Duff to launch new agency BrandLed after Crombie exit
Craig M Duff will next week launch BrandLed, an Edinburgh-based brand consultancy, after leaving his role as joint managing director of Crombie.
The new company, based in St Andrew Square and with space in London's Soho, will provide design, strategy and digital services and claims to already have 'major projects' lined up within each of these service categories.
Although no clients have been named, Duff has hinted that staff and business from CMDA, the Edinburgh and London agency he founded in 2001 and sold to a private equity firm last December, will join him at BrandLed.
He said: "I spent seven years building a great team and client list. I'm delighted that both former clients and staff are set to return to working alongside me, to create another profitable and respected brand.
"I've been lucky to consult within challenging environments since selling CMDA last year but it's vastly different to running a large successful team with a national presence."
Duff's short tenure at Crombie officially came to an end today, three months after joining the Edinburgh-based design agency in the role of joint-MD.
He said his experiences since selling CMDA will influence BrandLed's offer.
"Having worked within predominantly print environments since selling my agency last year, I'm amazed that such a large chunk of our industry dedicates such a small amount of resources to digital and strategy.
"Neither of these vital skills can be bolted onto existing print teams. Respect for the true power of all three is needed. The teams that embrace and integrate design, strategy and digital will deliver consistently. And, ultimately, most likely be the only ones to survive."