Rachael Prasher, Managing Director, Haymarket Media Group shares the successes of the last 12 months and hints at what’s ahead.

Looking back on the past year, what have been some of the standout moments or achievements for your business?

2025 has continued to throw up challenges and opportunities in equal measure, and we have, as always, met both with creativity, determination, and good humour! Whilst trading remains tough in places, we have also enjoyed strong growth in our core ‘controllable’ business, especially through our content partnerships team. And they’ve picked up a PPA Award for Commercial Partnership of the Year (for Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles) along the way, which is really great to see.

We also announced our BCorp accreditation in November, the culmination of three years’ hard work, and an incredible achievement for our global business.

Which commercial partnerships or collaborations from this year have been particularly exciting or impactful?

This year, we launched our Autocar Drivers of Change awards, which celebrate diverse talent and champions in the automotive industry. It was so well received that we ran a second edition in November, focusing on early-career talent.

The list of car manufacturers working with our content partnerships team grew to record levels for the fifth year running. And we secured the social media account for MG, a fantastic start to our new social agency.

As you plan for the year ahead, what priorities or opportunities are at the top of your agenda?

We will continue to deepen our contact and engagement with agencies and clients. There’s so much to share about the quality of our audiences, the trust they place in our editorial content, and the brand-safe environments we provide for advertisers.

We will also ensure our colleagues are armed with the knowledge they need to lean into challenges and opportunities as they arise… and ideally pre-empt a few of them too! Inevitably, this means building our understanding of how AI can transform our business, not just from an operational perspective but also through the commercial product development opportunities it provides. 

And on a more personal note, what are you most looking forward to during the festive season?

I love that everyone is off at the same time, and it feels like a proper reset. And I really, really love Christmas, so celebrating with family and friends is my absolute favourite time of year.