Agency roundup: Loaded PR; The Engine Room; twentysix; and more

Leeds-based Loaded PR has taken flexible working to a new level with the introduction of a “work when you want” model.

The model, which allows its team to work their contracted hours when and from where they want, has been introduced to maintain employee well-being, sustain productivity, enhance creativity and provide greater contact support to clients.

Loaded PR’s founder and director, Gemma Birbeck, said employees should be able to work when they are at their most creative and productive.

She added: “The last two years have completely changed the way everyone views the working world and as such, the standard bums on seats nine to five idea just isn’t as highly regarded as it was.

“As a team working remotely for most of the pandemic, we found each had different times of day when we felt at our most creative and productive, and clients seemed to respond really well to having extended hours of support from a member of the team.

“Employee wellbeing is extremely important to me and I feel that as the working world around us evolves alongside the need for a better work life balance increases, it’s my responsibility to make sure we are responding and evolving alongside it.

“The team doesn’t have a rota or planned hours, so we’ve put in place Slack for team members to let each other know their availability on the day.”

Both Birbeck and operations director Kris Brook will continue to be in the company’s physical office between the hours of 8.30am to 5.30pm.

And, to ensure clients have continued support, there will be a member of the team always available between 7am and 10pm, Monday to Friday.

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Ben Woodhead

Mirfield-based strategic brand consultancy, The Engine Room, has welcomed two new recruits into the fold.

Senior designer Ben Woodhead joins with a decade of creative experience from the healthcare sector. Former design director at Leeds-based Mednet Group, he previously headed a 10-strong team and specialised particularly in digital design as a strategic communications tool.

He has worked on creative campaigns with vast budgets but was attracted to the opportunity to deliver projects that showcase the bottom-line, business impact of brand, for organisations large and small.

Meanwhile, University of Huddersfield graduate, Amin Karimi, has been appointed as a junior graphic designer, having completed an internship at The Engine Room last autumn.

He impressed the team during his placement with his flair for digital design, animation, and problem solving through design thinking, and was offered a permanent position as a result.

Consultancy founder and design director, Darren Evans, said: “We’ve really bolstered the talent within the team, with the appointment of Ben and Amin.

“Ben has had some fantastic exposure to the power of brand, and his experienced insight into what’s possible will benefit clients across all sectors, not just healthcare.

“Amin, while at the start of his career, is unashamedly exploratory in his approach and quickly showed us during his internship just how much value he can add to the creative process.

“He soaked up everything he learned during his short time with us, and his passion to develop his own skill-set – as well as clients’ brand stories – means we have high hopes for his career.”

Amin Karimi

Having grown despite the pandemic, the firm introduced three other new recruits into the team in 2021 – project manager Chantelle Welcome, senior designer Neil Herke, and senior artworker Natalie Smith.

Managing director, Lesley Gulliver, said: “It’s been a difficult time for the creative industries.

“But the niche we’ve carved for ourselves over the last 20 years – undertaking strategic rebrand projects for organisations large and small – proved to stand us in good stead.

“Many companies sought to refine – if not completely redefine – their proposition, so after the initial shockwave of lockdown, our studio became extremely busy with new business, alongside our existing client relationships.

“We’ve seen a shift in the type of work we’re being approached to deliver too, there’s a real appetite for ongoing brand development support long after the initial implementation, and we see this demand being permanent.”

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Digital agency, twentysix, has been appointed by the CIPD, the professional body for HR and people development, to lead and deliver web transformation and digital enablement for the organisation.

twentysix was part of a multi-agency selection process that began in spring 2021, concluding with a competitive pitch.

The CIPD evaluated potential partners on experience working with membership organisations, as well as credentials in website and digital experience, digital marketing competencies, strategic thinking, capabilities surrounding data and insight and use of technology.

David Cox, director of digital & technology, CIPD, said: “Our partnership with twentysix is an exciting opportunity to redefine our digital experience and deliver a website which truly meets the needs of our customers today and in the future.

“We’re delighted to have appointed twentysix to support us on our digital transformation journey.”

Richard Jones, chief strategy officer at Leeds-based twentysix, added: “Our central ethos is to ‘create better’which aligns closely with CIPD’s purpose to champion better work and working lives.

“Our previous collaboration with complex membership organisations such as the Health and Care Professions Council and the Food and Drink Federation puts us in a strong position to drive growth for the CIPD.”

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Integrated agency, ilk, has been appointed by premium British windows and doors system, The Residence Collection alongside its sister company, Window Widgets, to handle its trade and consumer PR.

The partnership will see Leeds-based ilk deliver an integrated PR strategy for the Gloucestershire-based company, which will maximise visibility of its two brands across earned digital media channels.

Jo Trotman, marketing manager for The Residence Collection and Window Widgets, said: “We’re extremely excited to begin our partnership with ilk.

“Their initial pitch to us was impressive so we’re looking forward to seeing what PR activity they will help us deliver in 2022.”

Nev Ridley, managing director at ilk agency, added: “We’re excited to be given the opportunity to work with two market leading brands and have no doubt we can play a major role in their growth through our approach to PR across multiple markets.”