®
BLACKWELL’S BRITAIN
MAD FOR MANCHESTER
supported by
INSIDE03
THE DRUM 03.SEP.14 www.thedrum.com
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CONTENTS
04 Minding the myth
Lewis Blackwell argues that while
Manchester’s swagger and bloodyminded pragmatism is impressive, the
city can’t afford to get complacent.
06 Time loves a hero
Is there such a thing as a ‘Manchester
style’? Not any more, says Lewis
Blackwell, but this diversity means it is
competing on a global stage.
10 Q&A
The Drum speaks to a cross-section of
Manchester influencers to highlight the big
questions facing the creative community –
from dissecting the mood to predicting
areas for growth.
About the author
Lewis Blackwell is a former
editor-in-chief and publisher of
Creative Review. He has also served
as the worldwide creative head of
Getty Images and chief creative officer at
Evolve Images. Blackwell’s Britain sees him
tour the UK to analyse its creative hubs.
The next stop is Yorkshire, published in
October.
Written by Lewis Blackwell Editing by Thomas O’Neill, Katie McQuater
Design & Production by Amanda Dewar, Ross Lesley-Bayne Commercial
Management by Liz Hamilton, Gavin Floyd
THE DRUM is published by Carnyx Group Limited. The publishers, authors and printers
cannot accept liability for any errors or omissions. Any artwork will be accepted at
owner’s risk. All rights reserved. On no account may any part of this publication be
reproduced in any form without the written permission of the copyright holder and
publisher, application for which should be made to the publisher.
© CARNYX GROUP LIMITED 2014 ISSN 2046-0635
A WORD FROM THE SPONSORS
As the IPA broadens its involvement in the wider UK creative industries
agenda, Greater Manchester represents a key target for support and
promotion on the national and international stage.
23 agencies in Manchester, Cheshire and Bolton are already IPA members, with
strong representation from the media, creative and digital sectors; including Dentsu
Aegis Network, MEC, MediaCom, PHD Media, Media Agency Group, Gyro, Kinetic,
BJL, McCann, TBWA and Cheetham Bell JWT and others. A special mention
should go to Madhouse Associates, where managing partner Peter Craven is the
IPA city head for the North West.
Not only are our members significant employers in their own right, but they
also attract inward investment from client businesses and sustain the specialist
creative, tech and micro businesses in the local supply chain.
In supporting this supplement we seek to invite new members to join our
growing network, unite Greater Manchester behind a common purpose, celebrate
success, identify growth opportunities and accelerate business development.
Janet Hull OBE,
IPA director of marketing & executive director,
Creative Pioneers Challenge
As the industry skills body for the creative industries, Creative Skillset
supports and encourages companies of every size to overcome the barriers
they encounter to training investment. We empower large employers, SMEs,
micro businesses and freelancers to grow, by developing their talent.
In Manchester, our local training network manager Helen Dobson works across
the sector, helping creative and digital media businesses to take ownership of
their skills and development, and practitioners and new entrants to gain access to
training – from apprenticeships and internships to bespoke CPD requirements.
All Creative Skillset’s work is led by employers and delivered in strategic
partnership with the LEP, and alongside the region’s vibrant industry bodies.
Jill Fear,
partnership manager, advertising & marketing
communications, Creative Skillset
04MANCHESTER
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MINDING
THE MYTH
Britain’s second city is an economic
powerhouse… but is it over-confident?
Manchester is a city that is in love with itself. To a
fault, one might conclude.
More so than any centre I have yet profiled in
Blackwell’s Britain, the creative and digital industrialists of
modern Manchester (by birth and by choice) ooze selfconfidence. They believe they are part of a great industrial
city and, of course, they are right.
TBWA Manchester even has a proud quote
emblazoned eight feet high on its walls: “For Manchester
is a place where people do things… Don’t talk about what
you are going to do, do it…’ and on it goes, a long quote
from Judge Parry in 1912 but every word still rings true for
Fergus McCallum, chief executive, who says: “It sums up
the spirit of how we do things around here.”
Not half. Manchester is a by-word for industry. It has for
so long been a global city brand, from the 19th century
of ‘Cottonopolis’ to one of the most international brands
in sport, Manchester United, now increasingly ably
supported – even overshadowed – by its enormously-rich
neighbour, Premier League champions Manchester City.
Sorry to mention football so early, but it’s unavoidable.
