Viva bounces back with strong growth

Rossendale-based PR and communications agency Viva has expanded its team after winning ten new contracts in the last ten weeks.

The beginning of the coronavirus pandemic was not kind to the agency, which lost 40 per cent of its revenue in one week and had to furlough three members of its team.

However, recovery has been swift, with Viva winning new contracts with Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust, Blackburn with Darwen Council, NORI HR and Tailor Made Sourcing.

All furloughed staff have rejoined the team and an additional account executive has been recruited to add to the firm's capacity.

Tony Garner, managing director, now predicts the company will see an overall turnover increase of 32 per cent across the year.

He said: "We proactively upped our own marketing early in the year but when we could see how the crisis would impact we pivoted to sectors which required additional resources.

"A large percentage of the work we had going into the lockdown was put on hold within the space of just seven days and at that stage I was incredibly worried we might not survive the year. Even now we have still not got any of those suspended contracts back.

"However, we have built a strong pipeline and having people on furlough meant we were able to offer immediate experienced support and that — and the loyalty of many of our existing clients - has been one of the secrets to our turnaround.”