering a brand refresh, or shaping a new content strategy. We’re proud to be part of the UK’s buzzing creative marketing agency scene.

Want to work with a team that combines creative thinking with commercial results?
Then get in touch with the team today or take a closer look at our Creative & Content Services.

POPAI Impact25: Collaboration & Creativity

POPAI’s Impact25 Sustainability Summit saw industry suppliers, brands and experts come together for a thought-provoking event that reminded us how vital it is to keep pushing forward with sustainable progress in retail and point of sale. With an agenda covering innovation, design, materials and legislation, the standout message was simple: just do something.

Winning hearts and minds

Something that everyone could agree on was that there still needs to be a shift in mindset and a change of culture in how sustainability is perceived. Even though it is definitely becoming a bigger consideration, it’s very rare that sustainability is the main focus. It was said that it always seems to be within the top ten list of priorities, but never the top three.

There is still a glaring cultural challenge of getting organisations to take the long view when short term thinking provides more instantaneous results. It’s clear that sustainability needs internal champions to push for change and start to build shared values so more eco-friendly practices can be accelerated. A way to encourage this is to put more of a focus on sustainability upskilling and training to increase understanding and build a stronger connection around the topic.

Sustainable from the start

Sustainability needs to be thought about at the beginning of a design process instead of being an afterthought. Brands need to decide on what strategic environmental goals they’re looking to meet and then ensure that these are conveyed as part of the initial brief, it’s much easier to develop a design when it’s known what is needed at the outset instead of trying to shoehorn features further down the line.

One encouraging shift is the growing recognition of simplicity as both a design virtue and a sustainability asset. Designing things that are intuitive, elegant, and long-lasting isn’t just good aesthetics – it’s responsible. Better design can lead to a longer-lasting outcome, it means fewer materials, less waste, and greater potential for reuse or repurposing. In a world of short attention spans and short commercial cycles, we can’t fix everything – but we can create with intention.

Reuse! Reuse! Reuse!

Reuse came up time and time again – not just as an operational goal, but as a creative driver. There was real energy around the idea of designing better and repurposing materials and items that are already available, rather than simply designing from new.

There was a big call to make units modular, so they’re easily moved/transported, as opposed to using glue bonding and making them a fixed structure. Designing for longevity was a key talking point, as was the need to think beyond single-use mindsets and embrace ownership models that allow for circularity. From display units to entire retail environments, there’s growing demand for spaces and assets that can flex, evolve, and earn their keep over time – a shift that requires closer collaboration between designers, marketers, and procurement teams alike.

Barriers to sustainability adoption

Many speakers talked candidly about the challenges of delivering sustainability at scale, usually associated with increased costs. While ambition is growing, implementation often lags behind showing there’s still a disconnect between intention and delivery. Pop-ups, for instance, offer brands flexibility and a testing ground – but follow-through can be lacking.

Other recurring issues discussed were around siloed workstreams, financial pressures and the rise of “greenhushing” – a reluctance to shout about good work for fear of greenwashing accusations.

That said, there was also real innovation on show. New materials and developments in recycled ranges are helping close the gap between vision and execution. Life Cycle Assessments for products and materials are becoming more and more standard to support better decision-making from the outset.

Summary

In short, Impact25 suggested meaningful change doesn’t require perfection but it does require action. Start where you are. Collaborate more. Think longer. Design better. And most importantly, don’t wait to be asked.

If you’d like to explore these insights further or learn how we can support your business with sustainable retail solutions, we’d love to hear from you. Reach out at [email protected].