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The brief

Following a brand rebuild delivered by Barley, ETP needed website development support to bring its new identity to life online. The organisation was looking for a long-term digital partner to help create a future-facing website that reflected the scale and ambition of its work across the global tea sector.

The new site needed to clearly show how ETP’s projects connect, communicate impact more effectively, and serve a wide range of audiences – particularly those working in tea-producing regions. A key challenge was translating ETP’s complex, three-dimensional Theory of Change into an experience that was engaging, accessible and easy to understand.

Insights and approach

We began with an intensive immersion phase, combining landscape, Google Analytics and SEO audits with stakeholder interviews and a UX workshop. This helped us build a clear picture of user needs, behaviours and priorities across ETP’s diverse audiences.

Taking an audience-first approach, we reshaped the sitemap, hierarchy and content architecture to make the site easier to navigate and more intuitive to use. To encourage exploration and keep users engaged, we designed a ‘revolving door’ experience, supported by a robust tagging and filtering system and clear calls to action linking to related stories throughout the site.To better communicate ETP’s impact, we created a dedicated impact page that places the organisation’s Theory of Change at its heart. By making this interactive rather than static, we transformed a complex framework into a more digestible, engaging experience that reflects the realities of the tea sector.

Results

The new website has significantly improved how ETP presents itself and supports its strategic goals. Clearer navigation and stronger content structure make it easier for users to find relevant information, while interactive elements encourage deeper engagement across the site.

ETP’s work and impact are now brought to life through well-organised, clearly tagged stories, and the refreshed design successfully projects the new brand while meeting AA accessibility standards. Improved performance metrics show users are spending longer on the site and engaging more meaningfully with content.Since launch, the organisation has also seen increased interest from prospective members, with three companies currently in the process of joining. The project was shortlisted for Best Website at the Memcom Awards 2024, recognising the effectiveness of the new digital experience.

4.12 mins

average session duration, increased from 1:07

40%

bounce rate, reduced from 76%

3

new companies in the process of joining

“

Throughout the diverse projects we have worked on with Barley, the team’s exceptional ability to facilitate meaningful, tailored, and interactive workshops has been standout. The team are expert at convening workshops that not only respond to our strategic goals, but also successfully foster a real sense of alignment internally. Barley’s workshops have proven instrumental in driving forward our impactful projects together – and are always a welcome (and fun!) touchpoint.

Alexis Fromageot

Communications lead, ETP

Fund established to drive innovation in cardiothoracic surgery

International experts from Europe, the US and Asia convened in Paris on 19th and 20th of April for the second EACTS Innovation Summit.

EACTS, the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic (CT) Surgery, launched a brand-new Innovation Hub at the summit, which will champion investment in innovation to support the development of cardiothoracic surgical treatments and improve outcomes for patients. This reflects the fact that innovation and opportunities for improving patient care by implementing upcoming disruptive techniques in CT surgery are of central importance to EACTS.

At the Innovation Summit, engineers, chemists, molecular biologists, AI and robotics specialists, surgeons, industry leaders and policy makers discussed new technologies, pioneering treatment pathways and future surgical developments. Participants heard some of the very latest disruptive ideas in cardiothoracic surgery, including how AI and immersive technology are changing and will continue to change the entire field of CT surgery, including cardiac ultrastructure imaging, the future of robotic surgery and the engineering and distribution of Super-Organs.

Global specialists were also able to discuss other priority topics, including:

  • Principles of innovation
  • Leveraging ChatGPT4 in Cardiac Surgery
  • Heart valve of the future
  • Extracorporeal circulation (CPB, ECMO, ECLS, hibernation, hypothermia and organ repair)
  • Artificial Intelligence for CT surgery
  • Lymphatics in CT surgery.

Speaking at the Innovation Summit, past EACTS President (2022) and Co-Chair of the summit,Friedhelm Beyersdorf,said: “Emerging technologies and artificial intelligence are changing cardiothoracic surgery. We know that innovation often takes place at the borders between specialties and that is why we brought together delegates from across disciplines. Our second Innovation Summit with clear action from the discussion groups alongside the creation of our new Innovation Hub provide a clear message that EACTS is serious about innovation.”

