Agency roundup: Engage Interactive; The Distance; Bolser; and more

Leeds-based digital marketing agency, Engage Interactive, has confirmed its transition to becoming employee owned, with 100% of the shareholding being transferred to an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT).

The new EOT status is a significant milestone in the 17-year journey of Engage.

It explains the decision was taken by founder and managing director, Alex Willcocks, in order to preserve the agency’s values and culture while acting as a catalyst for future growth.

It follows a strong period of growth at the agency, after it won a record breaking number of new clients last year  – completing the 2023/24 financial year with 17 new business wins.

Willcocks said: “The decision to pass the business into the hands of the team isn’t just about ownership.

“I believe in the talent, creativity, and passion that each person in the team brings to the table and I can’t wait to see what we can achieve now everyone has a meaningful stake in our future success.

“The move to employee ownership makes us ‘people powered’ in the truest possible sense, through an equitable business model that’s for the benefit of everyone vs a minority group of shareholders, and structured to create a more motivating and rewarding work environment for all.”

All team members will participate in the EOT and the operations board at the Leeds agency will remain unchanged, with the addition of two employee voted representatives.

A new board of trustees will also be formed to represent the best interests of the employees as a whole.

Willcocks will continue as the managing director and founder trustee, alongside Sanjeevni Dip-Matadeen who will become the trustee’s employee representative and Engage’s co-founder Dave Wrightson who will re-join the business from retirement as independent trustee.

Wrightson said: “This ownership transformation signifies a huge chapter in Engage’s evolution.

“After playing  a defining role in shaping Engage into the business it is today and the values upon which it’s built, I’m excited to get stuck into my role as independent trustee.”

:::

York-based digital agency, The Distance, has grown its turnover by 26% after founder Anthony Main completed the Help to Grow: Management Course.

Main founded the app development agency 15 years ago, around the same time as the first iPhone launch.

He has since developed digital products for organisations such as the NHS, EDF and Le Shuttle.

He enrolled in the 12-week, 90% Government-funded Help to Grow: Management Course which is designed to help business leaders and senior managers increase resilience, innovation, and growth.

The course was delivered by Leeds University Business School – a recipient of the Small Business Charter accreditation that recognises institutions that support small businesses. It gave Main the skills needed to develop and implement an effective growth strategy.

Following the course, he promoted his former head of operations Louise Wain to managing director, enabling him to spend more time on the business and building valuable industry connections.

These organisational changes, combined with a renewed mission statement and more of a focused approach to targeting, resulted in revenue increasing from £860,000 in 2022 to £1.09m by 2023.

Main is now rebranding the business with his team. He believes this change will help revenues hit £2m within the next few years.

He said: “Our industry is undergoing a rapid period of change where the value-add for customers is more important than ever before.

“I knew Help to Grow: Management was going to be good for me, but the impact came in unexpected ways – including the sense of camaraderie and collaboration I experienced with my cohort.

“The 12-week programme encouraged me to take a step back from the business and take a more holistic look at the journey we’d gone on so far, where we wanted to go next, and how we could get there.

“Making sure you have the right people doing the right role, including myself, in your team was a major breakthrough moment for me. It hit home because as business owners, we can’t and shouldn’t be doing it all – but we often try to.”

Michael Hayman, chair, Small Business Charter, added: “Many business leaders make the same point. That when they get the time and headspace to work on the business rather than in their business, they get the perspective they need to boost commercial success.

“With support from the small business experts at Leeds University Business School, Anthony has gained the tools and knowledge needed to innovate and drive growth – hitting that momentous £1m milestone for the first time – and make robust plans to futureproof the business.

“It’s also encouraging to see that the newly appointed managing director, Louise, is already underway with her own leadership journey on the Help to Grow: Management Course.”

:::

Following a competitive pitch, Vintage Cash Cow, one of the UK’s largest online vintage and antique resellers, has hired Leeds digital agency, Bolser.

Operating in a busy market space among second-hand e-commerce tech companies including eBay, Etsy and Vinterior, Bolser will design and build scalable, enterprise-level digital technology to meet the company’s ambitious growth targets.

A key part of the brief will include designing the website User Experience (UX). The agency will improve customer journeys and increase conversion as part of a data-driven approach to help grow the business through optimised lead generation.

In 2016, Vintage Cash Cow – a private equity-backed business – received investment from a group of seven Dutch investors led by Laurens Groenendijk, co-founder and MD of Hiber, and Bas Beerens, founder of WeTransfer.

The team went on to found early-stage VC, The Dutch Founders Fund, which continues to provide Vintage Cash Cow with funding and support.

Dominic Howe, client services director at Bolser, said: “We’re thrilled to be working with such an innovative new business that happens to be only a stone’s throw away from us in Leeds.

“This is a fantastic opportunity to help make an already successful business even more efficient and to play a part in helping them grow.”

:::

Leeds-based strategic marketing agency, Fantastic Media, has been appointed by modular building business Thurston Group to deliver full-service marketing services to the firm as it seeks to become the UK’s leading off-site manufacturer.

The agency will be implementing a comprehensive marketing campaign, aimed at increasing Thurston Group’s brand presence and taking market share within the modular construction sector.

The scope of work will include refreshing the company’s website, as well as ongoing communications, digital marketing, PR and social media support.

Thurston Group, headquartered in Horbury, Wakefield, with further manufacturing sites in Hull and Catfoss, was established in 1970 and employs about 350 people.

It designs and makes modular buildings for prestigious and high-profile clients across multiple sectors such as education, healthcare, commercial, and nuclear.

Stefanie Hopkins, communications director at Fantastic Media, said: “We are excited to embark on this exciting marketing journey with Thurston Group as they ramp up their growth plans.

“The company’s dedication to delivering exceptional modular building solutions aligns perfectly with our passion for helping businesses achieve their marketing goals.

“We are confident that our collaborative efforts will result in significant brand exposure and business growth for Thurston Group.”

John Pay, sales and marketing director at Thurston Group, added: “Fantastic Media’s strategic approach and creative vision impressed us from the outset.

“We trust their expertise to elevate our brand and communicate our message effectively to our target market. This partnership is a key step in our continued commitment to innovation and growth within the modular construction industry.”

Fantastic Media reported its best-ever year in 2023 with multiple new clients coming on board from across the UK and Europe and 26% growth in overall revenue to £1.65m.

In January, it acquired Faith Brand Communications for a six-figure sum to bolster its in-house PR and content offering.