Go Furness

Spotlight shines for creative marketing

Aspring entrepreneurs turned out in force to find out how to ‘be creative for a living’ from a protege of flamboyant Factory Records supremo Tony Wilson last week.

At the ‘Spotlight’ event at the Duke of Edinburgh on Wednesday evening (22), speaker Warren Bramley explained how he cut his teeth in the music business by landing a job with the outspoken manager of Joy Division, New Order and the Happy Mondays. He told the crowd how, after attending a series of interviews with Wilson, he was finally offered his big break – despite not having the opportunity to actually say anything at any of their meetings.

Bramley went on to set up the hugely successful Manchester ‘In the City’ conference championing new and unsigned bands, and now runs his own successful Manchester creative agency ‘Four23’ which creates innovative campaigns for brands including Adidas and the London Marathon.

Supporting speaker Rob Hyde of London PR company JAM also gave a presentation on how to use modern media tools such as Facebook and blogging to maximise the impact of a creative marketing campaign.

The event, which was hosted by Signal Films and Furness Enterprise as part of West Lakes Renaissance’s ‘Encouraging Enteprising Communities’ programme, attracted an audience of all ages, from local college and sixth form students through to staff from local creative companies and members of the local pensioners association.

Event organiser Kerry Kolbe said: “It was great to see people from lots of different ages and backgrounds meeting up to hear what other successful people have done in a social setting where they can then generate and swap their own ideas. We try to make it relaxed and fun so that it works as a natural networking environment for people to catch up or make new contacts. These events are good because they’re open to everyone and you can always meet someone interesting and find out something new.”

Posted by Phil Powell on 28th October 2008