As part of the new Innovation Hub, launched at the summit, EACTS members will be able to apply for grant funding to stimulate research and advance innovation in cardiothoracic surgery. Grants will be awarded from a fund that EACTS has recently established. The grants will be available to EACTS members only, through a competitive process over a five-year period. EACTS will be particularly interested to see applications that focus on the priority topics from the Innovation Summit and that are likely to create real-life opportunities to improve patient outcomes. The grant application process is set to launch in October 2024.

The grants will be overseen by EACTS’ new Innovation Committee made up of research, academic and industry experts. Past EACTS Presidents Friedhelm Beyersdorf and Mark Hazekamp have been appointed Chair and Vice Chair, respectively. Recruitment for additional members is underway.

Past EACTS President (2021) and Co-Chair of the Innovation Summit,Mark Hazekamp, said: “The Innovation Hub will stimulate new concepts and support inventors and creators to bring their ideas to clinical use. Using, implementing and further developing these upcoming opportunities is a priority for us at EACTS in order to further improve outcomes for patients with heart and lung conditions now and in the years ahead.”

Interest in innovation is high with EACTS members submitting 55 high quality abstracts for presentation at the Innovation Summit. Fourteen abstracts were selected alongside four exciting ‘wild card’ submissions.

Due to the number of high quality submissions, a further ten of the highest rated abstracts will be shared with delegates during one of two innovation sessions at the 38th EACTS Annual Meeting, taking place in Lisbon, Portugal this October. Four keynote presentations specially selected from this year’s summit as the most innovative and thought-provoking will be presented in a second innovation session.

The brief

The Confederation of Paper Industries asked us to develop and deliver a circular economy campaign to launch Papercycle — the UK’s first recyclability assessment method for paper and board packaging. The service helps producers and specifiers understand whether their packaging can be recycled in standard mills, in specialist mills or not at all.Developed following CPI’s Design for Recyclability Guidelines, Papercycle supports organisations preparing for Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) reforms from 2024. Our task was to raise awareness of the service, highlight its benefits and encourage industry engagement.

Insights and approach

We began with an in-depth immersion into Papercycle to understand how the service supports sustainable service launch goals and why consistent recyclability assessments matter in the context of new EPR regulations.

A workshop with the Papercycle team helped us pinpoint the priority audiences — brand owners, retailers, packaging designers and material developers — and build a clear narrative and messaging framework to motivate action.With this foundation, we created a channel plan spanning social media, targeted media relations, paid placements, stakeholder communications and updates to the Papercycle website. Working as an extension of the in-house team, we produced web copy, engaging social assets and a stakeholder toolkit to support roll-out. Meanwhile, our media team secured opportunities across specialist and mainstream channels to reach the audiences that mattered most.

Results

The campaign delivered strong awareness and industry interest in the new Papercycle service. Coverage across trade, sustainability and packaging media landed clear, positive messages about its role in supporting the circular economy and helping organisations prepare for EPR. Our work helped Papercycle reach decision-makers at scale, drive traffic to the service and underpin wider engagement with CPI’s recyclability guidance.

29

editorial articles

8

paid placements

16

editorial social media posts

38m

opportunities to see

“

We had the privilege of collaborating with Barley on the launch of Papercycle. They communicated our messages effectively and demonstrated an understanding of our mission and aspirations. We were delighted that they showed initiative and reached a bespoke audience. One of the aspects that stood out was their commitment to understanding our values. Throughout our partnership the Barley team consistently upheld exceptional communication, providing frequent updates, sharing valuable insights, and actively seeking our input.

Dimitra Rappou

Executive Director, Sustainable Products, Confederation of Paper Industries

The brief

ETP – tea’s global membership organisation – needed to rearticulate its mission and purpose to support its ambitious Strategy2030. Following a competitive tender, Barley was appointed to reposition the organisation and develop a new brand.

Our challenge was to unify the perspectives of ETP’s members and Board to create clear, consistent messaging that resonated across diverse audiences. Visually, the brand needed to reflect ETP’s credibility and pro-business approach while remaining relevant to everyone working in tea.

