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Red Bank, Northern Gateway: FEC launches search for an affordable housing partner

Sam Whitear
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Far East Consortium (FEC) is seeking to identify a registered provider housing partner(s) to help deliver its affordable home ambitions across Red Bank, one of the first phases of Manchester’s Northern Gateway, which could see over 800 new affordable homes delivered in the next 10 years.

The Northern Gateway, a joint venture partnership between FEC and Manchester City Council (MCC), will deliver up to 15,000 new homes across north Manchester over the next 15-20 years, 20% of which are outlined as affordable. The project is divided into a series of neighbourhoods, with Red Bank being one of the first to be progressed for development and investment by the partnership.

Red Bank will be a high-density, residential led neighbourhood adjacent to Victoria train station, which will see the delivery of approximately 5,500 homes over the next 10 years alongside £51.6m of Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF) investment secured by MCC.

Circa 4,000 of the new homes will be delivered by FEC on land within their ownership, with an aspiration to deliver over 800 affordable homes. Avison Young, on behalf of FEC, has launched a marketing exercise to identify a registered provider housing partner (s) to help support delivery of the affordable homes.

As part of the process there is an urgent need for FEC to secure a partner for its initial development at Victoria Riverside, a key site located at the gateway to the Red Bank neighbourhood.

The Victoria Riverside development proposes 634 homes comprising 589 apartments split over three residential towers, 10 townhouses and 35 maisonettes and apartments at lower levels. It is anticipated that 32 homes within the Victoria Riverside development will be affordable in the form of shared ownership.

Running concurrently with expressions of interest for the Victoria Riverside development, Avison Young is leading a soft market testing exercise on behalf of FEC to inform strategy for delivery of affordable homes across the Red Bank neighbourhood.

Hilary Brett, project director at FEC, said: “The creation of vibrant, diverse and inclusive neighbourhoods with a mixture of home types and tenures is essential in building sustainable communities and is hugely important to our vision for Red Bank. We need to develop our affordable homes delivery strategy on a larger, neighbourhood level, rather than building by building. Given the scale of the opportunity, we are looking for a partner, or panel of partners, to help shape our proposals and assist in the delivery of affordable homes in Red Bank. We are extremely excited to be launching our search to find a partner to join us, and MCC, in regenerating this part of the city.”

Nicola Rigby, director at Avison Young, said: “We are delighted to be in a position to dispose of the first phase of affordable homes to an experienced registered provider partner to help deliver this important city centre scheme. The wider potential to establish a partnership across the whole of Red Bank comprises one of the biggest urban affordable housing opportunities outside of London, and we look forward to helping shape FEC’s approach to delivery in this context.”

Cllr Suzanne Richards, Manchester City Council’s executive member for housing and regeneration, said: “First and foremost the Northern Gateway is for Manchester people. The project represents one of the biggest housing development programmes in the UK and it’s important that the homes are accessible to those who need them, across a range of house types and tenures. Affordability therefore must be a key tenet of the housing investment and bringing in a professional registered provider to support the delivery of affordable homes in Red Bank underpins that ambition.”

The deadline for expressions of interest and soft market testing responses is Friday 2nd October 2020.

Manchester is Poised to Be a Leader in Digital Payment Innovation

Sam Whitear
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Payment methods are changing, and it’s becoming clear that businesses of all kinds need to adjust if they’re to stay competitive. In B2C transactions, cash is becoming less common, and particularly in the aftermath of the COVID-19 outbreak, more people are favouring transactions that require minimal contact. In B2B dealings meanwhile, companies are embracing new ways to make large, occasionally cross-border payments efficient, secure, and affordable.

These are big changes that are occurring around the world. But it’s becoming clear that in the UK, Manchester could be among the areas leading the way.

Progress We’ve Already Seen

One of the reasons to look to Manchester for leadership in this area is that the city is already something of a hot spot for eCommerce businesses. A few years ago, Prolific North’s list of the top eCommerce companies in the North listed two Manchester businesses (N Brown and Rentalcars.com) in its top three. Four Manchester businesses were in the top 10, and 19 appeared on the list in total. This makes it clear that the city has already established itself at the forefront of the movement toward more digital transactions.

Another interesting point regarding the progress we’ve already seen in Manchester is that the city as a whole has embraced some particularly cutting edge payment methods. Case in point, we reported on the introduction of Sthaler’s Fingopay system to the Manchester area. This is a system that uses Hitachi VeinID scanning to allow users to link their credit cards to their “vein signatures,” and then complete in-person transactions using only their fingers. This is not a contactless payment method, but it is a quick and easy one, and one that still minimises contact significantly. It’s fast, secure, and safe, and its launch in Manchester could ultimately lead to changes around the UK.

