We help brands stay human
in an increasingly alien world.

We help brands stay human in an increasingly alien world.

Welcome to Key Parker. We’re brand and communications specialists. We use strategy, design and technology to inspire meaningful change and measurable growth.

At the heart of our business is brave™ – a 5-step process designed to reframe your challenges and help your thinking become more human.

Strategy

We’ll help you define an inspiring brand purpose and build internal and external engagement around it

Design

We create unique and relevant brand stories, interfaces and experiences to make you strategically interesting

Technology

We use innovation to develop tools and platforms that make you easier to find and simpler to buy from

Communication

We create content that connects people, builds communities and gets you noticed across print, digital and social channels

Find out more about brave™ here.

An idea is nothing without delivery. That’s why we’ve created a growing suite of digital tools that help to turn our thinking…into action.

brave™Activate

brave™Share

brave™Connect

brave™Optimise

Find out more about our digital tools here.

We wrote the book on it.

Click here to get your free copy.

“People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.”

Simon Sinek

“People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.”

Simon Sinek

Zing Performance – A new brand for our brains

Brave examples

Aston Martin – Being unique

Firestone – First job? Get noticed

bcg – A useful change

Edgeware – Amazing their audience

ExtraCare – More means less

Audi Fleet – Marketing tool

Wolseley – Being energy efficient

ŠKODA – Re-imagining Aftersales

Princethorpe College – Changing the conversation

Shackletons – Designer relevance

Brave examples

Zing Performance – A new brand for our brains

Aston Martin – Being unique

Firestone – First job? Get noticed

bcg – A useful change

Edgeware – Amazing their audience

ExtraCare – More means less

Audi Fleet – Marketing tool

Wolseley – Being energy efficient

take a look at some other projects in our gallery

We don’t believe in complicated management structures. And we don’t believe that big is necessarily best.

We’re committed to keeping the agency ambitiously small, so the people you talk to are the people you work with.

Scroll down and meet everyone

  • James
    James Senior Account Manager
  • Darren
    Darren Senior Account Manager
  • Scott
    Scott Data Project Manager
  • Alex
    Alex Digital Marketing Specialist
  • Nigel
    Nigel Client Services Director
  • Al
    Al Creative Director
  • Josie
    Josie Finance Director
  • André
    André Senior Account Manager
  • Erin
    Erin Account Manager
  • James
    James Planning Director
  • Gordon
    Gordon Managing Director
  • Nick
    Nick Senior Account Manager
  • Darren
    Darren Creative Studio Manager
  • Mike
    Mike Senior Creative
  • Mark
    Mark Technical Director
  • Julie
    Julie Senior Account Manager
  • Phil
    Phil Production Director
  • Jonno
    Jonno Creative
  • Den
    Den Artwork Studio Manager
  • Josh
    Josh Production Executive
  • Ben
    Ben Creative
  • Andrew
    Andrew Commercial Director
  • Fiona
    Fiona Account Executive
  • Alex
    Alex Senior Artworker
  • Wayne
    Wayne Senior Creative
  • Tania
    Tania Artworker
  • Melissa
    Melissa Senior Account Executive
  • Emma
    Emma Deputy Creative Director
  • Neil
    Neil Lead Front-end Developer
  • Mark
    Mark Senior Artworker
  • Nick
    Nick Senior Web Developer
James
Senior Account Manager
JamesC

James

Senior Account Manager

Having grown up in exotic Hong Kong and then later worked in Shanghai you’d expect James to be pretty fluent in either Cantonese or Mandarin. Not a bit of it. He has maintained a proud British colonial tradition of not speaking the local lingo and just talking loudly and slowly.

He’s an advertising and media graduate and self-confessed nerd with a love of sci-fi and comics – sorry, ‘graphic novels’. Things don’t get any better unfortunately – James owns a cat and knows more than is healthy about automotive aftersales and car parts marketing.

