Agency celebrates with new business wins

Two new creative contracts, worth more than £200,000, are helping a Birmingham full-service advertising agency celebrate its 21st birthday in style.

M3, which was formed as a media planning and buying specialist by current CEO David Lawrence in 1999, has been appointed by Clarity Software and Oxford Plastics to develop new branding, corporate guidelines and support with ongoing marketing activity.

Both briefs have been secured in competitive pitches and reflect the company’s ability to provide the complete offer from design, creative and website development to advertising planning and digital media execution. It is a perfect tonic for the agency, which has operated throughout Covid-19 and actually added two people to its 35-strong team.

“This is a fantastic way to celebrate 21 years in business and comes during what is a significantly tough period for the marketing world,” said Nick Lovett, managing director of M3.

“Despite having to work remotely during large parts of the pandemic, our staff have gone above and beyond to continue to offer inspiring creative work and support for existing and new clients. The Oxford Plastics and Clarity Software contracts really bring out the best in what we do, helping companies to evaluate their brands and then coming up with a fresh corporate look that is then communicated widely via a mix of channels and media."

Oxford Plastics, which is a leading innovator and manufacturer of site safety, construction and roadworks equipment, is working with M3 to develop a new brand identity – the first change in its 35-year history. It went live in November and was supported by a website redesign and a series of new collateral, including brochures, internal communications, hi-vis uniforms and branded clothing.

M3 will also be delivering two social media campaigns targeting schools and streetworks during Covid-19, whilst managing the ongoing SEO and maintenance.

The contract with management information software specialist Clarity Software started with an initial request to develop a new brand identity ahead of implementing an ongoing digital marketing strategy.

A brand workshop defined the business, brand and operational goals, whilst creating a holistic profile of the organisation and strategic overview. This was used as the foundation of the creative brief and saw M3 create a new identity, which is being rolled out across all channels and touchpoints, including website design and restructure, internal communications, social media channels and software interfaces.

Nick, who is celebrating a decade at the business this year, said: “We have invested heavily in strengthening both our Albrighton head office and in growing our Birmingham base, which has gone from a one-person start-up two years ago to a team of seven digital specialists delivering over £500,000 of work every twelve months."

Pictured: Nick Lovett