Manchester-based The Market Creative has won a contract to provide strategic and creative marketing services to Grafton Merchanting GB (GMGB), one of the UK’s leading builders merchants groups.

The Market Creative pitched to retain GMGB’s showroom marketing business as well as to win the company’s trade marketing business.  

The new brief encompasses press, radio and CRM and builds on the current ‘lets get the job done’ marketing campaign.

As a result of the new business, The Market Creative will be strengthening its client services team with a new account manager and executive.

It currently employs 15 staff at its offices in Trafford Park, Manchester.

Managing director at The Market Creative Sue Benson, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for us to expand and develop the work that we have been doing with Grafton.

“The team has spent several months getting under the skin of the market to really understand what drives tradespeople to buy.

“This insight was at the crux of our strategy and we look forward to bringing it to life.“

Marketing Operations Director at GMGB Rebecca Morgan, said: “We were looking to create greater synergy between our approach to trade and showroom marketing and therefore felt the time was right to find one agency that could deliver on both counts.

“The Market Creative demonstrated in-depth knowledge of both our business as well as the wider market.

“They also got us excited about their thinking for developing our creative direction, so we look forward to continuing our relationship with the team.“

Image source: deg.io

Museums and galleries across England are actively being encouraged to adopt a more business-like approach and think commercially through a new retail training programme which launches next month.

Based in Hexham, Northumberland, The Association for Culture Enterprises (ACE) Retail Resilience Programme is an integrated commercial development programme and peer-to-peer support network.

The programme, which has just been awarded £360k of funding from the Arts Council’s latest round of grants from its Museum Resilience Fund, will be rolled out to all English regions over the next three years.

Designed to encourage best practice in income generation by equipping museums with expert retail skills and knowledge, following a successful pilot programme with members of SHARE Museums East, the programme is now in its second year.

John Stachiewicz, ACE Chair said: “We are delighted to be rolling out the ACE Retail Resilience Programme across England.

“At a time when our cultural institutions are under increasing threat from funding cuts and closure, it is crucial that economically-viable systems are put in place to secure the longevity of England’s valuable cultural economy.

“This programme will enable more museums and galleries to independently generate sustainable income through retail.“

The programme will begin with the recruitment of staff and research into the select venues that would most benefit from it.

Training sessions will be given by expert practitioners, and will cover effective buying, financial management, visual merchandising and shop staff skills.

Members of the programme will also be part of a commercial forum, enabling them to share their experience with other museums via training events, study days and professional resources for tracking and using retail data.

The programme also offers select museums free membership to ACE for a year, as well as free attendance to its annual convention.

John Orna-Ornstein, Director of Museums, Arts Council England said: “Cultural heritage trading plays an important role in engaging with our audiences and in generating income, and this injection of funding from the Arts Council will help regional museums and galleries to become really strong practitioners in this sector.

“I have been incredibly impressed with the passion, energy and pride that I have seen coming from the ACE community.“

Leeds PR and social media agency Umpf has been appointed by American pet food company Canidae to launch its ‘Grain Free PURE’ dog and cat food brands in the UK.

Umpf will be providing strategic advice, trade and consumer PR, social media and event activation. Umpf will launch Canidae to the UK consumer market at Crufts this week.

Founded 18 years ago, Texas-based Canidae is a family-owned and run natural pet food company. 

Its products are grain-free and made from simple recipes which include just seven to ten carefully selected key ingredients with fresh meat, poultry or fish always being the first.

Canidae is being distributed in the UK by leading pet and aquatic wholesaler Pedigree Wholesale. 

Steve Brown, Managing Director of Pedigree Wholesale, said: “We’ve lined up a fantastic distribution network for the Canidae dog and cat food Grain Free PURE brands. 

"Our stockists are independent retailers, many who are themselves family-run and they’ve bought into the history of the company, its ownership and the philosophy of ‘fresh meat, whole foods and simple recipes’.

“We’ve appointed Umpf to bring this story to life in print, online and through experiential activity. 

"There is a huge potential in the UK for what is, for the moment at least, a challenger brand and we have some really exciting campaigns lined up to raise the profile of Canidae in the UK.”

Canidae is launching to the public at Crufts, the largest show of its kind in the world, from 5-8 March at the NEC in Birmingham.

