Following our recent feature City Brand Leaders – Newcastle, we interviewed a select group of leaders from Newcastle’s top agencies to help focus on the Newcastle brand and consider their own agency vision.

Creativebrief Founder & Chairman Tom Holmes talks to Julie Drummond, Managing Director of Drummond Central.

TH: Julie, what does the Newcastle brand stand for?

JD: Enterprising – creative and enthusiastic to opportunities and challenges

Warm – welcoming and open to ideas and people

Real – genuine and engaging people

TH: How do you think Newcastle should position itself?

JD: Creatively adventurous, with an endearing honesty.

TH: Are the city’s brand values reflected in your own agency culture?

JD: Yes undoubtedly as a great deal of our team are from the North East and their personalities and heritage will be present in their approach to the work and how they interact with clients.

We also consciously strive to foster a creative and challenging approach, and I think this is reflected in the region’s personality.

TH: Does being based in NE influence your creative output? If so, how?

JD: In advertising the influences that affect creative output are more diverse than simply the place you live, the output is affected by personal circumstances and influences and of course trends in design, culture, politics, place etc.

TH: What makes your agency offer different?

JD: At Drummond Central we all share a passion for adding value to our clients business, and we see this value as the clarity of thinking. Through this thinking our aim is to make money for them and make their brand even more famous.

TH: Why should clients consider sourcing work from Newcastle agencies?

JD: A client’s reluctance to travel to the North East has in the past excluded us from pitch lists but our geography is becoming less important in a more digital and global marketplace. We create campaigns for a worldwide account from our Newcastle office creating work to run in Australia, South America and beyond. We don’t limit ourselves and provide all clients with impeccable service levels.

I believe the work that is being produced for well-known brands by some Newcastle agencies is groundbreaking, extremely effective and delivers a great return on investment. What client wouldn’t want that?

TH: What sort of clients do you particularly want to attract?

JD: Clients with vision and ambition who can lay down a business challenge that we can answer.

TH: What work have you done recently makes you really proud?

JD: Our launch TV Ad campaign for bet365 in Australia. We had helped make bet365 in Europe and this is our next challenge. With a little help from Samuel L Jackson, initial feedback has been good.

TH: What local brands do you most admire and why?

JD: Greggs. Who would have thought that such success could be made from a shop of carbohydrates? They stick to their knitting and deliver impeccable results.

TH: Are there any local marketers who have inspired you?

JD: Newcastle Building Society. A group of marketers that truly understand the brand and listen to the market that they serve. With the focus on the community they are at the heart of the region.

TH: What business would you most like to win?

JD: No particular piece of business. We most like to win business that involves inspirational, ambitious people that love creativity.

TH: Thanks Julie.

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