Commerce and Creative Industries Boom in the North

With satellite offices in both Manchester and Leeds, we at Profiles Creative have been delighted to see the continued growth and success that the commerce and creative industries in the North of England are enjoying. So, what factors are driving this success and which companies are at the vanguard? 

Manchester and MediaCityUK

Manchester is at the epicentre of the growing success that the North is experiencing. Amazon are just one of the big hitters who have recently opened offices in the city, but perhaps the most significant and ongoing development has been MediaCityUK. The BBC announced it would be moving jobs to the North in 2004 and named MediaCityUK as its proposed site in 2006. 

"Manchester has fastest growing creative industry outside of London, new figures reveal." Manchester Evening News 

Many more companies and organisations have since followed suit and not only has this led to new opportunities for Northerners, it's also lured some of the UK's top talent away from London. Those who choose to capitalise on the migration, are set to enjoy the benefits of a lower cost of living and more affordable property prices.

The MediaCityUK hub is now one of the largest of its kind in Europe and shows no sign of slowing down when it comes to future development.

As well as being a media hub, Manchester has a thriving eCommerce and retail community, supported by creative agencies or in-house studios. Boohoo, for example, have their HQ in Manchester, an inspired in-house studio and, it's rumoured that, major expansion plans are afoot.

The Northern Powerhouse

Look outside of Manchester and you'll find that by no means is the boom confined just to the "second city". Homegrown companies and local talent are just as much a part of the success as those who are leaving London and can be found the length and breadth of the North. Matalan on Merseyside, Buy it Direct in Huddersfield and games developer Team17 based in Wakefield, but to name a few. And we should of course also mention Channel 4, who recently selected the old Majestic, a grade II listed building in Leeds as their new HQ. 

"Team17, the Yorkshire-based games developer behind Worms and Overcooked, has announced record revenue and profits in its first full results since listing on the London Stock Exchange last May." Prolific North

The Northern Powerhouse is now worth more than £337.7 billion and government investment continues to pour in - £13 billion just on the travel infrastructure, ensuring the region is super connected and more money is going into health and education.

Thirst for Creative Talent

With such a rich and diverse tapestry of businesses in the North, its thirst for creative talent is seemingly unquenchable. Copywriters, Digital Designers, Visualisers, Studio Managers, Illustrators, the list goes on, are all needed and are all welcome up North.

And whilst government investment, whether it provides better transport links, communication networks or other types of support mechanisms, is all very welcome, it's the people, no matter where they originate from and the companies of the Northern Powerhouse who are really driving the success.