London-based TheTin, a branding, website and apps company, has expanded to Newcastle, opening an office at Generator Studios, located on Trafalgar Street.

Property adviser BNP Paribas Real Estate, acting on behalf of Metnor, agreed the letting.

Sajida Kosar at TheTin said: “We are really excited about opening our Newcastle office and needed a world class work space.

“Generator Studios has everything we need for the company to thrive and grow, and it’s really inspiring to have so many exciting businesses as neighbours in the building."

Aidan Baker, Director of Agency at BNP Paribas Real Estate added, “Generator 1, a Grade II listed building was originally developed in 2001 and became an instant hub for creative industries.

“Generator 2, the 26,000 sq ft Grade A office expansion of Generator 1 was completed in 2009, and continues to attract top quality creative industries and we are delighted that TheTin chose Generator.

“Other tenants in the building include: Hedgehog Lab, B3 Architects, Black & White Engineering, Real Time Claims, Low Carbon Lighting and technology firm Foster Findlay Associates, along with Nathaniel Litchfield and Gardiner Richardson. A limited number of studios are still available from 500 to 3,500 sq ft.”

Jamie Mableson of Metnor said: “This letting swiftly follows the announcement of our successful upgrade of the IT infrastructure at Generator. Occupiers will be able to benefit from 1Gb superfast broadband, providing outstanding data connectivity within the city centre.”

Sanderson Weatherall is joint agent with BNP Paribas Real Estate.

Yorkshire textile mill Hainsworth has collaborated with British menswear designer and Saville Row bespoke tailor Lee Marsh.

The 230-year-old Yorkshire mill has worked with a number of high fashion designers, with fans of their fabrics including Christopher Raeburn, Jenny Schwarz, Jackie Lee, A Sauvage and Baartmans & Siegel.

At the recent London Collections: Men, organised by the British Fashion Council, Hainsworth fabrics had a presence in the shows on most days.

Marsh, whose clients include Prince William, Prince Harry, Colin Firth, Johnny Depp, Madonna and Gwyneth Paltrow, was inspired by the mill’s contemporary fabrics.

His new - and first - ready-to-wear collection features a capsule collection of garments that can all be mixed and matched.

Lee began his career as a tailor 18 years ago after attending London School of Fashion and has worked for some of the finest names in the business – including Henry Poole, Gieves & Hawkes and Huntsman.

He says: “I fell in love with Hainsworth’s fabrics when I was working for Gieves & Hawkes so I’m delighted to be collaborating with them myself for the first time. Their heritage and history closely matches the history of a Saville Row suit.

“Until now I’d only ever used their Grey Melange Melton as an under-collar suit fabric but I had this great idea to use it to make a whole suit. It’s such a soft and moveable fabric that it’s perfect used this way. It’s also a warm fabric so it’s just right for winter wear.

“What I also love about the fabric is that it’s so clean and wrinkle-resistant you can literally pack it in your suitcase and any creases will drop out as soon as it’s hung up – perfect for anyone travelling.”

The collection is due to launch in store and online in September 2015.

Hainsworth MD Tom Hainsworth said: “We met Lee at the London Textile Forum in October and he made quite an impression as he was wearing a bright blue jacket which was very similar to our Bright Blue Melton fabric.

“He is a great match for us with his fantastic training and experience as a tailor and Saville Row pedigree now behind his own label and collection.

“And we love the way Lee has used our Grey Collar Melton and turned it into a full suit rather than the way it is traditionally used under a collar.”

A North East creative agency is expanding as it makes its transition through a major rebrand.

JAK Inc Ltd, formerly known as JAK Print, has expanded into a full service marketing agency after adding digital services, including website design and social media management to its print and design offering.

The dynamic business has also appointed a new managing director Andy Knowles, to take over from his father John’s role, to lead the business’ future growth and success in its new Chester-le-Street office.

Andy Knowles, who is the son of the previous managing director, John, has launched the business’ new digital marketing services, including website design and social media management, after high demand from clients.

The creative business, which will continue to offer its print services, has also appointed Kellie Cooper as account manager, taking their workforce up to 16.

As well as this, JAK Inc is looking to recruit a social media manager and pay-per-click (PPC) expert, and has room to expand further in its new office space, based in Innovation House on Station Road.