Why Does Digital Commerce Matter?

We’ve spoken to why all of this matters to some extent from the perspective of consumers. People want safe, quick, secure transactions, and reputable digital options can provide just that. From the business side too though, digital commerce represents a clear path into the future.

On this topic, FIS Global sums up the benefits to enterprises fairly comprehensively. They explain that digital commerce solutions can lead to seamless B2B transactions; seamless, multichannel payments from consumers; and a more flexible payment network supporting different methods, currencies, and devices, as well as international activity. In short, a company that sets up a robust digital commerce system can make all transactions more convenient — from an in-person sale, to an overseas purchase, to a deal with another company.

What this means for businesses like the ones already thriving with eCommerce and digital payments in Manchester is that they simply have more potential. Their digital transformations can lead to competitive advantages with consumers, and in some cases will open doors to online and/or international business.

Manchester’s Potential to Lead

It’s clear that some Manchester businesses have gotten in on digital payment methods fairly early, as well as that those businesses stand to reap significant rewards for doing so. This much, however, could be said of plenty of cities around the UK and the rest of the world. What really gives Manchester the potential to lead in this space is the fact that these trends toward digital commerce happen to coincide with a relatively strong job market.

StartUs Magazine looked into UK business activity last year, and showed with fairly clear numbers that Manchester is among the more promising job markets. It may not feel that way to people in light of the economic crisis we’ve seen in 2020. But as of 2019, the city was coming off of a 62% increase in business activity since 2010. That’s as compared to 26% in Liverpool, 31% in Leeds, 39% in Birmingham, and 44% in London.

This indicates that as Manchester is increasingly exploring the benefits of modernised, digital payment methods, it is also seeing more new businesses than virtually any other UK city. This brings about all the more potential for a growing number of companies in the area to embrace digital payment progress.

Altogether, what we’re looking at is clear. Manchester has demonstrated an inclination to innovate. There are clear benefits for businesses doing so. And there have been new businesses emerging at a promising rate. For all of these reasons, we expect to look back in a number of years and see Manchester as a hub of digital payment development and adoption.

STEWART MILNE HOMES SECURES £13M FROM HOMES ENGLAND TO ACCELERATE DELIVERY OF 1,000 NEW HOMES IN THE NORTH WEST

Sam Whitear
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Stewart Milne Homes has secured an additional £13million from Homes England to accelerate the delivery of new homes across a number of its developments in North West England.

This funding announcement, which follows on from a 2018 award of £11.5million, brings the total number of new homes to be delivered by this ongoing partnership to almost 1,000, boosting the economy, adding to community infrastructure and supporting the creation of new jobs.

The funding will support the independent, award-wining housebuilder in delivering the new homes across eight developments in Alsager, Broughton, Chester, Congleton, Hooton, Prescot, Warton and Willaston.

These developments, which will create desirable communities with a balanced mix of family homes, around 30% of which will be affordable homes, will help meet the country’s housing shortfall.

The developments are at various stages, with Callenders Green in Prescot due to complete this month and Broughton Park due to commence in the next few weeks.

Working in partnership with Homes England, Stewart Milne Homes North West England Limited secured the loan from the £3billion Home Building Fund which aims to increase the number of new homes being built across the country with a target of delivering 300,000 new homes per annum.

Paul Challinor, managing director of Stewart Milne Homes North West England, believes the fund, which was already helping to address the country’s long-term housing challenge pre-COVID, is more important than ever as the country embarks on the road to recovery following lockdown.

He said: “The construction industry can play a major role in getting the economy back on its feet after lockdown. It’s crucial in terms of supporting jobs and the supply chain as well as closing the gap between supply and demand for homes.

“As we emerge from lockdown, private, independent developers, like ourselves, will find it even more challenging to make the up-front investment required to close that gap.

“The Homes England funding enables us to accelerate the delivery of outstanding new communities for local residents and help the UK Government meet its housing targets.

“Securing the funds is testament to the strong relationship we’ve built with Homes England over a number of years, demonstrates the confidence they place in us to deliver and underlines our commitment to investing in the North West.”

Terry Errington, head of structured real estate finance, Homes England, said: “Our relationship with Stewart Milne Group continues to strengthen and we are pleased to advance additional loan funding to deliver much needed open market and affordable homes across the region. We are supportive of building capacity and productivity in the construction sector, and Stewart Milne Group’s off site manufacturing model is a key element of this focus.”.

