Just recently, Harrison Carloss got together with Net Magazine for a chat about our four decade history, what’s in the future for the agency and where we see the industry heading as a whole. Here’s an edited version of that meeting:

NET MAGAZINE:

“Harrison Carloss has been described as both one of Staffordshire’s oldest and youngest creative agencies. On the one hand, it has a 40-year pedigree as HCL Marketing (Harrison Carloss Ltd), creating a string of successful campaigns for the likes of Dr Martens, Evo-Stik, MHA and Shell. On the other, its acquisition by My Clever Group was followed by a period of transformation, which saw it strengthen its creative and digital services and eventually relaunch under its original name of Harrison Carloss – but with a new identity.

“Repositioned as a strategic creative marketing agency focusing heavily on web and digital transformation, Harrison Carloss now has its eye firmly on the future. We spoke to creative director Rich Urwin, web developer Joe Ciavucco and digital designer Luke Brookes to find out what that future looks like.”

NET MAGAZINE:

“So how did Harrison Carloss come about?”

RICH URWIN:

“In the 1970s, John Harrison and Michael Carloss started a traditional ad agency. Harrison Carloss was created and found itself well placed to take advantage of the rapid growth in the regional advertising and marketing industry. Over the years the company changed its name to HCL to keep up with moving trends but still identify with its founders. Until its recent acquisition, where it went back to its roots to capitalise on Harrison Carloss and its history.

“We work together on every project, with everyone having input in each stage of the process and the projects are so much stronger for it. A creative studio should be full of humour and character; this ultimately makes your work better and makes you work harder.”

NET MAGAZINE:

“What’s the web design scene like in Staffordshire? Is there one?”

JOE CIAVUCCO:

“Harrison Carloss is paving the way for web design and development in the area. Outside of the big-agency areas like Manchester and London, creativity can die off, with agencies being more concerned about the speed and profitability of projects than creativity and innovation.

“We see far too many purchased WordPress templates being thrown onto clients’ sites in the area, which leaves a huge gap for us to create incredible bespoke experiences. I can see many other agencies over the next few years hiring new talent as they move away from basic themes into more bespoke design to try and keep up with us.

“We’re hoping to kickstart the creative industry in Staffordshire and show we do have a lot of talented people in the area. We’ve been quite heavily recruiting since our rebrand. We’re seeing lots of young talent coming out of Staffordshire colleges and universities embracing newer web technologies, which is really great to see and again a sign of the growing popularity of the industry in the area.”

NET MAGAZINE:

“Are you recruiting and, if so, what kind of web designers are you looking for?”

RICH URWIN:

“We’re currently looking for both a full stack and front-end developer. The unique position we’re in allows new recruits to work on a multitude of high­ profile projects, in different sectors and using multiple technologies.”

NET MAGAZINE:

”In what ways do you think your job might change in the 2020s?”

JOE CIAVUCCO:

“We’re getting really excited at the potential projects we have coming in and I can see all the developers here being incredibly busy for the next few years with the projects we have ahead. My job is continuously changing as web technology is always moving forwards at an unstoppable rate, meaning developers have to be consistently learning. I’m excited for what technologies lie ahead in the 2020s.”  

RICH URWIN:

“As creative director of both Harrison Carloss and My Clever Group, I see my position staying the same but driving the creative forward even more aggressively to push boundaries and create groundbreaking work that makes us stand out. Not all things that convert have to be boring/corporate and we’re going to prove it.”

LUKE BROOKES:

“It’s such an exciting time here at Harrison Carloss. I’m looking forward to working on more full-service projects and launching our current ones. As new clients and colleagues come on board, I’m looking forward to working with new people and the various challenges ahead!”

HEY, YOU! YES, YOU!

Like what you’ve read? Read more at the Harrison Carloss blog and get the latest news and insights from the world of marketing. Or maybe you fancy getting creative with us? Check out our full range of services on our website and see what we could do for your business. If you are pretty sure you don’t have a cousin who can do our job better, get in touch today.