Creative communications agency Folk has bolstered its team with two new appointments following record growth in 2022, a rebrand and new mission to make inclusive comms in the industry the norm.
Amy Martin has joined the agency to create impactful and inclusive PR campaigns as Account Director. She will work across numerous clients which include Veygo (part of the FTSE 100 Admiral Group), Atradius and the Welsh Government.
Martin, joined from dash cam brand, Nextbase, where she led the global PR team and oversaw campaigns to drive awareness and launch new products. Prior to that, Martin held in-house and agency roles in London.
On joining Folk Amy Martin said: “Successful PR is the culmination of insight, strategy, creativity and teamwork. This is something I saw reflected in Folk. Beyond an impressive client list, I saw an opportunity to work with amazing people, a team that is inspiring, talented, and supportive, in an environment in which I believe I can truly grow.”
Rhian Drummond will join the Cardiff-based agency as Senior Creative to bolster Folk’s public sector capabilities.
A passionate advocate for inclusive communications, Drummond has extensive experience working on public sector campaigns, including the award-winning work for National Adoption Service Wales, Welsh Government and Transport for Wales, and creating multilingual campaigns.
“I couldn’t be happier to be joining Folk at such a pivotal moment in their growth,” said Rhian Drummond.
“I have been freelancing with some great clients but I was always open to going back agency-side for the right agency with the right values and drive to challenge the status quo of our industry and its lack of diversity. I believe Folk is that agency. I’ve always been passionate about inclusivity and representation in comms and advertising, It was refreshing to see that Folk truly practise what they preach. With the powerful addition of The Real Folk Panel, I’m excited to work on campaigns that are truly transformative of our society.”
The new appointments at Folk follow a record year of growth in its 2021/2022 financial year, with income up 56%. Its rebrand and agency refocus has also had a significant impact on agency growth in H1, with fee income up 85% YOY in 2022/2023, across insights, strategy, creative campaigns as well as newsjacking and content generation.
Formerly known as BrandContent, founder and chief executive Sharon Flaherty led the rebrand to highlight its focus on representation and inclusion in the industry. Folk developed The Real Folk Panel, a collective of communication consultants from diverse backgrounds, all passionate about improving inclusivity in communications and advocating for communities whose voices are too often ignored in the industry. The Real Folk Panel of consultants support Folk’s clients with campaign planning, brand communications consultancy and tailored audits assessing inclusiveness as well as bespoke workshops to help shape more inclusive work.
Speaking about the agency’s continued expansion, Flaherty said: “We are committed to being a powerful ally to clients and brands, supporting them to create commercial campaigns without prejudice. I am delighted that Rhian and Amy are bringing their experience and passion to Folk to drive that mission forward.”
Amy and Rhian commence their roles immediately.