Stewart Milne Homes North West, a division of Stewart Milne Group, was established in 2006. Since then it has been on a steep upward growth trajectory. This exceptional growth, along with its high levels of customer service, has been recognised by several awards, most recently three winners in the NHBC Pride in the Job awards for construction quality on site.

Mr Challinor added: “Having experienced rapid growth in the North West in recent years, we have become a recognised brand in the region with a reputation for delivering quality, family homes in desirable new communities with a focus on craftsmanship and very high design specifications.

“We will continue to invest in the region through our strategy of acquisition of sites in prime residential locations, to create communities where demand is strongest for our new mix of family homes.”

KOMI creates ‘Aloha Asks the Nation’ for Aloha 65’s Detonator range

Sam Whitear
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KOMI Social – the content production, content distribution and social media management division of Manchester based KOMI group – has created and launched a vox pop marketing and social media campaign called ‘Aloha Asks the Nation’ for Detonators – the chilli infused pineapple chunks product that was created by spirit drink Aloha 65.

Detonators are alcohol free and are the perfect combination of sweet, savoury and chilli. They are perfect for pimping up everything from pizzas and burgers to kebabs and cheese. They are also ideal for making each sip of Aloha 65 even more refreshing. Detonators are sold exclusively on Aloha65.com and Amazon.

Aloha 65 is an all-natural, vegan spirit drink that is infused with fresh pineapple, lemon, ginger, scotch-bonnet chillies and carefully selected herbs and spices.

The brief, which was won via a non-competitive pitch, saw the KOMI team hit the high street and ask the Great British public a series of simple questions, the most divisive being: Pineapple on pizza, Yes or No? The result was a resounding YES with 69% of the vote.

As well trying to get the bottom of this much debated, and often controversial dilemma, participants were also offered the chance to sample a Detonator. KOMI’s in-house production team recorded every reaction with the best (and funniest) being included in a two to three-minute original piece of video content that is being used across all social platforms, including the KOMI owned It’s Gone Viral page.

James Manaley – Head of Partnerships at KOMI group – said: “Aloha 65 is a growing brand so we wanted to come up with a unique campaign for Detonators that will be engaging, have a comedic feel, build on its ethos of living life to the full and create real engagement on social media.”

Nick Hassall – executive chairman at Aloha 65 – added: “KOMI understood our brand and what we are all about right from our initial conversation. ‘Aloha Asks the Nation’ is set to get people debating one of the key issues of our time and hopefully create some laughs along the way, which is something we all need right now.”

Under the KOMI group umbrella is: KOMI Media, which creates and builds bespoke social channels; KOMI Social; and Ark Media – its licensing arm. The firm, which recently rebranded from It’s Gone Viral, was founded in 2016 and is led by Andrew Trotman and Ryan Williams. Over the past four years, its team of content creators, analysts and video producers have made and then distributed video content and viral campaign adverts for international brands such as BBC Films, O2, Universal, Bud Light and Disney.

Content has been shared across its Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, TikTok, Instagram and LinkedIn accounts including the main page, which is dedicated to relatable, informative and educational content; as well as Go Fetch, a platform for dog lovers to connect with one another; Happiest, which focusses on bringing the most entertaining and uplifting content and real life stories; and Ultimate DIY which is all about sharing fascinating and clever DIY, crafts and hacks followers can do at home.

The last six months has seen the company reach other various milestones including delivering over six billion across its portfolio of pages, relocating its HQ to Beehive Mill in Ancoats, reporting its highest ever NewsWhip results, acquiring social media brand Happiest Media Ltd and appointing Urban Splash’s Sam Lenehan as its new non-exec director.

Manchester Hoteliers’ Association (MHA) throws its support behind recently launched Manchester Talent Hub

Sam Whitear
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Manchester Hotelier’s Association (MHA) has partnered with Marketing Manchester and GC Employment on the launch of the new Tourism and Hospitality Talent Hub.
The recently launched resource, which is available to individuals working in the tourism and hospitality industries provides support to those who’s employment has been directly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Services include helping with sourcing new job opportunities in businesses that are still recruiting, assisting with CV preparation and work skills, and training opportunities for staff to gain other skills that might help their future careers.
Following a successful launch period, the talent hub, which is currently working with over 6 operators has received great feedback on the support it provides to assist with new job opportunities, training and advice on employment.
Chair of MHA, Adrian Ellis said: “We have been delighted to work with Marketing Manchester and GC Employment on the Tourism and Hospitality Talent Hub and it’s been great to see how this has supported many people who have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Support for staff who are not able to return to their previous positions in the hospitality sector will be crucial over the coming few months as we look to recover from one of the most challenging times in recent history and we are really glad we can assist The Growth Company with this initiative.”
MHA has provided practical support for the project as well as working closely with Marketing Manchester and GC Employment to ensure the hospitality and tourism sector are aware of the new support measures in place.
Sheona Southern, Managing Director at Marketing Manchester said: “At the start of 2020, the visitor economy was worth over £9 billion per annum and supported over 101,000 jobs. The impact of Covid-19 on jobs in tourism, hospitality and leisure has undoubtably been devastating with many livelihoods affected. As we rebuild our visitor economy it is essential that we support, and guide effected individuals through this difficult period and the Tourism & Hospitality Talent Hub has been set up to do exactly that.”
Mark Hughes, CEO of The Growth Company, said: “We understand the challenges the Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure industries are facing. As we start to return to the ‘new normal’, we want to ensure that businesses have the right support to help both them and their employees as they navigate significant changes to the sector. Whether this be through skills development, talent management, or re-shaping, this new resource will be essential for helping to future proof the sector.”
Adrian added: “Despite there being slow signs of recovery and optimism amongst the cities leaders it is crucially important we continue to support those most in need. I am looking forward to continuing to work with Marketing Manchester and GC Employment providing practical support from hotels across the region.”
The MHA has a 50-strong membership made up of general managers of hotels throughout the region. Its key objectives are being a strong voice for the hotel community, and continually improving the offering for visitors spending time in the city.

Employment and Business Immigration Law Practice Constantine Law Expands Northern Hub with New Partner Appointment

Sam Whitear
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Constantine Law, the employment and business immigration law specialist firm has recruited Sarah Evans as a new partner. Sarah joins Constantine Law from JMW Solicitors in Manchester where she was an employment partner. Prior to that she was in the Manchester office of Slater and Gordon where she was Practice Group Leader with responsibility for the Manchester Employment (private client) department.

Sarah covers the full employment law remit and in particular works closely with senior executives, directors and managers on issues such as senior executive pay, exits and bonus disputes. She has built a strong reputation in advising clients in the NHS and has a growing practice involvement in NHS, regulatory (GMC/ GDC) and education sector matters. She has also been building her corporate client work, advising companies on tribunal matters and employment litigation.

Sarah has a strong reputation- most of her work (90%) comes though client, solicitor and barrister recommendations and introductions. According to Legal 500 2019, Sarah ” gets the job done and is tenacious and fearless in the pursuit of her clients claims”. She is also a regular contributor to media employment law discussion on the BBC, Sky News and print media.

Sarah joins a rapidly expanding team of senior lawyers at Constantine Law, a firm set up by John Hayes in 2015. In June this year Constantine Law recruited employment partner Will Clayton from Knights and last year Alan Lewis and Regulatory specialist partner Sarah Wallace joined the firm.

Commenting on the new appointment, Managing Partner John Hayes said, “Sarah’s appointment helps consolidate our push to create a northern hub for Constantine Law, where we now have 3 senior employment lawyers – although our lawyers are flexible and agile and can meet clients’ needs wherever they are based.

At Constantine Law we have created a new type of law firm- one that is entrepreneurial and agile and works to a lean business model delivering a smarter, more responsive service to our clients. We are without the fixed costs of many firms which enables us to offer senior expert advice at extremely good value. In times like these, we believe this is even more attractive to clients.

“The Coronavirus pandemic has showed that agile working is definitely the way forward and Sarah’s decision to join us at this time is a testament to our business model. We are delighted to welcome her to the firm. We are looking to hire further senior lawyers of her calibre and grow the business further.”

Former AO & Sorted team launch new brand & culture agency

Sam Whitear
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Today, Lee Thawley & Vicky Pritchard, formerly part of the senior team at Sorted and AO.com, announce the launch of MuddyWellies, a new brand & culture agency.

Their aim – to create customers committed to buying from their clients, and people motivated to work for them.

Having spent the last month focusing on building out their model and approach, MuddyWellies is a powerful new agency on the North West scene with a very clear goal – to create destination brands for customers and employees alike. By putting brand & people at the forefront of everything, the North West based team believes they can ultimately bind, guide and attract people, business and partners.

With an already impressive track record, the new agency is set up to create cutting-edge experiences for clients, producing bespoke plans and building enviable initiatives that make a real difference to businesses, inside and out.

