So banana what?
Hello there, my name's Rich Sutherland and I'm the owner of sobananapenguin. Weird company name, right? Well, did you know that you can make a penguin out of a banana? It’s an excellent icebreaker, providing you have a banana and you and don’t mind the risk of people thinking you’re a bit peculiar.
Now that’s out of the way, here's the story of how we became a popular choice for digital marketing services in Hull and beyond.
"What does it signify?"
My university education had nothing to do with marketing. Instead I studied Art History, which involved writing essays on what the inclusion of a mournful goose in the background of a watercolour painting represented from a socio-political standpoint. Or something like that.
Though this degree may seem unconnected to my current career, the subject allowed me to enhance my writing style and explore new ways of conveying key messages. This was followed by jobs that included bookseller, market researcher and events manager before truly entering the world of marketing at a theatre and then a design agency. I learnt a lot during this time, which set me up for tackling new goals.
Going self-employed
In 2012 I decided to go it alone as a freelancer, enabling me to focus on specific skills and achieve greater ownership over the delivery of work. This soon led to the creation of sobananapenguin, which over the years has provided engaging content and managed social media channels for everything from solicitors and accountants to tech start-ups, arts festivals, tradesmen, retailers and even a celebrity Pomeranian. Variety is the spice of life, after all.
A team effort
Working with me are some amazing people who have helped to grow the business and diversify our service offering.
A small group of freelancers and a couple of business partnerships enable sobananapenguin to also offer graphic design, photography, video production, web design and powerful email campaigns.
The result is a creative agency composed of genuine specialists, rather than a copywriter having a go at designing a logo and making your brand’s visual identity look like a dog’s dinner.
Promoting literacy in Hull
Each month we buy a stack of books for local charity Ready Steady Read, which are given out as prizes to primary school children. The organisation is dedicated to improving children's literacy, boosting reading ages and nurturing a lifelong love of reading, making it the perfect fit for a copywriting agency that's passionate about the written word.
Supporting the global writing community
We're also a Friend of Edinburgh International Book Festival. This awesome celebration produces hundreds of thought-provoking author events for adults, children, schools and communities every year in August.
Give us a shout
If you like the sound of a friendly, creative and passionate digital marketing agency, we'd love to hear from you.
Set up a meeting
Book a phone call or video meeting with Rich by clicking the Calendly icon below.
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