Andy, who’s been with the agency for more than 10 years, said: "As previous director, I have always been heavily involved in the business, so I’m keen to take on the extra responsibilities.

"It’s great to watch JAK Inc expand and grow into an even more successful business. We have an extremely talented team of individuals."

John, who started the business in 2004 has now taken on the role as chairman. He said: "I have 100 per cent faith in Andrew and, as his father, I am extremely proud of him and admire his entrepreneurial spirit.

“Having been in business together for more than ten years, we both know each other’s strengths. He is fully competent as the managing director to lead the business forward."

Cumbria-based Bender UK has played a key role in ensuring the authenticity of the operating theatre scenes in the new Sky 1 drama ‘Critical’, by providing operating theatre equipment used in the high-tech sets built for the series.

Bender UK supplied the advanced XLED surgical lighting (seen below) used in the operating theatre set, through its UK partnership with Steris.

Each programme in the 13-part medical drama focuses on the team’s real-time efforts to save patients during the critical first 60 minutes after they arrive at the hospital. 

Those minutes will flash by on the digital clock within the Bender touch-screen control panel which controls operating theatre equipment.

‘Critical’ is set in a state-of-the-art Major Trauma Centre, a unit which treats only the most gravely ill or seriously injured, with each episode featuring a new and distinctive case.

Lennie James stars as locum trauma consultant Glen Boyle in the ground-breaking new series.

Production Designer for ‘Critical’ at Hat Trick Productions, Malcolm Thornton, said: ‘The concept of the ‘Critical‘ Trauma Unit was a cutting edge, high tech, medical unit that was equipped with state of the art equipment.  

“The set was to be lit entirely with LED lights and this applied to the operating theatre.  We chose Steris XLED theatre lamps from Bender because of their light quality, and their stunning interwoven crescent-shaped lamp arrangement.  

“The look of the lamps was perfect for our setting and their technical performance gave us the light quality we needed for the different medical situations to be depicted.“

Operations manager for Ulverston-based Bender UK, Gareth Brunton said: “The team producing ‘Critical’ wanted total authenticity and as a turnkey provider of operating theatre solutions and equipment to medical facilities across the UK we were happy to work with them.“

The impact of the legacy of The Beatles in Liverpool is being researched by the University of Liverpool and Liverpool John Moores University.

The value in monetary terms to the city in terms of tourism will be considered and the potential value the Beatles brand and its impact on the global reputation of the city will be investigated.

The research will involve stakeholders including tourist attraction operators, music industry experts and members of the public.

Liverpool City Council’s cabinet member for culture, tourism and events, Councillor Wendy Simon, said: “Talk to anyone in or outside of the city about Liverpool and its history and you can guarantee the Fab Four will get a mention.

“We know that the Beatles are a massive pull in terms of tourists, but we don’t know exactly what this translates to in terms of financial impact on the city and where the gaps are.

“There is always a huge amount of debate around whether we as a city make the most of Beatlemania, and so this report will be a vital and informative piece of work which will shine a light on the legacy of the Beatles and what it really means to Liverpool.“

Professor Simeon Yates who is the Director of the Institute of Cultural Capital will be co-ordinating the report.

Professor Yates said: “Creative and cultural industries are key to both the economics and the identity of major cities.  Making the most of the cultural heritage and contemporary culture – and the Beatles are both in Liverpool – is at the core of this.

“Helping Liverpool understand and make best use of its cultural capital is key to the role of the ICC and we are incredibly excited to be working with colleagues across both Universities and the city on this project.“

The report is expected to be completed in the summer.

Printing company Bluetree Design and Print has announced expansion plans and a move to new headquarters thanks to funding from Barclays.

The South Yorkshire company, which was established in 1989, previously operated from Bessemer Way, Rotherham.

The business evolved from a traditional screen printer to a predominantly digital offering. In 2012, the business merged with instantprint.co.uk to provide a multi-channel offering.

The new funding has enabled the business to move to Brookfields Park, Manvers Way, Rotherham that will become their new headquarters.

The 86,900 sq ft site will allow the business to increase production capacity and offer a wider range of products and services.

Bluetree Design and Print now employs over 150 staff locally but is anticipating this will increase over the coming months with an increase in output.