Mancunians mention it a lot. The football status is
touched on like a magic lamp because it immediately
confers indisputable stature. Next up in validating the
swagger is how the BBC and ITV have moved into
MediaCityUK (yes, it is in Salford, but that chippy rival is
now swallowed into Greater Manchester). Then there’s a
gush of other validations of varying quality – from Factory
Records to Elbow, Morrissey to moneysupermarket.com’s
Martin Lewis. These are not my references but ones given
to me by some of the city’s finest creative industrialists.
Trying a little too hard, perhaps?
And they need not, the facts alone are impressive –
according to an Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR)
report, Manchester is already the second-largest creative
capital in Europe. Yes, London is number one, but forget
the siren voices of Berlin, Paris, Milan and Barcelona – the
‘we try harder’ Avis-like creative powerhouse is in the
North West, with a growing commercial and cultural might
that should make it the toast of a government wishing to
invest in this high-po industry.
But facts also show that Manchester is losing out to
local rivals in getting government support. The IPPR
report indicates a staggering three to one ratio of public
funding per head of population in favour of London rather
than Manchester. Furthermore, the West Midlands, the
North East and Yorkshire also raked off more support
from the public purse.
It seems good reason for complaint, but creatives
don’t tend to do strikes and protest marches. They are
either too fragmented or too focused on sorting it out with
entrepreneurial zeal. McCallum agrees Manchester suffers
a little from being number two, but believes clients suffer a
little as a result too and need to pull their eyes north. “The
London-centric vision of the UK is anachronistic. Agencies
in the south are in danger of losing touch with the realities
of life for the majority of people in Britain,” he says, and
for those looking to build a business he pitches, “Ask
yourself, do you go to London, where everyone is playing
in someone else’s world, or do you go to the frontiers and
be part of creating a world for yourself?”
Stirring stuff. The fact though, is that for many it is
not an either/or situation. Many of the leading agencies
and consultancies in Manchester have either spawned
a London offshoot or are themselves the spawn of a
larger business. They do this to compete on a broader
front both ways, to service clients better both ways.
Manchester is the second-city, industrially and creatively,
because it is the second-largest population centre and
geographically in a useful place to service the northern
part of the country. With all the related business, and
education, and raw population resource, that puts it
on a level to compete well internationally. It’s all fairly
basic economics to see how it works. If Manchester did
something about that, then it could better encourage
other inward investment while backing new talent.
For all of the scale of businesses in the city, there are
underlying structural issues that could do with urgent
help. The industry group Manchester Digital is working
hard with the universities and others to address the skills
shortage. There’s a shortage of developers everywhere;
the city that can be quickest to fix this may well be the
one that wears the digital crown tomorrow. Diana Erskine,
managing director at Reading Room in Manchester, is
on the Manchester Digital council and calls the lack of an
adequate pipeline of digital talent “a real weakness”. She
says the whole country needs to “address a huge skills
deficit” and in this context, says Manchester’s size is an
asset – not as big and tricky to turn as London, but with
the education and other resources that beat smaller cities.
A key advantage of Manchester for many, as Erskine
confirms, is that it can deliver a great combination of high
quality work that can be underpinned by competitive price
advantages (cheaper rents, cheaper people). But if the
talent fails to come through, or can’t be brought in easily
from London, and becomes too expensive, then both
The Wheel of Manchester in Piccadilly Gardens
sides of the appeal break down. “We need to find ways to
also encourage more start-ups here, to create the spaces
they can thrive in,” adds Erskine. The Hive is an example
of a development that might fit the bill, a public-private
joint venture in the creative district of the Northern Quarter,
where the Arts Council has parked its northern office. But
it looks almost too swanky for hungry start-ups.
At media agency PHD, which also has offices in
London, there’s a clear sense that having a strong base
in the city is one half of an equation for success in Britain.
As MD Dani Briers puts it, “this offers the best of both
worlds” – national buying power with local accountability
and sensitivity to client needs (nearby clients include AG
Barr, Man City and Bentley). But there’s also another ‘best
of both worlds’ that he likes – “in 20 minutes you can be
out in the country”. He believes this is ideal for the creative
and media industry to flourish as a lifestyle preference,
retaining talent and also attracting it back from London.
Perhaps the indication of Manchester’s economic
creative industry muscle is that many of the city’s most
successful businesses push out from their North West
stronghold to target a piece of the London action. While
MANCHESTER05
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supported by
MediaCityUK at Salford Quays
PHOTOGRAPHY: CAMILA CLARKE
PHOTOGRAPHY: GAVIN CRITCHLEY
“IF IT KEEPS THE HEAD DOWN,
PUTS AWAY THE SWAGGER,
FIGHTS FOR EVERYTHING,
MANCHESTER CAN BE A
WORLD-BEATER.”
the PHD and TBWA story might be seen as imperialist
London expanding to Manchester, the story also goes the
other way. From design consultants The Chase to agency
BJL to (just a few weeks ago) film company The Gate,
the move south to take business away from London,
or at least become bi-locational, is a familiar route. BJL
CEO Nicky Unsworth admits that opening in London
and putting senior staff there was necessary for growth
“because London is a massive global city and we can’t
necessarily expect clients to reach out to Manchester
– we’re not going to be on the radar of some of them
however good our work or our competitive offer.”
