smartoctober: our free annual month of learning

Every year in October, we run a month-long learning adventure.

We focus on one area of news production that's causing headaches, confusion or uncertainty and unpack it. We proffer tips, tricks, support and suggestions to ensure you start November with a toolbox of ideas, strategies and inspiration.

And, once October is out, you'll find the archive of blogs, webinars and resources on this page. Yours whenever you need it.

This gives you an idea of the kind of work we do on a much more in-depth and tailored level. If you'd like to work directly with us, drop us a line and let us know how we can help.

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2026: your brand in the AI era

WEEK ONE

Brand DNA in the AI era

AI won’t save a weak brand. It will expose any shortcomings. Only sharply defined brands can hope to compete, foster loyalty and go places in the age of AI. Start here, with an audit of yours.

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5 signs your brand is invisible in the AI era

Bad news for anyone optimising exclusively for SEO. AI has - in case you’ve been living under a rock - massively disrupted the process of discovery. Articles and content aren’t just being ranked for keywords anymore. LLMs are looking for patterns and consistency across your entire output so that they can summarise and represent what you do, and what you stand for. This means that you need to be distinct, clear and consistent in your content, in how you present yourself, and in the manner in which you do these things.

WEEK TWO

The nicher the better: sections as mini‑brands

Shift your thinking from “one brand” to “a portfolio of mini‑brands” (sections). You'll learn how and why niche, well‑defined sections outperform broad, generic ones.

resources

Sections as mini-brands

We’ve talked about the importance of brand identity, but that’s just the start. Apply the same thinking to sections too. The more you do this, the more likely you are to win with your audience.

WEEK THREE

Sports: the ultimate mini‑brand (introducing Sports User Needs)

Case study time. To prove “the nicher the better”, we'll look at one section - sports - and show an approach that works. In fact, we're just launching the Sports-specific User Needs model (4 intents, 11 needs), so there's lots to discuss, show and learn.

WEEK FOUR

Quick Labs: from insight to growth hacks

Time to put the theory into action at your newsroom, with your challenges in taster sessions to show you the value of working with us. Quick Labs give you the foundations to build a stronger, better brand, more engagement, happier readers and a thriving business. This is your taster week!