All is not lost however – he’s getting back into basketball, tennis, swimming and general fitness to combat all that pasty-faced nerd stuff. Hang on a minute, he likes golf too. We give up.
Darren
Senior Account Manager
Darren-Parker-Mead

Darren

Senior Account Manager

Our Darren’s been around the block. More than once. In fact, his experience has encompassed nearly 30 years of media, print production and agency madness so nothing phases him anymore. Maybe receiving the news that his beloved Birmingham City are back in the top-flight would do it. Probably wouldn’t hold your breath on that one though…
He found time to squeeze in a post-grad MBA at Loughborough University, loves running and is a WW1 buff so you’ll need to get up pretty early to…well…be up before him since his daughter is a competitive swimmer. With a whistle round his neck shouting encouragement, Darren can be found by a pool most mornings. Let’s hope it’s the one his daughter trains in.
Scott
Data Project Manager
Scott

Scott

Data Project Manager

As a data specialist, Scott needs a cool head and a steady hand as he manages the database for one of our biggest clients. Managing complex projects is second nature to him as he produced and directed a TV sit com for a university competition. It didn’t win but was “well received” he tells us.
As one of the increasing number of Key Parker’s lean, mean superfit types, Scott ran the first Tough Mudder for a good cause and got electrocuted in the face for his trouble. It’s part of the fun apparently.

While he’s not crawling face down through mud or snowboarding, he likes nothing more than being around his brothers and their families. He spends many a happy hour eating their food, watching their TV and using all their wifi bandwidth to indulge his movie addiction on Netflix.

Alex
Digital Marketing Specialist
Alex-T

Alex

Digital Marketing Specialist

“How can you tell the stage is level? The drummer is drooling from both sides of his mouth.” Our social media and digital marketing expert Alex has heard all the gags in the 15 years he’s been playing the drums. Not on his own of course. He’s in a band. But because drumming only involves sitting around waving little sticks, he likes to get proper exercise and fresh air as the captain of a Sunday league football team.
Not content with just playing the beautiful game, he writes about an obscure team from Manchester on a number of sports websites. Apparently they need the publicity.
Nigel
Client Services Director
Nigel

Nigel

Client Services Director

nigel.bromley@keyparker.co.uk
Nigel Bromley

Nigel is responsible for ensuring that we nurture our clients like no one else. He’s spent over 20 years working both client and agency side building brands, leading account groups, pitching and retaining business. He’s passionate about creating long term business relationships and selling more for clients. His geek tendencies reveal themselves with love of Doctor Who, golf and a long list of fairly rubbish old cars. He also says “brilliant” a lot.
Over the years he’s worked across numerous categories and brands including Aston Martin, Barclays, Bridgestone, Cemex, Centro, Cummins, Interflora, Jaguar Land Rover, National Grid, Shackletons, STP, Spur Shelving, Transco, TNT, Volkswagen Group and Warwick Castle.

He won a Marketing Society Gold Award for Excellence for his work on TNT Sameday and is a Guest Lecturer at Birmingham City University.

Al
Creative Director
Al

Al

Creative Director

al.delgado@keyparker.co.uk
Al Delgado

With over 20 years’ experience in the industry and a genuine love for design, Al has worked in every size of agency in both London and the Midlands. Previous roles at Coley Porter Bell, SAS (not that SAS) and boxer have given him a deep understanding of how to get the very best from a creative department. He’s also a self-confessed typography geek and could probably tell you far more than you need to know about this font.

Al has also worked across a huge range of sectors and in most disciplines, from packaging to through-the-line corporate communications and is driven by great ideas, simply told and beautifully crafted.

During his career he’s forged strong relationships with clients at BBA Group, BBC, Bridgestone, Ciba Specialty Chemicals, EMI Group, Ernst & Young, GKN, McDonald’s, Mitchells & Butlers, Provident Financial, ReadSoft and Volkswagen Group.

He’s won over 20 national and international design awards and has lectured in design and typography both here and overseas.

Josie
Finance Director
Josie

Josie

Finance Director

josie.parkin@keyparker.co.uk

As a qualified Chartered Accountant Josie’s career began at Grant Thornton and progressed to becoming a Senior Manager with Newby Castleman in Leicester.

She moved from the world of accountancy to print becoming FD and then MD of Abbott Colour Technology, meaning a very thorough understanding of the agency business.

