Hitch Marketing, a full-range agency delivering both commercial and social marketing, has just celebrated five years of successful growth. Gary Wootten, Managing Director, started the company from his back bedroom in 2011, after redundancy from business consultancy propelled him to start the business he had long contemplated. Five years on he has no regrets. The business has grown rapidly, employs 12 members of staff and has just hit £1m turnover for the year.
Best known for their work with Alcohol Concern’s Dry January campaign, Hitch Marketing have also rebranded the whole of Arriva’s Northern rail network, developed their new state-of-the-art ticketing website, and have just won a UK Public Sector award with Hertfordshire County Council for their men’s health campaign #getchecked.
Gary commented, “Five years is a real milestone. When I started out with two associates I hoped it would work, but had no experience of running my own business. Moving into our own office was special, and flying to Parliament to celebrate the work of Dry January felt like we’d arrived. I’ve learned so much, and I’m proud of everything the team has achieved.“
Having spent years advising businesses how to plan and grow, Gary relished the opportunity to take his own advice, seeing things from the other side of the fence. When asked to share his best business advice to any would-be entrepreneurs Gary said, “Keep your costs low and put everything you can back into the business. Surround yourself with talent, develop your brand and proposition, and know your market well”.
Understanding his market well gave great confidence when he first sent his proposition out in the early days. Having worked as an NHS commissioner, Gary used the insight gained in the health industry to offer his former colleagues research-based campaigns at a price they could afford.
Surprisingly, the Hitch Marketing team passed over the chance to celebrate their success at any number of fashionable restaurants, and instead asked their local community café to prepare a lunch made of food destined for landfill.
Gary explained, “It was really important to us when starting out that the business had a ‘social conscience’. We committed to using 10% of profits to fund social community projects so supporting Neo, our local community café was the perfect way to celebrate our anniversary Hitch-style.”
When asked about his plans for the next five years, Gary talked animatedly about his plans to grow his team, invent new technology, utilise the strategic partnerships he’s developed and to expand into international markets. He said, “You’re always looking ahead to the next thing. The next project, the next opportunity. But when I look back on the journey so far and all that we’ve achieved, I’m so glad I took that first scary step.”