Insights and approach

The project began with ETP’s vision: a thriving, socially just and environmentally sustainable tea sector. Given its diverse global membership, Barley focused on understanding ETP’s structure, culture and communications from every angle.

Through surveys, interviews, and workshops with over 80 members, we uncovered key insights around perception and positioning. The existing name – Ethical Tea Partnership – carried colonial connotations and suggested certification, which no longer reflected ETP’s strategic direction.

Using both qualitative feedback and AI-assisted research to analyse definitions of ‘ethical’ and ‘partnership’, Barley identified the need for a name change while maintaining brand recognition. This insight shaped a clear brand strategy and creative direction.

Results

We helped ETP craft a mission aligned with its vision: catalysing systemic change to benefit everybody in tea – particularly in producing regions.

Our messaging and tone of voice guidance captured credibility, compassion and collaboration, ensuring consistency across communications.

We recommended shortening the organisation’s name to ETP, retaining brand legacy while removing outdated and restrictive associations. Working with design partner Yoke, we developed a brand identity that placed people at the heart of tea’s future:

  • A logo uniting tea, people and the world – elements greater than the sum of their parts.
  • Overlapping shapes reflecting ETP’s role at the intersection of industry challenges and opportunities.
  • Organic textures and warm photography highlighting the humanity behind the work.

The result is a refreshed, authentic and globally relevant identity – one that reflects ETP’s evolution as a catalyst for change.

“

ETP has worked with Barley Communications to redefine our mission, review and update our brand identity, and redevelop our website. They have been a true partner each step of the way. The Barley team made a conscious effort to understand our work, embed themselves in the team, and ensure a collaborative environment. Working with Barley Communications ensured a successful re-brand for ETP – and I would not hesitate for a second to recommend them.

Brian Lainoff

Head of Communications, ETP

The brief

The Eurekas is an annual physics competition for students aged 11–16 across the UK and Ireland. It forms part of the Institute of Physics’ (IOP) Limit Less campaign, which aims to diversify the young people who continue with physics after 16 and to encourage students to see physics differently.Following the successful 2022 launch, IOP reappointed Barley to promote the 2023 competition. Our objectives were to reach more of the campaign’s diverse target audiences and increase the number of submissions from the previous year.

Insights and approach

Our campaign focused on parents and teachers who would support students entering the competition, while also directly engaging young people aged 11–16 — particularly those from backgrounds traditionally underrepresented in physics.

To keep the competition inclusive and open to a wide range of interests, we developed the 2023 theme: how does physics power your passion?

Using insights from the 2022 evaluation, we refined our strategy. This included bringing in influencers to extend reach and credibility. Charismatic teacher Bobby Seagull encouraged his students to think differently about physics, while engineer and mother Dr Samira Ahmed created warm, engaging videos that introduced her audience to the competition.To reinforce scientific credibility, we secured physics communicator Alom Shaha and Eurekas ambassador Shivani Dave as judges, alongside campaign creator Ray Mitchell.

Results

We doubled the number of submissions from 2022 and increased participation from students and schools by around half.

Our organic social campaign generated strong engagement, achieving half a million impressions and 10,000 interactions. Paid social activity reached 200,000 people.

Influencer activity performed well too, with 19 posts generating 50,000 video views, 112,000 impressions and 2,000 engagements.Local media outreach amplified the winner announcement in Leicester, securing interviews on BBC Radio Leicester and Capital FM Leicestershire, broadcast coverage on ITV News Central, and an article in the Leicester Times.

  • 100%

    increase in submissions

  • 50%

    increase in students taking part

  • 50k

    influencer video views

  • 500k

    organic social impressions

  • 200k

    people reached via paid social

“

The quality of entries was incredibly high again this year. It was wonderful to see so many young people thinking about the things they’re passionate about through a physics lens, and letting their creativity flow. I believe if we can just harness some of this talent, the next generation of physicists will achieve groundbreaking things. I was honoured to be a judge for the second year running and everyone should be very proud of their work.

