City Growth - 50 jobs on way as Sheffield online advertising agency booms

Rise at Seven is doubling its office space in the city centre after phenomenal growth was boosted by the pandemic.

The company was set up by Carrie Rose, aged 27, and Stephen Kenwright in June last year.

Now it employs 50 and has a turnover of £3.5m, reaching its year two target in just 15 months.

The firm specialises in online advertising campaigns using posts, videos, gifs and memes on platforms including Twitter, Instagram Tik Tok and YouTube.

Retained clients include GAME, Missguided, Odeon Cinemas, GoCompare, Cath Kidston and Parkdean Resorts. A campaign by GAME and Microsoft to promote the new Xbox launches next week.

Carrie said their success was down to a creativity that delivered for customers.

Last year, Rise at Seven invented the ‘Christmas Tinner’ - a layered Christmas dinner in a can - for hardcore gamers who didn’t want to stop playing even on December 25.

GAME sold thousands after it went viral, being mentioned by prominent YouTubers and CNN in the US - even though it “looks minging and tastes horrible,” Carrie said.

She added: “It’s been a crazy year. We never expected to land these huge brands. One million pieces of content go online every minute so it’s hard to stand out. But we have got a track record of viral campaigns.

“When the pandemic hit I was worried we’d lose the business overnight. But it went the other way as firms were left with online sales as a way to survive, like Cath Kidston which had to closed 70 stores.

“We have exceed expectations. I’m very proud we have hit £3.5m turnover, our year two target, in the first three months of our second year.

“On our website it all sounds great, but it’s been hard. We’ve had to train staff and develop procedures quickly.

“But we’re really glad we set up in Sheffield. We rated all the cities and it came out top for ability to hire.”

The average age in the company is 27, with the oldest staff member - the former global head of SEO at Just Eat - an outlier at 39.

The firm, based in 3 St Paul’s Place on Norfolk Street is taking the other half of the first floor to accommodate growth.

It has spent £400,000 making the office ‘fun’ including a mini-bar and table tennis, with a slide and ‘Playstation corner’ coming soon.

The company’s name refers to Carrie and Stephen’s enjoyment of the job, “the sense of loving Mondays as much as Fridays,” she added.

The firm also has an office in London employing seven.

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