Business

Customers move seamlessly between channels. Isolated marketing campaigns create a disjointed customer journey, damaging brand loyalty and conversion rate. Siloed customer data prevents personalized messaging, leading to irrelevant ads and wasted spend.

A coherent cross-channel strategy is essential to unify these touchpoints, transforming chaotic customer interactions into a seamless personalized customer experience. This guide provides a step-by-step framework to integrate marketing channels, synchronize messaging, and leverage data to drive meaningful customer engagement and efficient growth.

Step 1: Audit & Define Objectives

Begin by auditing all existing marketing campaigns, social media accounts, email programs, and offline marketing efforts. Map every touchpoint in the current customer journey.

Concurrently, define specific objectives. These should move beyond vague brand awareness to measurable goals like improving conversion rate or deepening brand loyalty. Objectives guide every subsequent step.

Step 2: Consolidate & Analyze Customer Data

Fragmented data inhibits success. Aggregate customer data from all sources (website analytics, customer relationship management (CRM), purchase history, and engagement metrics) into a single customer data platform (CDP).

This unified view enables accurate customer segmentation and rich customer profiles. Use predictive analytics on this data to anticipate behavior, forming the foundation for personalized messaging.

Step 3: Map the Customer Journey & Segment Audiences

Design an ideal customer journey across multiple channels. Identify key moments for customer interactions, from discovery to post-purchase. Using your consolidated data, perform detailed audience segmentation.

Go beyond demographics to group customers by behavior and preference. This precision allows for personalized messages tailored to each segment’s path, preventing irrelevant communication.

Step 4: Select Channels & Orchestrate Messaging

Choose marketing channels based on where your audience resides and your journey map. This integrated mix may include social media, email campaigns, push notifications, digital ads, and retargeting campaigns. Crucially, orchestrate messaging for cohesion.

A personalized customer experience means a user seeing a paid ad after abandoning a cart receives a complementary email campaign. The goal is to automate marketing across channels for consistent, timely dialogue. Marketing technology like automation platforms is key here.

Step 5: Develop & Personalize Content

Create content assets adaptable across your digital channel and offline touchpoints. Personalized customer experience relies on dynamic content informed by customer data. Use customer segmentation to tailor offers and creatives.

For instance, send personalized messages featuring products based on purchase history. A/B testing and multivariate testing are critical for optimizing subject lines, creatives, and calls-to-action.

Step 6: Implement, Automate, & Track

Deploy your strategy using workflows that trigger communications based on customer actions. Automate follow-up emails, push notifications, and retargeting campaigns to nurture leads.

Implement robust tracking tools to monitor engagement metrics, conversion rate, and overall campaign performance. Set up attribution modeling to understand how multiple channels contribute to conversions.

Step 7: Analyze Performance & Optimize

Continuous performance analysis is non-negotiable. Review data to see which customer interactions drove value. Identify high-performing marketing strategies and underperforming marketing channels.

Use these insights to refine audience segmentation, adjust digital ads, and enhance customer engagement. Multichannel marketing is iterative. Regular optimization boosts efficiency and ROI.

Step 8: Foster Brand Loyalty Through Post-Purchase Engagement

Effective post-purchase engagement is a cross-channel endeavor. Begin with an automated, post-purchase email sequence that thanks the customer, provides product usage tips, and invites them to a dedicated social media community or loyalty program.

Follow up based on customer data. A personalized check-in email or even a direct mail thank-you note can significantly enhance the customer experience. Use push notifications to alert users to new features related to their purchase history or to offer exclusive early access to sales.

The goal is to make the customer feel recognized and valued beyond the transaction, encouraging repeat purchases and organic word-of-mouth promotion. This sustained customer engagement turns customers into a reliable revenue stream and a powerful extension of your marketing team.

Step 9: Integrate Offline and Online Data for a Truly Unified View

For brands with physical locations or offline marketing components, achieving a true 360-degree customer profile requires bridging the online-offline data gap. This integration is what separates basic multichannel marketing from an advanced, omnichannel strategy.

Tactics include using tracked coupon codes from direct mail in online checkouts, leveraging Wi-Fi sign-in data in stores to connect in-store visits to digital channel profiles, or implementing CRM systems that sales staff can use to log customer interactions.

