Media Buzz: Cream; Digital Media Centre; Extreme Creations; Bluestorm

PR and marketing communications agency, Cream, is celebrating a number of new contract wins which has boosted turnover by 144%.

Turnover has risen to £138,000 in Apr 2013-2014 and based on the past three months and new client wins, Cream says it expects to see turnover reach £225,000 to £250,000 in April 2014-2015.

Since January, the Barnsley-based agency has more than doubled its client base with key contract wins including national recruitment software company, Tribepad, Barnsley’s Alhambra Shopping Centre, Yorkshire-based Finance for Enterprise, Barnsley Council’s Tour De France PR and visitor attraction, Wentworth Castle Gardens.

The team has also grown, with numbers doubling from four to eight over the last six months.

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BARNSLEY’S Digital Media Centre (DMC) has had its most successful year.

Occupancy now stands at 81% at the DMC, which opened in 2008, and in the past year, 50 jobs have been created at the centre which is run by Oxford Innovation on behalf of Barnsley Council. Also, in the past year six businesses expanded into larger space in the building.

Amanda Lennon, regional director at Oxford Innovation, said: “This has been a fantastic year for the DMC and the 63 businesses it supports. There has been a very distinct buzz in the centre in recent months and lot of collaboration between the tenant companies. This is stimulating business and there has been a lot of movement within the building as companies have needed to upsize.”

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DIGITAL agency Extreme Creations has cemented a period of consistent growth with a key appointment and the creation of a new PR division.

The appointment of Amy Keen as head of PR marks the expansion of Extreme Creations into the public relations market.

Extreme Creations was launched in Harrogate in 2002. The team is now 24-strong and has a client base spanning all sectors, consisting of SMEs through to brands including Black Sheep Brewery.

Antony Prince, managing director, said: “Amy’s appointment marks the start of an exciting new chapter for the business and for our clients.”

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BLUESTORM has boosted its team with the addition of senior account handler, Mark Loaring.

Loaring will be responsible for some of the East Yorkshire-based marketing and design agency’s  biggest accounts, as well as helping to develop new business across the board.

Bluestorm’s managing director, Andrew Cawley, said:  “Mark’s addition to the client services team only further adds to our aim of establishing Bluestorm as East Yorkshire’s leading design and marketing agency.

“Mark joins the business at an exciting time, as we have recently undergone a branding transformation and launched a new website. I believe Mark’s fantastic experience will only add to the strength of our talented 32-strong team.”