She is now responsible for sound financial management and ensuring Key Parker is entirely ship-shape, as well as a great place to work.

Whilst a super-organised manager, Josie loves to spend her own time travelling to far off places that are preferably hot and sunny. Josie doesn’t do cold you see. Otherwise you’ll find her reading novels, visiting the theatre or spending time with her family.

André
Senior Account Manager
Andre

André

Senior Account Manager

One of Key Parker’s most experienced Account Managers, his knowledge of all things automotive is perhaps only surpassed by his knowledge of flight connections via Heathrow. It’s no exaggeration to say André leads a jet set lifestyle. So whilst the rest of us are spending the weekend taxi-ing kids or creosoting a fence, André is invariably on a beach, in a boutique hotel or dining in a Michelin star restaurant. Makes you sick.
Erin
Account Manager
Erin

Erin

Account Manager

Erin studied fashion before taking a change of direction – literally. (She was en route to Paris, took a wrong turn off the M1 and found herself in Lutterworth). As you might expect she has a garment for every occasion and more shoes than Gordon Carmichael (which is no mean ‘feet’). She has taken our internet clothes shopping to new heights. Oh, Erin can also talk non-stop throughout an entire spinning class. You don’t need to ask what about.
James
Planning Director
James

James

Planning Director

james.allan@keyparker.co.uk
James Allan

James is strategic planner, copywriter, actor and communication problem solver with a degree in engineering, a passion for theatre and riding motorcycles. But not at the same time.

He’s spent 19 years working in various agencies and 2 years client-side building skills in pitching, account planning, account handling and brand management. He even launched and ran his own shop for a while — “the best way to learn how retail really works” he tells us.

During this time he’s worked on and thought about a diverse range of brands including Aston Martin, Avis Europe, Bentley Motors, Bridgestone, Britannia Building Society, Budget Europe, CEMEX, Eveden, Fujitsu Computers, Hammerson, Jaguar, Land Rover, ReadSoft, STP, TNT, Volkswagen Group and Wolseley.

James has authored two IPA Effectiveness Award winning papers and a Marketing Society Gold Award for Excellence. He’s also a Guest Lecturer at Aston
Business School.

Gordon
Managing Director
Gordon

Gordon

Managing Director

gordon.carmichael@keyparker.co.uk
Gordon Carmichael

Gordon is an entrepreneur with a passion for all things Italian and more guitars than he really needs, though none are Italian. Just as well.

Having built up and sold previous businesses, he bought Key Parker in 2006 and merged it with his digital communications business to create a fully integrated marketing services agency.

Day to day, Gordon plots our course and ensures the whole crew is working efficiently. As Commander of our nimble craft he’s worked with and transformed numerous clients including bcg, CEMEX, FedEx, Plumb Center, ReadSoft, Saniflo, Toyota, TNT and Volkswagen Group.
Nick
Senior Account Manager
Nick-W

Nick

Senior Account Manager

Nick became interested in print production when he saw his first printing press. It was, in fact, the first printing press ever made and the year was 1450, so we reckon he knows a bit. He also has a fascination for men with shaved legs and is often found glued to the TV set watching the Tour de France.
He’s also been known to ask people back to his house to listen to his impressive record collection. (This is quite strange, as as far as anyone knows, he doesn’t have a record player).
Darren
Creative Studio Manager
Darren

Darren

Creative Studio Manager

Worker placement, resource management, strategy, tactics and timing. Strange how Darren’s passion for board games has parallels with his creative management skills here at Key Parker. From ‘Agricola’ to ‘Zooloretto’, Darren’s board game collection is increasingly taking over the spare room at home and his wife knows that a trip to IKEA to buy a new shelf means that more are on the way. “Board games have grown up. It’s not Monopoly and the like, these are games of grand strategy – deep and tactical,” he insists, but we know of his fondness for Ker-Plunk.
Mike
Senior Creative
Mike

Mike

Senior Creative

It’s a miracle that Mike is still alive he’s so accident-prone. From childhood mishaps like jamming his head in a revolving airport door and standing on broken bottles to recent major blood loss after breaking a window, the man is an A&E frequent flyer. Even as one of our senior creative talents, we only allow him wax crayons and children’s scissors.
His new creative ambition this year – apart from staying unscathed – is carving lino and woodcuts. Apparently it involves very sharp implements and a degree of force. What could possibly go wrong?

