Business Surgery: the Giggle Group

• Year established: 2006

• Where the company is based: The Paintworks

• Sector: Creative – film and animation production agency

• Number of staff: 10

• Owner: Steve Garratt

• Key clients: Vodafone, Sky, HSBC, Royal Bank of Canada

• Website: thegigglegroup.co.uk 

Company overview

The Giggle Group’s philosophy is to craft ‘content that makes you smile’. We love a giggle – who doesn’t? We know what makes audiences tick. Positive, authentic stories using wit, warmth and a lightness of touch resonate and engage. 

Our work goes the extra mile to break down barriers, illuminate messages and make ideas stick. Shared insight connects people, aids memory and promotes change. What’s not to like? Whether a short film, a cute animation or a massive projection on a building, our award winning experts shape positive, authentic stories that engage audiences and make client messages stick. 

Established in 2006, Giggle is based in The Paintworks with a team of 10 designers, animators, writers and producers. We create content ranging from animation, live action to projection, for valued clients like BSkyB, Vodafone, HSBC, Financial Times and the NHS.

Giggle has recently set up Giggle Media, a content producing arm of the company to create broadcast content from children’s animation to comedy drama. 

The Challenge

“Giggle has been going for nearly 10 years and was founded by the Creative Director Steve Garratt. The owner is responsible for 80% of the company’s new business. How do we develop a sales strategy to make the company more scalable?”

FEEDBACK

Andrew Wright

Partner, Deloitte 

“Creative Director and founder Steve Garratt is clearly integral to the business given that he is responsible for winning 80% of new work.  This dependency however poses both a risk around longer term business sustainability as well as a capacity ceiling, constrained as it is by the availability of Steve’s time.  Giggle should consider hiring a dedicated sales/marketing director with existing contacts and experience in telecommunications or financial services.  They would be able to leverage additional opportunities through demonstrating Giggle’s existing content which has been so successful for their existing customer base of Sky, HSBC, Vodafone and the NHS trusts.”

Lisa Urwin

Associate, Technology and IP team, TLT Solicitors

“Making your business more scalable requires you to make the most of the existing resources you have. To sell your business without incurring significant new costs you could promote your most valuable existing resource – your team. Use them to tell the story of your business and involve them as much as possible in your marketing and pitches. Call on their creative skills to come up with ways to reach new and existing clients; by working with your team in this way they can develop new skills and you can maximise their potential.”