Some of the best media agencies in Manchester are independently owned. We asked Carl Brady of Republic of Media, a media buying agency with offices in Edinburgh and Manchester whether Manchester had lived up to the monikor ‘Media City’. He said, “From a strictly Media (i.e. planning and buying perspective) Manchester was a ‘media city’ long before Media City was created out in Salford.  What Media City has ensured is that Manchester is now not only a media stronghold, but also a genuine London alternative in terms of the Creative Industries. As Phase 2 of Media City was recently rubber stamped there is still a lot of potential to fulfill out in Salford, however any growth in production and creative will only likely compliment the rapidly maturing media scene, primarily based in the city centre.”

If Media City UK represents the creative heart, and the City Centre the commercial and practical deal-maker then Manchester is truly offering a genuine thriving media city in the north propelled by its own talent. Carl Brady said, “The majority of our clients are based outside of London. There is a misconception about Manchester and the regions generally. The reality is that there is plenty of talent in Manchester, at all levels. Admittedly some of this has originated outside the area, from ‘big London agencies’ but in the main a lot of it is home grown.  When we have recruitment opportunities we never struggle to attract plenty of interest from suitable locally based candidates.”

According to research by independent industry body Manchester Digital 77% of respondents said they view Manchester as a digital hub. The report revealed that the city is a popular location for relocations with 80% of relocators coming from London. Katie Gallagher, Managing Director at Manchester Digital, says, “Our new report has really confirmed what we at Manchester Digital, and lots of the professionals based here, already know about living and working in Manchester.

“We found that a huge number of people who work in the digital and technology industries have chosen to relocate to the city. And the pull isn't just across the UK, we are attracting talent from Europe too. The fact that most people would recommend working here to a friend, and so many people believe it’s a brilliant place to launch a start-up, gives us hope that more and more skilled professionals will move here and work with us to continue to grow the region’s booming digital and tech sector.

“Ultimately, we want this report to encourage those people that might be considering a move, to relocate to Manchester and reap not just the professional benefits, but also the personal ones that this thriving city has to offer. We’re now inviting other businesses to get on board with our #RelocateMCR campaign and help us in attracting the top talent that the city needs to enable it to thrive.”

The best media agencies in Manchester are supported at a national and regional level with Manchester Chamber of Commerce playing a crucial role in facilitating ongoing development. The Media City Expo is annual event which celebrates all things digital media. Chris Fletcher, Marketing & Policy Director at Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce says, "Greater Manchester is very strong in the creative, digital and media sectors and this is a great opportunity to showcase what we have here."

Media City Expo event organiser, Nichola Howard, from Launch Events, who set up the expo in the heart of MediaCityUK as she is passionate about showcasing the best media agencies in Manchester. She said, “Greater Manchester is the second largest hub for creative and digital content across Europe, after London, and the expo will really highlight this by showing off the skills in the north and proving that there is life outside of London. Manchester’s creative, digital and tech sector is thriving and constantly growing, attracting experts to come and live and work in the region, so it is an exciting time and we want to make sure that organisations keep up.”

The top 5 - The Best Media Agencies in Manchester

• Republic of Media – Big going places independent with offices in Manchester and Edinburgh. Fast and on the pulse
• Space and Time – We like their cool vibe and visual experience. They feel energetic and direct
• McCann Manchester – Mega agency with experience and prestige who’ve grown from traditional media to offering a plethora of service, even PR and earned media.
• Think Media – Fresh, flexible and innovative
• One Agency Media - Very direct and straightforward across multi channel media with an emphasis on accountability and evaulation

And one to watch: Media Agency Group – an innovative and dynamic full-service agency working with major brands and SMEs across all traditional and digital media formats

Links

Media City UK – Detailing the businesses, digital, media and otherwise and breadth of sports and leisure facilities

Manchester Chamber of Commerce – Providing first-class business support to companies of all shapes and sizes, through a range of sector-based membership services and networking opportunities

Media City Expo – Organised by Launch Events, a series of high profile events in the North East that enable local businesses to connect, learn and thrive.

Manchester Digital – Independent industry body with networking, workshops and brilliant facilitation