Marketing agency and university win six-figure grant

Worcester marketing agency Nexus Creative and Coventry University have won a six figure grant from the government’s Innovate UK.

The funding will see the company grow its turnover toward £5m over the next five years and Coventry University has placed an honours graduate and expert in digital marketing and information technology within the business on a two year Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) scheme.

Colin Foxall, commercial director of Nexus Creative, said: “Probably along with most of the business world, we realised some time ago that digital marketing and disruptive technologies would be paramount to most successful organisational development in the future.

“For any small business, including a commercial marketing agency such as our own, to be able to keep pace with the rapidity of change in the digital world is an enormous task, particularly when your clients expect you to keep them at the forefront of all things new and generate successes for them, through what you do.

“Therefore we realised that the only way to do that properly and excel at modern digital marketing was to link with the academic world and truly offer our clients and employees the best of training, information and our marketing advice, and the success that will be derived through that.

“We have already started linking our clients with the university on some projects and everyone concerned and involved, is so excited by what is happening already in this partnership.”

Dr Shane Walker, associate head of school, enterprise and external engagement at Coventry University, added: “We are delighted to have been involved with Nexus and this application over the last couple of years. As far as we are aware this is the only digital marketing project of its type that has been awarded a KTP Grant and given the normal high-tech applicants that approach Innovate UK – Nexus really have done well to secure this support.

“One of the unique elements of the whole project will be the development of a software tool that will accurately measure the ROI on digital campaigns and spends. This will be ground-breaking technology and Nexus and the university have agreed joint IP and licensing rights on this software as it develops and comes to fruition.

“Through the project, the KTP associate has access and use of the incredible facilities offered by our Faculty of Arts & Humanities.”