The Bottom Line

Effective multichannel marketing is a systematic cycle of insight, integration, and iteration. It consolidates customer data to build a seamless customer journey, leverages marketing technology for orchestration, and relies on relentless testing and performance analysis for refinement. Delivering a cohesive personalized customer experience enables you to drive meaningful customer engagement, increase conversion rate, and foster lasting brand loyalty.

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Planning a Cross-Channel Marketing Strategy Step by Step

Hiring a virtual assistant can make a huge difference to your workload. When you’re trying to run a business, it’s easy to get buried under emails, admin, planning and constant small tasks. A virtual assistant steps in, takes those jobs off your hands and gives you more time to focus on the work that matters.

But finding the right person takes a bit of thought. There are plenty of VAs out there and not all of them will suit your business or the way you like to work. These six steps will help you choose someone reliable, organised and genuinely helpful.

Hire from a Reputable Company

If you’re new to hiring a VA, working with a trusted company can save you a lot of time. Instead of scrolling through endless profiles, a reputable agency will match you with someone who already has the right skills. They’ll check references, run tests and make sure the VA is a good fit before you ever speak to them.

It also reduces risk. You know the VA has been vetted properly and you won’t have to deal with guesswork or surprises later.

Look for Prior Experience

Experience matters when you need someone who can get stuck in from day one. A VA with background in your industry will understand your daily pressures, the type of customers you deal with and the tools you use. That means they’ll settle in faster and need less guidance.

If you can’t find someone with direct experience, don’t panic. Look for someone who has worked in a similar field or handled similar tasks. Skills like customer service, admin support or marketing work often transfer well between industries.

Know What You’re Looking For

Before you start hiring, take time to write down exactly what you need. If you’re looking at virtual assistant services in UK, it helps to be clear on the tasks you want covered and the level of support you expect each week.

It also helps to list the skills you consider essential and the ones that would be nice to have. You might want someone confident with spreadsheets, customer messages or social media updates.

Be Clear with Your Communication

Clear communication makes the hiring process smoother for both sides. Be upfront about what you need, what you expect and how you like to work. Talk about hours, tasks, deadlines and pay early in the conversation. This helps you filter out candidates who don’t fit your routine or your budget.

Time zone can also affect how well you work together. You don’t need to be online at the exact same time, but an overlap helps with quick questions and daily updates.

Look for Someone with Initiative

A great VA doesn’t just complete tasks. They think ahead, spot gaps and look for ways to make your life easier. Someone who shows initiative can add real value to your business.

During the interview, ask questions that reveal how they think. Give them a scenario and ask how they’d handle it. Ask about a project they’re proud of and why. You’ll quickly see who problem-solves and who waits to be told what to do.

Check Their Time Management Skills

Time management is one of the most important skills a VA can have. They need to juggle tasks, meet deadlines and stay organised without constant reminders. If they fall behind, it can create a knock-on effect for the rest of your business.

To check this, you can ask about how they plan their day and how they manage busy workloads. Some people use aptitude tests or small timed tasks to get a feel for their approach.

Do a Trial Before You Commit

A short trial period is one of the best ways to make sure you’ve found the right fit. It gives you time to see how they communicate, how they work and how they handle real tasks. It also gives them a chance to see if the role suits them.

Make sure you agree on a simple, written plan for the trial. Include hours, tasks and the option for either of you to walk away if it doesn’t feel right. A good trial protects both sides and helps you avoid long-term issues.

Hiring a virtual assistant is an easy way to lighten your workload and grow your business without taking on a full-time employee.

Read more:
A Step-by-Step Guide to Hiring the Right Virtual Assistant

European digital marketing agency DeqVision has announced its expansion into the UK.

After supporting over 100 businesses across Europe, the agency is now focused on helping UK companies grow steady leads and sales through clear digital systems.

A busy market with broken systems

UK businesses invest heavily in digital marketing.
Yet many struggle to grow.

The issue is not effort.
The issue is disconnected systems.

Ads, websites, and CRM often work apart.
This makes it hard to track leads and sales or scale with confidence.

This problem is common in:

Home eCommerce brands, like furniture and home decor stores, that depend on online sales
Real estate and design businesses, such as interior designers and property brokers, that need trust-based leads and sales

Both need strong visuals, clear messaging, and a steady flow of leads and sales.

One partner instead of many vendors

DeqVision offers a full-stack model.

Clients get:

Paid media built to generate leads and sales
Websites designed to convert visitors
CRM and automation to manage leads and sales
Creative strategy and ongoing testing
Simple reporting tied to business goals

Everything works together.

