Agency round-up: Record revenue performance for ecommerce specialist; Two commercial contract wins for integrated agency; Rebrand and bumper financial results celebrated; and more

9xb, the Leeds and Harrogate-based ecommerce agency, has announced end of year results in which the company achieved record ahead of target revenue of £3.1m.

The announcement follows recent news that the company has expanded into newly refurbished office accommodation at Town Centre House in Harrogate, in addition to its central Leeds office.

The agency, which is celebrating its 15th year in business, has seen a steady increase in revenue over the last few years, rising from £2.2m in financial year 2016/17. Headcount has also grown by 31% over the past year to a total of 46 employees, warranting the move to larger office premises.

The growth is a result of retaining existing key accounts, including Euro Car Parts, Pizza Express and bathstore, now owned by Homebase, as well as significant new business wins including Alexander Dennis and Eyre & Elliston.

Rob Burns, 9xb managing director, said: “As ecommerce growth specialists we work with our clients to overcome their barriers to online growth. This can be by overcoming technical blockers, building brand new ecommerce websites or improving the results from clients’ existing ecommerce stores.

“Our refreshing and flexible approach to solving complex technical challenges and supporting ongoing innovation has been key to our recent success.

“By choosing to work with us, our clients get a best in class ecommerce platform, fully managed implementation and technical and marketing expertise. Everything they need in today’s challenging retail climate. This is an exciting time for the business with more ambitious growth plans over the next year.”

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Integrated agency SLBPR has been appointed by DS.Emotion London to deliver consumer PR for two commercial projects – Angel Central in Islington and Bond Street in Chelmsford – with immediate effect.

Angel Central, with its iconic Angel Wings sculpture, is the prime retail and leisure destination in Islington and is currently undergoing redevelopment following an £11m investment set to enhance the food and beverage, fitness, and leisure provision. Chelmsford’s Bond Street is an open air shopping centre with premium retail, riverside dining, and an upcoming series of pop-up projects.

This news comes after SLBPR also delivered a successful campaign for DS.Emotion’s Dukes Lane project in Brighton. This was a collaboration with They Made This art collective with an exclusive run of Pride themed prints to raise money for the Albert Kennedy Trust – a charity dedicated to helping young homeless members of the LGBTQ+ community.

Place branding and marketing agency DS.Emotion has 27 years’ experience in transforming places to be commercially and socially successful, defining compelling brands and delivering highly effective strategic marketing campaigns through place activation, print, digital, film and environmental design.

DS.Emotion managing director, Laura Carroll said, “Working with SLBPR is a natural fit for DS.Emotion as they are a creative agency who have fantastic media and cultural connections across the UK. Like us they have an innovative approach, like to break boundaries and deliver exceptional results.”

2019 has proved to be a good year for SLBPR, with a string of new business wins including the National Hairdressers’ Federation and National Beauty Federation (NHF/NBF), Made Up Leeds 2019, nationwide architects The Harris Partnership and Leeds based business hub, Wellington Place.

The company also took home the CIPR Excellence Award for Best Integrated Campaign for Made Up Leeds 2018 (with Umph PR and LeedsBID), and has announced a team expansion welcoming new account executive, Eve Griggs, based in the Leeds HQ.

SLBPR managing director, Sharon Brigden, said: “SLBPR has a very happy and successful history of working with DS.Emotion – from Trinity Leeds’ launch in 2013 to the city’s SOYO development and Variety Yorkshire. Since we opened our London office last year we are excited to be working with them again on projects in this region.”

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Social, an integrated agency with a base in Leeds, is celebrating a rebrand and bumper set of financial results, recording a 18% year-on-year rise in revenues to £2.3m.

Founded in 2012, Social also has offices in Bristol and Manchester. In the last year, the Leeds office has broken its target turnover and exceeded £600,000 in its third year of trading. It boasts a roster of 25 clients and seven employees. Clients include NP11, MACE, Extra Motorway Services and Leeds Council.

Following seven years in business, the agency has undergone a rebrand, from Social Communications to ‘Social’ to reflect how the business has evolved. The agency will continue to support clients with communications, digital, design and marketing services, with the new addition of ‘Social Place’ a dedicated communications consultancy for the built environment.

John Quinton-Barber, Group chief executive, said: “It’s been an exceptional year. We have delivered a strong set of results with like-for-like revenues up, driven in part by clients choosing to work with us across our pan regional offices.

“This year marks a significant milestone and these results are a testament to the brilliant people we have throughout the business and further demonstrates the power of our integrated communications model. We are still firmly of the belief that this is the early stages of our journey and plan to continue to grow and invest in the coming years.

“This rebrand is our commitment to our culture and rooted in our core value: Life Happens.

“Added to this, we are communicating in such uncertain times and our ability to talk with people from pub to Parliament, in plain English connects our clients to their communities through effective branding, imagery, communications and storytelling.”

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Following five years as separate divisions, Wish Agency and Wish Digital have merged and rebranded to form a fully integrated agency.

Founded in 2003, Wish Agency developed a reputation for its work in brand strategy and creative solutions for businesses across a range of sectors in the UK, Europe and the US.

In 2014, Wish Digital launched to enhance the agency’s capabilities and offer a range of digital services including consultancy, web design and online marketing from its offices on the outskirts of Leeds.

“The merge was the next natural step to offer a truly integrated and seamless service for all of our clients,” explained director Chris Kell.

“Our client list is growing rapidly with over £500,000 worth of new business wins in the past six months, including a pan-European website project for Belgian hygiene specialists Christeyns and exciting marketing projects with DB Cargo UK and Burgess Pet Care.”

After moving to larger premises, the agency has taken its team size to over 20 marketing specialists and plans for a London office in the New Year are well advanced.

Director Wilf Geldart said: “We have listened to what our clients and prospects want from their marketing agency and the merger of the two companies displays our commitment to meet clients’ needs in a fast moving, fragmented marketing environment.

“2020 is set to be our most exciting year yet, with lots of new projects and we can’t wait.”

In May this year, Wish won the prestigious The Drum Digital Advertising Award for Best Paid Social campaign.