The company has doubled its turnover in the previous two years and with this exciting expansion it is hoping to replicate the same growth over the next three years.

Adam Carnell, managing director, Bluetree Design and Print said:  “Bluetree Design and Print were successful in applying for a grant from the Sheffield City Region Regional Growth Fund Programme which is administered on behalf of the City Region by Sheffield City Council, which along with the new funding from Barclays has assisted with the acquisition of the new site and this will provide the space for us to relocate all our business into one building.

"The increased space will help us fulfil our long term goals of increasing market share in the UK and by giving us the ability to continue the strong growth we are currently achieving.”

Sam Drummond, Barclays Relationship Director commented: “We’ve been working with Adam and his team for the last 12 months and it’s great that we’ve been able to support further expansion plans for the business.

"Bluetree Design and Print is a superb business that is supporting businesses of all sizes across the UK and the management’s ambitious growth plans are testament to their hard work and success.”

Rotherham-based Moto Demon Speed Shop has set its sights on expansion into Australia, following an international market research project carried out by RiDO’s ERDF-funded Soft Landing Zone.

The company, which produces motorbike tankpad graphics that it sells to bike distributors,  was able to secure support through RiDO’s Growth and Prosperity in Rotherham (Soft Landing Zone) project.

The manufacturer was looking to expand its market and approached RiDO to help with identifying market opportunities in Australia.  

RiDO also arranged for Moto Demon Speed Shop to benefit from an Export Communication Review where the company was given a series of recommendations for making its website appeal to key target markets overseas.

Nathan Woodcock, business development co-ordinator for RiDO, said: “Moto Demon asked us to focus on the Australian market, as the country has a large number of motorbike enthusiasts and a strong distributor network, as well as an appetite for products that are ‘Made in England’.  

"Our market research project has given the company contacts with a large number of relevant distributors and organisations in Australia that should be extremely valuable in growing the business.  

"We wish Mark and the Moto Demon team well as they set out to further expand their business overseas.“

Mark Jarvis, managing director of Moto Demon Speed Shop, said: “We have supplied a small amount of product to Australia before, but RiDO’s research has shown what a huge market this could be for us.  

"We found RiDO’s support invaluable and they have provided us with an excellent resource to call upon.  We are very excited about the opportunities to expand our business in Australia and other international markets.“

All staff at the company are keen bikers, which helps to understand the customers’ needs.  The company has over 30 distributors of its products around the globe and has recently experienced growth in markets such as China.

A self-starter magazine facing closure was saved by £10,000 in 24-hour crowdfunding drive.

Ben McCabe founded Output Magazine four years ago with the hope of becoming "a new voice" in the visual communications space.

Ben said: "Employing a young team, the magazine made a small profit for its first three years of trading.

"Yet just a year later, having been refused crucial funding to enable the growth that the publication needed, it was on the verge of closing.

"That I sit here now, typing these words, is testament to the generosity of our readership and the power of crowdfunding."

On Monday February 23rd, the editor-in-chief gave us the news that, wages for the month aside, the company had nothing left in the coffers and would have to close at the end of the week.

Ben continued: "Determined not to go down without a fight, we decided to tell our story and highlight the difficulties that SMEs are currently facing.

"Our plight is by no means out of the ordinary. According to research from the ONS, only 57.1% of business started in 2010, the same year as Output, made it past the three year mark, due largely to challenging economic conditions and a 14% decrease in SME and individual lending over the last five years.

"The reasons why we were refused the credit that would have helped us grow sustainably were the same that affect many smaller businesses.

"Being an independent publication with a young managing director meant that we had no physical collateral to use as security for a loan.

"As a service-based, rather than manufacturing, company — much like 73% of all businesses in the UK — we did not have concrete assets that could tell in our favour.

"As banks and alternative lenders use assets as their main criterion, this makes it all but impossible for such businesses to raise the money they require."

Following prompting from our readers and conversations between the team, Output embarked on a crowdfunding project through Crowdfunder.co.uk to try and raise the necessary funds for our short-term survival.

With just 24 hours until our doors would have close, the firm were up against the clock to raise the £10k that we needed to keep operating.

