Bridger Howes is a media consultancy company with just two employees. SME caught up with them to find out more about the business…
Tell me about your company – where did the idea come from? How did you get started?
Bridger Howes Limited was incorporated on 13 May 2013, so we are three years old this spring. However, the journey really started on 1 October 2014 when directors Richard Howes and Mark Bridger stepped out of employment to concentrate on the business full-time. We met in 2005 at a business-to-business publishing house and worked together on trade media projects, chiefly magazines and conferences, for the best part of 10 years. We realised that only a minority of companies, particularly those in the industrial sector, were effective at communicating with their target audiences. Good PR was almost non-existent so we saw a gap in the market for a company to provide content-based public relations and media services primarily targeted at equipment providers looking to engage specialist, niche audiences.
Could you tell me a bit about your product/services range?
Ghost writing, press release production, social media management, contract publishing and media consultation covers most of our work. We tailor content for its intended purpose. A typical monthly retainer involves ghost writing a client’s blog; production of press releases for the trade media that covers their work; and management of Twitter and other social media accounts. We also provide copywriting; editing; media buying services; and organise business conferences and trade shows. Content takes many forms!
Tell me about your role – what does a typical day look like for you?
I am one of two directors; the other is Mark Bridger. We are the only employees and owners of the businesses, although we do contract certain services, such as graphic design. How does one capture the varied role of a director at a start-up business? Principally, I am responsible for production of content, whether it be written, social media or moderation at conferences. A typical day at my desk would involve interviews with clients and their contacts, production of a number of press releases, liaison with designers about newsletters and publications; editing; and social media. The day might conclude with a Twitter chat, such as #BritishBizParty on Mondays. Of course, at other times I am at a trade show, visiting a client, travelling overseas, networking and more.