The new agency is co-founded by Lee Thawley & Vicky Pritchard, both formerly of Sorted and AO.com. Between them, they have experience working with some of the UK’s biggest brands across a variety of sectors including, Halfords, Green Flag, Mercedes-Benz, Authentic Food Company, and Royal Bank of Scotland.

Thawley & Pritchard met eight years ago on a project that would see Appliances Online relaunch as superbrand AO.com. Their paths continued to cross, and in 2017, they reunited at Sorted, with Pritchard as People Director and Thawley as Head of Brand. There, they built a powerful culture with purpose, through brand-driven experiences & initiatives.

Their new company aims to help businesses big or small, with the one stipulation that the senior leadership team must understand, or at least be prepared to understand, how brand and people combined is the key to a company’s success.

Thawley & Pritchard both believe that bringing brand and culture together is the key to engaged people and customers, and they will work together to create strong company cultures for each of their clients, putting this right at the core of each unique business plan.

This proves important for organisations of all shapes and sizes, from the well-established to the fledgling start-up, and can be achieved at any stage in a business’ journey.

While well-established organisations may need to review their position or vision, and start-ups may need to create a brand that can grow with them, MuddyWellies will work with businesses to bring people & purpose together. They will achieve this by bringing clarity & consistency to each & every business they work with; aligning employees, increasing internal efficiency, and therefore external outputs.

As well as re-engaging internal teams, and powering up both the employee & customer experience, MuddyWellies will help businesses to attract top talent & partners by building brand advocates.

Thawley & Pritchard describe themselves each as a welly, Thawley the reliable, tough left boot – a little bit of what you really need, & Pritchard the high gloss right, bringing the energy & sparkle.

Pritchard said “It’s hard work keeping everyone engaged within a business, it’s tough finding that point of differentiation, or the core purpose to our being and avoiding values being just words on a wall. But, when you get it right, it can create such great stories and memories – and deliver such a great business return.

Well, that’s where we come in. We dig deep, we get muddy, we focus on getting the wellies on the right feet – and your business going in the right direction.”

Thawley added “What you do internally, runs parallel to what you demonstrate externally. And that’s where the power lies. The greatest businesses – big or small – are built with brand and people at the heart of everything they do. So, we want to help more companies to build their perfect pair.

We want to create talkability. As we say on our site and our creds we don’t do dull, we create destination brands that stand out.”

The duo feel there’s a particular need to remember the importance of culture as many businesses go through a period of change due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Pritchard commented “There is so much noise & opinion around returning to work, remote working, the ‘new normal’ at the moment but to be quite frank nobody really knows what is right or wrong.”

“Not only is every business different, but the people within the teams are too, and this will create new challenges as we reintroduce the return to the office. Getting it right will be driven by leaders who ensure that the purpose and people are still at the core of the business – it will actually require more investment and more concerted initiatives to actually work differently”

MuddyWellies launches today, with full details on the team & their services available on their website – www.wearemuddywellies.com

Bridge first UK insurance broker to launch price-comparison portal

Sam Whitear
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Manchester’s Bridge Insurance Brokers Ltd has launched the UK’s first broker-branded portal for credit insurance clients.

The 50 year old business has partnered with The Trade Cover Exchange to create the platform, which will allow clients to get credit insurance quotes from multiple insurers for a single invoice, simply by registering and selecting the debtor they wish to cover as well as the invoice amount and due date.

The portal will support large and small businesses needing to compensate for the negative impact of COVID-19 on their revenues, as Mark Johnson from Bridge explains: “Businesses will need to identify new clients, domestically as well as abroad, and originate larger commercial deals with existing customers. They may start to export for the first time or explore new international markets. All of this comes with risk attached, and while whole turnover policies have always been the traditional choice, single invoice protection from the portal provides a more cost-effective and swift option, to immediately offset the risk and give business owners peace of mind.”

Trade Cover Exchange Chief Executive Gerard van Kaathoven adds: “Our marketplace aims to make trade credit insurance as easy and transparent as possible. We are pleased to have started this partnership with Bridge Insurance Brokers Ltd, one of the largest independent insurance brokers in the United Kingdom.

“The combination of our digital trading platform for single invoice insurance and the client base of Bridge Insurance Brokers Ltd will enhance their clients’ ability to grow their revenues safely.”

Mark concludes: “It’s important to provide the most appropriate service to customers and while we still provide bespoke management and account teams across all our divisions, this launch heralds a giant move forward compared to the more “traditional” route of obtaining credit insurance.”