Shivani Dave

Journalist, broadcaster and physicist

The brief

The 37th EACTS Annual Meeting — held in Vienna — is the most important date in the cardiothoracic calendar, bringing together nearly 5,000 professionals from 103 countries. EACTS asked Barley to drive attendance, enhance engagement, and ensure delegates were informed and inspired throughout the event. The goal was to showcase the world-leading science and global collaboration shaping the future of cardiothoracic surgery.

Insights and approach

Barley worked closely with EACTS and its global community of cardiothoracic surgeons to deliver an integrated communications strategy that supported every stage of the event — before, during and after the meeting.

Our multi-channel approach combined content creation, on-site coordination, and digital storytelling to enhance engagement and amplify the event’s impact. Highlights included:

  • Producing three editions of Daily News, capturing standout moments from each day
  • Managing communications through the EACTS App to help delegates navigate the Austria Center Vienna
  • Promoting key research from EACTS journals linked to the event sessions
  • Driving live engagement through EACTS ambassadors across LinkedIn, Instagram, X and Facebook
  • Partnering with Distant Future to create a pre-event campaign video
  • Working with GoForth to produce post-event highlight films for YouTube
  • Running a targeted email marketing campaign celebrating the event’s world-class science

Results

Barley’s communications helped make the 37th EACTS Annual Meeting one of the most successful to date — reaching a global audience of clinicians, researchers and industry partners.

The #EACTS2023 campaign generated over 10,900 engagements, 2,650 social posts, and more than 15,000 video views. Across platforms, the event achieved 17,000+ social media engagements and 435,000 impressions, reinforcing EACTS’ position at the heart of global cardiothoracic innovation.

4,950

participants

17k+

social media engagements

435k

social media impressions

15k+

highlights video views

The brief

Each year, Barley supports the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EACTS) to promote its flagship Annual Meeting — one of the most significant gatherings in the cardiothoracic calendar.

EACTS tasked Barley with creating attractive branding – developing a fresh, distinctive brand identity for each year’s event — one that captures the character of the host city while maintaining strong visual continuity and recognition among its global professional audience.

Insights and approach

Our creative process begins with in-depth research into the cultural, historical and scientific character of each location — uncovering insights that shape the design, colour palette, typography and strapline.

For example, Vienna’s 2023 identity, “Raising the bar”, reflected the city’s musical heritage, weaving subtle treble and bass motifs into the event logo. In 2022, Milan’s “Learning together” branding drew inspiration from Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man, symbolising precision and shared learning. The previous year’s “Reconnecting” in Barcelona echoed the spirit of renewal after COVID-19, using Gaudí-inspired mosaic textures.Barley’s designs are applied across every touchpoint — from the EACTS website and social media to venue signage, flags, exhibition materials and delegate lanyards — creating a seamless experience that unites online and in-person engagement.

Results

Over three consecutive years, EACTS’ Annual Meeting branding has become instantly recognisable for its creativity and relevance to each city’s story. Each visual identity has strengthened audience recognition, enhanced event visibility, and reinforced EACTS’s reputation for excellence and innovation in global cardiac and thoracic surgery.The upcoming 2024 branding for Lisbon continues this legacy with the theme “Navigating new horizons”, symbolising progress and exploration in the field.

The brief

ICRA is the world’s largest gathering of robotics and automation experts. In 2023, the conference came to the UK for the first time, held at ExCeL London.Barley was appointed to promote a global conference of this scale by raising ICRA’s profile in the UK, driving registrations, and managing media accreditation. With conference media relations taking place amid a surge in negative AI headlines, we also set out to communicate innovation in a positive, human-centred way — reframing robotics and automation as technologies that can benefit society rather than fuel concern.

Insights and approach

We began with a strategic workshop to understand ICRA’s ambitions, audiences and concerns. From this we developed a set of clear, consistent messages used across all media engagement. These emphasised the real-world value of robotics across sectors and showcased the breadth of innovation from more than 100 exhibitors.

To ensure global visibility, we prioritised London-based international wires — including AP, Reuters, PA Media and Getty — alongside national, science and technology titles. We coordinated two targeted media tours, giving outlets such as AP, The Times, Metro and New Scientist direct access to key spokespeople.On-site at ExCeL London, we arranged interviews with BBC Click, BBC World Service and AP, and secured a dedicated ITV London package featuring ICRA’s schools outreach programme. This combination of proactive story development, structured access and responsive handling ensured strong media uptake in the UK and internationally.

