The Bridge set to shed staff as it relocates to Edinburgh after Scottish Ministers marketing services framework absence
Long running Glasgow advertising agency The Bridge is set to shed its staff and move to Edinburgh in a bid to reverse its fortunes having failed to make the Scottish Ministers Marketing Services framework.
The MBO team in 2009: Alan Clarke (left), David Watson (top) Margaret Byrnes and Frank Stubbs (right)
The Drum understands that the agency, which currently employs around 10 members of staff, will make most, if not all of its members redundant as it plans to relocate to Scotland’s capital in a bid to find a new stream of work.
Clients such as the Scottish Blood donation advertising account and Caledonian MacBrayne are two of the final companies that still employs the agency on a regular basis, however they are both tied up within the Scottish public sector marketing framework, which the agency has failed to remain a part of. In order for it to continue to work with both organisations, they would need to resign from the framework.
The Bridge is thought to still work with NHS4, the Scottish Association for Mental Health , Belhaven, the Scottish Book Trust, Abertay University and Zero Waste Scotland
As a result, managing director David Watson, the sole remnant of the most recent MBO that took place in 2009, has made the choice to relocate the business, although it has not been confirmed whether any other members of staff will move with him.
The agency, founded in 1986, has been the subject of two MBO’s, the most recent of which saw Watson take on the reigns at the agency alongside Alan Clarke, Margaret Byrnes and Frank Stubbs, who have all subsequently left the business.
At the time of writing, Watson had not commented on the plans for the business, although The Drum has learned that he is downsizing with the intention of looking to employ freelancers on a project by project basis.
Staff are understood to have been informed of the redundancies.
Yesterday, The Drum discussed the impact that procurement was having on marketing services firms since its introduction into public sector appointments.
Content created with:
