This week’s photograph was taken by Michelle Bray, capturing a recently mowed field towards How Will Woods.

Michelle Bray

Photo of the Week celebrates the Harrogate district. It could be anything from family life to capturing the district’s beauty. We are interested in amateur and professional photographs, in a landscape format.

Send your photographs to letters@thestrayferret.co.uk for a chance to be featured next week, we reserve the right to adjust and crop images to fit into our format.

Today marks the countdown to the district’s free Digital Marketing Conference hosted by the Stray Ferret and sponsored by York & North Yorkshire Growth Hub and Yorkshire law firm Ison Harrison.

The event brings together industry leaders who will deliver insights, strategies and best practices for delegates looking to grow their business through digital channels.

Not sure if this event is for you – here’s a snapshot of what’s being covered during the day.

Emma Harris of the Stray Ferret will open the conference with why it is so important to embrace digital marketing in your promotional activities as well as signpost areas to focus on throughout the day.

Head of marketing at Next Chapter, Daniel Swepson will take you through the key elements to developing a strategy to meet your business goals. Spending time working out what you want to achieve helps to save you money and succeed in the long run.

Once you’ve established what you want to achieve, Charlie Hartley, Founder of Impressions is covering how brand and digital innovation drives growth. He will give you tips on how you can stand out in a crowded digital market, ensuring you embrace the latest technology as well as provide you with success stories to inspire.

Ben Foster, CEO of SEO Works will be talking SEO strategy, how to identify keywords and how you measure success.

Social media is a vital part of any business strategy, Rachel Moore will run through platform demographics to help you identify which platforms you should be engaging with, how the algorithms work and how to create a simple but realistic content plan. Rachel will also cover when to use paid content.

Lauren Cooper and Georgie Harmer from Intandem Communications will guide you through creating content that works including video. They’ll share top tips on how to reversion content to save you time but still deliver results.

The digital world changes at pace so Chloe Byrne, Creative Director at Audience will take you through consumer trends for 2023 and how consumers are spending differently and what is influencing their buying decisions.

The day will be rounded off with a guide to influencer marketing and how and when to engage them in your efforts. Chelsea Talbot will answer questions from the floor.

Tamsin O’Brien of the Stray Ferret will be leading a question and answer session with two local business owners who have used digital to significantly grow their businesses. Fiona Martin, Founder of Best Kept Secret, a women’s clothes shop in a rural village will answer questions on how she successfully uses Meta to drive footfall to an out of town destination.

22 year old Mia Willamson has grown her business from a one woman band to now employing 4 staff with a six figure turnover. Mia, used social media and in particular Instagram to achieve this impressive growth. Tamsin will be delving into the tricks and strategies Mia adopted.

During the day, there will be the opportunity to ask questions from the speakers and browse the exhibition stands.

Thanks to the sponsorship of the York & North Yorkshire Growth Hub and law firm Ison Harrison, the event is free to attend.

To secure your place at the event, please register here.

Former crime commissioner Philip Allott has sold a majority stake in the Knaresborough marketing firm he founded almost 30 years ago.

Allott and Associates has become part of the Breakout Media Group, a digital marketing agency based in Stockton-on-Tees, the two firms announced today.

Mr Allott will continue to be involved as a consultant but has relinquished his role as director. Breakout Media founder Mike Lewis will take charge as managing director.

Mr Allott, who set up the business with his wife Sandra in 1994, said the move was “a step into the realms of semi-retirement” although besides his consultancy role he and Sandra remain directors of Boardroom Matters, which provides data protection and legal services.

The former pupil of Knaresborough’s King James’s School has combined marketing with a career in politics, having served as leader of the Conservatives on Harrogate Borough Council and stood unsuccessfully for election as a Conservative MP five times.

He was elected North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner in May 2021 but stood down in October the same year in the wake of criticism of comments he made on the murder of Sarah Everard.

Read more:

• Police commissioner Philip Allott resigns
• Knaresborough gears up for its biggest day of the year

Today’s news creates a fully integrated marketing agency serving with more than 20 staff in disciplines ranging from public relations and direct mail to social media, content marketing and SEO.

Mr Allott told the Stray Ferret he had reached an age where he wanted to wind down and the acquisition presented an opportunity “that’s good for the business and clients”.

He added:

“It’s been an honour to grow Allotts into the agency it’s become, with a very talented team and clients literally across the world from Canada to Europe, Asia to Australia.