However, she believes Manchester agencies have
some natural competitive advantages: “We did integrated
before it became the thing because we often work with
challenger brands that have to think that way – they
can’t have specialist agencies in all areas.” That said, she
emphasises that BJL is not working with local clients but
with national players, and says the Manchester situation
fosters a way of working that is different, more efficient
and productive. She admits to a cost advantage over
pure London agencies but says that is never the reason
to work with them – first and foremost the work has to
deliver, has to compete and perform. But clearly, clients
care about costs too. Like Erskine, she is concerned
that more needs to be done to foster the talent pool in
Manchester before it really becomes an issue for growth.
I began by suggesting that self-regard is almost too
high in the city’s creative economy and I still believe
that. Several creative industry figures happily speak of
the Manchester confidence, but while there are many
companies doing well and expanding, we have to wonder
how Manchester drifted behind London and other centres
in public investment. Perhaps having the BBC move in big
time was seen as enough, but it is a creative jungle and
rival UK cities will be using those funds to improve their
competitive situation. And European rivals probably have
their own handouts as because the creative industry is
seen as a key helper of economies everywhere.
Should we be impressed by how Mancunians get on
with it, how they combine their talk of ‘swagger’ with
bloody-minded pragmatism and getting stuff done?
Yes. But they must not be so in love with their own
magnificence that they miss out to investment going
elsewhere. As the financial documents warn, the past is
no guide to future performance. The situation is delicately
balanced: the region may be set for more growth and real
consolidation of itself as an international status centre for
creative and digital industry, but it must remain vigilant to
the fact that there are plenty of others looking to wrest
business and status away from it.
If it keeps the head down, puts away the swagger,
fights for everything, the Mancunian creative industry
can be a world-beater – never mind London, it can go
on to be a major force on an international stage. But
it is not really of a size or an attraction that it can relax.
While other regions in the UK and across Europe want a
piece of what the North West has, there is no room for
complacency.
06MANCHESTER
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TIME LOVES
A HERO
If there is one great thing we can say about the
Manchester creative scene… it’s that there isn’t
one thing to focus on. There are many.
The Johnnie Walker House in South
Korean capital Seoul created by Love
Creatively speaking, ‘Manchester’ is dying. But,
to misquote, I come not to bury, but to praise.
There is no question that great work for major and
emerging clients can be seen all around the city’s
studios. You could make a case that some of the best
creative companies to be found on the planet are
here. You can tell it by the buzz, by the client roster, by
the vibrant and varied quality.
It is diverse. It’s no longer saying anything that
marks it as provincial, regional or anything localised.
It is not different from London, or anywhere else, it is
different from other work in the Northern Quarter, or
anywhere else in Greater Manchester… and it can
compete on a global stage.
The city boasts a growing list of companies – from
branding to advertising, packaging to gaming, from
TV production to media innovation – that deliver a
product hallmarked with international standards, not a
stamp of origin.
But what is dying, or dead, is any sense of a
Manchester style. That’s if there ever really was
one. But there was a time, quite recently, when
commentators on the city lazily described it by harking
back to various moments of creative achievement
rather than celebrating the range of production now.
This is unacceptable today.
Don’t take my word for it. Take the word of Ben
Casey, co-founder of perhaps the most respected
design shop, The Chase, now approaching 30 years
standing and with international honours to show for
pretty much every one of them. He says: “I don’t see
it as a negative thing to question whether there is any
kind of Manchester style. I see that Manchester has
matured as a centre. The industry has and is changing
radically, and now there is real choice. There are
companies with many different styles and many with
no specific style, but more known for their thinking.”
He would put The Chase in that latter category,
I suspect, because style tends to be temporary,
while powerful thought and work discipline will last.
“We have always been led by the brief and have not
wanted to be known for any style. When we came
here we chose to be based in Manchester because
that approach was perhaps a bit different then – we
had a different angle to other designers. Now there
are lots of good designers, and lots of breakaways
from good designers. It is much more competitive.”