This model has already proven successful across Europe.

Why UK businesses want something better

Many UK SMEs feel limited by agencies that:

Focus only on clicks, not leads and sales
Lock clients into rigid contracts
Hide strategy behind layers of staff

DeqVision removes these limits by staying founder-led.

Clients work directly with senior experts since day 1.

Focused growth, not mass expansion

DeqVision’s UK move is focused and selective.

The agency works with:

Home eCommerce brands ready to scale sales
Real estate and design businesses seeking better leads and sales

The goal is long-term growth built on strong systems.

Recent case studies and results are available here:
https://www.deqvision.com/case-studies

Growth built to last

DeqVision believes that real growth comes from clear systems, not quick fixes.

By connecting strategy, media, and technology, the agency helps businesses grow leads and sales with confidence.

More details can be found at:
https://www.deqvision.com

Read more:
DeqVision Brings Its Growth System to the UK

Artificial intelligence is set to play a central role in transforming Britain’s road and rail network, with continued government investment in digital technology expected to improve reliability, reduce delays and support economic growth.

Speaking at the Transport AI Summit in Parliament on Tuesday, Ruth Cadbury MP, chair of the Transport Select Committee, said AI and data-led technologies would be critical to tackling long-standing issues such as potholes, congestion and train delays. The event, organised by Chamber UK, brought together MPs, transport operators and technology firms to discuss how automation and analytics could modernise national infrastructure.

Cadbury praised the government’s commitment to working with specialist technology providers to improve road maintenance and rail performance, arguing that faster and more reliable connectivity is essential for job creation and regional growth.

“Britain’s transport network underpins economic activity across the country,” she told delegates. “Using AI and digital tools more effectively can help us maintain roads better, run trains more reliably and ensure the network supports growth in the years ahead.”

Attendees were given a live demonstration of Robotiz3d, an autonomous system designed to detect, prevent and repair potholes using AI-powered scanning and robotics. Supporters say such technologies could significantly reduce the cost and disruption associated with reactive road repairs.

However, speakers also warned that increased reliance on AI must be matched with stronger cyber security protections.

Graeme Stewart, head of public sector at Check Point Software, said transport systems would become increasingly attractive targets for cybercriminals as they become more connected and data-driven.

“With AI set to play a major role in the future of the UK’s transport infrastructure, it’s vital that the right security safeguards are built in from the outset,” he said. “Hackers have already shown that no sector is off limits. Roads and railways are critical national infrastructure, and policymakers must ensure resilience is treated as a priority.”

Rail technology specialists also highlighted the economic benefits of a smarter transport system.

Daren Wood, chief technology officer at Resonate Group, said modernising transport through AI and real-time data would help unlock productivity gains across the economy.

“A fully optimised transport network supported by the latest digital capabilities is essential for future growth,” he said. “Roads and rail routes connect businesses, people and opportunities. Harnessing AI to improve journeys and reliability is the right direction of travel for the UK.”

The summit underscored growing cross-party and industry consensus that AI will play a defining role in the next phase of transport investment — provided it is deployed securely, strategically and at scale.

Read more:
AI set to ‘turbocharge’ Britain’s road and rail network, says Transport Select Committee chair

The High Court has ruled that claims of forced labour, modern slavery and exploitation brought against Dyson will proceed to a full trial in April 2027.

In a judgment handed down today, following a case management conference in December 2025, the court confirmed that allegations brought by 24 former migrant workers will be tested through the cases of six lead claimants. The trial will focus on working and living conditions at Malaysian factories within Dyson’s electronics supply chain and will determine whether Dyson companies are legally liable for the alleged abuses.

Any compensation and the claims of the remaining workers will be dealt with in a separate, follow-up hearing if liability is established.

The claimants, represented by law firm Leigh Day, allege that while employed by Malaysian suppliers ATA Industrial (M) Sdn Bhd and Jabco Filter System Sdn Bhd, they were subjected to forced labour practices and false imprisonment while producing components for Dyson’s supply chain.

As part of the ruling, the High Court ordered Dyson to disclose a series of documents previously referenced in now-discontinued defamation proceedings brought by Dyson against Channel 4 News and ITN over reporting on alleged labour abuses. The documents to be disclosed include internal meeting minutes between Dyson and ATA in 2021, audit reports carried out between 2019 and 2021, correspondence from Dyson’s chief legal officer, and records relating to requests for workers to work on rest days to increase production volumes.

