Sunderland based Smart Media has appointed three seasoned media professionals, Andrew Armstrong,
Louise Milbourne and Rosie Adams, to strengthen its in-house team and support its fast-growing client roster.
Andrew, who has held roles at global media agencies including Publicis, Group M and Dentsu Aegis
before returning to his native North East and embarking on his own venture in 2017, has joined the
ambitious media business which books advertising in the UK and internationally for a host of global
brands as Media Director.
Louise has been appointed as Head of Media Operations, and will have both a strategic and client facing role across the business. Implementing new systems and processes to ensure the business is in the best possible position to grow. She joins the firm from a role as Marketing Director at a multi-academy
trust in the region, after a career in marketing and planning.
Rosie has joined Smart from media giant Bauer, taking up an Account Director role that will see her focus on building the company’s client base, as well as delivering a high level of service to existing clients including JD, Castore, American Golf & STATSports. Rosie has returned to the North East from London to take up the role, and will bring a wealth of experience in account management and strategic advice, having worked with clients including Wickes, Tesco Mobile, Sky, Shell and Direct Line.
The appointments will strengthen the senior team at Smart Media and allow the firm to build on an outstanding trading across 2021, which saw the business more than double revenue. Smart Media is forecasting triple digit growth again across 2022. Andrew said: “Having worked with Smart when I had my own business, it’s been a straightforward transition to join the team and I’m really looking forward to supporting our MD, Mark Clancey, as we grow.
“The business has some fantastic clients and huge growth potential, with a real strength in sport and retail markets with some of the world’s best known sportswear brands on our books. I think there is a huge opportunity to build on that success and develop our own inhouse team in the process to provide the
highest level of support to our clients.”
Louise and Andrew will work together to improve and implement systems that will ensure the best possible planning and campaign delivery.
Louise said: “Smart Media is at the start of a very exciting journey and one that I’m extremely proud to be part of. My role will enable us to deliver an even higher standard of service to clients whilst ensuring we are in the best possible position to grow.
My experience of both in-house and client facing roles gives me an excellent understanding of both sides of campaign booking and delivery and will ensure Smart Media clients are given the best support and advice.”
The firm – which also works with Puma, Go Outdoors, Hays Travel & Mola TV – appointed Rosie in June to
complement the skills of Andrew and Louise and deliver strategic oversight of client accounts.
Rosie said: “I am thrilled to be back in the North East and working for a company that is growing at such a rapid speed. I am looking forward to working across all media with an opportunity to grow our client portfolio. The growth has been phenomenal at Smart Media and I am excited to be able to play a role in its ongoing development.’’
The appointments follow the news that Smart Media is building upon its experience within Europe by expanding into the US, supporting customers to roll out high impact international campaigns.
It’s an area Andrew, and the business’ MD Mark Clancey believe they can build on.
Smart Media MD, Mark Clancey said: “Our new appointments bring a wealth of experience and we’re delighted to add them to the team. This will put us in the best possible position to cement the growth we have achieved and strengthen further the operational side of our business.’
“We have achieved phenomenal success in a relatively short period of time, and we will build on that with
Andrew, Louise and Rosie in place. We can see huge opportunities in both the UK, America and Europe. Our aim is to build on our solid foundations ensuring that we are growing our in-house capability and the clients we already support continue to enjoy a brilliant level of service.
We’re confident that within the next few years, our group bookings will exceed £10m, making us a major
player for media buying. As part of the leadership team of Smart Media, I have no doubt these new additions will play a key role in helping us achieve this.”
Smart Media is one of five companies that are part of Smart Media Group, which was founded in 2019.
Connected by a commitment to support clients with insight-led solutions and a customer-focused approach, the group also includes Smart Outdoor, which boasts a network of digital screens across the North of England and Scotland; Smart Vision, providing digital screens for hire for events; telecommunications business, Smart Communications, and sister company Smart D4 National Network, that integrates high-impact digital screens into sanitisation stations that are now being rolled out across the country. The wider group of businesses is also on an upward trajectory, having recently taken
additional space at Rainton Bridge to accommodate its rapidly expanding team.
Despite having only been trading for three years, Smart Media Group already has an impressive headcount of 30 who together are way ahead of the targets they initially set at the beginning of 2002. With the new additions to the media team, united approach, and desire to grow the future looks very
bright for Smart Media Group.
