BIG has established itself as a major player in the PR world since its founding in 2000, but its launch in the northwest of England marks its first office-based foray outside of its native Scotland.
The company is, in fact, the largest business of its kind in the UK without offices in London. A BIG office could soon be opened in the capital, but for now, the focus is on starting work in Liverpool and the north-west.
“Opening in England has been a long-held strategic ambition, and we expect the Liverpool office to be profitable within the first year,” said Alex Barr, co-founder of the company.
“Operating from Scotland, we’ve worked very successfully for clients throughout the UK and internationally for many years, proving that you don’t necessarily need to be in London to generate outstanding results,” he added.
“However, when Peel Ports, one of our longstanding clients, asked us to extend the work we do for them…it represented a significant new opportunity for us and provided the ideal platform for us to establish our first office in England.”
Former Liverpool Chamber of Commerce chief executive Jack Stopforth is set to take over as manager of BIG’s first English office. In a statement, he said he expects to significantly increase the company’s client-based workload in the near future.
Peel Ports looks likely to be a key client for BIG as it launches its PR operations in England. The company is part of the Peel Group, one of the UK’s largest property investment companies and the driving force behind significant redevelopment projects underway in the North West, not least Wirral Waters.
Editor’s notes: As of July 2024, BIG Partnership did not rent an office in Liverpool. Its northwest office was in Manchester on Constance Street in the M15 postcode district.
The company also had offices in Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow.