Knowsley firm hires restructuring advisers and starts ‘cost rationalisation exercise’

Supercar brakes firm Surface Transforms has appointed restructuring advisers and filed a notice of intention to appoint administrators as it deals with the fallout of losing its biggest client. The Knowsley business, which two years ago received a £13.2m loan through Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, announced last week it had lost its contract with global car giant General Motors (GM).

GM last year provided 84% of the group’s revenues and had also given it millions of pounds of support. Surface Transforms said the contract loss had a “material impact on the company’s ability to trade”.

Today Surface Transforms announced its shares would be suspended from trading on AIM and that it had appointed Alvarez and Marsal (A&M) as corporate restructuring advisers, with directors working with A&M to “understand the options available to the company to provide the best outcome for all stakeholders”.

The company also said it had “initiated a cost rationalisation exercise as a consequence of the reduced production volumes” following the contract loss. It will start consulting with staff over potential redundancies and layoffs.

The board also confirmed it was filing with the High Court a notice of intention to appoint A&M as administrators. It said that once the notice was filed “the company will be protected against any creditor enforcement action for a period of ten working days and will continue to work with A&M on the options available to the company”.

Surface Transforms is the UK’s only manufacturer of carbon‐ceramic brake discs. In 2023, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority announced that Mayor Steve Rotheram’s Urban Development Fund – part funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) – was offering a £13.2m loan to the business to help it grow its Knowsley base and to create jobs.

At the time, Surface Transforms CEO Kevin Johnson said: “We are delighted to have secured this capital expenditure loan, which will enable us to execute our strategic growth plans and further strengthen our position as a leader in carbon fibre reinforced ceramic automotive brake discs.”

BusinessLive last week asked the Combined Authority what Surface Transforms’ announcement might mean for its loan. A spokesperson said: “We are aware of the situation and are in dialogue with the company to fully understand the current position. It would not be appropriate to make any further comment at this time.”

The modern media landscape would be unrecognizable to brand managers, marketers, and advertising experts from as few as five years ago, let alone ten or more. A slickly-edited digital asset supported by clean copy is not only the baseline expectation for online marketing, but is competing with hundreds of thousands of similar efforts. The online ecosystem is drowning in brands, their marketing efforts, and their intrusive insistence that consumers pay attention. This phenomenon has only grown more pronounced in the age of generative AI, where brands are leaping at the chance to leverage new technology for further digital marketing applications.

The consequence of this is that consumers are, broadly, dismissive and uninterested in large swathes of digital marketing assets. There is simply too much competing information to draw consistent attention, the instant information provided by modern social media has contributed to the ongoing decline of consumer trust, and many brands are eagerly integrating new AI tools for cost reasons rather than their digital marketing efficacy. However, there are a handful of brands that are seeing success in their digital marketing campaigns, and they all share a common core direction: a focus on grounded authenticity and a credible reputation.

Brian Troiano, the CEO of digital marketing agency Rvv Corp in Tampa, Florida, believes that striking the balance of authenticity and new technology is going to be the defining challenge of the digital marketing industry moving forward. As consumers become more values-driven, and technology becomes more powerful and automation-focused, the next decade will be pivotal. The companies that use technology to amplify creativity, personalize experiences, and build real trust with their audiences will be the victors.

“Artificial intelligence will be deeply integrated into every campaign—allowing brands to understand and serve people with incredible precision,” Troiano predicts, “but at the same time, consumers are becoming more discerning. They don’t just want ads; they want authentic connections and brands that align with their values.”

Connection Through Community

It’s important for brands to get this right; the global digital advertising market is expected to grow to over $786 billion this year, even though scarcely 61% of marketers believe their campaigns are effective. Through shifting trends, a lack of consistent and reliable data, and disruptive changes to established SEO practices, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to create and deliver consistent results in the digital marketing space. The brands that succeed are the ones building personal connections with their audiences, establishing the trust that drives engagement. To stand out and capture the limited attention of consumer audiences, brands need genuine connection.

If connection and authenticity are the game, then social media platforms are the arenas in which they are played, and have been for decades. Whether it be LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, or Reddit (and beyond), social media continues to dominate considerations for digital marketing; there just aren’t many better places for businesses to connect with their target audiences. Social media analytics—from likes and comments to general clicks and impressions—are one of the most effective ways for brands to track their exposure and online reputation. It’s undeniably effective; as of 2023, social media ads have become the dominant driver of brand discovery for online consumers between the ages of 16 and 24, and that upper range is expected to grow over time, followed closely by word-of-mouth.

