February might be the shortest month, but the marketing world moved quickly and here’s a quick rundown of the biggest shifts we tracked at Honch—along with key buying signals to help you tap into fresh opportunities.

New Marketing Leaders Reviewing Agencies & Tech Partners
In February, 2,655 senior marketing leaders joined UK companies. These new hires are stepping into big roles, taking over existing supplier relationships, and preparing for reviews. This makes them prime targets for new business teams. Here are just a few key hires:

• Compass Group – Amanda Mason, Marketing Director UK&I
• Alliance Pharma – Becky Verano, CMO
• Sticks'n'Sushi – Simon Gaske, CMO
• Merlin Entertainments – Ruth Storey, VP Marketing UK
• BNY Mellon – Charlotte Turnbull, VP Comms

If you want to land more meetings, pitches and new clients in 2025, start building these new leaders into your nurture programs. Honch’s Playbooks can help you create content that speaks to them at every stage of their decision-making process.

First-Time Marketing Directors: The Ones to Watch
It’s not just new hires—February also saw 1,280 senior marketing promotions. These professionals might be new to their roles, but they're established in their companies and have just received bigger budgets and more decision-making power. Here are a few to keep an eye on:

• Smith + Nephew – Jonathan Hughes, Global Marketing Director
• SharkNinja – Lana Sanleandro, Global CMO
• CovertSwarm – Julio Taylor, CMO

New Funding = Bigger Budgets
February also saw 84 brands complete funding rounds, unlocking new opportunities for marketing providers. Some of the biggest raises included:

• Verdiva Bio – £330.6 million (Series A)
• Synthesia – £145 million (Series D)
• Fundment – £45 million (Series C)
• Vertice – £40.3 million (Series C)
• NatureMetrics – £20 million (Series B)

These brands are now in expansion mode, which means new opportunities for any business that can help them 📈.

High-Growth Brands Are Still Out There
Despite the tough economic climate, more than 1,500 companies were still increasing their headcount last month. These growing brands are investing more in marketing budgets and should make their way to the top of your prospect lists.

Other Marketing Trends in February
Here are a few key topics that were trending in February:

• Sponsorship – 3,064 companies
• International Expansion – 238 companies
• Sustainability Initiatives – 4,810 companies

This Happens Every Month—And Honch Tracks It All
These trends are just from February. Honch tracks these buying signals every day, helping you connect with marketing decision-makers in real-time that have a need for your services. If you want to stay ahead of the competition, we’d love to help.