In a year that saw its headline revenue dip, Newcastle-based creative agency Drummond Central has reported a rise in operating profit, crediting strategic client work and its employee-owned structure for building a more resilient business.
Newly filed accounts for the year to 30 June 2025 show the Jesmond agency’s turnover fell from £22.4m to £18.2m. However, operating profit grew from £4.47m to £4.82m, with gross profit up 7.7% to £8.89m. Company leadership attributed this to the phased delivery of several high-value projects.
The employee ownership effect
Now in its third year as an employee-owned business, the 64-strong agency completed its transition in April 2023. Founders Julie and Stephen Drummond sold their shares to an employee ownership trust, which now holds 100% of the business for the equal benefit of all staff. Managing director Dan Appleby stated the model is central to the company’s ethos.
“As an employee-owned organisation, that’s what we’re all about – it’s about running a profitable business but also a business that’s good for the people that are part of it,” Mr Appleby said. Staff benefit from tax-free bonuses when business targets are met, a model the agency says helps retain and attract talent.
From bet365 to Jack Daniel’s: a roster of household names
The agency’s financial performance is underpinned by a blend of long-term partnerships and strategic new wins. Its work with gambling giant bet365 spans two decades, during which Drummond Central pioneered the live odds format broadcast during sporting events—work that earned it a World Media Award.
In the last seven years, the agency has deliberately pursued “big household names,” according to Mr Appleby. This strategy has secured clients including Greggs, KitKat, Triumph Motorcycles, Dreams Beds, and Hello Fresh. Last year, it added global spirits brand Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey to its roster, supporting its UK ‘on-trade’ advertising with campaigns like ‘Jacktember’, a month-long birthday celebration across thousands of UK pubs.
Recent months have seen further expansion, with appointments as lead agency for mixer brand Fentimans and bed retailer Dreams, and work launching dairy brand FAGE’s ‘Creamy Dreamy’ range in the US. Other clients have included the NHS, Amazon Prime, and Canterbury Cathedral.
A history of attention-grabbing creativity
Drummond Central, founded in 2004, has a history of creative work designed to capture the public imagination, sometimes unexpectedly. In 2016, the agency gained national headlines and viral status by livestreaming a problematic puddle outside its offices, a stunt watched by thousands.
Its professional campaigns have also made a significant mark. For Greggs, it created the ‘Bag Some Joy’ game show concept and ‘The Nation’s Favourite Breakfast’ campaign. For Dreams, it developed the ‘Finding You a Bed That Loves You Back’ platform, using Queen’s “Somebody to Love” with personified singing beds. For KitKat, work has included the ‘Have an epic break’ campaign tied to *The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power*.
Challenging the London-centric narrative
Based in Newcastle, the agency actively champions regional talent. “Over 20-odd years we’ve been steadily building up to be the best strategic creative agency we can be that happens to be in the North East,” said Mr Appleby. He argued the agency’s location is no longer a barrier, with the work now being “national, if not international.”
The industry appears to agree. Drummond Central has been ranked #2 in Campaign Magazine’s Top 30 Regional Agencies list and #3 in Prolific North’s Top 50 Integrated Agencies list. It has also won over ten Prolific North Awards since 2021 and four Clio Sports Awards since 2023.
Positioned for sustainable growth
With a team that has grown from 60 to 64 since the ownership transition and a move to larger offices, the agency describes itself as strategically sized. “We’re really nicely placed as a 60-person agency. We’re not too big and we’re not too small,” Mr Appleby explained. “We’re big enough to demonstrate capability… but we’re small and nimble enough to try things out.”
Looking ahead, the leadership emphasises a commitment to its core values while embracing new technology. The focus remains on attracting clients “that believe in creativity and collaboration.” For this employee-owned North East success story, commercial success and a positive culture are now fundamentally intertwined.