 

Mark
Technical Director
Mark

Mark

Technical Director

mark.norton@keyparker.co.uk
Mark Norton

Mark is a qualified architect but moved away from architecture early on to work in the graphic arts industry. He still knows his atria from his porticos but today he brings his building design flair and number crunching skills to run our technology team.
Mark now masterminds all of our technology projects, solving business communication challenges with bespoke solutions for clients and their retail partners including Allianz, Audi, CEMEX, SEAT, SKODA, TNT, Vianet and Volkswagen.

 

Julie
Senior Account Manager
Julie

Julie

Senior Account Manager

Super-organised Julie started her career in market research but 8 out of 10 owners said she wasn’t suited to number-crunching. As a gadget freak – with her own robot to do the vacuuming for her– she thinks statistical analysis is best left to computers and nerds. Or the vacuum cleaner.
Surprisingly, Julie is also the proud owner of a decidedly low-tech campervan that saves her a fortune in hotels. Combine this with her obsessive consumption of curry and boy-band McFly and you have the recipe for a great night out. Best leave the windows open though…

 

Phil
Production Director
Phil

Phil

Production Director

phil.norman@keyparker.co.uk

With well over 30 years in the industry, Phil’s experience spans decades working in London, Milton Keynes and with regional agencies both above and below the line. Influenced by his background in artwork graphic design, his career in production has combined print specialism with a creative flair and practical skills.

Phil leads our in house production team with a perfectionist’s eye, providing bespoke, practical solutions across a variety of media. He’s played a key role in building our reputation for reliability.

He also knows Barcelona like a local. After frequent visits over the years, it’s become a second home to him. He can tell his Gaudi from his Goya and will happily give Berlitz a run for their money as a tour guide. It’s always good to have something to fall back on.
Jonno
Creative
Jonno

Jonno

Creative

Start your engines. The pungent smell of race fuel, the awesome sound and amazing displays of exotic cars moving at high speed – sounds like the KP car park to us. Yet such was the allure of Silverstone Circuit, it was more or less Jonno’s second home from when he was knee-high to a trolley jack.
To say he’s a big fan of the place is an understatement and we sometimes have to tell him not to bring pit-boards to work – email is so much easier. As a creative in the studio though, he can produce a perfect piece of artwork quicker than it takes McLaren to change all four tyres.
Den
Artwork Studio Manager
Den

Den

Artwork Studio Manager

Den has become so engrossed working on the Volkswagen account, that he doesn’t realise that he’s been here for over fifteen years. Outside of work hours sees him tripping the light fantastic with some dance moves that would allegedly have Bruce Forsyth saying ‘Keeeep dancing’.
His competitive antics with his wife in the National Supadance league, along with regular visits to the gym keep Den fit and trim. People say he has the body of an eighteen year old, but nobody knows where he keeps it.
Josh
Production Executive
Josh

Josh

Production Executive

As part of our powerhouse production team strike force, Josh helps make stuff happen rather than just talking about it, like the rest of us do.

As a committed socialite (his words not ours) Josh can often be seen out and about at all hours. He’s also very tall so is really easy to spot in a crowded bar – except when it’s his round.

Josh is also a self-confessed ‘modder’ and takes great pleasure in taking a perfectly good car, designed and engineered by experts and ‘improving’ it with bolt-on trinkets from Halfords or somewhere. Lower, wider, louder are his watch-words. The neighbours must be very happy.

He’s a big fan of skiing and has been since he was just 6 years old. He even skied for Sheffield Hallam University but Yorkshire’s not quite the Alps is it Josh?

