Top Banana brief for ORB

Birmingham company beats off competition to win growth contract.

Birmingham-based branding and ‘visual thinking’ agency ORB, has seen off competition from agencies across the country to win a new contract with live events company, Top Banana.

ORB, which specialises in helping high growth small businesses (SMEs) and ambitious entrepreneurs define and grow their brand, will support Top Banana on brand development as part of the company’s five year growth plan.

Top Banana, which is headquartered in Stourbridge, helps businesses engage their employees through inspiring events and communications. It works with national and international brands including the Gucci Group, Moet Hennessy, Bacardi and Barclaycard. Rob Bloxham, Managing Director and Founder of ORB, said: “ORB is proud to call Birmingham home and the opportunity to work for a local company with such an impressive client portfolio reflects the region’s growth as home to some of the UK’s most creative companies.

“We work with a number of Birmingham’s most dynamic up-and-coming business leaders and entrepreneurs and there is nothing more exciting than helping a business that you can see has the potential to explode, on that journey. In helping them to grow, we grow too.”

Nick Terry, managing director of Top Banana, which celebrates its 15th birthday this year, added: “It’s great to be working alongside the guys at ORB to refresh and revitalise our brand identity. We have worked hard to establish our industry reputation both domestically and globally as specialists in leadership communication events. ORB demonstrated an insight which showed they can really help add energy and verve to our communications plan.”

ORB’s strategy to focus on the city’s entrepreneurs and high growth SMEs was recently backed, with Birmingham being named as the most entrepreneurial region in the UK and a start-up ‘hotspot’ by StartUp UK.

The agency’s commitment to this market has seen it grow significantly over the last 12 months with both revenues and staff numbers doubling. ORB’s client list includes bills payment service Glide, led by Chair of the Young Institute of Directors Midlands James Villaereal and property development specialists McCourt Collaboration; headed by past Birmingham Young Professional of the Year winner Anthony McCourt.

Robert Bloxham added: “We started in Birmingham nearly ten years ago and in that time we have seen its creative and digital sector explode. We work in an industry that is often thought to be dominated by London, but that view couldn’t be more wrong. The talent, supportive community and innovation of Birmingham make it an exciting place to be working right now and we plan to remain at its core.”