Next Level Recruitment launches free tool to help Midlands agencies survive Covid-19
Leading recruitment agency, next level, has launched a brand new service aimed at shining a spotlight on the regional marketing scene – and helping Midlands agencies bounce back against Covid-19.
The Connect online roster has been created by Claire Summerfield and Laura Mercer, who run next level Recruitment, and between them, have more than 30 years’ experience of marketing, creative, PR and digital recruitment, spanning permanent, contract and freelance roles.
Open to all agencies outside of London, new and established, large and small, the Connect portal is the first of its kind in the Midlands. It gives companies who need external marketing, creative, PR or digital support, access to all of the regional agency talent, all in one place.
The roster can be searched via specialism, location or keyword. This generates a highly-tailored list of recommended agencies based on the search terms. Businesses can then visit the agency websites, call or email them directly or contact them via next level Recruitment.
Co-founder, Claire Summerfield, said: “We want to change the perception that London’s the best for agency support because there are so amazing agencies right here in the Midlands.
“The roster enables regional businesses, who would ordinarily think to go to the bright lights of London to get top quality marketing, to look closer to home and use the exceptional agencies that are on their doorstep.
“Many businesses want to use local agencies, but don’t necessarily know who they are. Yes, they can Google them, but they don’t know if they’re any good. We’ve worked with most of the agencies that are on our roster at some point and can personally vouch for their level of quality work and customer service.”
Connect comes just six months after the launch of next level’s Talent initiative, which is aimed at showcasing the many talented marketing, creative, PR and digital individuals, who are available for work regionally.
Co-founder, Laura Mercer, added: “The regions are full of so many talented agencies and we want to do our bit to help the industry we love, and have worked in for so long, to survive and thrive beyond Covid-19.
“The more regional businesses use regional agencies, the more they can grow and employ more people, such as graduates, who are struggling to come through more than ever now, and people who’ve been made redundant due to the ripple effect of the pandemic.”
Scott Bradburn, Managing Director of Abstract design agency, said: “In our 32-year history, we’ve seen companies gravitate towards big London design agencies, simply because there’s a myth that ‘London agencies are better’ and because clients are unaware of the high standard services local agencies can provide. In reality, local agencies can often provide a more cost effective and even better quality service than a London-based agency. We hope the new roster will help uncover these hidden gems.”
Nick Honey, Partner at Together Agency, part of the MMR Group, said: “It’s good to see the launch of Connect from next level Recruitment, using the same skills they deploy for matching companies and candidates to find a match between clients and agencies. It’s not an easy process for either party, particularly when much of this activity is London-centric, so something based on a regional level is a smart move.”
The Connect roster can be found here – https://www.mynextlevel.co.uk/connect/.
Agencies interested in being added to the roster, should email Claire or Laura at claire.summerfield@mynextlevel.co.uk or laura.mercer@mynextlevel.co.uk
