Member Article

‘Fruitful year’ for growing Ouseburn-based creative agency

Newcastle-based DDCA, a creative communications agency operating out of Ouseburn, has reported a 50% increase in sales to £600k for last year, as it enjoyed growth in accounts across the leisure, beauty and fashion sectors.

Founder and MD of DDCA Danielle Dunn has since bolstered the team, hiring four new people bringing current staff numbers up to twelve in total.

During 2014, the business launched its new Blogger Outreach service, which is the authentic accompaniment of a business and bloggers, after it hosted a blogger preview event on Tyneside for the best of the region’s bloggers.

Teaming up with Newcastle Fashion Week, DDCA also headed up NE1’s Newcastle Fashion Week blogger preview event at Bonbar, at Newcastle’s Assembly Rooms, which saw bloggers flocking across the North to attend.

Meanwhile the agency, which is based at Mailing Court on Union Street, says it is keen to upskill the next generation for the digital industries and give something back to its local community.

Now DDCA has teamed up with international charity Coderdojo to launch a scheme in Newcastle, teaching children from all backgrounds and abilities about coding.

DDCA managing director Danielle Dunn, who is aiming to reach the £1m turnover milestone for the business this year, said: “We have undergone a period of rapid growth and we put that down to understanding the needs of our clients, ensuring we go above and beyond in fulfilling their business aims and objectives by delivering a quality bespoke service.

“We were particularly delighted to be able to welcome a raft of new talent on board during this last year.

“The marketing landscape is evolving quickly and it’s important to recognise that graduates from the region’s four Universities really do have their finger on the pulse in terms of what people are reading, talking about and how they are interacting online, how people are buying, what’s hot and what’s not.

“It’s crucial now that, as an agency, we take this growth and enjoy a period of bedding in the enlarged team we have and cement the reputation we have carved out in design, digital and creative communications.

“For us this was about giving young people a head start because it’s almost unbelievable that computer coding, the shorthand of the 21st century, is not yet taught in schools.

“2014 was a fruitful year for DDCA and 2015 is shaping up to be even better. We’re taking active steps to expand our services further into sectors such as health and beauty, leisure, and property.

“The team visited Facebook earlier this year. It was amazing to see the unique way that a company like that works and hopefully we can implement some of their ideas into DDCA.

“Creating a strong, team-based and forward facing company culture is hugely important, as that will allow us to further deliver high quality service to our clients and allow us to flourish as an agency in the digital industry.”

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