What The Chase helped start has helped give
it a creative reputation of being not just good in
Manchester, but good by any standards (with
year after year of D&AD awards to show for it
when up against the stiffest competition). No
wonder it branched out down to London – it had a
demonstrable record of achievement that was rare in
MANCHESTER07
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supported by
CheethamBell JWT’s social media campaign
Yawnie for bed specialists Dreams
“MANCHESTER HAS
MATURED. THE INDUSTRY IS
CHANGING RADICALLY AND
THERE IS REAL CHOICE.”
McCann Manchester’s TV
campaign for Liverpool One
the capital, for all its riches.
For Casey though, there is a real sense that the
highly disrupted market ensures no resting on laurels.
Indeed, The Chase is just embarking on a major new
step by incorporating a film business and looking
to develop more into moving image. “The changes
in media are forcing us to think about how we must
evolve. We’re reassessing what we do. I think creative
companies generally are going to become wider in
what they do and less predictable.”
However, while there may not be a Manchester
style, there is concern that the industry is not moving
fast enough to respond to the disruption of the
market. Dave Palmer, founder and chief executive of
Love, is building stories for brands all over, such as a
recent project for Johnnie Walker in Seoul. But while
his agency has grown into exciting new experiential
areas, competing internationally, he is concerned that
the mood in Manchester lacks ambition and is a little
stuck. For him, it is not opening out to Casey’s route
of being ‘less predictable’ and is instead in quite the
opposite situation at times. “The Manchester creative
Innovate, grow
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McCann Manchester spot for
Aldi’s own-brand Champagne
“MANCHESTER BEATS ITS BREAST AND IT SOUNDS LIKE
THERE ARE SEVERAL TARZANS IN THE JUNGLE.”
scene still seems to be stuck in silos – digital, regional
advertising and design shops. Nothing feels that
different from 10 years ago despite a massive shift in
the way consumers interact with brands.”
One area where Palmer is a little less agitated than
some is when it comes to finding great talent. While
many are concerned that more needs to be done to
bring on the talent stream and keep it in the region,
Palmer sees it in simpler competitive terms – if you do
good work it attracts people to work with you. It’s why
many people go to London, but for Love it is why it
attracts people away from that path. “Talented people
are attracted by global clients and a high standard of
creative work, regardless of geography,” he says, but
that’s something of a chicken-and-egg situation, as
you can’t do the great work without great talent, but
the talent won’t be attracted without the good work…
For Palmer, being outside London can be a virtue
when dealing with clients. “I’ve had major clients
say it is a benefit we are in Manchester. They see,
and experience us, as occupying different emotional
territory. They believe our heads are in a somewhat
different space than being in the London fray. We’re in
a different box and the clients can sense it.”
Love recently collaborated with a Singapore
interiors agency on one of its experiential projects for
Johnnie Walker and Palmer sees such international
cross-cultural and cross-discipline links as both
exciting and necessary developments, internationally
and nationally. He remains concerned that more of
the Manchester creative scene needs to open up
to the opportunity or lose out to faster movers from
elsewhere.
However, nobody is saying they want to swim in
the slow lane. To judge by the frequent visits to the
awards table or other recognition by studios such
as True North, Music, Mark, Creative Spark, Code
Computerlove and others, there are many competing
voices. There is not only a range of output across
the media that is beyond any stylistic description, but
underpinning them are different views on what work
to do, what to sell, what claims to make – Manchester
beats its breast and it sounds like there are several
Tarzans in the jungle. For all Palmer’s provocative
remarks, the leading ad agencies (McCann, Havas
Lynx, CheethamBell JWT, TBWA, BJL, Refinery, et
al) challenge any notion that they are sitting back
and being conservative. The range of clients and the
weight of the work is its own defence.
But we have to wonder if something is lost, if
something is dying, if not dead, about an old sense
of the Manchester creative scene. The message now
is that the best work could be from anywhere. It’s
not just a Manchester issue, it is a question for the
character of creative industry everywhere as it services
increasingly large brands, or clients who aspire to
compete with such large brands, where real locality
has little or no place; where evidence of origin may be
a disadvantage.
The arrival of the BBC and ITV, with their big
regional centres in MediaCityUK and their influence
on commissioning only adds to this conundrum: they
are not there to support localism, but to harness a
workforce and its creative talent to create national and
global products.
In Manchester, it is hard – no, impossible – to tell
the city’s output apart from anywhere else, including
London. This says both that the city’s creative
companies are highly competitive and also, perhaps,
that they could be from anywhere. That may be a
good thing for jobs and for the bottom line… but
perhaps not for spirit of place.
10MANCHESTER
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VOICES OF
THE NORTH
It’s been called England’s second city, but what’s in store for
Manchester, and how can it compete with London for investment
and talent? A cross-section of the city’s industry take a look.