Social media allows for brands, be they large corporate entities or individual professionals, to interact with online audiences in a way that differs from the advertisements of yesteryear cable. From sharing customer or client anecdotes, to directly replying to them on social pages, to engaging in the ever-evolving pattern of social media memes, brands and digital marketers can use these spaces to build community and establish a brand reputation. Big name brands like Dove are known for human-forward, genuine campaigns that focus on empathetic messaging, often without any direct product advertising. On the other end of the spectrum, brands like Duolingo and Nutter Butter have developed cult followings on social media for their avant-garde posting strategies and reputation.

“I’ve learned that people don’t just buy products or services—they buy relationships, integrity, and confidence in your word,” explains Brian Troiano. “Digital marketing and AI are evolving so fast that tools will come and go, but if you develop the fundamentals—understanding people, solving real problems, and communicating with authenticity—you’ll always stay ahead.”

Personal Branding and Leadership

However effective it is, social media is just one channel for digital marketing to pursue, and any single-channel approach is going to be staggeringly ineffective compared to broader approaches. Additionally, while the big brands might have the budget and the team to create new advertisements and run new campaigns on a regular basis, smaller companies and single professionals have to make do with what they’ve got. Personal branding and authentic thought leadership are powerful in today’s social economy, and can make a massive impact on the reputation and perception of any given brand.

Personal branding, leadership, and transparency have become the core pillars of effective digital marketing for the vast majority of companies and individuals, and with good reason. A company is a faceless organization vying for consumers’ attention, care, and money; a compelling thought leader with a platform and clear values is a person with stories, experiences, and value beyond the sales funnel. By building a robust personal brand, professional reputation can become a digital marketing strategy on its own.

Brian Troiano has seen this firsthand in the growing entrepreneurial scene in his home state of Florida. He’s built and sold multiple companies, and takes passion in instilling others with self-confidence and helping them reach their full potential; he knows firsthand how leadership and branding can affect someone, professional or otherwise.

“I believe a strong professional reputation is built one decision at a time—through consistency, integrity, and a commitment to serve others well,” he says. “As a faith-driven entrepreneur, I strive to let my actions speak louder than my words. That means showing up with excellence, keeping my promises, and treating people with respect whether they’re a client, team member, or competitor.”

A new Fallout game was in development at a Microsoft-owned studio but is now unlikely to be released, veteran journalist Jeff Gerstmann reported, delivering another twist in the long-running saga of the post-apocalyptic franchise under Xbox ownership.

Gerstmann, the former GameSpot editor and co-founder of Giant Bomb, made the claim Tuesday during the latest episode of his podcast, “The Jeff Gerstmann Show.” He said he was aware of an unannounced Fallout project at a studio other than Bethesda Game Studios that “I think is no longer going to see the light of day.”

No details emerged about the project’s scope, genre or which of Microsoft’s first-party studios was involved. Gerstmann did not specify whether it was a mainline entry, a spin-off or something smaller, such as a mobile or live-service title. Microsoft and Bethesda have not commented on the report.

The revelation arrives as the Fallout series enjoys unprecedented popularity fueled by Amazon Prime Video’s hit television adaptation. Season 2 of the show concluded without the game announcements many fans anticipated, including rumored remasters of “Fallout 3” or “Fallout: New Vegas.” Instead, the only recent gaming update was a content patch for the live-service title “Fallout 76.”

Gerstmann’s comments came in the context of broader discussion about how Bethesda handles its flagship franchises. He suggested that studio head Todd Howard and the team prefer to expand internally rather than hand major Fallout or Elder Scrolls projects to other Microsoft studios.

“I think Todd Howard and the team probably have a pretty firm grasp of what they want to do with those specific franchises, and instead of assigning that stuff to another team, it would be more likely for them to staff up at Bethesda Game Studios,” Gerstmann said. He added that remakes, including one for “Fallout 3,” are likely being handled by external developers, similar to how Virtuos developed the recent “The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion” remaster.

