Influential, an integrated communications and marketing agency in Manchester, moved to its Northern Quarter office in April 2023. After acquiring Young Bright and Grey in late 2021, Influential wanted to unite its talent across their creative and PR teams under one roof in the thriving Northern Quarter area of the city.
The agency specialises in PR and communications, creative and branding, and research and insights, working across a diverse range of sectors, supporting consumer-focused brands, innovative B2B enterprises, and game-changers in health, social care and education.
The office on Lever Street provides a collaborative working space for the agency’s employees, with an additional office over in Liverpool where the agency has numerous clients.
James Summerscales, director at Influential, introduces us to the office…
“Our office in the centre of Manchester is a hub for creative collaboration and teamwork. The open plan design facilitates the exchange of ideas and allows our team to effectively communicate with one another.
“From here, we service clients from across a diverse range of sectors and with sites from all over the UK, such as leading consumer brands like the National Lottery and Merlin, corporate clients such as Grant Thornton and Foresight, along with construction giant Morgan Sindall and many others.”
Where is it?
Influential, 22 Lever Street, Manchester, M1 1EA.
How big is it?
Our office can hold up to 30 people and features a spacious communal workspace, a dedicated conference room, and uniquely designed breakout rooms – styled as quirky telephone boxes – for private calls. We also have a kitchen, often stacked with coffee, tea and probably one too many refreshments!
The office is brought to life with lush green plant walls, flooded with natural sunlight, and home to a well-loved dartboard that has witnessed its fair share of fierce competitions. The TV was installed to keep the PR team informed with the latest news, but naturally, it also doubles as the office jukebox – streaming a lively mix of everyone’s music tastes on Spotify.
What happens there?
As a fully integrated agency, we bring together specialists across PR and communications, creative and branding, and research and insights – ensuring a seamless, strategic approach to every project. Our open plan office facilitates the exchange of ideas and creative brainstorming between teams, ensuring more effective collaboration. The conference room is used for client meetings, brainstorming sessions, and quiet work.
In terms of work, we provide a wide range of services to our clients. This ranges from PR and communications to creative campaigns, branding strategy and digital – or sometimes we provide a concoction of everything. We offer a one-stop shop for many clients meaning we can respond to fuller briefs and do everything in-house.
What sort of work goes on?
As a full-service integrated communications and marketing agency, we carry out a variety of work, from website design and development, to creating organic and paid content, to devising communications strategies, and stakeholder engagement.
A snapshot of some of our recent work includes branding and website design for Champs Public Health Collaborative in their campaign to end smoking in Cheshire and Merseyside, holding public consultations and handling stakeholder engagement for the new Mayfield Park development plans, creative video support for Liverpool-based charity Carla Lane Animals in Need, and PR support when managing the world’s press for the cleaning of the huge Edwardian chandelier at Blackpool Tower Ballroom.
Why is the workplace appropriate?
Our office is located in the centre of Manchester, right in the hub of the bustling Northern Quarter. As such, we are close to a lot of our clients which enables ease of access for in-person meetings, but also provides proximity to the city’s many bars, restaurants and hospitality destinations. This means that we are spoilt for choice when it comes to our social events, which we hold regularly throughout the year.
Our office is open-plan, fostering more creative, meaningful collaboration and allowing for quick idea-sharing, faster problem-solving, and seamless, effective communication. This ultimately leads to better client service as the team are able to work together much more effectively.
We operate a hybrid-working model to ensure our everyone can work together in person where great ideas can be fleshed out, yet still receive the flexibility and benefits that come with working-from-home. The open-plan nature of the office means team members can ask and receive support easily, particularly from more experienced colleagues who are always happy to impart their knowledge.
Our team are also often on the road, travelling to visit our clients who hail from all across the country, launching exciting campaigns, or meeting the media.
Who works there?
There are 25 of us altogether. Our workplace is home to people from across all our teams, including strategists, planners, communicators, writers, designers and developers. We span across multiple disciplines, with diverse skillsets and deep expertise across a variety of sectors to ensure our clients get the best service possible.