How has the agency scene in Manchester changed in
the last five years?
Sue Little, CEO, McCann Manchester
If the recession has done one thing, it has
driven much greater commercial focus, and
I don’t just mean looking at the financials.
It has driven better practice in client service, a desire
to produce more effective work, and of course it
has focused businesses to really question what they
do. And this latter point has to be a great thing.
Organisations that are challenging themselves, asking
questions and not accepting the status quo are far
more likely to have a future in the long-term.
Nigel Papworth, managing
director, Refinery
It is probably much bigger than it was five
years ago, in relative terms when compared
to other areas. The growth in specialist digital has had
a lot to do with this, but digital is now increasingly
becoming part of an integrated offering. In fact, all
areas of creative production are becoming more
integrated. Motion graphics and video, which were
once specialist services, we now do largely in-house,
and the new digital publishing revolution will change
much of the way consumers will view things.
situation. There’s a common complaint about the
standard of creative talent in all the regions, not just
Manchester. It’s true that in the past there’s been an
element of wooing London creatives who decide to
relocate up north, often to start a family. However, the
tide is turning. Talented people are attracted by global
clients and a high-standard of creative work, regardless
of geography.
Just recently we hired a fantastic graduate from
Cumbria who had done the rounds of the London
agencies, had several offers, yet chose us over them
because he doesn’t have to move down south to fulfil
the same level of creative ambition. By focusing on
producing the best work for the biggest brands, the
talent will follow.
Phil Rogerson, managing
director, Madhouse
The agency scene has changed
immeasurably – there are no barriers to
trade now so the geography issues don’t exist – it’s
commonplace to hear that an agency has picked up
an American account or another’s picked up a large
German account. It’s great because it’s all about talent,
creativity, thought process, planning and strategy,
and not where the agency is or whether they’re a
household name anymore.
What does the industry need to do to nurture and
attract creative talent emerging from Manchester?
Dave Palmer, executive creative director
and owner, Love
We’ve found that producing good work
for global clients attracts the best talent.
And the better the talent, the higher the calibre of
work and clients, so it’s a bit of a chicken-and-egg
Above: BJL’s TV ad for Betfred, and
below, for Swinton
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supported by
Jill Fear, partnership manager, advertising
and marketing communications, Creative
Skillset
The vibrant creative sector means new
employment opportunities are now more visible, but
industry still needs to foster close links with education
to take full advantage of the best young local talent.
The Greater Manchester City Action Group, made
up of employers, training and education providers,
Manchester LEP and the Greater Manchester Chamber
of Commerce, collaborates to offer new solutions for
the region. Creative Skillset’s expanding Trainee Finder
Programme is matching young talent to the increased
drama production taking place in the area and we
are helping The Sharp Project and ITV to access
government co-investment in training, through the
Employer Ownership of Skills pilot (EOP ).
Simon Vaughan, senior creative director,
Amaze
The industry should look at building on its
established links with education, looking to
create a benchmark for the region by offering a new
type of citywide development scheme, for example, by
establishing a unique ‘Manchester Creative Apprentice’
that sets a high bar for entry, but rewards with a higher
standard of investment and opportunity for new talent.
We should also look at low-cost ideas such as
the ‘Open Studio’ days that ran in conjunction with
Liverpool’s ‘Designival’ conference. It provides a great
opportunity to open the doors to new talent, allowing
them to experience first-hand the quality of agency life
available in the city.
Nicky Unsworth, CEO, BJL
The educational infrastructure is well-known
for being very strong and the colleges and
universities in the region understand how
to make the most of the potential benefits gained by
industry and education working together. So I guess
if you look to the next level, the way to retain, nurture
and attract talent is to ensure businesses thrive and
are there to provide career opportunities to support
growing talent as well as focusing on a mentoring style
of staff development.
Nigel Papworth, managing
director, Refinery
The problem is there isn’t enough talent
emerging fast enough in Manchester to
feed the demand. This applies to all areas of creative,
not just digital. The industry itself, through various
organisations, is attempting to provide training and
development, but much more outside investment is
required to maintain the growth curve. We’ve had great
success with the new junior recruits we’ve taken on
and nurtured over the last two years and are looking for
more. We’d just like a bigger pond to fish in.
What’s the mood like in Manchester?
Dave Palmer, executive creative director
and owner, Love
More Manchester agencies should be
competing against the best, including each
other, on global pitches, yet they aren’t.
I think our agencies are very much on the back
foot for two reasons: confidence and relevance.
Manchester as a city is well regarded on a global level;
the city’s music, its two global football brands and
the BBC all help beef up the image of Manchester.