“I’m delighted to hand over the reins to Mike as part of the succession plan and equally delighted that I’ll still be involved in the company to see where it takes the group next.”

Breakout Media aims to create a group of specialist marketing agencies covering the whole of the UK.

Mr Lewis said:

“Breakout Media has grown massively since I founded it five years ago and I’ve been looking for a PR and marketing agency with synergy and similar values to our own – and we found them in Allotts.

“This move is part of an ambitious growth strategy to make Breakout Media Group a dominant force in the UK and international marketing landscape. It’s business as usual going forward, as Allotts has a great formula for delivering for clients – and that can only be improved by the highly complementary skill sets across our teams. I can’t wait to get cracking.”

Harrogate Borough Council‘s tourism body, Destination Harrogate, will use social media influencers again this year to promote the town’s Christmas festivities.

Julia Lumley, place marketing manager at Destination Harrogate, gave a presentation to Harrogate BID members at the Yorkshire Hotel on Thursday. She described how the body will be trying to attract visitors to the town during November and December.

Initiatives include a dedicated Christmas website where businesses can upload events, a printed guide, online campaigns, videos and photography, as well as competitions.

Ms Lumley also confirmed Destination Harrogate will be paying influencers to visit the town throughout the Christmas period.

The aim is for influencers to help reach audiences in a way that is more organic and personal than traditional advertising campaigns.

Last year, the Stray Ferret revealed Destination Harrogate paid influencer Heather Cowper £700 to make several posts about Christmas in Harrogate.

Read more:

• ‘Winter wonderland’ plans to boost Harrogate this Christmas
• Ripon plans some light relief this Christmas

But her posts performed poorly, raising questions over whether the fee represented value for money. A Liberal Democrat councillor branded the spend a “waste of money”.

However, the criticism hasn’t put Destination Harrogate off using influencers again.

On Friday, it Tweeted that it recently used vlogger Amy Berry to promote the town. She has 135,000 followers on Instagram.

Ms Berry’s video about a trip to Harrogate has proved to be popular. It includes visits to the Turkish Baths and Rudding Park and has been liked over 1,200 times in 24 hours.

Although Destination Harrogate will return to using social media influencers over Christmas, another campaign from last year won’t be returning.

Following a question from a member of the audience at the BID meeting, Ms Lumley said the £5,000 snow globe at Kings Cross will not be used again.

Business Breakfast is sponsored by Harrogate law firm Truth Legal. 

A Harrogate marketing agency has been appointed to support a Knaresborough-based international energy company with its plans for growth.

The Big Bamboo Agency will deliver strategic marketing, PR, social media management and community engagement activities for Harmony Energy.

The firm, which develops utility-scale battery energy storage along with wind and solar projects, has worked across the UK as well as developing its work in France and New Zealand.

It has a long-standing relationship with Tesla, which has provided battery systems for its UK sites.

Pete Kavanagh, chief executive of Harmony, said:

“We were looking for an agency that would become an outsourced marketing and communications team, as an extension of the wider team we already have in place. We wanted to find a partner that we could build a long-term trusted relationship with.

“Having met Nicola and other members of the team, we knew we had found what we were looking for. Their experience and capabilities fit nicely with ours and we know they will understand our industry, due to their extensive credentials.”

Read more:

• Business Breakfast: Free course to boost start-up businesses in Harrogate district
• Business Breakfast: Harrogate law firm facilitates Norwich City FC deal

Money-saving energy advice for Harrogate BID businesses

Businesses will have the opportunity to learn more about saving money on energy bills at a series of events today.

Harrogate BID is inviting its members to join one of three sessions in person or online to hear from energy consultant Ryan Edwards.

He will give businesses a clearer picture about the current energy market, as well as giving advice on securing energy contracts.

The first event is at Jespers Bar and Kitchen on Station Parade at 9.30am, with another at Starling Cafe on Oxford Street at 5.30pm. A session will also be held on Zoom at 11am.

Businesses interested in taking part can email Harrogate BID for more details.

This article is sponsored by Extreme.

A Harrogate-based marketing firm has shared its 20th anniversary celebrations with clients by creating a bespoke beer to mark its longevity.

Extreme was set up in 2002 by directors Antony Prince and Mark Gledhill and focused on brochure websites and small search engine optimisation projects, before demand increased and the pair hired a range of experts to handle requests for both marketing and development.

