Since its launch earlier this year, Phonetic Digital has rapidly established itself as a key player in the local digital landscape, securing several high-profile clients and laying the foundation for future growth.

Located in Sunderland’s historic Mackie’s Corner – a recently revamped Grade II listed building in the city centre – the agency was founded by Steven Parker with a clear mission: to create a sustainable business that benefits not only its clients, but its environment, its finances and its people and community too.

In its first six months, that mission has remained firmly at the forefront of everything the agency has done and achieved – from bagging top client wins to working towards securing top accreditation in the realms of diversity, sustainability and ethics, helping to cementing itself as one of Sunderland’s most exciting and values-driven employers.

Power partnerships

Its impressive roster of clients – including North East Chambers of Commerce, Gateshead College, Darlington College, Sunderland BID, Sunderland City Council and Portland Consultancy – continues to grow.

These partnerships have been instrumental in solidifying the agency’s reputation for delivering innovative and reliable digital solutions, which stretch from sustainable marketing to cutting edge website development and expert-led digital training.

The vision is and will always be the same: to enhance its clients’ digital presence and operational efficiency. Each service is designed to meet the unique challenges of today’s digital landscape, while upholding its commitment to clarity, sustainability and community impact.

“They say it takes a village to raise a child and it takes support from great clients to grow a business. We’ve been incredibly fortunate to have really supportive clients who value our approach to business and services,” says Steven.

“Our approach to business sustainability has been the difference in winning at least two contracts in competitive pitch processes.”

Stand-out initiatives

Over the past six months, Phonetic Digital has undertaken several significant projects – the highlight being its successful bid to design and build a new website for Sunderland BID, following a highly competitive selection process.

Its approach was comprehensive and multifaceted, beginning with strategic planning and workshops to gather insights from key stakeholders, ensuring the website would meet the client’s needs. This was followed by designing the site structure and wireframes to create an intuitive and user-friendly experience. Steven and his team also collaborated closely with the Sunderland BID marketing team regarding content creation, ensuring the site was both engaging and true to the Sunderland BID brand.

Phonetic Digital’s commitment to sustainability was reflected in every stage of design and development, resulting in an efficient and environmentally-conscious website.

Looking ahead

As Phonetic Digital looks to the future, the company has ambitious plans to grow its team and expand its services.

It currently employs two staff members – both of whom offer decades of experience in their field. Combined, they’ve completed over 200 projects and each one remains grounded in the agency’s ethos of phonetics—communication that is clear, precise and easily understood.

Over the next three years, it aims to double its headcount, creating more high-quality jobs in Sunderland.

Its commitment to being a fair, sustainable and inclusive employer remains as strong as ever. Its recent accreditation as a Disability Confident Committed Business underscores its dedication to and support for diverse talent in the workplace, while its Real Living Wage and Cyber Essentials accreditations reflect its strong ethical foundation and commitment to high standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, transparency and cyber security.

With a strong client base, a commitment to sustainability and a clear vision for growth, the future looks bright for this Sunderland-based digital agency.

“We’ve had a great start to 2024 and we’re looking forward to finishing the year in a strong place,” says Stephen.

“Our goal for our first year of business was to lay the groundwork and build a solid foundation for our future, which we’ve succeeded in doing. In year two, we plan on growing bigger and better with some really exciting opportunities in the pipeline.”

For more information, visit www.phoneticdigital.co.uk