Consequently, as Manchester agencies we should
feel confident about where we’re from, not apologetic.
Love occupies a distinct mental space in our clients’
minds to our London rivals, and that really helps
to differentiate us. We need to believe that our
geography is our advantage.
I love living and working in Manchester. There’s
a thriving creative industry that has the opportunity
to move on, step up and become serious challengers
to both London and global agencies. To do so, we
need to adopt that Manchester swagger, believe in
ourselves, work hard and show the rest of the world
what we’re made of.
Andy Cheetham, creative director,
CheethamBell JWT
The mood in Manchester is optimistic,
like the rest of the country. There seems
to be a good number of opportunities. However, the
change that has taken place during the recession is
that we are all having to do twice the work for half
the revenue. It means working smarter, getting to
an answer more quickly and being right first time
12MANCHESTER
www.thedrum.com 03.SEP.14 THE DRUM
Refinery for BAE Systems
Refinery’s work for
Manchester’s Arndale
Shopping Centre
BJL’s ‘Transformation Information’
for Metrolink
(if possible). If you can do all of those, you have a
chance of making a living, and if you’re making a
living, you should be smiling.
The Sharp Project provides a home to many
digital entrepreneurs. What’s the importance of
creative places for collaboration in the city?
Nicky Unsworth, CEO, BJL
The Sharp Project is not just about the
physical space, it’s also about declaration
of intent – that Manchester is prepared
to put energy and budget into a space like this
speaks volumes. Creative spaces like this allow small
businesses to set up with minimum investment, to
benefit from an ecosystem which provides them
with a level of support and collaboration they may
not otherwise get, and forms a basis for the next
generation of businesses coming through.
Peter Craven, Manchester IPA city
head and managing partner, Madhouse
Open source learning, sharing knowledge
and collaboration is the only way that the
Manchester creative community will continue to
make great strides forward and if there are areas that
incubate and nurture talent then that can only be
good for the area.
The Sharp Project is great for smaller start-up
companies; and Spinningfields works well for those
that are more established.
Jon Corner, chief executive, The Landing
I can’t really stress enough how important
this is, on so many levels. On a cold business
level it creates a noise and a focus for new
commissioning; for investors it creates a watering hole
where new talent and new ideas can be found. Even
on a basic day-to-day working level it raises the bar for
companies and their talented people – sometimes it’s
only by working alongside people who are as good as or
better than you do you manage to hone your own skills
and methods.
Where are we likely to see the most growth in the
city? How has the agency scene changed?
Nicky Unsworth, CEO, BJL
Rather than being a specific sector, I think
growth will come from certain types of
business – businesses that have a clear
proposition, can embrace change, are uncompromising
in terms of delivering great outputs and have an ability
to adapt and see positives from an ever-changing
landscape.
Jill Fear, partnership manager,
advertising and marketing
communications, Creative Skillset
Digital media businesses are growing in
number and the volume of work they handle but it is the
expansion of TV drama production which really stands
out, along with the post-production services that grow
up around this creativity. The Sharp Project and The
Space Project are the sites where these activities are
really taking off.
The North West receives less than half of the arts
funding of London. Does Manchester need more
investment?
Jon Corner, chief executive, The Landing
Arts funding, as opposed to equity investment
funding, is traditionally under-resourced in the
regions, not just Manchester, and the best
arts organisations have had to become commercially
sharp and effective to survive. There doesn’t seem to
be a long-term solution to that on the horizon and the
pressure for the arts may fall further on new ways of
fundraising and private donations. But for creative and
digital equity investment there are plenty of opportunities
in Manchester – the challenge for GM is to create a
better ‘conduit’ for investors to find and accelerate talent
and IP.
Sue Little, CEO, McCann Manchester
For me it is all about where you focus funding.
Many of the challenges faced by ourselves
and our peers could be greatly alleviated by a
concerted focus on marketing the region as a whole to
people in the creative industry. Over the last year or so
we’ve brought a growing number of people from London
agencies and for many it is a case of once they’ve left,
they’d never go back.
KNOWLEDGE BANK13
THE DRUM 03.SEP.14 www.thedrum.com
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:reshaping the UK economy
It’s a pivotal time for the UK creative industries.
Not only are they one of the most exciting and
sought after career paths for young people; they
are also one of the most significant to the future
growth of the UK economy, and to the reputation
of the UK globally.
