Yorkshire Forward brings all of its marketing back home to the North

As Adline went to press rumours were suggesting that Yorkshire Forward, the body created to promote the image and investment potential of the region to the outside world, had taken the decision to consolidate all of its marketing activity into three Leeds-based marketing services agencies.
It has emerged that the prolonged pitch process started by the organisation earlier this year has finally come to a conclusion, with the result that Poulter Partners, Thompson Design and Brahm appear to have secured all the available work between them.
It is understood that the three triumphed out of an initial list of well over 100 interested marketing services firms.
At the time of going to press none of the agencies was prepared to confirm that they had secured any of the Yorkshire Forward business, and Theresa Lindsey, the Head of Communications and Marketing at Yorkshire Forward, was away on annual leave. Her deputy, Rob Walton, was also unavailable to comment.
If the move is officially confirmed, as expected later on this month, it marks a positive demonstration by the group that they have faith in the regional marketing services community.
Many commentators had called this into question last year when the body appointed London-based Senior King to handle a much coveted £5m tourism brief.
A decision that Lindsey justified at the time by explaining that they simply wanted to get the “best results for the region”. Which is what, as one industry insider commented, they should now get: “It’s great to see all the business staying in the region,” they stated. “[These agencies] have proven that they can get the results for their clients in the past, and, if this decision has been made, it publicly demonstrates that Yorkshire Forward has faith in the results that Yorkshire agencies are capable of achieving. It’s very good news.”
Another Leeds-based industry source added: “For an organisation whose core mission is to prove to people outside Yorkshire what a diverse and talented bunch we are, it really shouldn’t be an issue where they go for their marketing services because they should keep it local. If agencies here are to thrive then we need the support of local enterprises such as Yorkshire Forward before we can set our sights higher and maybe bring some business into the area ourselves.”