Agency roundup: Umpf and ilk

A growing chocolate brownie brand with shops and cafes across the UK, as well as an online business, has appointed Leeds-based integrated agency Umpf to drive traffic to its website and footfall to its stores.

Love Brownies, which already has London shops in Clapham, Islington and Southgate, has just opened in its 12th brownie shop and café in Loughton, Essex, and it will add Bristol to its portfolio next month.

The bakery which started on owner and head-baker Chantal Teal’s kitchen table in Ilkley in 2009, will open ten more bases this year.

Umpf will be supporting the team through digital PR and extended marketing support.

Love Brownies’ head of marketing, Tina Jessop, said: “With new shop openings every month and an expansion of our digital offering in the pipeline we have a lot of stories to tell, so we’re delighted the Umpf team will be driving on and offline PR.

“This next phase of growth is crucial to the Love Brownies brand so it’s great to have Umpf on board to support.”

Pip Morrall, senior account director at the agency, said: “We’ve been admirers of the Love Brownies brand for a long time so we’re delighted to get stuck in with this brief.

“We’re looking forward to using our traditional and digital PR expertise to help support the brand through this period of exciting growth.”

Umpf recently announced its expansion following a number of significant client wins. The business is establishing itself in London and Cardiff and is growing its team with a further five roles across PR and digital.

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Integrated agency, ilk, has been appointed to deliver a landmark public sector project involving a rebrand and the development of a new website design to improve user experience for the investment body, Invest Leeds.

The project marks a third win for ilk after the recent launch of websites for Invest Leeds’ partner organisations, Visit Leeds and Conference Leeds, all three of which were subject to a competitive tender process.

Invest Leeds has a mandate to drive investment and business interest in the city and the wider region by linking entrepreneurs and investors with a skilled workforce, benefits from world-class universities, a broad manufacturing base and key sector strengths in health tech, finance, creative and digital.

A fresh new brand for Invest Leeds has been introduced alongside the launch of a new website in March to compliment an updated look and feel for partner organisations, Visit Leeds and Conference Leeds.

ilk, which is itself based in Leeds, upgraded the organisation’s style and tone with refreshed copy to match the elevated brand and improved website.

The new website will showcase the range of skills and sectors on offer in the city with infographics and case studies designed to provide visitors with the information they need to prompt further enquiries.

Alongside a new site structure designed to improve user experience, ilk’s digital team will be working on a SEO strategy to drive site traffic.

Belinda Eldridge, head of service, visitor economy, inward investment and international relations at Leeds City Council, said: “ilk have worked with us on a complex brief to deliver our new website for Invest Leeds and we are excited to see the final result.”

Nev Ridley, managing director of the agency, said: “Though we work with clients from all over the world, there’s always something special about winning work in Leeds – the city we call home.

“And after completing big projects for both Visit Leeds and Conference Leeds, this website felt like a natural fit.

“Luckily, the Invest Leeds team agreed. We’ve already put Leeds on the map for tourism and conferencing, so now it’s time for investment.”