Since then the company, which is based at Harrogate’s Windsor House, has gone from strength-to-strength. Their team of 25 in-house experts help business and brands of all sizes, local and international, with every aspect of their marketing.

To celebrate its two decades of success, Extreme teamed up with Harrogate Brewing Co to create “Staying Power”, a session IPA which would help mark the milestone but also represent the agency’s longevity and skills in branding.

Staying Power.

Antony Prince, director at Extreme, said:

“20 years in a fast-paced and sometimes fickle industry is something we’re very proud of.

“We’ve built a fantastic reputation for our creative and technical capabilities and we’ve worked with some amazing brands.”

As well as a celebration of the milestone, the beer was also an opportunity for Extreme to flex its muscles and show its talent in branding.

The idea behind the brand was to create a product which represented endurance but also adaptability.

Extreme used the story of the hare and tortoise, which teaches that self-belief, confidence and patience are the key to longevity and, as such, “staying power”.

As a mark of appreciation, staff at Extreme shared the beer with a host of its clients both old and new.

The design represents adaptability and longevity.

Martha Joyce, Branding and Social Manager at Harrogate Brewing Co, said:

“Working with Extreme to create a bespoke beer for their 20th Anniversary has been an absolute pleasure.

“As a family business with a true passion for beer and brewing, we use only the best ingredients so we can deliver quality craft ales to all our clients.

“By joining forces with the incredible design talents of those at Extreme, we’ve certainly created a beer worthy of celebration and the cause it was created for.

“It’s always a great experience to team up with other local businesses and produce something special to celebrate their achievements. On behalf of everyone at Harrogate Brewing Co, we’d like to congratulate them on their milestone – we hope this beer exemplifies at its best, your true ‘Staying Power’.”

For more information on Extreme and their branding services go to madebyextreme.com.

A leaked email reveals Harrogate Borough Council chief executive Wallace Sampson gave a councillor a dressing down after he said spending £700 on a social media influencer to promote the town was an “appalling waste of money”.

The Stray Ferret has obtained an email Mr Sampson sent to the Liberal Democrat councillor for New Park, Matthew Webber, in February.

In the email, Mr Sampson claimed the councillor’s comments, published on this website, caused a “great deal of hurt” to council staff.

However, Cllr Webber said the tone of Mr Sampson’s 500-word email was “laughable” and compared it to a schoolteacher telling off a child for being naughty.

Cllr Webber said:

“Councillors should be there to hold people to account. People shouldn’t get upset if we’re asking difficult questions. Nothing was said in a personal way or at individual people.”

Value for money?

The Stray Ferret revealed in January that Harrogate Borough Council paid Heather Cowper from Bristol £700 to promote the town’s Christmas Fayre in a blog — which only received two likes when posted on Facebook, including one from the council itself.

Her posts performed slightly better on Instagram but the investment raised questions over whether the fee represented good value for money to council tax payers.

Cllr Webber, who sits on the council’s audit and governance committee that scrutinises council spending, said the council should have used local residents to promote the town instead.

Cllr Matthew Webber

He said in January:

“It probably received less likes on the various social media platforms than we could have got from just posting a similar article ourselves or other local residents who have social media profiles.”

Read more:

• Harrogate council paid social media influencer £700 to promote town
• ‘Waste of money!’: Harrogate council criticised for spending £700 on social media influencer

A telling off

The email from Mr Sampson to Cllr Webber was sent in February this year.

Mr Sampson also copied in local Liberal Democrat leader Cllr Pat Marsh as well as council employees Gemma Rio, head of Destination Harrogate, Paula Lorimer, director of Harrogate Convention Centre and communications officer James Sherwood.

Mr Sampson’s email said “I don’t expect an apology from you” but warned that negative comments about the council in the press can “undermine morale and motivation of our hardworking staff”.

The email says:

“I also don’t think that it is unreasonable to expect members to support the hard work and dedication of their officers, especially following the events of the last two years, and to trust in their professionalism.”

The full email is below.

The email from Wallace Sampson to Cllr Webber

Free to comment

Cllr Webber said he was “surprised” to receive the email from Mr Sampson regarding his comments about the £700 spend on a social media influencer, which he said he stood by.

He said councillors should be free to comment on how the council spends the public’s money without interference from the chief executive.

The Stray Ferret asked Mr Sampson for a comment but did not receive a response.

Harrogate-based marketing agency to represent Henry vacuum brand

Harrogate digital marketing agency Extreme has won a contract to handle marketing for the Henry vacuum brand.

