Why leaving London and going local can help re-energise your brand
Embedding your brand in the local area and becoming an active part of the community is the best way businesses can succeed at a national, and global, level.
Channel 4’s move from the capital to Leeds may have nabbed most of the headlines, but businesses have been venturing outside the London bubble for decades. They have been attracted by lower rates and higher returns, the sense of starting afresh and reconnecting with their respective markets.
Companies who have never had any ties to London continue to thrive on their hometown patches. However, for those making the big move, fully embracing the idea of being a local company both culturally and socially, as well as contributing to the community, is absolutely crucial to any future success.
Telecoms company TalkTalk announced last year it was moving its head offices from west London to Salford Quays, in Greater Manchester. After a few delays, everything should be in place by January, with the vast majority of TalkTalk’s 1,800 staff already moved in. A small satellite office, some 20 people strong, will remain in London.
While the company already had a presence in the north-west, the marketing team had always been based in the capital. TalkTalk’s group marketing director, David Parslow, says that heading northwards feels like a fresh start, with many new faces recruited from media companies and other like-minded brands already established in Salford’s Media City, home to the BBC and ITV Studios.
The company has been increasingly keen to position itself as more tech-savvy and having a new team in place gives this message a fresh impetus.
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