Prolific North

Your go-to source for news, insights, articles, job listings, and industry chatter for creative and media businesses in the North.

National, Trade/B2B

English

Online/Digital

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Global

#276221

United Kingdom

#15121

Business and Consumer Services/Marketing and Advertising

#104

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Articles

Trio of tech leaders join Dynamo North East to grow region’s digital sector

1 week ago | prolificnorth.co.uk | Rachael Hesno

Three leading figures from the tech sector in the North East have joined the advisory board over at Dynamo North East, a membership organisation that aims to grow the region’s digital sector. Taya Reynolds, who was recently appointed chief technology officer (CTO) at Hays Travel, will bring a wealth of experience in digital transformation and change management to Dynamo North East.
North East marketing agency Creo Comms launches rebrand

1 week ago | prolificnorth.co.uk | Rachael Hesno

Sunderland-based creative marketing agency Creo Comms has unveiled a brand refresh following a successful 12 months for the business. Creo’s in-house team completed the rebrand which includes a new brand strategy and website. The agency also reported six new hires joined the team over the past year, boosting Creo Comms to a team of 17.
Marketing specialist marks "new chapter" with personal brand platform to support underrepresented founders

1 week ago | prolificnorth.co.uk | Rachael Hesno

Seasoned marketing and communications specialist Lisa Maynard-Atem has launched a new platform to support female founders and underrepresented entrepreneurs with personal branding. As the former social media lead at Harrods, Maynard-Atem currently wears a number of hats as a board member of The Black United Representation Network (BURN) and the director of marketing and communications at Manchester-based edtech platform Verciti.
Smoking Gun recruits BBC Radio 1 presenter Jamie Laing to energise new brand campaign

1 week ago | prolificnorth.co.uk | Rachael Hesno

The influencer marketing team over at Smoking Gun has snapped up Jamie Laing to front its latest content for Original Source’s ‘Nature Hits Different’ campaign. The Made In Chelsea star turned BBC Radio 1 presenter, who recently completed his gruelling ultramarathon challenge for Comic Relief, appears in the video as he pranks wife Sophie Habboo. Post morning shower, he ushers in brass band Mr Wilson’s Second Liners to rouse Sophie from her slumber.
Edinburgh tech firm secures £1m and backing from Skyscanner founder

1 week ago | prolificnorth.co.uk | Rachael Hesno

Flock Mobility, a cleantech start-up transforming how organisations run shared transport, has secured £1m in investment to fuel its next phase of growth. The funding round includes backing from Skyscanner founder Gareth Williams and a Boston-based family office, with the investment to be used to support Flock in accelerating product development.
UK marketing budgets on the decline for the first time in four years

1 week ago | prolificnorth.co.uk | Rachael Hesno

Uncertainty around Trump’s controversial tariffs, combined with the on-going cost of living crisis, left UK companies adopting a cautious approach as they reduced their total marketing budgets in the opening quarter of 2025. According to the latest IPA Bellwether Report published today, it marks the first decrease in four years as 24.2 per cent of respondents revised their marketing budgets in Q1 of 2025.
York agency Nomada Digital appoints new agency director to boost Yorkshire presence

1 week ago | prolificnorth.co.uk | Rachael Hesno

York-based marketing agency Nomada Digital has announced the appointment of Luke Wilson as its new agency director. Joining from The Media People, Wilson brings over a decade of experience in SEO and PPC across various sectors. Having previously worked with clients such as Asda Money, Share to Buy & Dior, he will now focus on expanding Nomada Digital’s client base in Yorkshire to provide tailored marketing strategies and support for local businesses across York and the broader Yorkshire region.
North West startups kick off 2025 with £138 million VC investment

1 week ago | prolificnorth.co.uk | Rachael Hesno

VC investment into start-up and scaling businesses across the North West accelerated in the opening quarter of 2025, according to the latest KPMG Private Enterprise Venture Pulse report. Businesses in the region received £138m from VC investors in the first three months of this year which represents an 86% increase, having raised £74m in the final quarter of 2024. The level of investment also more than tripled on the first quarter of last year.
£15m turnover and five acquisitions under its belt - what’s next for rising agency Ride Shotgun?

1 week ago | prolificnorth.co.uk | Rachael Hesno

Ride Shotgun may have only landed on the agency scene in 2022 following the merger of independent agencies Cry Havoc and Born + Raised, but it has rapidly ascended the agency ranks thanks to five acquisitions and £15m turnover in just over three years. Now ranked for the first time in the top 10 of Prolific North’s Top 50 Integrated Agencies for 2025, Ride Shotgun’s CEO Mark Mallinder reveals the agency’s plans to ramp up even further growth, both in the UK and globally.
Is a 'start-up mentality' in the UK holding back potential billion-dollar businesses in the North?

1 week ago | prolificnorth.co.uk | Rachael Hesno

The North boasts a successful start-up ecosystem, worth a combined £75bn, but some founders believe there is a ‘start-up mentality’ which is a barrier to building billion-dollar businesses. So is a lack of ambition holding back the North’s potential to create tech giants? This question has cropped up in numerous conversations for Prolific North’s newly launched deep dive tech series GRAFT, which shines a spotlight on the people, places and power structures shaping the future of Northern tech.