The news fits a pattern of shifting priorities at Xbox following Microsoft’s 2021 acquisition of ZeniMax Media, Bethesda’s parent company, for $7.5 billion. Since then, the gaming giant has faced multiple rounds of layoffs and project cancellations, including the high-profile shutdown of The Initiative studio and its “Perfect Dark” reboot, as well as ZeniMax Online’s unannounced sci-fi MMO codenamed Blackbird.

Earlier reports in 2025 indicated Microsoft redirected resources from canceled projects toward the Fallout franchise. Fallout 5 was reportedly “fully greenlit,” with development expected to ramp up after “The Elder Scrolls VI” advances further. Bethesda has confirmed multiple Fallout projects are underway, though details remain scarce.

The original Fallout games launched in 1997 and 1998 from Interplay Entertainment, establishing the series’ signature blend of retro-futuristic satire, open-world exploration and dark humor. Bethesda acquired the rights in 2007 and released “Fallout 3” in 2008, a critical and commercial success that sold millions and introduced the series to consoles on a grand scale.

“Fallout: New Vegas,” developed by Obsidian Entertainment (now also under Microsoft), followed in 2010 and remains a fan favorite for its writing and choice-driven storytelling. “Fallout 4” in 2015 and the controversial online spin-off “Fallout 76” in 2018 expanded the universe further, despite launch issues with the latter that Bethesda has since addressed through years of updates.

The Amazon series, which premiered in 2024 and returned for Season 2 in 2025, dramatically boosted interest. Viewership numbers propelled “Fallout 4” and “Fallout 76” back onto sales charts, with permanent increases in player bases reported across platforms. Howard has publicly stated that Bethesda is working on “even more Fallout” and that the next mainline game will incorporate elements inspired by the show.

Yet fans have grown impatient for concrete news. Social media buzzed after Season 2’s finale, with many expecting a “Fallout 3” remaster announcement that never materialized. Recent toy listings online appeared to reference the remaster project, reigniting speculation, while a tweet from Iron Galaxy Studios — a studio that previously worked on Fallout titles — turned out to promote only a “Fallout 76” update.

Industry observers note that Microsoft’s strategy appears focused on protecting Bethesda’s core vision. By staffing up internally for new entries and outsourcing remakes, the company avoids diluting the creative direction that has defined the series since “Fallout 3.” Obsidian’s success with “New Vegas” proved external teams can deliver quality Fallout content, but Gerstmann’s report suggests Microsoft is not repeating that model for unannounced projects.

The canceled project’s fate remains unclear. It could have fallen victim to budget constraints, shifting corporate priorities or creative differences — common reasons for unannounced cancellations in the industry. Microsoft has not disclosed any recent studio closures tied to Fallout development.

Bethesda continues to support “Fallout 76” with seasonal events and new storylines, keeping the online world active. Rumors persist of a “Fallout: New Vegas” remaster or enhanced edition, potentially developed externally, which could arrive sooner than a full sequel.

Fallout 5, whenever it materializes, is years away. Howard has emphasized that the studio’s primary focus remains “The Elder Scrolls VI,” with Fallout 5 entering full production afterward. The delay has not dampened enthusiasm; the franchise’s cultural footprint — from memes about Nuka-Cola to debates over the best power armor — continues to grow.

Microsoft’s broader Xbox strategy includes a push into more first-party releases in 2026, with titles like the next “Gears of War,” “Halo” and “Fable” on the horizon. Fallout’s absence from that slate underscores the challenges of managing a portfolio after years of aggressive acquisitions and cost-cutting.

Gerstmann’s track record lends weight to the claim. As a longtime industry voice with deep connections, his off-the-cuff podcast remarks often preview developments later confirmed through official channels. Still, without corroboration from Microsoft or Bethesda, the report remains unverified.

Fans took to forums and social media Wednesday expressing disappointment mixed with cautious optimism. Many pointed to the TV show’s success as proof the franchise has legs, hoping internal staffing at Bethesda will yield stronger results than a rushed external project might have.

As of March 12, 2026, no further details have emerged. Microsoft’s next major gaming showcase could provide clarity, but history suggests Fallout announcements arrive on Bethesda’s timeline, not Xbox’s quarterly calendar.

The series that began as a niche PC RPG has become one of gaming’s most resilient brands. Whether the reported cancellation represents a minor footnote or a missed opportunity, the wasteland endures — and players remain ready for whatever comes next.