Agency roundup: Fresh Digital; Definition; Ponderosa; and more

Two agencies have joined forces in the North East and North Yorkshire to create a full-service offering for their client base.

Fresh Digital, based in Spennymoor and Peachy Digital, based in Northallerton, have worked together on projects for the last two years and have made the decision to merge the businesses to create a seamless whole-service agency experience.

Headlining as Fresh Digital, the agency offers a wide range of services including web design and development, SEO, social media management, content marketing and PR, among others.

Digital director, Ashley Henderson, said: “We have worked closely with Peachy on so many projects and have found our ethos and values to be identical.

“This move enables us to continue with that work all under one roof, improving the customer experience and enabling us to capitalise on the skills both businesses offer – with exciting opportunity for growth.”

The company will retain its North Yorkshire location as well as the office in Spennymoor, County Durham, meaning that Fresh Digital will be able to grow its presence across the North and beyond – with clients already in situ across the UK.

Lizzie Turner, PR & content director said: “Ashley and her team are superb to work with and it just felt natural for us to take this step.

“We have a huge amount of synergy and have already welcomed new clients who are thrilled by the news.

“The existing Fresh team have an incredible skillset and range of experience, so I’m excited to start this new phase of our mutual journey.”

Finance director, Callum Tingle, added: “We have a strategic plan in place for our future growth, in which I have complete faith under the operational leadership of Ashley and Lizzie.

“Previously, both businesses have prided themselves on a professional but relaxed approach which has seen incredible results – none of the typical suited and booted nonsense that can put people off working with marketing agencies. It’s a ‘Fresh’ outlook and an exciting future.”

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Gary Moss

Leeds-based agency, Definition, has launched a new Experience division.

It brings together 25 of the agency’s brand insights, strategy and customer and employee experience specialists to help clients define and align brand experience from both inside a business and out.

The new team includes the agency’s strategy, research and CX team (formally Brand Vista, which Definition acquired in 2022) and internal communications and employee experience team (formally Words and Pictures, acquired in 2020).

Its clients include Amazon, The NEC, Honda, Marstons, Chester Racecourse, TransPennine Express and Direct Line Group.

Gary Moss, director of brand and experience, said: “Successful brands know that customer and employee experience play a crucial and equal role in their success. There is a direct correlation between engaged employees and the quality of customer interactions.

“Whilst our teams will still deliver the specialist work that they’re famous for, we can now offer a truly end-to-end CX and EX transformation solution from research to strategy, vision to creative communications and experiences.

“As such there’s a whole series of immediate opportunities for the brands we work with – from insights and impact measurement and reporting to full, integrated delivery.”

Andy Holt, director of engagement and experience, said: “The foundation for any brand experience should start with the internal team delivering it.

“All too often marketing teams work in silos from their internal communications, experience, HR and operational colleagues.

Andy Holt

“Our new offer helps organisations bring both streams together easily and effectively for accelerated growth, as well as a happier and more productive workforce.”

Definition has already delivered integrated projects for a number of major brands including David Lloyd Leisure, who it’s worked with to support brand strategy and experience over the last nine years.

Glenn Earlam, chairman of David Lloyd Leisure, added: “We’ve worked closely with the Definition team for many years and have seen first hand the transformation that can be delivered when you define a specific market position, commit to it and use it as the building blocks for your entire employee and customer experience.

“Using this approach has been central to our growth journey for many years.”

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Leeds-based brand and communications agency, Ponderosa has teamed up with global sports nutrition brand, Science in Sport (SiS) to deliver a multi-channel marketing campaign.

Ponderosa was appointed as lead creative agency by SiS and its sister brand, PhD in January 2024.

SiS products are used by elite athletes worldwide. The agency was tasked to create a campaign to raise awareness of the benefits of SiS products for sports in all forms; from cycling and rowing, to football and rugby.

It helped develop the “You V Sport” competition, which will see SiS give away seven elite experiences to seven winners.

The campaign features cycling legend, Sir Chris Hoy and showcases the seven experiences up for grabs; including a trip to New York to run the TSC Marathon, training with the England Athletics team, a velodrome experience with Sir Chris Hoy and more.

Ponderosa developed concepts and storyboards for a photoshoot with Sir Chris to generate content, which was developed into a multi-channel, above the line campaign alongside other professional athletes.

The campaign has its own dedicated microsite, and has been rolled out on social, YouTube, through a series of online videos and mobile banners.

Ponderosa CEO, Richard Midgley, said: “By bringing multiple sporting activities into the mix, we hope to appeal to a wider demographic and bring to the forefront that SiS is more than just a brand for the cycling and running world.

“We’ve developed a campaign that celebrates all sports and brings people together with an exciting end goal – the chance of winning a once in a lifetime, money can’t buy, elite experience.”

Dan Lampard, CEO at SiS, added: “Ponderosa has done a great job bringing the elite experience competition to life and have really captured the proposition of widening the use of the brand.”

Alongside the SiS campaign, the agency is running two campaigns to raise awareness of PhD’s science-based Diet Whey products on Amazon Prime and across social media.

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Propaganda Brand Consultancy has rebranded James and James Fulfilment to J&J Global Fulfilment.

The company is targeting international growth alongside a focus on supporting e-commerce business to manage the risk, complexity and cost associated with scaling domestically and internationally.

Leeds-based Propaganda will continue to deliver brand strategy, PR and creative services to J&J as part of an ongoing retainer.

Notably, J&J is the first new client in the logistics and fulfilment space the agency has confirmed since the end of its 14 year partnership with Clipper after it was sold to GXO for £965m.

Work carried out by Propaganda for J&J includes a new corporate identity, website, a print and digital brand campaign and the development of a new consultancy service proposition.

Richard McMurrough, director at the agency, said: “The seismic shifts that have occurred across retail and ecommerce over the last decade are proof that this sector never stays static.

“In order to stay ahead, it is vital for businesses to evolve alongside the industry.

“Through our in-depth research and customer and market interrogation, we were able to identify J&J’s key strengths; their ability to provide the technology, knowledge, and infrastructure to enable growth and operational excellence for their clients.”

Laura Kynaston, managing director, added: “The results we delivered for Clipper over the span of a decade and a half are well-known and they speak to the team’s ability to go above and beyond client expectations.

“After transforming Clipper into the UK’s retail logistics market leader and supporting its successful sale to GXO, we were looking forward to tackling a new challenge in the sector.

“We were approached by several logistics businesses keen to recreate this successful partnership but it became clear from early on that J&J was the right fit for us.”

Emma Dempsey, J&J CEO, said: “I’ve worked with Propaganda in the past, so when we were reconsidering our brand at J&J, I knew they were the right team to bring on board.

“Propaganda have really captured the essence and energy of our business in the rebrand and I am looking forward to working with the team to help drive our growth over the coming months and years.”