Ben
Creative
Ben

Ben

Creative

‘Gentle Ben’ is yet another football obsessed yob in our midst. If he’s not actually playing the game he’s living it vicariously through FIFA on his PS3 and scoring the winner for his beloved Arsenal. Recently, he discovered badminton – though it’s been around for ages as a sport.
Where’ve you been Ben? The repetitive squeaking of trainers and grunting presumably reminds him of his guilty pleasure, Hip-hop music. However, he has no time for metal or dance music, so we’re saving up to buy him ‘Whitesnake: Greatest Hits” remixed by R Kelly. You’re welcome, Ben.
Andrew
Commercial Director
Andrew

Andrew

Commercial Director

andrew.carmichael@keyparker.co.uk

To say that Andrew knows print is an understatement. Having graduated from the London College of Printing he worked in print production for 18 years and knows all about impossible deadlines and having it all done by yesterday.

He’s also experienced the cool-headed eye of the storm that is Production in an ad agency. Now he spends his time managing Volkswagen’s considerable print requirements and knows rather more about paper stock than is healthy.

He keeps sane by purchasing lots of Apple products, running, playing cricket and planning holidays to far off places. It’s all in the planning apparently.
Fiona
Account Executive
Fiona

Fiona

Account Executive

With a degree in English and Creative Writing, Fiona’s early ambition was to become an animal conservationist. Sadly, she needed science qualifications and let’s just say she’s more of an artsy kinda gal. A former photographer’s assistant who also writes film shorts, she brings a particularly creative eye to our account management team.
In another life, Fiona would be a female Mowgli, raised by wolves and entirely feral with little or no recognisable language skills. Fortunately, this is not actually the case despite an upbringing in rural Leicestershire.

She is however, a big fan of the great outdoors and looking for things that live in it. Like wolves. Did we mention wolves? Obsession doesn’t come close. She compensates by doing strenuous and very muddy obstacle course runs – except during a full moon.

Alex
Senior Artworker
Alex_W

Alex

Senior Artworker

After fifteen years, Alex is still taking artwork for Volkswagen to infinity and beyond. Self confessed part-man, part-mac, he doesn’t so much wake up, as boot up and judging by his addiction to anything to do with Toy Story and Star Wars, we suspect he’d rather be living in a galaxy, far, far away working for Pixar.

Fortunately for Key Parker, he is still with us and divides his time between his family, Liverpool FC and keeping the Xbox industry in business.
Wayne
Senior Creative
Wayne

Wayne

Senior Creative

Welsh Wayne tells us he’s mostly known for being “outdoorsy, bikey and enjoying a beer or two”. We suspect a former career as a postman but he assures us he’s a trained Graphic Designer with a life-long love for Swansea City.
He’s shed blood for two of his other passions – knocking himself out involved a trip to Newport A&E whilst mountain biking, and getting buried under a pile of sweaty bodies at a gig there too…he doesn’t go there any more as a result. Instead, his perfect day would be mountain biking in the Lakes under a blue sky followed by a good curry and sampling a few real ales, “But not in a beardy-weirdy way” he says. Of course not, Wayne.
Tania
Artworker
Tania

Tania

Artworker

Tania loves digging up dead things … and the longer they have been dead the more she likes it. For some reason, digging seems to play a big part in her leisure time, whether it’s working in her garden or trying to unearth a 150 million year old plesiosaur.
She also ‘digs’ playing the guitar (sorry). Bravely overcoming a mild addiction to Tic Tacs, she can now be found working industriously on the Volkswagen account. Fortunately for us, she is as adept at using a Mac as she is with a shovel.
Melissa
Senior Account Executive
Melissa

Melissa

Senior Account Executive

As a rather swotty advertising graduate, budding copywriter Melissa won a coveted D&AD student pencil for her work. However, her overwhelming organisational skills put paid to that so creative’s loss was account management’s gain.

Never forget your manners around Melissa or give her tea made in a cup. It’s teapots and a china service thank you very much and don’t put your elbows on the table. With baking and cooking as other obsessions, membership in the WI beckons.

Upon Misty, her trusty steed of eleven years, our Melissa can quite literally ride into town and round up lost steers, chase rustlers and make camp before sundown. As a very accomplished horsewoman who competed nationally at Western style, she’s got more rhinestones and cowboy boots than an episode of Dallas on acid.

She also tells us she’s a big fan of rugby, although we think it could do with a better shopping centre and the traffic is awful.

