Talent is the key to creative thinking

Winner: Creative Business Award

Think!Creative isn’t just a striking business name – it’s a way of life for Paul Hough and his talented team.

The Poulton-based company thinks bold and its creative passion has seen it build up an impressive portfolio of clients - international brands like BAE Systems and BP as well as Lancashire businesses such as Evolution and Utiligroup.

That passion, matched with the ability to execute work to a high standard and deliver effective business results, is what impressed judges of the Creative Business category in this year’s Red Rose Awards.

Think!Creative started life in a back room in Paul’s home 14 years ago. Today it has grown into a highly-successful studio with a turnover approaching £900,000, a growing workforce and a reputation for excellence.

Paul says: “Our clients come in different shapes and sizes. But what links them is their belief in great creative work.

“That’s why our creative talent is our biggest asset. Our people come from across Lancashire and have a range of backgrounds and skills.

“A creative business like ours cannot compete if it can’t attract and retain the right talent. So that’s why we recently cherry-picked people with backgrounds in creative thinking, technology and education to complement our existing team.

“At Think! we don’t just plonk people down at a desk and tell them to get on with it. Instead, we nurture and empower our staff to develop their skills.”

That commitment and the diversity in the team means the business can offer brand development, advertising, design, copywriting, animation, illustration and more.

Paul adds: “When you combine our dedication to ideas, our diverse offering and our ability to work across media and platforms - what you get is a complete creative service.”

Being based in Lancashire is important to the business. Although originally from Manchester, Paul has lived on the Fylde coast for 30 years.

He says: “We’re especially passionate about contributing to the success of Lancashire business, so it’s really rewarding to be recognised for our work with ambitious brands across the county and beyond.

“We work in an industry that is dominated by the bigger cities. But the truth is, there is genuine strength in depth in the creative industries in Lancashire.

“It was brilliant to be recognised for our creative efforts at the Red Rose Awards. But more importantly, our little moment in the sun proves that you can find top class creative work in Lancashire. And our brilliant clients are proof that they think that’s true too.”

Think!Creative has an exciting raft of new projects in the pipeline. And that continued growth brings new challenges as well as opportunities.

Paul says: “With fresh additions to our creative team, we’re consistently looking for ways to develop and improve our offering. That will allow us to serve our loyal clients creatively and commercially.

“We’re confident that we can answer almost any brief with our inhouse resources. But as our reputation grows, we have to be nimble enough to take on big new projects and to keep serving our existing and future clients.

“Our commitment to home grown talent includes our extended team of specialist suppliers and collaborators.

“Their work means we can share opportunities with the local creative community and meet the needs of even the most demanding client brief.”

The digital revolution means the team at Think! has an enormous array of online and offline platforms to promote its clients’ brands.

However, Paul says: “If you peek below the surface, you’ll actually notice how little things have changed.

“Successful marketing still hinges on whether a brand has a core story to tell and a big idea that gets noticed.

“Now we’re entering the post-digital age, many clients are coming back to the idea that big ideas, not technology, is the way to go. And we think our dedication to working on our creative skills puts us in the perfect place to give clients what they need.”

01253 297900 | thinkcreative.uk.com