Two of Gloucestershire’s best-known creative brand agencies have joined forces, citing the Golden Valley Development and influx of cyber businesses as a motivating factor.
Cheltenham-based Mighty, which has worked for clients from GFirst LEP to worldwide engineering giants Moog and handled crisis management linked to the Grenfell Tower tragedy, has taken over respected rival Third Floor Design as part of its expansion plans.
According to Mighty founder and owner, James Ashe, the move makes for a powerful new agency and is partly to position the business ahead of the forthcoming Golden Valley Development, which is expected to firmly establish the county as the UK’s cyber capital.
Ashe, who said Mighty and Third Floor Design would retain their individual branding and continue to serve all sectors in the UK and abroad, said: ‘Lots of cyber-related businesses are already here, and that number is only expected to get bigger as more and more look to locate here and we want to be one of those to benefit from the Golden Valley factor.
‘We want to make sure they and everyone else knows they do not have to look to London or elsewhere for the skills they need to help brand their companies, to handle their marketing and messages – no matter how big they are.’
He added: ‘I see the Golden Valley Development as a bit like when a city hosts the Olympics. With all the investment, it can’t just benefit athletes and the event – it has to be everyone.
‘With the Golden Valley there is a possible up-lift for all kinds of businesses already operating here in Cheltenham and Gloucestershire, whether they are in IT or not. They just have to be ready.’
Ashe himself worked for what is now Porter Novelli, a global marketing agency with offices in 60 countries, before setting up Mighty in 2011. The firm specialises in branding, PR, social media, content marketing, graphic design and SEO.
The purchase of Third Floor Design is ‘the first of a number of planned investments’ by Mighty as it looks to grow its brand-led communications business through the addition of specialist businesses and experts.
All of Third Floor Design’s staff remain within the company, including long-serving creative director Gareth Brough, while the agency’s founder James Cowdale will leave with immediate effect to concentrate on &SONS, the Cheltenham clothing business he jointly founded in 2016.
By Andrew Merrell
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