Design agency Creative Co aligns with United Yeah to create integrated offering
The founder of digital agency United Yeah and brand design agency The Creative Co has aligned his two businesses under the United Yeah branding with plans to grow the agency’s “holistic relationships” and integrated expertise.
The Creative Co will be led by head of brand Scott Richmond, and Mitch Woodfield as creative director, and will remain a separate agency retaining its own branding within the United Yeah stable.
The Creative Co: Scott Richmond (L) and Mitch Woodfield (R)
Speaking with Mumbrella, Dan Godkin, founder of United Yeah and Creative Co, said the decision to align the two separate agencies was the answer to the question: “How can we become an agency that is all things to all people – without being an agency that is all things to all people.”
He said it would offer clients “a whole spectrum of capabilities and expertise.”
“As a creative agency, we have so many great opportunities to tell stories, but without the ability to help craft and found them in the beginning with a team of experts, somewhat affected the final outcome for our client,” Godkin said.
“The whole reason for this is so we have a whole spectrum of capabilities and expertise for a client, but continue the foundations of what a brand stands for, what it means, and communicate a story that is going to be more holistic and provide a better outcome for a client.”
Godkin originally launched Creative Co in 2007, however, when he realised the limitations of his brand design offering for clients, he launched a digital agency United Yeah in 2015, leaving Creative Co as a separate entity.
While his two agencies will now fall under the one parent brand of United Yeah, Godkin said Creative Co will not change its name because of its “reputation.”
“It will always remain the Creative Co purely because of the reputation it has built, and our client’s association with it,” he said.
The Creative Co logo will remain despite the merging of the two entities.
Looking to the future, Godkin said his focus would be the growth of the group, as well as the outcomes of its work for clients.
“From a client point of view, it’s definitely around the collaboration and outcomes. It’s the end result of things; how our agency, the fact we have two, one being a brand expert that understands the foundations and then the creative side of things, delivering the story; how does that deliver outcomes for our clients.
“It’s more about the retention of a client and the growth of our capabilities to deliver for that client is how I’d measure our success.”
Richmond, Creative Co head of brand, added: “It’s taking my expertise from the branding perspective and working really closely with specialists within United Yeah to see how that brand will come to live in a digital space and on a larger scale.”
While the agency group, which has a total of nine staff will continue to work on separate clients, Godkin said the agency’s main point of difference will be the integration of culture and expertise from both sides.
“It’s designed to be collaborative and integrated, so each agency will have its clients apart from each other but the whole idea is mainly for brand projects, internally it’s a collaboration of knowledge,” he said.
Godkin, founder of both United Yeah and Creative Co aligns his two agencies.
“It’s still very much two separate agencies but internal culture, skillset and knowledge is all integrated and shared throughout.”
“The project and opportunities will be brand-led, so it’s harnessing that knowledge. Scott, as head of brand, is part of every conversation we have with a United Yeah client to make sure the tone of voice is right, the message is right, which a lot of creative agencies don’t have the benefit of having,” he added.
Godkin also said another point of difference was “purpose” not just with projects but with client relationships. He said awards were not a focus for the group.
“We strategically haven’t actually tried to enter and win too many awards. I feel the value of awards has diminished over the years.”
He said clients were not necessarily looking for how many awards an agency has won but rather “the trust in a partner they can go to talk about business solutions not just design solutions.”
Richmond, who joins Creative Co and the United Yeah group from Barker Brand Partnerships, and previously did freelance work for the agency, said he was excited to join on a permanent basis and work with the digital team.
“The opportunity to work with the team on a more permanent basis excited me, with the opportunity to have access to that digital team as well and to be specialists – to get to a more personal approach for each project,” he said.
Creative Co’s current clients include Baker & Co, Hollydene and Tripacus while United Yeah’s clients include Liquid and Gaming, Civic and Carrera.
Two weeks ago, United Yeah was appointed creative agency of record for Grace Group. The appointment will see the two agencies collaborate and use expertise to deliver work for the brand.
