Now with almost 20 billion monthly video views and 500 million social followers, LADbible has undoubtedly cemented its status as one of Manchester’s biggest media success stories.
The £260m valued group, listed on the London Stock Exchange as part of LBG Media, has soared to success through acquisitions and most recently snapped up US-based media brand Betches to accelerate its presence over the pond.
But 12 years on since former Leeds University student and founder Alexander ‘Solly’ Solomou spotted a lucrative opportunity in viral video moments, the LADbible brand looks very different from those early days.
While you’ll still find lots of cute cat clips and humorous video pranks over on LADbible, the group also generates hundreds of stories a day and has tackled and championed important causes over the years, including an anti-spiking awareness campaign earlier in 2024.
But one thing that hasn’t changed is how Manchester remains at the “heart of the business” and a key part of the group’s continued growth. Now home to 200 staff, you’ll still find the group’s Manchester HQ based on a busy corner of Dale Street, in the heart of the Northern Quarter.
“Manchester is very much part of our DNA,” Tim Pearson, chief revenue officer at LADbible group, tells Prolific North.
“We’ve been on an incredible growth journey, and that will continue. Our ambition, and where we want to get to as a global media entertainment powerhouse, very much has Manchester as part of that, as does the US and London.”
That content evolution and demand from brands has sparked the decision to establish a new LAD360 presence in Manchester, the group’s commercial division, with the addition of new senior hire Rachael Cochrane.
Appointed as head of client & agency solutions, and the very first hire for the division in Manchester, she will build out a new team and replicate the success of the existing LAD360 model in London, which creates branded content for the likes of Uber and supports those brands to engage with the group’s growing younger audience.
“We have an exciting mix of tools and people, from strategists to planners and creatives who are experts in anything from branded content to data and insight, and we can leverage the power of our audience and our brands,” he explains.
“We can create solutions to opportunities and problems that are different and more in line now with how young people consume and engage with media.
“A lot of that is how we weave brands into culture, because LADbible is a business that’s born out of popular and youth culture. We create it, we influence it, we amplify it.”
Part of the decision behind driving the group’s fresh commercial presence in Manchester is to have “deeper, better access” to the North’s “strong community” of agencies and brands.
“We didn’t need to sell Manchester to ourselves, it’s where we’re from. We’re now at the point in our journey where we can start to connect up the London, Manchester and New York teams in a really exciting way.
“We’ve been building our product capabilities and brands, and now’s the right time for us. We’re super excited by it.”
From working with the likes of Google, Nike, Lloyds to Uber, crafting branded content is a “partnership” and can be seen through some of LADbible’s popular shows such as its Snack Wars series.
But he stresses the importance of authenticity.
“I would say we’re masters of weaving brands and products into engaging content in a way that’s authentic. That’s really the skill of our creatives and producers, it’s what we do every day, and I think we do it well.”
“There are ambitions beyond just the 360 team…”
Heading into 2025, the plan is for the LAD360 London and newly established Manchester teams to work closely and have “unlimited access” to the group’s growing audience, brands, data and insight and white label services, which he says is set to “evolve” next year.
“As we see this ongoing movement from advertising through to content, we see the rise of influencers, social commerce, and more time spent on social media platforms amongst young adults. And we access all of that in bespoke ways for our clients,” he says.
“There are ambitions beyond just the 360 team that will continue to make sure that LADbible group is a leading brand for young adults with a clear understanding of what our clients in the North need.”
Before joining the group in 2022, Pearson was the former CEO of Manning Gottlieb OMD, OMD Group and latterly, ex-MD at Sky Media. And as a former agency boss, it’s clear he sees the importance of tapping into the North’s “creative hub”, with plans to work more closely with the region’s brands and agencies.
“We’re seeing all of the networks investing heavily into teams in the Northern region, there’s also a strong community of independent agencies up there too, so we want to deepen our relationships with all of them and we have strong relationships already. We’re by no means starting from scratch.”
“We’re super confident in where we’re going”
With the group reportedly on track to hit its goal of £200m in annual revenue and its expansion through acquisition, we discuss whether any more acquisitions are on the horizon soon.
Although he’s not able to “necessarily reveal now” any news on the acquisition front, there are set to be some “exciting evolutions” of the group’s products in every area it operates in now, whether it’s production, branded content or digital display,
And while many online publishers are battling for eyeballs, LADbible seems to have found the sweet spot in engaging with a younger audience through its content.
“Through the hundreds of stories we generate, there are millions of comments, so we can see what’s happening in the UK and what’s connecting with audiences at speed.
“The DNA of the business is to understand audiences, content and what is viral, what’s trending, what’s authentic and real to our audiences. I know audience-first gets used a lot as a term but there’s a feedback loop that gives us massive insight.
“LADbible is a humorous brand that makes people laugh, think and act. We see ourselves as the trusted friend in the feed, we’re in people’s feeds every day with content that’s either interesting or inspiring, and we’re a positive force in culture and on social.”
As for the goal of becoming a global media entertainment powerhouse, he says the group will get there by remaining “relevant and valuable to young audiences” in a way that is “positive, makes people laugh every day and spreads joy”.
Ultimately, what motivates the team is knowing they make people “smile, laugh and think every day”.
“We’re super confident in where we’re going, and in our ability to build our audiences and give brands access to that.”
