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VIRAL EFFECT !
James Pennington with newly promoted Aimee Franks ( left ) and vlogger Sarah Jane Lowe .
Middlesbrough social marketing agency turns ten …
WORDS : JULIE BURNISTON PICTURE : CHRIS BOOTH
It ’ s hard to believe that a decade has passed since Viral Effect CEO James ‘ JP ’ Pennington dropped out of university without telling his mum , setting off on a social marketing adventure that would result in his own agency , 35 employees and a small-town company doing things on a grand city scale !
With many local and national brands now on Middlesbrough-based Viral Effect ’ s books , including Domino ’ s , Costa , Bespoke Financial and Anytime Fitness , the team offers branding and design , custom and creative data capture and professional video and motion effects alongside world-leading customer service .
Despite the global pandemic , Viral Effect ’ s growth has continued apace , with 2021 proving to be yet another record turnover year .
With the company always floating near , if not topping , the Global Food Service Index on Twitter thanks to its ongoing work with Domino ’ s pizza , JP intends to continue the fight to stay one step ahead of the game in the cut-throat world of social marketing , and , as a result , to help put Teesside on the map .
“ A major part of the plan involves employing only the very best young and dynamic creatives in the region and bringing in people who fit in with the team ethos ,” he explains .
In recent weeks , former meme and GIF manager Aimee Franks has been promoted to head of content , amalgamating her old duties and acquiring those of the outgoing head of copy .
“ It ’ s great to work with people as skilled and passionate as those at Viral Effect , and for a boss like JP who is so full of ideas ,” she says , adding : “ Sometimes you think they ’ re crazy ideas , but they always work . I ’ ve learned to trust his crazy ideas and make them happen .”
On a daily basis , Aimee oversees the copy team , working on quirky pitches to clients and organising copy and posting plans for clients to boost their presence on Facebook , Instagram , Twitter , LinkedIn and even TikTok .
She also keeps a beady eye on what ’ s new and trending , and jumps onto client response if she ’ s needed .
“ We ’ re a small team and we ’ re known as having the fastest fingers in the world for our response time to our customers ,” she explains . “ If we have a celeb reach out , however , then it ’ s all hands on deck to help respond to the increased traffic around them .”
Also joining the Viral team recently is vlogstar Sarah Jane Lowe . JP has long been vocal in the need for embracing TikTok , Insta stories and vlogs in order to cultivate cutting-edge content , and now he has a dedicated in-house actress with a wealth of performing skills to do so .
“ The Viral team are always so busy and not many of them felt comfortable being in front of the camera – especially at the last minute ,” explains Sarah . “ So it made sense for JP to create this role .”
Along with videographer Adam , Sarah has already turned around a vast array of polished videos for clients covering a range of diverse topics . She also creates TikToks for Domino ’ s and behind the scenes films for Viral Effect which highlight their offerings .
With February 2022 marking the company ’ s 10-year anniversary , celebrations will no doubt be organised much nearer the time .
“ Our USP is pulling things together at the last minute ,” laughs Aimee . “ Where other agencies need three weeks ’ notice , we can do something in days . That may seem like a scary thought , but we love the buzz – plus it ensures we are as current as humanly possible .”
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