A new digital marketing agency aimed at helping SMEs across the UK has been launched by former Blueclaw SEO Lead Sam Raife (Pictured).
Together with business partner Robin Hetherington, the pair have decades of digital, marketing and advertising agency experience between them. Brand Ambition was created after the duo saw that SMEs were not getting the recognition and help they needed from agencies during the first months of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Sam has taken on the position of managing director, whilst Robin drives the visual side of the business as creative director. They are based remotely in Leeds and Belfast respectively and the agency works across technical SEO, design, content, PR and social media.
Already, the pair have worked on projects for clients in Leeds, Belfast, Durham and Aldershot in the six months since Brand Ambition’s inception, with a steady stream of work in the pipeline over the coming months. Currently the business is on track for a six-figure turnover in its first year.
The agency has been so successful since launching, that two new staff have already joined the business. Finance manager Kate Hicks and PR and content manager Pete Finnegan have helped to expand the agency’s offering and client base, with plans underway to add more members to the team.
Sam said: “It’s been a really exciting first few months for us. After being able to take a step back and look at the business landscape during the first lockdown, I noticed that hardly anyone was working with SMEs, especially at a time when a lot of them needed specialist agency support the most.
“The support we've received from organisations designed to support SME growth in the city has been fantastic. From legal, HR and business mentorship with Ad:Venture through to peer support and networking from the LEP & Leeds University Business School Peer Networking group, we've managed to network and meet like-minded businesses without ever leaving our desks.
“Starting during a pandemic was daunting, but due to the resilience and determination of our team and working to take advantage of the help and support on offer in the city, we've managed to push forward and start to give something back by offering employment. I'll be eternally grateful for these programs helping us gain a running start.
“We’ve done great work for our clients and we’re looking forward to continuing that as we grow over the coming months. We’re already looking at bringing additional staff onboard and exploring options for our first office in Leeds which we’ll use as a blended office and remote working combination as we build our team.”