The Henry brand, which is known for colourful vacuums with faces, is manufactured by Numatic International.

The Harrogate team will focus on search engine optimisation, pay per click and paid social advertising.

James Brunyard, client services director at Extreme said:

“We’re really excited to have the chance to work with such a legendary brand. Henry is an icon and one we’re all familiar with, so our team is revelling in the opportunity to help get these products in front of new audiences in a variety of creative ways.”

Extreme has worked with other well-known brands, such as Nisa and Black Sheep Brewery.

Harrogate Borough Council supports free Federation of Small Businesses membership

Harrogate Borough Council is giving 200 businesses the opportunity to have a fully-funded membership to the Federation of Small Businesses.

The offer is available to those who are self-employed, as well as to micro and small businesses with up to 250 employees in the Harrogate district.

FSB members gain access to a range of services, including legal help, advice on cyber protection, free banking and help to access funding.

This is another scheme funded by the government’s covid business recovery funding. Last week, the council announced it was supporting free memberships to the Institute of Directors for all small and medium sized businesses in the Harrogate district.

Trevor Watson, the council’s director of economy, environment and housing, said:

“FSB membership will offer up to 200 businesses with employment advice and protection and one-to-one legal advice, and a wide range of benefits from the FSB, which should help speed their recovery from the crisis.”

Carolyn Frank, development manager York & North Yorkshire, FSB, said:

“We are seeing more demand than ever for our services as small businesses and the self-employed find themselves needing advice and guidance, financial support and a powerful collective voice with government.

“We are very grateful to Harrogate Borough Council for their support, they have rightly identified the importance of the smallest businesses to the local economy and we look forward to supporting these businesses by welcoming them to the FSB.”

Business who are not already members of the FSB can apply via email by contacting Nick.Bradley@fsb.org.uk with the reference ‘HBC’. They will be then be contacted by a membership advisor who will help them unlock the funding and sign them up to start using the benefits.

Pateley Bridge artist finalist in Fine Art Awards

Claire Baxter, who has a gallery in Pateley Bridge, has made the top five finalists in the Fine Art Trade Guild artist awards 2022.

Ms Baxter submitted her work Last of the Summer Wine, which is up against five other artists in the ‘Most Published Artist 2022’ category.

Ms Baxter’s work tries to capture Yorkshire through its locations and characters.

She started out hanging her work on the railings in Harrogate’s Valley Gardens hoping for some sales. Now she employs a gallery manager and a gallery assistant at her gallery in the Nidderdale town.

She said:

“I am absolutely thrilled and very excited to be a finalist. Even if I don’t win, to me, I’ve already won by coming this far. I paint because I love what I do and the joy of being able to put my thoughts and visions into the reality of a scene for others to enjoy is very rewarding.

“I never thought that a national award would be in my reach when I was starting out as it hasn’t been an easy journey.”

Harrogate communications firm wins London contract

A Harrogate communications agency has won a contract to support a London commercial cleaning company.

The Big Bamboo Agency will support Julius Rutherfoord & Co with bid and proposal work as well as email marketing communications campaigns.

Julius Rutherfoord & Co, which was founded in 1994, provides commercial cleaning services to organisations including Cushman & Wakefield, MADE.com and City, University of London.

Nicola Stamford, founding and director, Big Bamboo, said:

“With a strong background in the facilities management industry, our team is well positioned to support JR & Co in achieving its future vision. We are delighted to be supporting them on their journey and we look forward to our relationship developing over time.”

Medieval pop-up museum window display to arrive in Harrogate

Bethany Allen (left), Harrogate BID business and marketing executive and Sarah Checkland, The Jorvik Group of Attractions exhibitions manager, hold two uroscopy flasks which will feature in the pop-up museum.

Harrogate Business Improvement District has partnered with The Jorvik Group to install a medieval window display in the Victoria Shopping Centre over the Easter holidays.

The group, which is behind the tourist hotspot Jorvik Viking Centre in York, will show artefacts between April 1 and May 2.

Visitors can explore a wealth of information online and consider the display’s themes in more detail. Reconstructions, videos and an exclusive short film, written by Terry Deary – author of the Horrible Histories series – entitled A Touch of Plague, can all be accessed via QR codes.

Harrogate BID manager Matthew Chapman said:

“We are really excited to be bringing Window on the Past to Harrogate this April, which will give families another great reason to come into town during the Easter holidays.”