CREATIVE agency Altogether has smashed its two-year target in the first 12 months of trading and taken on another designer, thanks to winning new regional and national clients.
The Newcastle-based company was founded last year by award winning team Sarah Tempest and Michael Sutton. Since then Altogether has picked up a raft of new projects with clients including Newcastle United Football Club, Your Homes Newcastle, Northern Powergrid, Newcastle University, Naylor’s Surveyors, and recently a vision development project with one of the region’s leading independent schools, the RGS.
Outside the region the agency is working with National Museums Scotland, National Trust, National Railway Museum, Scotland’s National Airshow, and the Milton Keynes International Festival. It has recently embarked on a project with a group of 15 museums and galleries in West London, to develop a destination brand to market the area as a cultural hotspot. Internationally the agency has just secured work with the European division of Fortune 150 company, ITW.
Based at Baltic 39 in Newcastle’s High Bridge, Altogether specialises in brand, print and digital communications. Using the team’s combined experience and its skill set of strategy, creative and illustration, the team brings even the most challenging project to life in a way that resonates with the audience. The directors believe this combination of expertise and chemistry within the creative team is behind much of its success over the last year.
“We could not have wished for a better first year in business,” said Altogether co-founder and strategy director Sarah Tempest.
“When people choose a design agency they are not just looking for great creative work, they want to work with someone who will really understand them and help define their strategy and objective. Whether it’s an individual project, a long term campaign or the development of a brand, planning is key. Working in this way means we can offer added value and help clients maximise their budget.
“The majority of our work has come from referrals and tender wins in and outside the region, and it is thrilling to see how many clients have been happy to recommend us.”
The first year results mean Altogether has been able to recruit another member of staff ahead of its plans, with the appointment of designer Matty Leonard taking the team to four.
Nicole Atkin, head of business development at Newcastle United Football Club, said: ‘Altogether bring a magical mix of creativity and can-do to everything they produce. Working with them is an absolute pleasure and they never fail to inspire, delight and deliver.’
Co-founder and creative director Michael Sutton added: “We set ourselves some fairly ambitious targets and have worked hard to establish the business, so to be recognised regionally and nationally is astounding.
“We have some exciting new projects in the pipeline and with a new designer on board to help deliver the creative, high quality work we are becoming known for, the future looks very exciting and we are looking forward to seeing what our second year brings.”