A clutch of new client wins and a surge in demand for full digital marketing services following lockdown has paved the way for a new Birmingham home for M3.Agency.
The full-service advertising agency, which also has bases in Albrighton and London, has invested more than £750,000 into a two-year blueprint that will see it grow its revenue in the second city to £2m and complete a recruitment drive that will increase staff numbers by more than a third.
First stage of the expansion plan is now complete, with the move into the impressive Cubo Work buildings in Birmingham giving it a 30-seater office and access to the latest meeting rooms, shared collaboration spaces and entertainment facilities, including bars and panoramic views over Chamberlain Square.
It marks a successful first three years for the firm in the city that has seen it grow from a standing start in 2019 to an eighteen-strong workforce, with positions currently available in SEO, pay-per-click (PPC) advertising and social media.
Andrew Cove, Digital Marketing Director at M3.Agency, commented: “Covid-19 saw marketing budgets come under intense scrutiny and spends shift towards the long-term channels of SEO and social media.
“As soon as the world opened again, we saw existing and new clients increase spend in performance-based channels, such as PPC and paid social advertising, as they looked to take advantage of new opportunities.
“Digital marketing is very much driving our growth in Birmingham and companies are looking for a strategic approach that encompasses all the different disciplines, whether that is SEO, PPC, video or social media. We can deliver all of it under one roof and that really drives value for the client.”
He continued: “We’d outgrown our previous office, so wanted the next move to be a place we could call home for several years and that’s what we’ve got in Cubo. There’s space for 30 people to work in our own dedicated hub and then we’ve got all the great shared facilities that I’m sure will lead to more opportunities.
“Employing the best talent is crucial to M3.Agency’s growth. This building is in one of the best locations in Birmingham and will help us tap into a shift in mentality from candidates who have missed being in the office environment.
“We also recognise that people are searching for a better work-life balance, so wanted to go further by introducing flexible start and finish hours and giving staff the choice to work from home with a credit system.”
M3.Agency offers brand development, creative, digital marketing, media planning and web development services to a host of clients including Capstone Foster Care, MG Motor UK Ltd and West Midland Safari Park.
Its Birmingham office has been growing significantly and, in the last six months, the company has won pitches to supply digital marketing services to Amplifi, One Global Property and The Acacium Group.
Andrew went on to add: “We have really strengthened our senior management team in Birmingham, with the appointment of Steve Price as Creative Director, Emma Bowen as Group Account Director, and Dave Gayson as Performance Director.
“The latter has been promoted into this new role and will be key in helping us introduce our ‘Masters of Modern Marketing’ model that focuses on ensuring we have specialists in every creative, communication and marketing discipline the client could ever need.
“This will help us achieve our target of growing our Birmingham operation by 50% year-on-year.”