Agency roundup: Hatch; Aberfield; Audience; and more

PR, Social, Content and Activation agency, Hatch, has unveiled a major restructure including board level promotions and the addition of a new senior leadership team, as part of its wider strategic growth plan.

The restructure for the Leeds and London-based agency sees founder Jason Madeley and directors James Hickman and Matt Peden taking an equalised share in the business, with the trio taking the role of managing partners, focused on delivering the growth and acquisition strategy for the agency.

Victoria Tidmarsh, formerly head of digital PR, has been promoted to the board in a newly created operations director role, where she joins existing board member Helen Simpson, who takes up the role of performance & development director.

Simpson will lead in the development of Hatch’s team, brand and offer, while Tidmarsh’s role will centre around the agency’s operational needs.

Head of social, Brett Cullen, account directors Lucie Szalma and Alex Halls, and head of events Nick Lee-Rogers complement the refocused board in a newly created senior leadership team, designed to offer greater autonomy and focus on the agency’s core offerings.

Madeley said: “We believe the traditional agency structure is inherently flawed. Over the past two years myself, James and Matt have undertaken a project to truly get under the skin of how our agency functions and to identify what we need to do to enable Hatch to flourish further and our colleagues to be empowered.”

Hickman said: “Perversely the pandemic allowed us time to really delve into the business and look at Hatch from a holistic point of view.

“We expanded our offer bringing in a dedicated content creation team and a wholly owned experiential offer, as well as growing our digital PR and social teams.”

Peden added: “We are forecast to kick off 2023 with a bang. We believe this restructure is setting us up for further growth by empowering the incredibly talented team to deliver standout quality for our clients and take Hatch into its next stage in its evolution.”

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Aberfield Communications has been appointed by national architecture practice, The Harris Partnership, to provide PR and communications services as the business enters the next phase of its growth journey.

Aberfield will support the group’s management team following a recent management buyout at the Wakefield-headquartered business.

The Leeds-based PR, social media and brand communications agency, which is a property and regeneration specialist, will be delivering a programme of PR and communications designed to further raise the profile of The Harris Partnership and its regional offices in Manchester, London, Milton Keynes and Bristol to key audiences.

Paul Mitchell, group chairman at The Harris Partnership, said: “We’re entering a new phase in our growth journey and we’re pleased to have Aberfield join us to tell the story of the work we do across the UK and of the talent which we have within our business.

“We were impressed with Aberfield’s expertise and track record in the property space, alongside its strong industry networks, and we are looking forward to them helping to take our communications to the next level.”

Ian Briggs, director at Aberfield, added: “The Harris Partnership has a fantastic track record working with clients including British Land, Muse and LaSalle Investment Management, and it’s fantastic to be working with them to showcase the array of work they do across both commercial and residential sectors.

“With five sites across the country and projects stretching the length and breadth of the UK there are a plethora of stories that The Harris Partnership are at the heart of and we’re very excited to start work.”

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Leeds-based marketing agency, Audience, has welcomed Rachael Fletcher – formerly of Rise at Seven – as its new strategy director.

Audience, which was set up 18 months ago, secured financial backing from Yorkshire entrepreneur Tim Whitworth last year and the agency continues to work with him.

Fletcher, 29, joins the team headed by Chloe Byrne, 26, who started Audience out of a passion to bring transparency into the world of marketing.

Byrne said: “My passion is all about removing the myth that digital marketing for SMEs is a dark art. Instead, I want to set business owners on the right path to getting in front of their audiences and growing their businesses both on and offline.”

Fletcher added: “I’m super excited for this new chapter after being at Rise at Seven for two years, it’s definitely time for my next adventure.

“As strategy director at Audience, I’ll be working closely alongside Chloe to continue extending our client list while implementing an effective strategy.”

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Leeds-based digital marketing agency, Spike, has struck a sponsorship deal with Yorkshire County Cricket Club.

The 12-month deal will see Spike supporting the club’s 2023 season at Headingley Cricket Ground.

As part of the deal, the agency will receive pitch branding around the Headingley grounds as well as tickets to matches held at the cricket ground.

Spike will also provide SEO and PR support for the club’s commercial offerings, to elevate its online B2B presence during its club sponsorship.

Founded in 2010, Spike opened up its first office in Headingley, creating a home for its team of SEO, Paid Media and PR specialists.

Duncan Colman, director and co-owner of the agency, said: “As an avid fan of Yorkshire cricket and an owner of a Leeds-based business, I am thrilled to be able to support the club in its ambition to become the best in the UK.

“Spike provides a wide range of digital marketing services to a number of reputable brands. We are happy to be able to support such a prestigious cricket club through this sponsorship and to further help them drive their digital marketing efforts to a commercial audience.”

Tom Webster, Yorkshire County Cricket Club’s business development manager, added: “We are thrilled to welcome Spike to the Yorkshire Cricket family.

“Our partnership will not only see the club associated with an exciting Leeds-based business, but also support our commercial growth strategy and help us reach a wider corporate audience.”