Ben added: "Within 20 hours we had reached our target. The publicity from the campaign – 4,576,140 impressions and more than half a million Twitter users reached – helped persuade four potential investors to come forward and begin discussions with us on how to take the company forward.

"Were it not for this project, I would be sat applying for jobs rather than creating content for a vibrant, provocative magazine – something that I now hope we will continue to keep doing for a long time to come.

"The support we received from the Crowdfunder team was incredible, explaining our options and helping to push the message out further.

"Regardless of where a business is, whether it is just starting out or looking for extra funding to push it on to its next stage, Crowdfunder is a platform that everyone should consider as an option for helping their companies or organisations grow."

To find out more about the campaign, head to: http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/stoppress/

Blackpool based Links, Signs and Graphics has moved to its new production premises breathing new life into a well-known Blackpool factory.

It has bought what was the Boococks Glass Factory, which has stood empty since the company closed in late 2013.

Now, it’s a clinical and clean environment is home to the large format printers which are the tools of the trade for the Blackpool sign and graphics company.

Links Signs and Graphics were one of the success stories of the Get Started programme, which still runs today, supporting people into starting their own business.

8 years later the family company has grown to employ 9 people and, with a £250k investment in the building and its conversion, is making the move to the new 4000+ square foot premises on Coleridge Road.

Managing Director Shaun Bennett said: “Obviously it’s a big thing for our business – through referrals and confidence in the quality of our work we’ve expanded our client base, and in less than eight years through hard work we’ve been able to create a stable business so that we can not only buy rather than rent the premises, we can also carry out a complete conversion to create a superb working space for our staff and showroom for clients.”

“However, the purpose of the move is to enable us to offer an even better service to our many clients, the majority of whom are based right here on the Fylde Coast.

“We’ll be able to offer more product lines, and have the space for increasingly sophisticated manufacturing equipment, like our flatbed digital printing and routing machine which can print and cut any shape you can think of.”

“90% of our business comes from within the Fylde Coast and it is important to us that we keep our base in a central and convenient place from where we can continue to reach all our customers easily, but also to give something back to the area which has supported our business by investing in the local community too.”

The move by Links Signs and Graphics is good news for the local residents and businesses in the area bringing a previously closed building back into use, with hopefully positive effects in the local neighbourhood.

Cumbria based home fragrance manufacturer, Wax Lyrical is investing £1m in its factory to drive improvements in productivity.

The investment is being used to make a number of changes in the company’s 80,000 square foot factory, most notably the introduction of a new wicking line which will increase the production rate. The existing fill line is also being repositioned so it can be extended.

Managing director, Joanne Barber said, “We are making the investment to meet increasing demand for our products and to level off peaks in production.

“During our busiest period, which runs from August to December, we work double shifts to meet demand.

"Improved efficiency in production will mean that this is no longer required.

“Having said that, if we need to up-scale production we will be able to do it with ease and to a far greater extent than was previously possible.

“Having reshored the business back in 2007 we now manufacture 95 per cent of the Wax Lyrical range ourselves.

“It’s been a huge success and we have control over the quality and supply of our product. The factory improvements will further enhance this – we are very excited about the future.”

Later this year Wax Lyrical’s in-house laboratory, where products are tested, will receive a complete upgrade and be moved to be closer to the production lines in the factory.

Other improvements being made include a reorganisation of the factory to move the liquid filling lines into the main factory space, which will improve the flow of goods.

The North East’s largest commercial green screen studio will open its doors later this month, providing a much needed asset for the region.

Gateshead based Superkrush has transformed a former working men’s club and will open the doors to Jam Jar Studios, which will be home to a range of creative and digital businesses as well as a 1,200 sq ft state of the art, commercial film and TV studio.

Based in Gateshead, Jam Jar studios is the brainchild of entrepreneur Chris Taylor, founder and commercial director of Superkrush, who was both looking for larger premises to accommodate his expanding workforce and was becoming increasingly frustrated by the lack of commercial studio space available to film companies in the North East.

Established in 2001, Superkrush, a video marketing agency which produces film and video content for some of the region’s leading businesses and marketing firms, has often been forced to take its business outside of the region into studios in the north west and across the border.

Jam Jar Studios is the result of Chris’s ambition to fill the void which he believes has stifled the region’s film and video marketing industry, whilst creating a hub for other creative businesses.

