Member Article

Lancaster creative agency champions the digital economy at Number 10

Guy Cookson, marketing director and partner at Lancaster-based Hotfoot Design, has visited 10 Downing Street to champion the digital economy in Lancashire.

Alongside a group of entrepreneurs from Lancashire and Enterprise Nation, a company that helps people start and grow their businesses, Guy met with one of the Prime Minister’s key advisers at Number 10 to discuss how government can help small businesses grow.

Guy commented on the visit: “It was a great opportunity to discuss the importance of Lancashire, and in particular Lancaster, to the UK economy. I raised the point that Manchester and Liverpool are buzzing at the moment, the Northern Powerhouse feels tangible there, but the hundreds of smaller towns dotted around the country are just as important.”

“Lancaster is well placed to host cutting-edge businesses - we have a beautiful city, with a world class university, and some amazing transport links - and according to Digital Lancashire chair Michael Gibson, there are already some 1,500 people working in the digital, tech and creative sectors in Lancaster. These are well paid, highly skilled jobs and the number is growing year on year.”

“There are challenges though - from difficulties travelling East from Lancaster and lack of transport link investment, to a shortage of workspaces for growing companies and poor communications infrastructure - which is why we need central government support and funding.”

“It’s fantastic to see homegrown organisations like Boost and Digital Lancashire champion causes that matter to our region. 85% of us live outside London, 1.5 million live in Lancashire. Collectively, we have a huge amount to offer.”

The meeting at number 10 ended with a promise from the Prime Minister’s adviser to visit Lancaster and it’s growing business arena soon.

Hotfoot Design, which was crowned Creative Agency of the Year at the BIBAs, has recently achieved a raft of new clients and delivered a number of exciting projects, including a new website for the multi-award-winning Lancaster Brewery, a new brand and website for Dorothy’s Teas, and a marketing campaign for Keswick Tourism. The agency has also launched its first product, Regalo, a gift voucher platform that’s used by hospitality and experience companies throughout the UK.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Stacey Waugh .