Mr Justice Pepperall emphasised the importance of ensuring that the claimants, described as impoverished and vulnerable migrant workers, are able to participate on an equal footing with Dyson, a well-resourced multinational group. He highlighted the seriousness of the alleged human rights violations and urged both sides to progress the case with cooperation and realism.

The judge also noted the delay caused by Dyson’s unsuccessful attempt to have the case heard in Malaysia rather than England and stressed the need for the litigation to move forward without further disruption.

During the hearing, the court was told that Leigh Day has been contacted by hundreds of other migrant workers with potentially similar claims against Dyson. Up to 100 additional cases could be ready to file this year, although the judge said any further claims should not interfere with the timetable for the existing trial.

Over the coming months, expert and factual evidence will be gathered and further disclosure will take place, including internal Dyson documents relating to its knowledge of labour conditions within its supply chain.

Oliver Holland, international partner at Leigh Day and lead lawyer for the claimants, said the ruling significantly strengthened his clients’ position and reinforced access to justice in England and Wales.

“The High Court has recognised the need for equality of arms in a case of this nature,” he said. “This judgment helps ensure our clients, who are among the world’s poorest workers, can participate fairly in proceedings against a global corporation. We are committed to progressing the case efficiently and achieving justice as swiftly as possible.”

The case will be closely watched by businesses, legal practitioners and ESG specialists as scrutiny of supply chain practices and corporate accountability continues to intensify.

Read more:
High Court rules forced labour claims against Dyson will go to trial in 2027

Keir Starmer has abandoned plans to make digital IDs mandatory for workers, marking the 13th significant U-turn of his premiership and a quiet retreat from one of Labour’s most controversial post-election policies.

The digital ID scheme, originally pitched as a central plank of Labour’s crackdown on illegal working and migration, will now be optional when introduced in 2029. Workers will instead be able to verify their right to work using existing documentation, such as passports or electronic visas.

The decision follows growing unease within cabinet and on Labour’s back benches, where ministers warned that compulsory digital IDs risked undermining public trust, alienating voters and triggering internal rebellion. Government sources confirmed that concerns about cost, complexity and inclusivity ultimately forced a rethink.

Starmer had previously argued that mandatory digital IDs were essential to knowing “who is in our country” and preventing illegal migrants from entering the shadow economy. However, officials now say the scheme will be repositioned as a convenience-led service designed to simplify everyday interactions with the state, such as registering births and deaths, opening bank accounts, booking GP appointments and accessing public services.

Polling appears to have played a role in the reversal. Support for digital IDs fell sharply after Starmer framed them primarily as a migration enforcement tool, with public backing dropping from nearly six in ten voters to fewer than four in ten, according to YouGov.

Cost has also been a major sticking point. The Office for Budget Responsibility has estimated the scheme could cost up to £1.8bn over three years, a figure the government disputes but has declined to replace with its own estimate. Critics inside Whitehall warned that a mandatory system risked excluding older workers and those without digital access, particularly in rural areas.

Under the revised approach, right-to-work checks will remain compulsory for employers, but digital ID will be just one of several acceptable verification methods. A public consultation will explore how the system should operate and what safeguards are needed to prevent exclusion or abuse.

A government spokesperson said the move would help defuse conspiracy theories around digital IDs and state surveillance, while still allowing ministers to modernise outdated, paper-heavy verification processes that are vulnerable to fraud.

The reversal adds to a growing list of policy retreats since Labour took office, including changes to business rates relief for pubs, a softening of inheritance tax reforms affecting farmers, and the dilution of employment law reforms.

Opposition figures seized on the latest shift as evidence of instability. Conservatives accused Starmer of abandoning a flagship policy at the first sign of resistance, while Liberal Democrats said the volume of U-turns was becoming a defining feature of the government.

For business, the decision removes the prospect of a new mandatory compliance burden for employers, at least in the short term. However, it also raises fresh questions about the government’s ability to deliver large-scale digital reform without further reversals.

Read more:
Starmer drops compulsory digital ID plan in 13th major U-turn

Donald Trump’s escalating confrontation with the US central bank has sent shockwaves through global markets, driving gold to a fresh all-time high as investors sought refuge from mounting political risk in the world’s largest economy.

Gold surged to around $4,600 an ounce on Monday, while silver moved close to record territory, as fears grew over political interference in the independence of the Federal Reserve. The US dollar weakened sharply, with the dollar index falling 0.32 per cent against a basket of major currencies.

The flight to safe-haven assets followed remarks by Jerome Powell, who said a criminal investigation into his conduct was part of an effort to intimidate the central bank and undermine its ability to set interest rates free from political pressure.

Despite the turmoil, Wall Street equities eked out modest gains. The S&P 500 rose 0.16 per cent, the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.17 per cent, and the Nasdaq climbed 0.26 per cent. Bond markets were more unsettled, with the yield on the benchmark 10-year US Treasury edging up to 4.18 per cent as investors questioned the long-term credibility of US monetary governance.

In the UK, the FTSE 100 finished slightly higher, while sterling strengthened to $1.34 against the dollar, reflecting the greenback’s broader weakness.

Market volatility increased sharply, with the VIX index recording its biggest rise since November, as investors absorbed the implications of an unprecedented standoff between the White House and the Fed.

Late on Sunday, Powell confirmed that the US Department of Justice had issued grand jury subpoenas linked to his testimony on a $2.5bn refurbishment of the Fed’s Washington headquarters. In a rare and direct public rebuke, he warned that the investigation raised fundamental questions about whether monetary policy would be shaped by economic evidence or political coercion.

In a joint statement, all living former Fed chairs, Alan Greenspan, Janet Yellen and Ben Bernanke, described the move as an “unprecedented attempt” to erode central bank independence, warning it resembled practices seen in emerging economies with weaker institutions.

Trump, who appointed Powell during his first term, denied direct involvement in the subpoena but renewed his criticism of the Fed chair’s leadership. He is expected to name a successor soon, with Kevin Hassett and Kevin Warsh widely seen as the leading contenders.

Economists warn the consequences could be profound. Analysts at Berenberg said that if political influence were to dictate monetary policy, the US could face a repeat of 1970s-style inflation, while ING and Nomura cautioned that continued pressure on the Fed would pose a sustained downside risk to the dollar.

For businesses and investors globally, the episode has revived a familiar lesson: when confidence in institutions wobbles, capital seeks safety. With US inflation still above target and political tensions intensifying, markets appear braced for further volatility in the months ahead.

Read more:
Gold hits record as investors seek shelter from Trump’s war on the Fed

China has reported the largest trade surplus in global history, underlining the resilience of its export machine despite a year of disruption caused by Donald Trump’s tariffs and trade brinkmanship.

Official figures released in Beijing show China recorded a full-year trade surplus of $1.19 trillion (£890bn) in 2025, the first time the country’s surplus has exceeded the $1tn mark. The figure comfortably surpassed the previous record of $993bn set in 2024.

Monthly data highlights the scale of China’s export dominance. Export surpluses exceeded $100bn in seven separate months last year, suggesting that while trade with the United States weakened, Chinese exporters were able to redirect goods to other markets with remarkable speed.

Trade flows to South East Asia, Africa and Latin America rose sharply, offsetting the impact of tariffs imposed by Washington. Exports to Europe also held up better than many analysts expected, reinforcing Beijing’s long-standing argument that the US is now just one of many destinations for Chinese goods.

Wang Jun, deputy director of China’s customs authority, described the figures as “extraordinary and hard-won” given what he called “profound changes” in the global trade environment. He pointed to strong growth in exports of green technology, artificial intelligence-related products and robotics as key drivers.

The ballooning surplus also reflects weakness at home. China’s domestic economy continues to be weighed down by a prolonged property downturn and rising debt levels, leaving businesses cautious about investing and households reluctant to spend. Imports rose by just 0.5% over the year, limiting demand for foreign goods and widening the surplus further.

A weaker yuan, combined with strong manufacturing capacity and higher inflation in Western economies, has also made Chinese exports more competitive on price, particularly in emerging markets.

For policymakers in Beijing, the data offers reassurance that China’s export sector remains globally embedded even as relations with Washington remain strained. However, officials were careful to strike a note of caution. Wang warned that the external environment remains uncertain, with growing resistance from trading partners concerned about being flooded with low-priced Chinese goods.

Those concerns are already translating into political pressure. Several countries have raised alarms over domestic industries struggling to compete with Chinese imports, and further trade defences may follow.

The figures come after a turbulent year in global trade. In April last year, Trump announced sweeping tariffs on goods from more than 90 countries, with China facing some of the harshest measures. A brief escalation saw threats of triple-digit tariffs before tensions eased following a meeting between Trump and Xi Jinping in South Korea in October.

