What’s the one key challenge facing agencies outside London?
The Future of Media Manchester 2025
Later this month, The Media Leader team will be in Manchester to attend our Future of Media Manchester event. Among other topics, the conference aims to unpack what sets the Northern media industry apart, and how media leaders can collectively build on the unique strengths and business approaches of agencies and brands outside London.
In the spirit of the event, The Media Leader wanted to understand the challenges and pain points facing regional agencies, and how they are working to grow investment outside of London.
What’s the key challenge facing regional agencies? Leaders from a cross-section — and speakers at this month’s event — weighed in.
One consistent theme: we collectively need to stop referring to them as “regional agencies.”
Pete Coates, managing director, OMG Newcastle
“It’s an interesting question as we wouldn’t categorise our offices outside of London as ‘regional agencies.’ The fact that we have operations now in Newcastle, Manchester and London simply gives us a diverse range of perspectives as well as access to different resources to deliver client solutions.
“The industry-wide challenge we all face is the ever-accelerating pace of change – which we see as a huge opportunity. AI, technology and new specialist capabilities are a big part of the solution, but so is operational agility. Having a distributed geographic footprint puts us closer to clients, closer to talent and gives us access to thinking and creativity informed by a variety of lived experiences.
“Like addressing any other challenge, the first step is listening to your clients and designing around them. That has always been the bedrock of our Agency as a Platform operating model and it applies to all of us equally regardless of where we are located physically.”
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Jessica Scott, co-founder, Notorious
“The biggest issue regional agencies are facing is that everyone keeps calling us regional agencies. If you haven’t already read it, [co-founder] Nik [Wheatley] argued last year why this is not just stupid but also very damaging for our future growth as an industry.
“The issues we face are the same as the whole of our industry across the UK; the agency and owner market have lost the initiative and their nerve in telling a bullish story about the complete value we can create in modern media environments.
“Single-mindedness in chasing an ad science story, grounded in tech and tools, has played right into the hands of US platforms, who do that better, and undermined the value of things with potential to make a big difference — like quality regulated environments and professional editorial control and creation.
“The fact all platforms have now declared the creator space as the next great arms race (anyone seeing TikTok, Meta, Google or Amazon at Cannes will have left in doubt about this) is a facepalm moment delivered with a slap and a wakeup call to the industry and clients alike.
“Rebuilding literacy in persuasion, trust and how context shapes distinctiveness to make your brand more competitive than the latest algorithm change is beyond vital if we want to make sure the industry can sustain as a counterweight to the tech bros — who never gave a shit about your or anyone else’s brand in the first place.”
Simon Crunden, managing director, Republic of Media
“The one key challenge is how to stimulate growth and navigate tech-driven change in a flat economy.
“The client organisations we work with are understandably cautious as they navigate rising costs, AI and tech disruption and global economic uncertainty. They are therefore less inclined to invest in agency growth catalysts, and less inclined to pitch for new solutions.
“The best agencies know how to add value for clients under these conditions and are adaptable to change. They will be the ones who thrive when we return to a growth economy.”
Stu Lunn, group managing director, Kinesso
“The biggest challenge facing regional agencies is perception. Too often, marketing is still seen as a cost centre rather than a growth driver.
“Our 2025 Marketing ROI Rift Report found a persistent disconnect between marketing and leadership, partly driven by ROI concerns. 48% of marketers said demonstrating long-term impact is their biggest hurdle, while 59% believe CEOs undervalue brand building and prioritise short-term revenue.
“This misalignment also breeds mistrust: 45% of marketers cite strategic disconnects as fuelling leadership’s doubts, while 28% blame poor communication for missed lead generation targets.
“With 54% of business leaders still viewing marketing as a cost centre, marketers must better communicate the balance between short-term performance and long-term brand building to drive sustainable growth.
“The challenge is clear: we need to reclaim our seat in the boardroom by proving marketing’s role in driving business impact – a task made harder when one in five business leaders only interact with senior marketers once a month!”
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Mark Hadfield, founder, Meet the 85%
“The one key challenge is the very word ‘regional’ because it carries so much negative baggage: incorrect perceptions of poor quality, cheap and unsophisticated.
“When in fact ‘regional’ should be a hallmark of reality: bubble-busting, hungrier people wanting to do great work.
“We challenge lazy stereotypes and synthetic personas. We immerse ourselves in everyday lives to deliver a Reality Advantage that helps brands see and act on the world as it really is.
“And that’s why being from the regions — and living in the regions — is not a limitation but a strength: we’re closer to the people, places and truths that matter.”