28th May 2010

New Manchester ad agency will only use contract staff

An advertising agency has been set up in Manchester that is to work solely on freelance and contract staff.

MediaCity Advertising, established by renowned PR and marketing entrepreneur, Mike Carey, will operate without a direct or full-time workforce. Carey said the move will diminish traditional staff overheads, while also affording the company the unique flexibility freelancers can provide.

He said there is an advanced pool of media professionals seeking work in Manchester and is confident that the nature of the employment will ideally suit all involved.

"It provides the flexibility to assign the right people to a specific client or project," he said.

"I use their individual talents, but only for the time taken to do the work. This benefits clients, keeps direct costs down and reduces general overheads."

Carey said many of his workers would be former employees of Charterhouse Advertising, his former company of 20 years which he liquidated three months ago after a major client decided to internalise their advertising.

He added that 'going freelance' to get the expertise they need for their creative projects would prove attractive to new businesses hungry for a competitive edge. He said that tight margins and fierce competition would force other companies to follow his lead.