Clients, Projects & Partners
Here’s a taste of some Impakt projects since 2019, with arts clients ranging from household names to growing dance companies.
We’ve also advised charities in education, housing and sport, and supported some local businesses during the pandemic. Plus: a few other project partners we’ve been delighted to work alongside in recent times.
Coventry UK City of Culture 2021
Interim lead on Comms/PR: four months supporting the in-house marketing, production and fundraising teams alongside national and regional agencies across every channel. Close liaison with media teams at Arts Council, City Council, DCMS and other funders putting Coventry’s mass public events in the public eye.
“The final few months of the City of Culture were amongst the busiest of a very unpredictable year for a huge team. We needed interim senior Comms support fast, and Rob stepped in ready to go. His decades of regional knowledge, calm creativity, and quick understanding of the challenges helped us pull it all together. And the resulting front page news told Coventry’s story brilliantly.”
Martin Sutherland OBE, Chief Executive, Coventry UK City of Culture 2021
Birmingham Ormiston Academy
Perception survey and new brand guidelines.
“We’ve really listened to our stakeholders and taken time to look at how we communicate some exciting changes. Rob has helped us find a disciplined and strategic balance between consistency and creativity which is key if we are going to get all our messages across successfully.”
Gaynor Cheshire, CEO, Birmingham Ormiston Academy (BOA)
Royal Court Theatre
Sounding-board and planning support for Marketing Director.
“Rob’s insight, experience and advice has proved really useful in getting a handle on all the changes we’ve been through this year. Planning longer term how we communicate our wider brand values… is so important as we rebuild audience confidence.”
Holly Conneely, Marketing Director, Royal Court Theatre
Arts Marketing Association/UK Theatre
Training on shared marketing challenges for producers, venues and agencies.
Arts Fundraising & Philanthropy
Training and feature writing for this Cause 4 programme.
Grand Opera House Belfast
Strategic marketing advice and scheduling review.
“Rob helped us understand some scheduling challenges, particularly with daytime audiences for matinees. It was useful to see the wider picture and get a better appreciation of similar problems facing other venues. We feel better equipped to start addressing this as we reboot our brand.”
Simon Goldrick, Head of Marketing & Sales, Belfast Grand Opera House
Birmingham Repertory Theatre
Marketing support, brand review, campaign planning, perception surveys, audience research.
“Following a deep perception review, plus audience surveys, planning advice and sessions with the wider team, Impakt helped create the brief to appoint an excellent design agency as we continue to reinvent what a future Rep can be. Rob’s understanding of the commercial and artistic balance, and his experience across marketing, PR and fundraising has been really beneficial for us.”
Rachael Thomas, Executive Director, Birmingham Rep
ExtraCare Housing
Fundraising training and strategy review.
“Thanks for getting us all to appreciate that fundraising is intrinsically linked to our overall brand.”
Henriette Lyttle, ExtraCare Charitable Trust
Dance Woking
Perception surveys, business development and brand strategy.
“Impakt helped us address our vulnerabilities, galvanise our board, and reorientate our messaging with renewed confidence.”
Sam McCaffrey, Dance Woking
Midlands Arts Centre
Board awayday, fundraising and anniversary planning.
“Huge thanks for a splendid session, I got great feedback from the Board over the weekend, you pitched it perfectly, I’m very grateful.”
Debbie Kermode, CEO, Midlands Arts Centre (mac)
CORE Education Trust
Design review, new brand guidelines and website (delivered with Luke Tonge Studio and Glass Design); establishment of new Foundation.
“Rob understood our challenges quickly, came up with some creative solutions, and encouraged us to expand our plans. I’d recommend Rob if you are looking for creative and practical solutions to any marketing or brand challenge.”
Adrian Packer CBE, CEO Core Education Trust
DanceXchange (Dance Hub Birmingham)
New brand and launch.
“Rob is great to work with. He gets to the heart of the matter and has a great knack for distilling the complex into the readable and understandable!”
Debbie Jardine, CEO, DanceXchange
People Make It Work
Change Creation, Culture Reset, advising on brand strategy and future planning.
peoplemakeitwork.com
Leicester Haymarket
Business planning and audience research.
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St George’s Bristol
Strategy planning, perception survey, audience review, new website copy support.
“Alongside a new website build, we made time to review wider stakeholder opinions which fed into a review of our look and feel. Rob pushed us with some good, probing questions and just got it. Impakt’s work has helped us improve our wider brand communications plan and make better strategic connections for the future.”
Verity Slater, St George’s Bristol
Rose Design & Words Direct
“Collaborating with Rob continues to be an energising and entirely positive experience. Like us, he is constantly looking to realise the potential in the briefs he writes and organisations he advises, and to exceed expectations in the process.”
Simon Elliott, Partner, Rose Design
The Jointworks
Copywriting, promotions and membership strategy.
“Impakt clarified our unique offer in a competitive new sector – the enquiries started almost immediately”
Birmingham Hippodrome
Annual Report, supporting capital plans, evaluation framework, and Fundraising Gala.
University of Sheffield
Sheffield Performer & Audience Research Centre (SPARC): marketing and copywriting training.
Kafenion
A local pandemic project: design and website support, business development.
Cameron Mackintosh Ltd
“Working with Rob and his team – whether on Mary Poppins, Les Miserables, The Lion King, or the Mathew Bourne programme – was always enjoyable. His audience knowledge, pricing and communication skills, and the way he projected the Hippodrome brand, ensured strong box office results for us every time.”
Robert Noble, Managing Director, Cameron Mackintosh Ltd
Baker Richards
“The way Rob applied what was learnt alongside the Hippodrome’s wider brand and communications strategy gave it the best chance of success, generating considerable additional value over the last decade.”
Tim Baker, Founder, Baker Richards
Dance Consortium
“No matter the marketing or repertoire challenge, Dance Consortium tours to the Hippodrome were always treated with the same degree of enthusiasm, creativity and intelligence as other larger touring shows. Rob and his knowledgeable team were tenacious and diligent, encouraging both crossover audiences and first-timers to make new artistic discoveries.”
Ros Robins, Executive Director, Dance Consortium