The award winning digital team at Newcastle-based marketing services agency Different has broken away to launch an independent company, Status Marketing Ltd.
The company is owned and managed by four ex-Different senior staff - Nick Salloway, former head of Different Digital; plus Stuart Marlow, Neil Lewis and Graeme Wilkinson. The remaining six members of Different’s digital team have also joined the new company.
The company has also received capital investment from Jon Watson, principal of Jon Watson Consulting, and Robert Langley who is a well known Newcastle solicitor. Both investors will join Status’s board as non-executive directors.
Clients already on board include Glasgow Caledonian University, The Outdoor Industries Association, Future Transport Systems and online fashion magazine SheerLuxe. The directors say that several other substantial contract wins are shortly to be announced.
Commenting on the breakaway, Nick Salloway, Status’s managing director said: “Our clients have been hugely supportive and they are very happy to continue their relationship with Status. It is business as usual for them, they are working with the same people and there has been no interruption to creativity, campaign planning or execution.
“Status has a highly experienced team and an enviable track record for such a young company. Being independent gives us greater creative freedom to deliver fantastic results across a wide range of digital services including website design, social media and mobile. The digital marketing landscape moves incredibly fast and clients want a specialist team that can help them exploit every possible opportunity before their competitors do.
“We are in the enviable position of launching a new company that has an established client base, secured revenues and a healthy forward order book. The future looks very exciting for Status.”
Picture Caption (front row, L-R): Graeme Wilkinson, technical director; Stuart Marlow, design director; Nick Salloway, managing director; Neil Lewis, client services director. (Back row L-R): Imogen Mitchell, Bruno Casari, Rob Langley (non-exec director), Jon Watson (non-exec director), Claire Stanwix, Rachel Short, David Lister.
