Digital marketing agency Mediaworks aims to create jobs in Leeds after hiring former Brass employees

Mediaworks is poised to establish an office in Leeds as it aims to increase its market share in the region.

A spokesman said: “Mediaworks has moved quickly to acquire the services of several former Brass senior employees. Paul Mallett and Gill Ball join Mediaworks as managing partners to spearhead the new Yorkshire office, together with Andrew Brown, creative strategy director, and Becca Tredget, head of strategic planning.”

Mediaworks, which employs more than 100 people, already has operations in Gateshead, London, and Edinburgh, and sees an expansion into Yorkshire as a key part of its growth strategy.

Brett Jacobson, chief executive at Mediaworks, said: “We know how important Yorkshire is in the UK’s economy, so it is essential for us to strategically invest and grow our presence in the region.

“The opportunity for Paul, Gill, Andrew, and Becca to join our team and to establish a dedicated presence in Leeds is a real coup for us and will help us to lead the way in the region.” The move comes after the company secured bank funding to support a management buy-out of a founding shareholder, as well as accelerate its growth plans.

Mr Jacobson added: “We have incredibly exciting plans for the business and a young, energetic management team who are ready to take Mediaworks to new heights.

“To augment our team with such high-calibre and experienced people is a huge step forward.

“The new team has extensive experience in developing and implementing brand, creative, and content strategies for clients such as Ribena, the Co-operative Bank, Hermes, and the Met Office, and their talent will greatly complement our existing service offering.”

Commenting on the new venture for the former Brass team, Paul Mallett, said: “We had several offers to join other agencies, but once we met with the Mediaworks team and understood their vision, the decision for us was very simple.

“We’re incredibly excited to join such an ambitious and fast-paced business, which shares our philosophy and values.

“We have exciting plans for the new Leeds office and want to grow the Yorkshire team to 30 heads during the next 24 months.”

Last year, it was revealed that Brass Agency had fallen into administration leading to all its employees being made redundant.

Gareth Harris and Keith Marshall of RSM Restructuring Advisory were appointed joint administrators of Brass Agency Limited on November 29. Brass provided a full range of marketing services to local, national and global organisations.

The Leeds-based business employed more than 60 members of staff when administrators were called in.

All staff were paid up to the date of cessation of trade on November 28, 2019.

Administrators said the firm faced increasing cash flow pressure in the months leading up to the administration. The directors sought to secure additional finance and sell the company’s freehold property.

However, this was not possible in the time available. They decided to cease trading and start the process to place the company into administration.