An award-winning Derbyshire creative agency has proved a strong digital presence is vital for growth in pandemic times, as it prepares to double in size for 2022.
MacMartin, a full-service marketing agency based in Church Broughton, is taking on new office space which will double its square footage, as well as employing two more members of staff who start their roles in the New Year.
The move comes during a successful growth period – despite the pandemic – for the business set up by sisters Claire MacDonald and Anna Hutton back in 2017.
Claire said: “When the pandemic came in 2020 like all businesses we worried for the future, but what we’ve actually found is that our digital services were a lifeline to clients which really needed a strong online presence during those times.
“Clients such as food businesses needed to pivot their offering to be able to offer home delivery or takeaway services, which meant they needed a robust web-based shopfront that we were able to provide for them.
“We’ve also found that many businesses which have managed to survive the pandemic have in fact done more than survive – they have thrived, perhaps by having a greater market share than they previously did.”
Born and bred in Derbyshire, MacMartin founders Claire and Anna are feeling highly optimistic about the year ahead as they take on two new members of staff, Jess Henty and Daria Blok. Jess joins MacMartin from a previous job as an account coordinator for a national sporting body, while Daria is an experienced graphic designer with a background in print.
They join the now 10-strong all female MacMartin team who work in beautiful converted farm building offices at the Bartonfields Centre in the heart of glorious Derbyshire countryside. So strong is the business’s growth that they have recently taken on the lease for the next door office which doubles their total space.
The company’s commitment to its stunning countryside location recently saw it win a regional Amazon-backed Rural Business Award for best small rural business in the Midlands, and it will go on to represent the region at the awards’ national ceremony in February.
Anna said: “It’s an exciting time for us at MacMartin and we hope to do the Midlands proud at the national Rural Business Awards final in 2022.
“Next year we celebrate our fifth birthday and we can’t believe the journey we have come on so far. We’re so proud of our business and of the talent we have nurtured amongst our staff, and we look forward to continuing to flourish in 2022.”