While the most extreme measures were paused, a range of tariffs remains in place, continuing to suppress Chinese exports to the US. Businesses on both sides are now bracing for further volatility as trade policy once again becomes a central tool of geopolitical strategy.

Read more:
China posts record trade surplus despite Trump tariffs

The government has unveiled a long-awaited blueprint to revive Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR), setting out a phased programme of rail investment it claims will transform connectivity across the north of England and unlock billions in economic growth.

The multibillion-pound scheme, first proposed more than a decade ago, is intended to deliver faster journeys, more frequent services and improved capacity between the North’s major cities through a mix of new rail lines, upgraded routes and modernised stations. Ministers say the project could add up to £40bn to the UK economy over time by improving labour mobility and stimulating private investment.

An initial £1.1bn has been allocated for design and preparation work, with construction expected to begin after 2030. The programme will be delivered in stages, with early upgrades focused on routes linking Leeds, York, Bradford and Sheffield, before progressing to a new Liverpool–Manchester line and longer-term improvements connecting Manchester with cities across Yorkshire.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the plans marked a break with years of unfulfilled promises. “The cycle of paying lip service to the potential of the North has to end,” he said. “This government is rolling up its sleeves to deliver real, lasting change.”

NPR will sit at the heart of a wider Northern Growth Strategy, due to be published in the spring, which aims to link transport investment with housing, skills and regional development. Ministers believe improved rail connectivity is critical to creating a single, more dynamic labour market across the North, closer in scale and opportunity to London and the South East.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said the programme was designed to address decades of underinvestment. “This new era of investment will not just speed up journeys, it will mean new jobs and homes for people, making a real difference to millions of lives,” she said.

Early priorities include upgrades to key stations in Leeds, Sheffield and York, alongside renewed momentum behind a long-mooted new station in Bradford, which local leaders argue could dramatically widen access to jobs and training for younger workers. A new station at Rotherham Gateway is also planned, while the government confirmed it would pursue the business case for reopening the Leamside line in the North East.

However, while ministers have set a £45bn cap on central government funding, they have not committed to spending beyond 2029, leaving future phases dependent on detailed planning, public finances and potential contributions from local authorities. The Department for Transport said this cautious approach reflected lessons learned from the troubled HS2 programme, which has been plagued by delays, cost overruns and a significantly reduced scope.

Industry figures have broadly welcomed the renewed focus on the North, but warned that credibility will depend on delivery. Rob Morris, joint chief executive of Siemens Mobility UK & Ireland, said the plans “look very real” and could unlock productivity gains, but cautioned against a repeat of “stop-start” funding cycles seen under previous governments.

Business groups also stressed the importance of certainty. Henri Murison, chief executive of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, said the proposals offered “a clear route to higher productivity growth”, adding that improved rail links would allow talent and businesses to operate across the region in ways that are currently impossible.

Opposition figures, however, accused ministers of kicking delivery into the long grass. The Conservatives said the lack of firm timelines and long-term funding risked turning NPR into another reworked promise rather than a transformative project.

For northern cities and investors alike, the next test will be whether the government can move from vision to execution — and finally deliver the rail connectivity that has been promised since the Northern Powerhouse was first conceived.

Read more:
Government revives Northern Powerhouse Rail with phased £45bn vision for the North

French football has used to snap back to order. Paris Saint-Germain imposes itself, everyone else improvises around the edges, and the title race becomes more a countdown than a debate.

At the halfway mark, the 2025-2026 season’s Ligue 1 is behaving differently. The battle is intense, the margins are thin, and everyone’s powers are being tested endlessly.

Lens are no longer the romantic subplot

After 17 matches, RC Lens sit top with 40 points, one ahead of PSG, and the numbers are as concrete as the atmosphere at Stade Bollaert-Delelis: 13 wins, 31 goals scored, 13 conceded. This is not a lucky streak built on a friendly fixture list. It is a first half defined by a hard defensive ceiling and an attack that keeps finding two-goal afternoons.

A big part of the story is structural. Lens appointed Pierre Sage to lead the 2025/26 campaign, a coach whose reputation was built on calming chaos and turning a season’s mood in one sharp month. Lens looks like a team that has accepted the pressure of being hunted and enjoys it. The league’s best title challenges always start with a simple idea: control your own box, then force everyone else to chase the game.

