Manchester-based Brazen has today become Employee-Owned, two decades after it first burst onto the PR scene.
Hot on the heels of being named the Best Agency Outside London by PR Week and Best Workplace at the Prolific North Champions Awards, Brazen owners Nina and Tom Webb have sold 85% of their shares to the newly formed Employee Ownership Trust, Brazen (EOT) Ltd.
The bold legacy move comes on the back of three years of annual growth, seeing the agency grow to almost £6M sales for the first time in its 20-year history and double in size to a team of 50. The impressive growth follows a restructure which saw Sasha Makel promoted to MD and Peter Burling to client director, alongside a newly created sub-board executive committee comprising four directors.
Through the move, team members who’ve been with the agency for over 12 months will benefit from profit sharing and be eligible for tax-free bonuses. They will also have the chance to make suggestions and impact positive changes through the agency’s newly formed EOT Employees’ Council.
Most recently, Brazen launched its ‘JawToFloor ’ creative proposition, guaranteeing jaw-dropping ideas and impact for clients, and created specialist divisions focused on delivering services across news, experience and influence, appointing former SocialChain and KOMI social strategist, Pia Leferink as director of influence (social, content & influencer marketing), to help turbo-charge its offering and revenue.
Founder & CEO Nina Webb said: “When I set up Brazen as a young, fiery 27-year-old, I had one simple mission: to make brands famous through daring and different PR campaigns. Two decades later and that still remains our clear point of difference and why clients choose (and stay with) us. So, it was really important to me, when considering the future, that Brazen’s unique proposition and culture, which sees life-long friendships formed, lived on.
“Collaboration is one of our core values and what better way to demonstrate and encourage that than by selling the business to the amazing team of people that make it all possible? Brazen was and will always be my first baby and I’m excited to watch my legacy live on long into the future.”
Nina Webb will remain as CEO and Tom Webb as operations director while the agency transitions into its new life as an EOT.
Managing director, Sasha Makel, said: “Nina had no idea at the time, but she created something so special when she set up Brazen. A place where genuine friends get to work (and play) together every day, all while delivering award-winning PR campaigns for some of the UK’s most famous brands.
“The industry needs an agency like Brazen that is cheeky, fearless and not afraid to take risks. By effectively passing it onto the employees via the Trust, we’re able to keep this ethos alive and do it together as a diverse team made up of big personalities and even bigger opinions. It’s an incredibly exciting time for Brazen as we continue our growth journey long into the future. As Brazenly as ever.”
Brazen already provides employees with an award-winning perks and benefits package, and to celebrate becoming Employee-Owned, team members will also enjoy a raft of new benefits including: Brazen EOT birthday (additional day off) and birthday party in June every year; work from anywhere for a month option; swap traditional bank holidays for any others of choice; buy or sell up to five extra days holiday per year; 1-2-1 wellbeing support and therapy provided through external professional resource, and paid Sabbaticals for team members with five plus years’ service, repeating every five years.