Designed by Simon Grundy Ltd, the architects behind Newcastle’s hugely successful Generator Studios, Jam Jar Studio will offer 8 spacious individual units and has been designed to promote collaboration.

Chris said: “In the past only big businesses would invest in film but in recent years, thanks to the growth of sharing platforms, film has become an integral part of the marketing mix and more and more companies now require value for money, quality film and video content.  

“Marketing campaigns no longer require one off, hugely expensive TV commercials but require a series of different films, appropriate for use across traditional and online platforms but to do so cost effectively requires green screen facilities.

“We are very excited about having a TV Studio with supporting facilities, such as a controlled lighting rig, full sound-proofing and editing suites as this allows us to control our film shoots which means we’re more innovative and cost effective.  

“We know there is a real need for such facilities and expect it to be a well-used by production companies and marketing professionals alike.

“It will be great to base Superkrush within such a creative hub and we’ve already received a lot of interest from other creative businesses for the other units.“

John Tulip, managing director at Northern Film & Media added: “Jam Jar Studios will be a welcome addition to the region’s space.  

“The north east lacks purpose built, commercial studio space and businesses are forced to go elsewhere to find what they need which undoubtedly detracts from the regional economy.  We receive a lot of requests for studio space and whilst existing facilities can meet some of the demand, Jam Jar Studios will enhance what the region has to offer.“

Two graduates with a passion for fashion are setting trends in the North East by launching their own urban clothing brands.

Caitlin Embleton, who studied Fashion, Product and Promotion at the University of Sunderland, had ambition to bring her designs to market under her own name ‘C.Embleton’ and set about working on new ranges and developing her brand identity whilst studying.

Fellow Sunderland graduate James Okello Wangadia was inspired while studying for his degree in Sports and Exercise Development, and is breaking into the street style urban market.

Caitlin heard about the enterprise support available at the university’s Enterprise Place. She said: “I considered getting help from the University after attending a guest speaker event. I really enjoyed hearing the members talk about their journey in business, which is something I had taken an interest in when branding my products. I thought I’d apply for help to gain knowledge about the practicalities of running a business.”

Since graduation, Caitlin has worked hard setting up her business whilst receiving advice and guidance from advisors at The Enterprise Place. She says: “It’s been hard work because I also have a full time job, but it’s well worth it when you see the process from design to creation, it’s very rewarding.

“I designed the garments around myself; they’re items I’d like to wear. The range is street style; items you’d see on the street but more luxurious and affordable.

“I’m starting by launching my company online but I hope to build it up and eventually open a store in Newcastle.   My next step is to make more handmade, bespoke items and my aim is to exceed everyone’s expectations of a luxurious urban street brand. It’s not High Street, it’s designed by a local designer.”

Caitlin’s online store is currently selling a range of hats, original beanies, pom-pom hats and snapbacks as well as one-off, hand-made pieces, at:www.cembletonltd.com.

James was motivated to develop Sw3lly Clothing following his success in the University of Sunderland’s 2013 Business Planning competition, Blueprint. He was crowned winner of the One to Watch Award.

James says: “The Blueprint competition was a great experience; I received a cash prize and was offered a place at The Enterprise Place and I couldn’t say no.

“The feedback I received was one of the most helpful things; how to structure, and what you need to mention when pitching. Overall it built my confidence.”

Through his membership to The Enterprise Place, James was put through a business course, supported with mentoring, given access to office space and meeting rooms and was able to get access to funding which enabled him to buy sample stock.

“The Enterprise Place is a really supportive environment and it’s given me lots of confidence. There’s a lot of talent in one place. There are experienced people and others just starting out. It’s all about the knowledge you get from every single person in there, you never know which direction they can point you in.”

Sw3lly Clothing sells a range of clothing and accessories for men in their online store, www.sw3llyclothing.com as well as in stockists around the region.  

Two years on from the original idea the business is growing.  It has received attention from FHM magazine who were interested in featuring some of Sw3lly’s products.

James says: “Sw3lly stands for confidence and reflecting the urban lifestyle. We’re coming out with styles that are unique to the market. There are a lot of urban clothing brands out there but I feel like we’re the leaders of the market in the North.”