PSG’s margin for error has vanished

PSG are second with 39 points after 17 games, still posting elite numbers: 37 scored, 15 conceded, and a goal difference that usually screams “champions-elect.” The difference is that someone is matching the pace. Every draw suddenly feels expensive, every away trip carries consequences, and the cushion of inevitability has disappeared.

The club’s week-to-week reality still looks like PSG: depth, quality, and the ability to win games on a single wave of pressure. Their recent Trophée des Champions win over Marseille on 8 January 2026, settled on penalties after a 2–2 draw, was a reminder that they remain calm inside late-game chaos. Luis Enrique’s side can wobble inside a match and still find a way through.

Marseille, Lille, Lyon: the crowded second line

Third and fourth are tied on 32 points: Olympique de Marseille and Lille. Marseille’s numbers read like a contender’s: 36 goals scored, 17 conceded, and enough big-match personality to keep the season loud. Roberto De Zerbi is in his second season at the Vélodrome, and the football still carries his fingerprints: bravery in possession, restlessness in transitions, and occasional risk in the spaces it leaves.

Lille is level on points with Marseille, and that matters because it keeps the Champions League places crowded. Lyon (30 points) and Rennes (30) are close enough to turn one strong month into a top-four argument. Strasbourg (24) hovers as the kind of club that can decide the shape of the race by taking points off bigger sides, while Monaco’s mid-table position (23) reflects a first half that has been more uneven than their talent suggests.

And then, there’s pressure at the other end. Nantes, with its 14 points, is in the relegation playoff spot; Auxerre and Metz are in the automatic relegation places on 12 points. Everyone’s fighting for points, and nobody wants to give up a soft afternoon.

The names that keep popping up

The scoring charts emphasize why the challenge is tight for everyone. Marseille’s Mason Greenwood leads Ligue 1 scoring at the halfway point with 11 goals, a number that fits both the club’s attacking ambition and the league’s current volatility. Strasbourg’s Joaquín Panichelli has 10, Esteban Lepaul has 9 (across Angers/Rennes), and Lyon’s Pavel Šulc has 8. Lens does not rely on a single headline finisher, with Wesley Saïd and Odsonne Édouard both on 7.

PSG’s threat is broader. Bradley Barcola and João Neves are among several players contributing, and the assist numbers show how the machine moves: Vitinha sits in a four-way tie for the league lead on 6 assists alongside Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Adrien Thomasson, and Ludovic Ajorque, while Matthieu Udol follows on 5. These are the kinds of details that matter in January, because they hint at what is repeatable when legs get heavy and fixtures tighten.

Betting turns every match into a live argument

The modern Ligue 1 experience is built for the second screen. Fans watch a match, scroll clips, check shots and expected goals, and argue in real time about substitutions. In that same flow, regulated sports betting has become another layer of participation, where odds move with a red card or a run of corners.

On nights when the table feels one mistake away from reshuffling, a lot of supporters follow markets through apk melbet on their phones, treating the odds like another set of live statistics. The healthiest approach is discipline: set limits, avoid chasing losses, and remember that a bet is a choice, not a requirement of fandom. Used responsibly, betting can sharpen attention to details that casual viewing misses, such as matchups, form, and the small tactical shifts that decide tight games.

The run-in

The second half of the season will be defined by pressure games: Lens protecting a lead, PSG chasing with impatience, and Marseille and Lille trying to turn “close enough” into “right there.” The calendar becomes its own kind of opponent, because a league this tight punishes injuries and suspensions more than usual.

For fans who prefer a mobile-first routine, the option to download melbet (Arabic: تنزيل melbet) sits alongside highlights, team news, and live stats, keeping everything in one pocket when you are commuting or watching away from a television. The point is not to replace the match with numbers, but to let the numbers deepen the match and therefore to notice when a team stops pressing, when a full-back starts tucking in, and when the game’s temperature changes.

A league that finally feels impatient

Midway to the catharsis, Ligue 1’s drama looks not like a procession but like an argument that could last until spring. Lens has already earned its position at the top, PSG is close enough to pounce, and the chasing crowd is tight enough to change the situation in the blink of an eye.

The season’s first half was about proving that the battle is real; the second will be about surviving it. Titles are not won by being interesting; they are won by being stubborn. For once, multiple clubs look stubborn in the same season, and that is how a race becomes a story.

Read more:
Ligue 1 Halfway Review: Is the Title Race More Open Than Ever?