Agency roundup: Perfect Storm; IDHL; Born Ugly; and more

Leeds-based digital agency, Perfect Storm, has been appointed by Sterling Pharma Solutions to support the company on its next phase of digital transformation and global growth.

Following a competitive pitch, the agency has undertaken a three-month digital consultancy process for the company.

The agency has created a roadmap of digital priorities, which it will now work on delivering for Sterling, as it targets new growth and a digital capability to match its global ambitions.

Perfect Storm will work with Sterling’s in house team to develop and deliver integrated campaigns, with a focus on website optimisation, search engine optimisation, (SEO) pay-per-click (PPC) and paid media.

Sterling, which has six facilities in the UK, US and the EU, is a partnership development and manufacturing organisation (PDMO®).

Operating for more than 50 years, it delivers active pharmaceutical ingredient (API), antibody drug conjugate (ADC) and peptide projects for its customers, which are used in life-saving medicines around the world.

Tom Downes, delivery director at Perfect Storm, said: “Sterling Pharma Solutions is at a really exciting stage of its development and needed a partner to support them with their next phase of growth both domestically and in international markets.

“We’ve been looking at the entire digital estate, but initial activity will centre around website improvements and trying to maximise opportunities in SEO and PPC.

“We’re really excited to help Sterling get the visibility and digital presence it deserves and to be working with the fantastic team there.”

Emma Greenwood, marketing director at Sterling Pharma Solutions, added: “We’ve been really impressed by the work to date from Perfect Storm.

“They’ve clearly understood our brief, got under the skin of our business and come up with a workable plan to drive results.

“We look forward to seeing what this partnership will deliver in the coming months, as we tackle the next stage of our growth as a business.”

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Aston Barclay, an independent supplier of used vehicle remarketing services, has appointed digital performance agency IDHL to deliver its integrated digital marketing solutions across two brands.

IDHL, which has bases in Leeds and Harrogate, is now a strategic partner for Aston Barclay and The Car Buying Group; offering Paid Media, SEO, Data and Creative services as part of a programme of work aimed at driving revenue growth.

To support this, IDHL’s Intelligence team is also working to evolve both brands’ data strategies to enhance both customer experience and efficiencies across a series of target focus areas.

Sharon Palmer, director, group accounts and client success at the agency, said: “We’re thrilled to start working with the team at Aston Barclay.

“This is a business which has 40 years of remarketing heritage and we look forward to amplifying their digital presence to accelerate their growth.

“Both brands under the Aston Barclay umbrella complement each other from an operational and commercial perspective, so we will work closely with the team to ensure that all their digital strategies are aligned to drive brand awareness and boost market share.

“By utilising data insights and data integration, the brands can each play their part in driving the future of this business.”

Sean Russell, chief marketing officer at Aston Barclay, added: “We aim to be the most trusted vehicle buying and remarketing brand in the UK.

“We believe we can provide a compelling alternative in the market by excelling in customer experience across every touchpoint, be it physical or digital.

“The key to this is delivering products and personalised services that help our vendors and buyers grow their sales and profits.

“IDHL understood our business requirements and presented a strategic partnership that leverages data to unlock growth for our customers. It perfectly aligns with our plans.”

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Leeds-based creative change agency, Born Ugly, has unveiled its latest collaboration with Carlsberg group, delivering a global visual identity refresh of the Somersby brand.

The refresh aims to deliver greater brand standout in a noisy marketplace, as well as help people navigate the Somersby’s portfolio, and support brand consistency across its major markets.

The refresh has reinterpreted Somersby’s brand promise of “Refreshingly Optimistic”, encouraging consumers to see the wonder of the everyday and be at the centre of shared moments of joy.

As part of the brand refresh, the Somersby tree has been redesigned to make it more iconic, with a simplified, more recognisable shape that is naturally uplifting.

As part of the project, Born Ugly helped to redefine Somersby’s brand framework, portfolio brand architecture, and brand identity system and packaging design, ensuring a consistent yet flexible identity system to support consistent brand activation in markets.

Rob Skelly, creative director at Born Ugly, said: “We’re proud to partner with Carlsberg group to refresh the Somersby brand once again.

“Against the backdrop of an increasingly volatile world, we saw the perfect opportunity to build on Somersby’s strong brand equity to become a catalyst for refreshed perspectives for people who purposefully look for positive refreshment in their lives.

“As it becomes the global flagship for Carlsberg’s Beyond Beer space, we wanted to elevate and mature the Somersby brand.”

Anna Katrine Drumm-Hakim, global brand director for Somersby, added: “The new brand identity is a big step for the brand to become more convivial and relevant.

“With Born Ugly, we have created a brand that allows Somersby to show up in a more iconic and refreshing way.

“We believe this evolution will help us become more distinctive in a rapidly growing Beyond Beer category.”

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Brand communications agency, Principles, continues to grow its client base after being appointed as a strategic shopper agency for electrical brand Philips.

This adds to a recent period of record growth for the agency, which also works with brands such as Ronseal, Astonish and Seabrook, following a string of new client wins and recent senior appointments. 

Leeds-based Principles’ remit for Philips will involve planning and executing strategic shopper communications for various parts of the business including; women’s beauty, men’s shaving and grooming and oral healthcare, with the agency briefed to ideate, produce and rollout campaigns across retailers like John Lewis, Boots and Tesco. 

Principles client services director, Liz Bryne, said: ‘‘The opportunity to work with such a household giant is a real coup for us. 

“We can’t wait to put our principles into practice and help Philips to create campaigns which are genuinely distinctive, entertaining, visible and consistent at every stage in the shopper journey.”

Jason Johnson, shopper activation manager at Philips, said: “It’s an exciting time for us at Philips, we’re investing heavily into our brand and are on a mission to achieve stand out in the market, particularly in key trading periods. 

“It’s the perfect time for us to be partnering with Principles and we’re keen to kick off a partnership with an agency that fully understands our ambitious vision and brand values; we’re looking forward to having them on board to support us on our brand journey.”