Vince Robson, The Enterprise Place Business Development Manager, says: “Both Caitlin and James have really embraced the support on offer here at The Enterprise Place. They are two exciting up and coming designers who’s clothing and accessory ranges should do well amongst their target markets.”

Knutsford based PR agency, Firework, has been appointed by Cheshire children’s hair salon, Little BigHeads to raise awareness of its salons in Wilmslow and Bramhall.

Set up by Mum of two from Mobberley Sharon Dobson, Little BigHeads’ mission is to make children’s trips to the hair salon as much fun as possible.

From specially designed children’s chairs, to mini TV screens playing Peppa Pig and a dedicated educational  playroom the salon has everything covered for little tots (0-12 years of age)

Commenting Dobson said: “A trip to the hairdressers can be a very daunting experience for children, the younger ones can often be anxious and frightened, and the older ones can feel very self-conscious.

“All of our stylists are very experienced in cutting children’s hair, and they are also specially trained to deal with children who may have special needs, such as ADHD and those on the Autistic Spectrum – conditions which can potentially exacerbate existing anxiety for some.”

Firework PR’s brief is to raise awareness of the salons with parents and carers in the catchment areas for the Wilmslow and Bramhall salons.  

Emma Beardsley, Consultant at the agency said; "We are all mums at Firework so have first hand experience at reaching this savvy audience.

"The six month campaign will use a combination of traditional and social media channels to engage with parents, with engagement with Mummy bloggers and a review programme playing a key role. We are very much looking forward to raising the profile of the brand in Cheshire and promoting its unique position."

Video games publisher, Ubisoft, has opened its new Consumer Relationship Center (CRC) in Newcastle, earlier today.

The CRC is a hub for Ubisoft’s interactions with players in Europe, Middle East and Asia territories, integrating consumer support teams and community managers. 

Ubisoft plans to expand the CRC to include more than 100 team members by the end of 2015, with the ambition to continue that growth to 200 team members and beyond in the coming years.

Stéphane Catherine, EMEA consumer relationship director, said: “Opening the Consumer Relationship Center is a key step in better knowing our players and providing them with comprehensive service and support,

“Ubisoft is embracing the ‘games as a service’ model, and having both the community managers and support teams working together to keep our communities continuously engaged and happy with their favorite brands and games is the goal.”

The CRC currently employs 75 team members, with plans to expand the center to more than 100 by the end of 2015. 

Consumer Support and Community Management teams at the CRC are operational seven days a week to respond to consumer queries and engage with communities via phone, e-mail, forums and other channels in 11 languages.

The choice of location is also recognition of Newcastle’s ability to attract, train and retain talent from the video game and technology industries.

Ed Vaizey, UK Minister for the Digital Economy said “This is tremendous news for Newcastle and the UK and Ubisoft’s long-term plans are testament to the wealth of talent in the North East in particular. 

"Government and industry are working together to make the UK the best place in the world for video game production, and this investment provides a welcome boost in realizing this ambition."

Cllr Nick Forbes, Leader of Newcastle City Council. “I was very pleased to meet senior representatives from Ubisoft to make the case for Newcastle whilst they were considering where to locate. 

"We fought off stiff competition from other cities across the UK and overseas to secure this significant investment for Newcastle, including a package of support provided by our dedicated inward investment team at NewcastleGateshead Initiative.”

Regional business news service, Bdaily Business News, has appointed Nick Hill as Yorkshire correspondent.

Nick graduated Leeds Metropolitan University, now known as Leeds Beckett, in 2013 with a degree in English Literature. He then went on to work as a staff writer at online popular culture magazine, Contact Music.

Nick, who is based in Pontefract, will be responsible for producing news and opinion content for the region, as well as managing Bdaily’s social media platforms across Yorkshire.

Bdaily Business News, which is based in Newcastle, covers content in the North East, North West, Yorkshire and South East.

Commenting on his appointment, Nick said: "I’m excited to be a part of the Bdaily team. Working closely with the editorial team, I will be looking to build upon Bdaily’s existing presence in Yorkshire, while bringing my own flair to the role."

Managing director at Bdaily, Sarah Callender, added: "We are delighted to have Nick on board. Bdaily has a strong presence in Yorkshire and Nick’s appointment will help drive growth in the region."