On 2 July 2014 the Creative Industries Council
(CIC) launched a new industrial strategy for the UK
Creativity Industries, to reinforce the UK’s position
as a world leader, with ambitious plans for growth to
2020. View the strategy document here - http://www.
thecreativeindustries.co.uk/resources/create-uk
Specific programmes are being put in place:
•
access to finance
•
education and skills
•
infrastructure
•
intellectual property
•
international.
The IPA and Creative Skillset are playing their part.
IPA
The IPA is leading a cross-sector partnership between
government and industry to deliver a marketing portal
for the creative industries, www.thecreativeindustries.
co.uk. Representative organisations from fashion,
music, games, film, television, design, craft, culture,
advertising and technology are working with us to
present a cohesive picture of the UK creative sector,
and to promote collaboration, export and inward
investment. We are always on the look-out for case
studies and news stories of business success.
The IPA is also taking an active role on behalf of
its membership and the wider creative and digital
community to strengthen industry links to schools
and universities, with a particular focus on technology
and digital. The Future of Talent is a core strand of the
IPA agenda, actively marketing new job opportunities
to a wider range of degree pathways and a broader
cross section of the diverse undergraduate student
community.
The IPA Creative Pioneers Challenge www.
creativepioneers.co.uk is a flagship recruitment
programme, run in partnership with Metro, to provide
open access to new apprenticeship opportunities
for school leavers. In 2014 more than 50 businesses
have signed up to offer 100 apprenticeship places in
creative and digital media, digital marketing, advertising
and marketing communications, and public relations.
This is our first year in Manchester, and we have been
delighted with the 15 apprenticeship opportunities
provided by 12 different organisations, including
C21, Republic of Media, One Marketing, Havas Lynx,
Delineo, Creative England, Madhouse, BJL, TBWA,
Access, MEC and our training partner, The White
Room.
IT PAYS £71.4 BILLION, TO BE PRECISE.
IMAGE CREDIT: KARMARAMA. SOURCE: SEE WWW.THECREATIVEINDUSTRIES.CO.UK
That’s the current value of the creative industries to the UK economy.
It may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you’re watching The King’s Speech, reading Harry Potter, listening to Adele
or gazing up at The Gherkin, but creativity is big business. The creative sector already supports 1.68 million UK jobs and it’s growing
fast, almost 10% in 2012 alone. In fact, 1 in 12 new jobs in the UK is now found within the creative economy.
Creative Skillset
Find out more at thecreativeindustries.co.uk
Creative Skillset plays a key role in delivering education
and skills. Our work brings to life this vital strand within
the CIC’s industrial partnership. Responding to the
needs of employers, we are delivering interventions
benefitting 25,000 people, growing world-class leaders
and a talented and skilled workforce to keep thousands
of Creative Industry organisations globally competitive.
Creative Skillset enables advertising and marketing
communications, TV, film, animation, games VFX,
fashion and textiles, and publishing to channel coinvestment from the Department of Business Innovation
and Skills (BIS), and the Department for Education (DfE),
to where it is most needed. In sectors qualifying for
corporation tax reliefs, skills development is stimulated
through the Skills Investment Funds in order to meet
production increases.
Our work with the Government, through the Employer
Ownership of Skills pilot, (EOP) supports entry and
progression across our industries for individuals from
all backgrounds, and strengthens the commitment to
creativity within education.
For young talent looking to enter the creative sector,
we have established the “Tick” quality mark to accredit
the most industry-relevant programmes for preparing
young people. For potential apprentices, students and
employers, it signposts the best training and education
sources, from apprenticeships to degree courses.
Creative Skillset has been directly involved in half
of the 4200+ apprenticeships across the sector. Our
Trainee Finder service is helping TV, film, animation,
games, and VFX companies to recruit high quality
trainees from our selected database and to claim back
substantial portions of the training allowance paid to
individuals.
But it’s not just here that our creativity is making a difference. Many of our creative products and services are exported around the globe
and play a key role in shaping our nation’s image abroad. The creative industries are increasingly part of what makes Britain great.
Image Credit: Karmarama. Source: See www.thecreativeindustries.co.uk
ABOUT THE IPA
• The IPA is the UK’s leading professional
institute and trade association
• Close to 300 agencies in advertising, creative
content, digital marketing, and media are in
membership
• It operates in the city clusters of Belfast,
Birmingham, Brighton, Bristol, Cardiff,
Edinburgh, Glasgow, London, Manchester
and Newcastle
• IPA agencies create UK jobs for over 1,000
graduates and school leavers each year
• 62% of IPA member agencies have
international offices
Source: IPA Census
For membership enquiries contact tom@ipa.co.uk
WHO CAN HELP AT CREATIVE SKILLSET
• Training Network Manager
Helen Dobson helend@creativeskillset.org
• Industry Partnerships Manager (North)
Erica Clarke ericac@creativeskillset.org
• UK Advertising & Marketing Communications
Jill Fear jillf@creativeskillset.org
• Interested in contributing to the Skills
Investment Funds?