MANCHESTER-BASED BEER PIPER LAUNCHES GAME CHANGING SYSTEM TO HELP LOCAL PUBS SAVE MONEY

Sam Whitear
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Beer Piper, the UK’s leading automated beer line cleaning company, has launched a revolutionary system to help bars and pubs in Greater Manchester save money, save waste and pull perfect pints.

The BP4 beer line cleaning system – an industry game changer – is the first of its kind in the UK. It ensures that beer lines are cleaned to extremely high standards at regular intervals with environmentally-friendly chemicals, something that is of utmost importance during the current climate.

As well as keeping beer lines spotless, the system allows bar managers and landlords to save waste because they can serve the beer in the lines that is normally thrown away as part of a “manual” line clean. This can lead to huge savings behind the bar.

In fact, recent research by Beer Piper found that a staggering 1.3 million million pints of perfectly good beer are thrown out by Manchester’s pubs every year.

The high tech system links to a mobile app which can control, track and report line cleans in real time – making beer line cleaning easy, accurate and fast. The BP4 system’s cloud-based technology logs when and who cleans the lines, and allows bar managers access to real time data as and when they need it, via the web-based portal and the handy app which can be quickly downloaded onto a phone or tablet.

The portal and app also enables hospitality managers to deliver increased reportability and trackability, helping them to save money and waste. The interactive tech helps to improve accountability, which in turn makes running the bar more efficient – something that is increasingly important for the hospitality industry as a whole, especially at this time.

The system eliminates the need for time-consuming manual line cleans, meaning that staff members are free to get on with additional activities.

Jeff Singer, Commercial Manager for Beer Piper, which is based in Trafford Park, Manchester, commented: ”Beer Piper has invested considerably into the BP4 system, to ensure that the cloud-based tech and app makes life easier, more efficient and works in a smarter way for hospitality managers and owners.

“Beer Piper systems also help bar managers reduce waste considerably, which equates to saving money – something which is crucial for Greater Manchester’s On-Trade industry at present as it picks itself back up after the Covid-19 shutdowns.

“We work with a large number of hospitality owners and managers throughout the UK, from big chains, traditional pubs and craft beer taprooms, to restaurants, hotels and any type of venue that serves draught, and the feedback is always positive when our systems have been implemented.

“Manchester craft brewers, SEVEN BRO7HERS, have made considerable savings since installing the Beer Piper BP4 system and plan to roll out the tech to all of their beer houses.”

The app, which can be downloaded onto an Android phone or tablet and also features educational training videos, and has a troubleshooting section which means that users can identify and fix issues quickly. Additionally, larger group customers can check in to see how their public houses are doing with regards to hygiene and line cleans.

Jeff continues: “The taste and quality of beer can be hugely affected if lines are not cleaned properly, or if they are cleaned with second rate systems or products. With the craft beer boom instilling a renewed passion in the nation’s beer drinking community, and with consumers having to be very selective about where they spend their money given the recent circumstances, pulling the perfect pint, every time, has never been more important.

“Coupled with the need to ensure that hygiene standards are constantly first rate, installing a system such as the BP4 is a smart choice.”

To find out more about how Beer Piper and the new BP4 system and mobile app can save you money, save waste and make life easier behind the bar, visit www.beerpiper.co.uk to call the team on for a chat about your requirements.

Pixel Kicks sees soaring demand for digital marketing services

Sam Whitear
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Pixel Kicks, the full-service digital agency, has seen a surge in demand from clients for its digital marketing services since the onset of coronavirus. The Ancoats-based firm has reported a 125% jump in new enquiries for its SEO, social media, paid advertising and email marketing specialisms over the past three months.

The agency, which has also seen a rise in clients seeking content creation, short form videos and bespoke photography, has put the trend down to clients feeling more confident and realising the importance of having a strong web presence as consumer trends and buying behaviours continue to move online.

Particular growth sectors have included property, professional services, merchandise manufacturers and distributors, and healthcare brands. As a result, Pixel Kicks expects to expand its dedicated digital marketing team by around 30% by the end of 2020.

Andrew Flynn – digital marketing manager at Pixel Kicks – said: “Coronavirus has devastated many businesses, but for others it has been an opportunity to reassess their comms and marketing strategies to ensure they are positioned as strongly as possible for the future. There is no point having a cutting-edge website if it can’t be found by your target audiences. It’s great to see that more firms are now confident enough to invest in their digital marketing budgets which I think will continue strongly over the coming year.”

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