"2014 was a fantastic year for us; we saw unique visitors grow 65% on 2013, while pageviews skyrocketed 52%. We are already experiencing significant growth in 2015, with last month’s unique visitors up 110% on February 2014 - we can’t wait to see what 2015 has in store for us."

Nick can be contacted on 07850630791 or nick.hill@bdaily.co.uk. He can be found tweeting at @bdailyyorkshire.

Image source: Official GDC

A Tyneside film company has secured a prime position to produce a new drama series for web giant Amazon, with the help of UK Trade & Investment (UKTI).

The new commission for Headline Pictures, of Newcastle, is the first secured by a European independent film company for a full drama series from Amazon Studios.

Ten new, hour-long shows will now be produced following the success of its pilot “The Man in the High Castle”.

The pilot was described by Amazon vice president Roy Price as “our most-watched pilot ever” and it was chosen for a full series to be commissioned following a viewers’ poll.

Based on Philip K Dick’s modern classic, “The Man in the High Castle”, the series considers the question of what would have happened if the Allied Powers has lost World War II and is set around 20 years after the end of the war when much of the world has been split between Japan and Nazi Germany.

Stewart Mackinnon, founder and director of Headline Pictures, said: “There’s been a real revolution in the way programmes are produced in the last few years.

“Previously you had the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Sky - they were your only domestic broadcasters.

“But now you have organisations such as Netflix and Amazon actually making their own programmes using the money they’ve made from their digital business and they can reach a whole new market of digital consumers.

“It’s a real step change in the industry. Now we have digital delivery and in the next few years those such as Amazon will become worldwide television companies. It opens up a whole host of new opportunities for us, which we’ve been exploring with the help of UKTI’s Passport and Gateway to Growth (G3) initiatives.

“With this latest commission, we are the first independent in Europe to get the go ahead for a full series. The pilot generated a huge amount of interest in the international press and on social media and the new series will get a world premier on Amazon Prime later this year. We’re thrilled and hope this will be the first of many.”

Chris Jewitt, one of UKTI’s International Trade Advisers who has been working with the company, added: “There has been something of a revolution in the way TV programmes are produced and watched in recent years and Headline Pictures has embraced the opportunities that the new digital age has brought.

"Its latest success has proven it has what it takes to compete on the world stage and we’re delighted to have been able to support the company’s efforts.

“I hope its success will inspire others to take up the exporting for growth challenge. Taking that first step into international trade can be daunting, but UKTI is here to help every step of the way and we offer a range of support services to help companies – whatever their size or product – to compete in the global market place.”

The new flagship Barker and Stonehouse store on Teesside Retail Park is literally being brought to life, with the creation of the first ‘living’ wall and roof on Teesside.

Thousands of colourful plants will soon transform a south-facing wall and the roof into a bright display and wildlife habitat in time for the store’s opening on March 28.

Award-winning local landscape designer Will Quarmby will shortly transfer 14,000 plants to the pioneering design created by Dennis McLuckie, construction project manager.

A purpose-built irrigation system has been fitted to maintain the plants, with a 6,000 litre tank beneath the store to hold harvested rainwater.

The roof will be planted with a colourful variety of Sedum, which customers of the in-store café will be able to enjoy from an outside roof terrace that also offers views across to Teesside Park golf course.

James Barker, Managing Director of Barker and Stonehouse, said: “We’ve invested heavily in the new Teesside store as part of our commitment to our customers in the region.

“Working with local suppliers and companies is always a priority for us, and we feel privileged to be able to use Will and Dennis’ skills in creating our unique living wall.”

Dennis, from McLuckie Projects, said: “The wall will bring the planted roof seamlessly down the south elevation, which will create a visually arresting design for the store’s façade - and the technical design of the wall is completely bespoke to the store.”

The time of year means the plants have spent the last few months in glasshouses at Earley Ornamentals in Thirsk, sheltering from the worst of the weather.

Will, owner of Quarmby Landscaping, said: “The dimensions of the wall led me down a route of designing swathes of plants that would draw the eye along the length of the building, allowing the whole space to become one.

“I chose various species of plants to create contrasting colours and textures from plants such as Heuchera, Sedum and a mix of hardy ferns and grasses, which will all bring something different.”