Bigmouthmedia Ltd

Edinburgh-based Bigmouthmedia is celebrating a second year of success in the Deloitte Fast 50, having clinched the Scottish regional winner title with a growth rate of 4111 per cent over the last five years.

Originally an agency specialising in search engine optimisation (SEO) and paid search (PPC), the company successfully merged with Global Media GmbH in 2006, expanding into a fully-fledged digital marketing agency, as well as extending its reach into Europe. The resulting expansion produced an enormous growth curve, but the last year has seen a different theme.

Simon Heyes, Head of International Sales Operations, explained: "It's been a very different business environment over the last year or so, but we've managed to add to our headcount rather than make cutbacks, which kept chemistry and morale up. We also grew our fringe offerings such as online PR and social media. We've seen some of the larger traditional agencies move across into digital, and we’re meeting them on the middle ground with our affiliate and display services. That said, online ad spend has recently overtaken TV in the UK, according to a report from the Internet Advertising Bureau, so the overall market is still in its infancy and has much more room for growth, even in the current climate."

Heyes believes much of the past years' success is due to new product rollouts, as well as market trends. "We've been rolling out a variety of best practice packages in various markets in which we operate, such as SEO strategies and social media packages. These are then tailored for each geographical region, a strategy that's had considerable success. Market-wise, the recession has had two effects: pure play digital players have spent more, surprisingly, while others have migrated spend away from traditional media. I don't think anyone expected to see the digital growth rates we did over the last 12 months!"

Big brand clients include Kuoni, Tesco, Barclays, GAME and British Airways, although Heyes believes that the SME market has proven a rich vein over the last year. "Our SME offerings have seen roughly doubled uptake, which we believe is down to increasing awareness of the importance of SEO, especially in markets such as Italy and Norway. Also, many businesses are looking to consolidate costs by using one agency to manage their entire online media presence, and we've seen a lot of success here."

In the short term, Bigmouthmedia's overall strategy is to continue growing the international side of the business which the merger in 2006 created. "We want to grow our footprint on the international side, and are actively seeking partners in key growth markets such as Japan and Brazil. Smaller localised acquisitions also shouldn't be ruled out", said Heyes.