Results

ICRA 2023 welcomed more than 6,000 delegates to London, supported by extensive global media coverage that aligned with the conference’s core messages.

Content from AP, PA Media, Reuters and Getty generated widespread international pick-up. AP’s feature on a poetry-writing humanoid robot alone was broadcast by more than 30 TV channels worldwide, with a social version reaching almost 26 million people. BBC Click produced an in-depth segment from the exhibition floor, while ITV London shone a spotlight on ICRA’s engagement with local schools.High-value print and online coverage included The Times, The Independent, The i, Daily Star, MSN, Yahoo News UK & Ireland, AOL, Daily Mail, Metro, London Evening Standard, Herald Scotland and New Scientist — which ran a first-person feature, complete with video, on controlling a robotic avatar.

  • 66

    journalists accredited

  • 224

    pieces of media coverage

  • 2.1bn+

    opportunities to see/hear

  • 33+

    national and international TV items

  • 100+

    global online articles

“

It was a great pleasure working with Barley Communications. They ensured to get an excellent, international media coverage for the flagship robotics conference, ICRA 2023, held in London. I highly recommend them to anyone organising a large-scale conference.

Kaspar Althoefer

Professor of Robotics Engineering, Head of Centre for Advanced Robotics at Queen Mary University of London; General Chair of ICRA 2023

The brief

Each year, the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EACTS) hosts the leading global event for the cardiothoracic community — the EACTS Annual Meeting.

Following a successful 2021 campaign, EACTS once again turned to Barley to promote its 2022 Annual Meeting, held in Milan. The goal: to attract world-class surgeons, allied health professionals and industry partners to share ideas, showcase innovation and shape the future of cardio-thoracic surgery.

Insights and approach

With many high-profile conferences competing for attention, Barley needed to ensure EACTS stood out. We focused on strategic, creative and content-led engagement to boost registrations and excitement ahead of the event.

We developed a suite of refreshed branded assets and a social media campaign combining organic and paid activity. A targeted email programme highlighted the scientific excellence of the agenda, while our team produced EACTS News and Daily News during the event to capture the best sessions and stories.

Working closely with Go Forth, we created a suite of dynamic videos for the EACTS website, app and social channels — bringing the energy of the Annual Meeting to life.

Results

Our integrated approach delivered significant reach and engagement across all channels. The campaign hashtag #EACTS2022 achieved more than 10.9 million impressions, contributing to a successful event that brought together nearly 5,000 delegates from 99 countries.Barley continues to work with EACTS to promote future meetings — including the 2023 event in Vienna.

“

With Barley’s fantastic support we were able to attract large numbers of delegates to the Aortic Forum in 2023. Barley led on messaging, social media, video and direct marketing, helping us deliver what has been described as a legendary event. Thank you to everyone at Barley.

Kirsty Clarke

Education programme manager , EACTS

The brief

WWT London engaged Barley in August 2022 to help deliver local media coverage as part of an overall communications strategy to help tackle low visitor numbers at the centre and integrate with wider campaigns.   

Insights and approach

We used World Mental Health Day as a hook to highlight the increasing body of evidence showing the benefits of spending time in nature on mental health. We positioned WWT London as an ideal location to experience blue and green space and created “Wellbeing Wednesdays” meaning half price entry to visitors every Wednesday throughout October.  

We engaged with local online and print media in key local boroughs that the client highlighted as priority areas and created a mailout for business partners, local authorities and key contacts.  

We used World Wetlands Day to raise awareness of the importance of wetlands in fighting climate change and its role in providing a place to rest and refuel for migratory birds. Pitching to local broadcast media, we offered filming opportunities and interviews with the staff which resulted in strong features on ITV London and London Live which landed all our key messages.   

The results

We secured coverage in a range of local print, online and broadcast media, including in-depth interviews with the General Manager and filming at the nature reserve with ITV London and London Live.   

WWT London reported an uplift in footfall as a result of our work. 

