Agency roundup: Engage; That Works; connective3; and more

Established UK outdoor education provider, PGL, has appointed digital agency Engage to drive its digital strategy forward.

PGL is looking to revitalise its digital presence as it prepares for the first significant school summer holiday year coming out of the pandemic.

The new digital strategy and refreshed creative perspective will drive bookings for peak school holiday seasons, and showcase the brand identity and USPs which differentiate the brand within the market.

Leeds-based Engage will lead the digital strategy refresh to capture fans on social and encourage more direct action including website traffic and bookings. This will be coordinated using performance marketing which will be implemented by teams across the agency.

Charlotte Haines, head of consumer marketing at PGL, said: “Having previously worked with Engage I knew they were the right choice to drive our digital strategy forward.

“The team’s expertise will ensure we’re in safe hands as we look to revitalise our multi-channel refresh ahead of the summer peak.

“We’re really looking forward to working with the team and seeing the impact their work has on our digital presence.”

Alongside the digital strategy for consumer bookings, Engage will support PGL with services for its schools offering and recruitment activity.

This includes e-marketing and social content to market to teachers and official non-school organisations, and targeting new talent through paid social media activity.

Engage director, Tom Schofield, said: “Having the opportunity to take on brands in sectors that we’ve never before worked in is an exciting prospect. The agency is really looking forward to working closely with the team at PGL to showcase our digital expertise, and secure successes for the brand moving forward.”

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Jordan Hill

Leeds-based web design and development agency, That Works, has signed up three former Dragon’s Den brands.

The Shopify Plus agency is working with UpCircle, PÄRLA and HomeThings to grow their e-commerce offering and improve the digital customer experience through custom Shopify design and development.

UpCircle previously appeared in the den in 2018, seeking investment for its eco-friendly beauty and cosmetics company. The circular brand transforms ingredients that would otherwise be discarded into natural, organic beauty products.

Since attracting three offers in the den, UpCircle has grown significantly. The brand’s products are now sold in several UK and global high street stores and online retailers including Beauty Bay, FeelUnique, Ocado, Sainsbury’s and Holland & Barrett.

PÄRLA featured on Dragon’s Den to pitch its toothpaste tabs company. Toothpaste tubes can take 500-700 years to biodegrade and an estimated 1.5 billion go to landfills or end up in the ocean each year.

PÄRLA’s mission is to eliminate single-use toothpaste tube waste with its sustainable solution and packaging that can be infinitely recycled.

Post-Dragon’s Den – the eco-friendly toothpaste tab brand has enjoyed success, with its products now stocked in Sainsbury’s and Boots.

PÄRLA managing director, Adam Parker, said: “I was impressed by That Works’ extensive portfolio of work, no-nonsense approach and deep expertise in everything related to Shopify.”

HomeThings, a sustainable cleaning supplies company received a joint investment from Deborah Meaden and Peter Jones in 2021 to aid the brand’s growth.

Its key product offering includes an effervescent cleaning tablet which dissolves in water to combat unnecessary plastic waste from cleaning product packaging.

William Brightman, co-founder of UpCircle, said: “Having seen the capabilities of That Works for other brands, we wanted to reach out and see if they could help us improve our website offering.

“The process has been seamless from start to finish and they have created some fantastic functionality that we are excited to deploy on-site.”

Jordan Hill, who founded That Works in 2018, said: “It’s amazing to be working on the Shopify stores for three purpose-driven companies who all had really positive experiences on Dragon’s Den.

“And it’s even better that they each have a unique overarching mission to reduce waste and have a positive impact on the planet and align with our own company values at That Works.

“We’re on a mission to grow exponentially throughout 2022 and work with more exciting companies both me and our team love to work with.”

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Digital performance agency, connective3, has been appointed by home and gifting retailer Sass & Belle on an SEO and PPC brief.

The agency was chosen due to its strong track record in delivering consistent results across paid and organic, demonstrated by its work with brands including thortful and Wren Kitchens.

Tim Grice, connective3 CEO, said: “We are pleased to announce our new working relationship with Sass & Belle, and are so excited that they have chosen us as their partner to support the continued growth of their trade and retail sites through our paid and SEO activity”

Clare Kelly, head of eCommerce at Sass & Belle, added: “We immediately felt an affinity with connective3 as they had a small agency feel, while remaining focused on their expansion and delivering for their clients as they scale.

“We’re excited to be working with such a smart team who are full of ideas and already seem to totally get our business and the nuances of our two very different types of customer.”

connective3 has had a successful start to 2022 winning new clients including Tapi Carpets, Domu Brands and Lucy & Yak.

The business has seen significant expansion of its team, now numbering 80 across its three offices in Leeds, London and Manchester, after less than three years of trading.

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Kariba, Harrogate’s oldest digital marketing agency, is celebrating 25 years in business in 2022, and has undergone a makeover in recognition of the milestone.

The business was initially set up by Chris Wilson in 1997, after being asked to build Harrogate Borough Council’s first ever website.

Since then, the agency has gone on to design and build websites, and provide a range of digital marketing services, for clients in Yorkshire and across the UK.

To mark the business’ silver anniversary, Kariba has freshened up its branding, for only the second time in its history.

Founder and managing director, Chris Wilson, said: “Just like the digital industry, Kariba has come a long way since I started the business back in 1997.

“Our brand refresh and new website means we have a more current look and feel, and in turn better reflects who we are and what we do today, so we can appeal to those ambitious, growth-focused companies whom we love partnering with.

“I’m looking forward to seeing what the next generation of Kariba brings, and hope to be able to celebrate even more success and significant milestones in the years to come.”

The agency currently works with a number of businesses from a variety of different sectors, including Leeds-based commercial insurance broker Gauntlet Group, automotive eCommerce business A1 Detailing and worldwide private tutor agency Beacon Education.