W opens “northern powerhouse”
W Communications has acquired Newcastle-based GluePR and renamed it W North, as the agency looks to provide its clients with “a view outside of the London bubble”. Christian Cerisola, GluePR founder, will lead W’s new “northern powerhouse”.
Christian Cerisola and Richard Tompkins
W said that the need for a more northerly-focused capability had been growing across the agency’s client base and the Newcastle office will cover regional areas around Scotland and the Borders, Manchester, Liverpool and Newcastle.
W North will officially open its doors on April 3. Cerisola, who founded GluePR in 2015, will work closely with W founder Warren Johnson and MD Richard Tompkins.
Cerisola said: “As soon as I met Warren, Richard and the W team I knew that this was not only a fantastic step for me, but also for the PR and communications industry in the North East. There are already lots of good operators here, but to be able to add the weight of a globally recognised, award-winning consultancy to the pool is not only exciting for local and regional businesses, but also a kitemark for this city, which is successfully positioning itself as a true home for creativity.”
Johnson added: “There are real differences in culture, interests and consumer habits across the UK, which if anything are growing even more distinct. Not just from north to south, but city to city, town to town. It’s incredibly important for agencies not to get stuck in the London mindset and evolve a more locally responsive approach to communications – not just for themselves, but for the clients they represent.”
Tompkins said: “We spent a lot of time looking at different cities and towns across the North of England and into Scotland, but settled on Newcastle because of its unique blend of strong culture, burgeoning creativity, connectivity to both the South and Scotland, and, most importantly, the quality of talent available.”
This is W’s second acquisition in six months. In October, the agency acquired House PR to “bring expertise in entertainment and hospitality brands.”
W’s acquisition of House followed hot on the heels of the agency opening a full-service office in Amsterdam, 12 months after making its debut in Asia with the launch of a Singapore office.
