Marketing Room opens for business

TWO Midland media firms have merged to create a new company; creating new jobs and moving to larger premises in the process.

Cannock-based Passionate Media has joined forces with Aqueous Graphics, formerly of Tipton, to form The Marketing Room. The combined business has relocated to offices in Rumer Hill, Cannock.

The merger sees Aqueous founder Julie Metcalfe joining the new business as Creative Director.

Marketing director Carol Garrington said the two companies had worked closely for a number of years, and so combining the two had been a natural process.

“Julie is a fantastic designer who we’ve worked closely with for the last four years. Our services knit together so well that it was an obvious move to formally merge our two companies,” she said.

Ms Metcalfe’s first job in her new post was to lead a total rebrand of the business, which as well as marketing, offers PR support, graphic design, social media support, web design, copy-writing and training.

The company has also taken on two new social media apprentices: Terri-Anne Whitehouse, from Bridgtown, and Louis Duffy, from Rugeley, both aged 18. They bring total staffing levels up to seven.

Managing Director Linda Aitchison, who established Passionate Media nine years ago, said the relocation was necessary following the staff expansion.

Worcestershire agency rebrands

WORCESTERSHIRE creative agency b1 has rebranded to become Superdream. Creative Director Richard Preedy said the new brand better communicated the company’s goal of setting new standards in its creative work and service.

“The Superdream name perfectly captures what we are about – excellent work, exceeding expectations, visionary, aspirational, and seeing anything as possible,” he said.

“b1 was set up in 1981, and working with more and more big brands in the US, Europe and the UK has meant that we’ve developed our business at a time when others are contracting – we have quite simply outgrown our original brand. The new brand conveys our values and beliefs perfectly.”

Superdream will continue to operate from its base in Bromsgrove, with its team of 10 creative staff under Preedy, and Client Services Director Chris Freer.

New app is a puzzle for businessman

A MIDLANDS businessman has developed a puzzle app for mobile phones which uniquely allows players to compete for a jackpot of at least £2,500, and raise money for Alzheimer’s sufferers at the same time.

Tim Edwards, owner of Boningale Nurseries in Albrighton, near Wolverhampton, has developed Cryptic Crystals, a 3D puzzle with a host of levels to suit all abilities of players.

The puzzle takes the form of different shapes, according to the difficulty of the level, beginning with a cube. Each face has different symbols and colours on it – the objective being to return the shape to its original state after it has been mixed up.
Players will be able to try and solve the various puzzles for fun, or compete against each other for the jackpot.  

This will involve 33 levels, each of which will have to be solved before you can move on to the next. The jackpot winner will be the one to complete the most difficult level in the fewest moves, and fastest time.

It is the first app to offer such a prize fund to the person who can unlock all the different levels to the game.  A percentage of the money raised from every sale of the app will be added to the jackpot – which is guaranteed to be at least £2,500 – and the same amount donated to the Alzheimer’s Society.

Mr Edwards said: “Reports suggest that mental stimulation – such as puzzle-solving – can help stave off the onset of Alzheimer’s. I chose the charity as there seems to be a natural fit with the puzzle.”