Making Change Stick: 3 Steps to Driving Adoption of New Content Models

Change is hard, and rarely seamless. In marketing, deadlines are tight and routines ingrained. So it’s no surprise that switching to a new tech-driven content model might spark resistance. There’s a fear of the unknown that comes with new models, processes and ways of working.

At Inspired Thinking Group (ITG), transformation is framed through Knowing, Flowing, and Growing – a simple way to link strategy, execution, and change. Knowing aligns strategic intent, creative assets and clear briefs; Flowing operationalises delivery via the Storyteq™ content marketing platform (CMP); and Growing embeds change through modular ways of working and structured change management.

ITG’s chief production officer Ian Hudson and growth operations director Lucy Pollard have seen the challenges of adoption firsthand. Both are adamant that adopting new models is not simply about technology – it’s about people. Drawing on hundreds of transformations across sectors, they’ve shaped a three-part approach designed to make change stick: leadership, partnership and training.

LBB’s Tará McKerr sat down with Ian and Lucy to find out more about the Growing stage, and how the human side makes new content models stick.

1. Leadership – Guiding with Empathy and Clear Vision

When I ask about what’s important for success, Lucy says the groundwork begins with discovery. “That’s when we first start to understand the current operating model – lifting the lid on how people are working today. What are the processes? What are people doing? What’s good, what isn’t, what could be better?” she explains. “That immersion and listening are critical, not just technically but in terms of understanding the culture and the people this will impact.”

In Growing, that early discovery creates the psychological safety and cadence that turn a plan into lived practice.

The purpose of that exercise is not only to map the “as is” and the “to be” but also to anticipate resistance and mitigate risk. “Anyone that says transformation is going to be easy is being naïve,” Lucy says. “There will be challenges. But what we focus on is that upfront understanding of risk. We’ve been there before, and a lot of pre-transition planning is about mapping risks, anticipating pitfalls and being clear on how to navigate them.”

Ian agrees that clarity from the outset is vital. But he also stresses the importance of pacing the change. “Generally, it’s talked about as 100 days,” he says. “But you have to carefully manage expectations of what that means. Sometimes people get very excited and think in three months everything will be fully implemented. The reality is there are phases. At the end of 100 days you might have the model operating, but you’re still learning and uncovering new processes. Realistically, the transition can roll on across the first 12 months.” Clear 30/60/100‑day and 12‑month milestones help leaders define what ‘good’ looks like.

Both Ian and Lucy emphasise empathy as the linchpin. “Change can be scary, so you have to put yourself in their shoes. We show people the new tools are there to support them, not replace them.”

2. Partnership – Co-Creating Change with Stakeholders

If leadership provides the vision, partnership ensures it lands. For Lucy, that starts by working closely with stakeholders at every level. “The worst thing you can do is swoop in with a one-size-fits-all solution,” she says. “We start by identifying the pain points before we build anything. What’s the right blend of technology and people that will help this business deliver its strategic aims? The change management programme then needs to be shaped around that.”

Trust, she adds, has to come from both sides. “If it’s ITG coming in and only talking about ourselves, it will only go so far. We need this to be a shared voice between us and the client, with their leaders visibly backing the initiative. That clarity of support sends a powerful message through the organisation.”

But it can’t stop at the C-suite. Ian points out that advocacy needs to run deeper: “Often you’ll get buy-in from the top down, but you also need the advocates throughout. They help you smooth conversations, open doors, and break through barriers where departments can be defensive.”

This is where ITG’s concept of ‘change champions’ comes in – those individuals inside the client’s organisation who can help drive adoption. “We try to get a good mix,” Ian tells me. “Some are natural adopters who are really enthusiastic and will bring others along. But we also involve people who are more resistant. Working closely with them helps us address their concerns. And we make sure there’s good representation across disciplines – managers, execs, different areas – so the full spectrum of roles is covered.” Champions have clear roles, regular touch-points and feedback loops – a practical engine for sustained adoption.

3. Training – Empowering People through Learning

The third pillar is training – and, for Lucy, it’s about much more than a launch-day induction. “It’s arming people with the knowledge and confidence to embrace technology,” she says. “Everybody learns differently and at a different rate. So we create lots of ways people can engage: one-to-one sessions, drop-ins, written guides, webinars, and events. The aim is not only to set people up for success at the start but also to make sure they continue to learn and develop beyond go-live.” In Growing, training is a pathway – playbooks, office hours and clinics that build skills and confidence over time.

Ian echoes this sentiment, saying, “We don’t just train once and disappear. We stick around, we check in, we help troubleshoot – whatever it takes until the new model feels second nature.”

Framing the technology as an ally is key. “Whatever we’re deploying is only going to liberate people to focus on creative, strategic, value-add areas,” says Ian. “It removes the tedious, manual processes that drag them down. The tech is there to help them and support them in their role, rather than being something scary.”

Making Change Stick in an AI-Enabled World

For all the talk of platforms and automation, both Ian and Lucy believe the human factor is what really determines success. “Sometimes introducing a third party flushes out issues that have existed in the business for years,” Ian says. “When you introduce more operational rigour, those things surface – but they get wrongly associated with the change. That’s why empathy and clear communication matter so much.”

Metrics matter too, but not always in the way clients expect. “In some cases, the baseline only starts once you move to the new model,” Ian explains. “So your day one of measuring begins at implementation.” Lucy adds that the signals they look for range from adoption and engagement (log-ins, briefs submitted, time to deliver) to efficiency, error reduction and cost savings. “It depends on the type of transformation, but the goal is the same: to show people that this is making their lives easier.”

As marketing organisations wrestle with how to harness AI and automation, ITG’s approach ladders back to something simple. That is the fact technology succeeds only when people feel ownership of it. “We can build the cleverest system, but it won’t stick unless people believe in it,” Ian tells me. “That belief comes when they feel it’s theirs – that we built it together to solve their problems.”

Or, as Lucy puts it, “The focus should always be on people. If you bring them with you, the technology will deliver.”

That people‑first focus is the heartbeat of Growing, the third stage of ITG’s Knowing, Flowing, Growing adoption framework. We’ll explore the full framework in a follow‑up.