Following our recent feature City Brand Leaders – Manchester, we interviewed a select group of leaders from Manchester’s top agencies to help focus on the Manchester brand and consider their own agency vision.

Creativebrief Founder & Chairman Tom Holmes talks to Nicky Unsworth Managing Director and Owner of the BJL Group.

TH: Nicky, what does the Manchester brand stand for?

NU: Manchester positions itself as the original modern city: its heritage of creativity combined with classic northern common sense and entrepreneurialism means it has a distinctive character. Manchester is evolving and growing and the region’s reputation as a creative ‘hot bed’ has accelerated, not only nationally but globally too, aided by Media City.

TH: Are the city’s brand values reflected in your own agency culture?

NU: Yes Manchester is certainly part of our make-up, it influences us but doesn’t define us. We are proud to be a Manchester agency and see being based right in the heart of the city as a real positive.

TH: Does being based in Manchester influence your creative output? If so, how?

NU: Absolutely. Manchester has always had a creative ‘buzz’ – it’s almost in the blood – from music, the arts and sports right through to the creative community. As an agency we have been busy building and expanding and so has Manchester as a creative hub, giving us an inspiring backdrop to work against.

TH: What makes your agency offer different?

NU: We believe our agency offering is different from other agencies in the region because we approach clients’ business from a commercial perspective. Once we understand their business ambitions and objectives, we then structure our strategic and creative response accordingly. We have a full range of services in-house from advertising to PR incorporating strong digital and social media solutions, and film production. We’re in a good position to offer each client a bespoke, tailored marketing solution.

TH: Why should clients consider sourcing work from Manchester agencies?

NU: Within the UK there is no need to be ‘London-centric’ anymore. Both technology and talent are working in our favour: the region has great creative talent and production facilities and a critical mass of multi-award winning agencies, meaning Manchester is truly an option. For international clients the same reasons hold true, and of course a major international airport on your doorstep should seal the deal! And for all clients, communication has never been easier no matter where you are.

TH: What sort of clients do you particularly want to attract?

NU: Ambitious clients and brands really excite us.

They might be a typical challenger brand, or a category leader who never wants to rest on their laurels. Our success is always intertwined with theirs, and we want to do work that is going to make a step-change to their business.

TH: What work have you done recently makes you really proud?

NU: We are proud of all the work we produce for our clients both big and small. However, recently we’ve loved our work for Silentnight, Crown,and Subaru – where we’ve been able to seamlessly mix innovative technology and real fun on social engagement platforms, with traditional brand positioning.

TH: What local brands do you most admire and why?

NU: Brands with a strong heritage but who have also evolved in line with changing consumer dynamics and market conditions in their sectors. Brands like The Co-op, Warburtons, AG Barr and Kelloggs have all managed to stay true to the essence of their brands whilst at the same time evolving to address new opportunities and developments in their categories.

We also particularly like Umbro. When it couldn’t ‘outspend’ Adidas and Nike it out-thought them. Despite its long-standing history with football, Umbro felt like an old fashioned, un-cool, out of touch sports brand.
So it decided to own the online space and get behind one main team who all fans support: England. Via social media including blogs, tweets, games and competitions, Umbro has been embraced by fans up and down the country. Fans now buy Umbro and wear it proudly. Running alongside all this is their very clever positioning – ‘Tailored by Umbro’. This added a touch of quality to their products and enabled them to launch ranges like the ‘Icons Reissued – Umbro Classics Recreated’ and more recently the ‘St George Collection’. All of these things have helped Umbro update its image and become a relevant sports brand.

TH: Are there any local marketers who have inspired you?

NU: Interestingly, the agency leaders around the region tend to inspire each other. We’ve got a great mix of entrepreneurial styles – across PR, digital, social, strategy and integrated comms – and there is a strong culture of mutual respect and sharing of ideas and initiatives. It makes for a powerful sense of collaboration and support. When one agency has a great win, we all feel proud for the people involved.
In terms of local Marketers then the leads on the brands mentioned above would be top of the list.

TH: What business would you most like to win?

NU: We love to bring major international clients to Manchester. We know we produce great creative work, our strategic insight is strong and our servicing levels are second to none. Our links with Tribe Global – which spans 15 markets and is growing – support this ambition. In addition we would like to continue to bring new brands to the region. This year alone we have won significant business from Subaru, Silentnight, Crown, Yorkshire Building Society and Chelsea Building Society, all of whom previously used non-Manchester agencies.

TH: Thanks Nicky!

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