19

pieces of coverage

10m

opportunities to see/hear

“

It has been an absolute  delight working with Barley, sharing your enthusiasm and brilliant ideas. I truly wish we could have implemented it all. We have learned a lot from you about best practice and how to stand out from the crowd. Thank you so much for the great service.

Angelica Teixeira

Marketing and Comms Manager, WWT London Wetland Centre   

The brief

Physics is still widely perceived as difficult and dominated by white males – a view backed by data and lived experience. This lack of diversity means the physics community misses out on talented young people who do not see themselves reflected in the subject.
To shift perceptions and encourage more young people to continue with physics post-16, the Institute of Physics asked Barley to promote Limit Less – its diversity communication campaign championing girls, students from disadvantaged backgrounds, young people of Black Caribbean descent, disabled students and LGBT+ young people.

Insights and approach

We wanted to show that physics can be creative, collaborative, practical and fun.
We set out to reframe physics as creative, collaborative and relevant to everyday life. Early interviews with IOP members and students revealed that many young people felt more confident in subjects such as art, design, sport, humanities or languages. This insight shaped our central idea: meet young people where they already feel strong.
We proposed launching The Eurekas – a UK- and Ireland-wide competition for 11–16-year-olds answering one question: what’s the point of physics? To widen participation, entries could take any form, from videos and performances to poetry, artwork or baking. Cash and voucher prizes were included to motivate students, teachers and parents or carers.
To bring the campaign to life, we:
Created The Eurekas sub-brand and a dedicated website
Recruited science communicator Shivani Dave as an accessible and inspiring ambassador
Engaged amplifier audiences – teachers, parents and carers – to reach young people appropriately
Ran paid and organic social campaigns
Activated IOP’s database via newsletters
Delivered national and local media outreach
Convened a judging panel including Shivani Dave, physicist and author Femi Fadugba, and IOP Deputy Chief Executive Rachel Youngman

Results

Students across the UK and Ireland embraced the challenge, exploring physics in unexpected and imaginative ways. As a pilot year, The Eurekas exceeded expectations, attracting more than 100 submissions from almost 200 young people – with most shortlisted entrants coming from the underrepresented groups at the heart of the campaign.The entries demonstrated powerful creativity and a growing confidence in the subject. Several winners shared how taking part reshaped how they see physics and what they believe they can achieve. The competition has laid strong foundations for future engagement, giving young people new permission to see physics as something that belongs to them.

554k

teachers and parents reached

42

schools involved

189

students

107

submissions

“

We were all incredibly impressed by the quality of entries submitted for this first year of The Eurekas. It was amazing to see how the young people tapped into their passions and produced such thoughtful work. We wanted this competition to be a celebration of creativity, culture, collaboration, diversity and activity – all underpinned by physics themes – and it has certainly achieved this.

Rachel Youngman

Deputy Chief Executive, Institute of Physics

The brief

The European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EACTS) hosts the world’s largest gathering for the cardiothoracic community — bringing together thousands of surgeons, health professionals and industry experts to share knowledge, research and innovation.In 2021, EACTS planned to host its Annual Meeting in Barcelona and appointed Barley to drive attendance and engagement for the event.

Insights and approach

Although the Annual Meeting was already well established, competing events and the global challenges of 2021 meant EACTS needed to re-energise its communications.

Barley developed a clear, multi-channel strategy to promote the event and highlight the value of attending. Our approach included:

  • Designing distinctive branded assets to strengthen the event’s visual identity
  • Delivering a targeted social media campaign combining organic and paid content
  • Running a focused email marketing programme to reach members and prospects
  • Producing EACTS News in the run-up to the event and three editions of Daily News during the conference
  • Partnering with Go Forth to create compelling video content for online promotion

Targeting key regions with high potential attendance based on membership data

Results

Barley’s integrated approach delivered significant reach and engagement across digital platforms. More than 3,000 participants from 87 countries attended the 2021 Annual Meeting in Barcelona — a remarkable achievement in a challenging year for international events.Following this success, EACTS reappointed Barley to promote the 2022 Annual Meeting in Milan.

3,000

participants from 87 countries

2,500

social posts and 7000+ engagements with #EACTS2021

3

issues of Daily News

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