Fergal McBride fergalm@creativeskillset.org
• Tick accreditation for your educational
programme? qualityteam@creativeskillset.org
• For Trainee Finder information
Caroline Wijnbladh carolinew@creativeskillset.org
IPA & CREATIVE SKILLSET
Tel:
Email:
Web:
Twitter:
+44 (0)207 201 8253
janet@ipa.co.uk
www.ipa.co.uk
@IPA_Updates
Tel:
Email:
Web:
Twitter:
+44 (0)20 7713 9807
jillf@creativeskillset.org
www.creativeskillset.org
@SkillsetSSC
Janet Hull
IPA
Jill Fear
Creative Skillset
14KNOWLEDGE BANK
www.thedrum.com 03.SEP.14 THE DRUM
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Apadmi industry insights:
Ensuring your app is a success
Recent research shows that over 90% of apps are
abandoned within a year. But clearly, some do make it
through to become indispensable to a decent number
of users…and a few become global sensations.
As the UK’s leading app developer, Apadmi has seen
many of the apps it has developed join the million+
downloads club, the BBC iPlayer Radio app is a great
example.
Whether you’re a large brand or aspiring start up,
Apadmi understands the problem and has teamed up
with its digital marketing partner, PushON, to create a
comprehensive list of some of the best ways to ensure
your app is a success.
From ensuring your app is intuitively designed and
robustly developed, to maximising your app’s coverage,
the full 8000-word report (http://www.apadmi.com/
successful-apps-guide/) takes you through every stage
of the process and gives sage advice from many key
industry insiders.
Here’s a digest of some of the report’s key points:
1. Develop an exceptional app
It all starts at the drawing board. Without a quality app,
no matter how much marketing and promotion is done,
engagement will be poor. App stickiness is key and this
can usually be achieved if an app is developed with a
well-defined purpose front of mind (don’t just develop
an app for app’s sake!) It’s better that your app does
one thing well than lots of things badly and the app’s
functionality should be housed within a simple yet intuitive
and engaging UI.
2. Plan and optimise
As a motivational guru might say, “one does not plan to
fail, one fails to plan”. Planning should begin early in the
app development process - consider naming your app
appropriately, testing thoroughly so that bad feedback is
avoided, conducting extensive competitor analyses, along
with optimising the app for different geographical markets
and monitoring for new OS releases or devices.
Ensure time is also spent optimising your app within
different app stores. Showing up in the top 10 results in
a search isn’t luck – it’s a mix of keyword optimisation,
positive reviews, downloads and links from external
websites (amongst many other factors). Think laterally
about your app’s category; a time-tracking app is also a
business app or a productivity app. Ensure keywords are
included within your app’s title and measures are taken to
prevent negative reviews; make it easy for users to seek
help, respond quickly to queries and pay attention to any
related support forums.
3. Gain coverage and maximise exposure
Build user profiles of your target audience – what
websites do they go on and what publications do they
read? These may be great places to advertise, whether
that be in a paid or reciprocal way. Approach key
journalists and bloggers and focus attention on getting
your app featured within the various app stores. An
excellent way to do this is by integrating your app with
something that phone manufacturers, service providers
or Google or Apple may want to promote such as NFC,
iCloud or fingerprint scanners.
Developing apps can be an intricate process and
ensuring they are a success takes time, strategic thought
and expert guidance. Done well, apps can improve brand
advocacy and engagement and even become empires in
their own right.
APADMI
extraordinary mobile experiences
Tel:
Email:
Web:
Twitter:
0161 850 1300
info@apadmi.com
www.apadmi.com
@apadmi
Hannah Pym
Marketing Manager
Apadmi
JOBS
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Got any vacancies that need filling?
The Drum website received 826,000 unique visits last month.
The Drum Jobs board attracts its second highest number of candidates from Manchester.
That’s an awful lot of candidates that could be applying for your jobs.
Visit www.thedrum.com/jobs to post your job roles.
The Creative Out of Home Awards in Association with OMC are now accepting entries
for 2014. These awards recognise excellence in Out of Home advertising with categories
covering all aspects including 6,4 or Smaller Sheet Poster, Transport, Special Build and
Spectacular. There are also craft categories like Art Direction and Use of Photography.
ENTER NOW AT www.creativeoutofhomeawards.com
DEADLINE Friday 5th September 2014 at 5pm
Headline Partner:
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Organised by:
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