Emma
Deputy Creative Director
Emma

Emma

Deputy Creative Director

emma.turland@keyparker.co.uk

With over 15 years in the design industry and having worked at some of Londons’ top branding agencies as well as New York (ooh get her), Emma brings a wealth of experience as an award-winning designer and lecturer.

She’s produced highly acclaimed work for numerous international brands such as Sainsbury’s, Barclays, Syngenta, Cadbury, EY, Comic Relief, Crabtree & Evelyn and Fortnum & Masons.

Quite how she finds time to dance though is anyone’s guess. Disco could be her middle name. At any wedding, Emma has to be physically restrained from upstaging the happy couple’s first dance.

At heart though, she’s an outdoors type and likes to be uncomfortable, wet and cold by going camping and rubbing sticks together to make fire. As if in a Cath Kidston mood film, a sunny Sunday will see Emma cycling along the lanes for a picnic and perhaps a nice swim – another favourite activity. Or maybe a light game of tennis with some chums.

Any rumours that Emma is in fact a member of the Famous Five are entirely unfounded. Her dog is called George. Probably.

Neil
Lead Front-end Developer
Neil

Neil

Lead Front-end Developer

If you visit a website and it’s not intuitive or easy to use, it’s because they didn’t employ a Neil. Neil is a “swiss army knife of digital skills” and advocate of all things internet, with OCD levels of perfectionism. If it’s a pixel out then he cries and throws stuff. We’ve had to nail down all the Macs.
Nevertheless, as a keen traveller to far off places, Neil once spent 5 months in India. We’re assuming that was intentional or perhaps he missed the flight – who knows? He ended up driving around in a very old car apparently called a ‘Hindustan Ambassador’ and covered 11,000km in it, presumably after a wrong turn trying to find the airport.

On another memorable trip to Malaysia, our intrepid traveller was savaged – well, bitten – by a Macaque monkey after stealing his camera. Serves you right Neil, he loved that camera.

Mark
Senior Artworker

Mark

Senior Artworker

Mark can remember the misty old days of steam driven marketing agencies where Apple Macs were still a glint in Steve Jobs’ eye. He apparently started out as a ‘lick and stick’ artworker, which frankly sounds quite unhygienic. This goes a long way to explaining why he was self-employed for 19 years, working on numerous brands such as Amtico, Peugeot, Macdonalds and Travis Perkins.
Fortunately for us, he now has no need to lick or stick anyone or anything at Key Parker and brings all his experience to our studio team. He’s very attentive to detail and despises widows and double-spacing so this will infuriate him.

Mark’s a lifetime supporter of Coventry City (oh well) and likes a game of golf or riding his mountain bike, mainly to forget.

Nick
Senior Web Developer
Nick-J

Nick

Senior Web Developer

As another member of our crack digital team with over 20 years experience, Nick thinks in strange developer languages the rest of us are baffled by. Sitting in a darkened room, listening to his favourite thrash metal like Slayer and Killswitch Engage (no, us neither…) is his way of meditating and reaching his happy place to write like, beautiful code dude.
Outside of work, Nick loves nothing more than a family road-trip to far off camp-sites. He’s been camping with his wife and daughter all over Europe. What could be more relaxing than starry nights under canvas in beautiful countryside listening to Megadeth?

Having grown up in West Sussex, he’s also a big fan of Brighton and Hove Albion. A visit to the seaside for home games is all the excuse he needs to pack the car for another family weekend away in paradise, just off the M23.

“The difference between the forgettable and the enduring is artistry.”

Bill Bernbach

“The difference between the forgettable and the enduring is artistry.”

Bill Bernbach

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Think Like Steve Jobs: How Design Thinking Leads to Creativity

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Outstanding companies such as Apple, Nike and Tesla are all design-driven companies. These companies adopt design thinking when they are creating new products and solving business problems. Companies that utilized design thinking experienced a 41% higher market share, a 46% competitive advantage, and customers who were 50% more loyal. They outperformed the average American stock market […]

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“If I had more time, I would have written a shorter letter.”

Blaise Pascal

“If I had more time, I would have written a shorter letter.”

Blaise Pascal

Let’s chat

If you’ve got to this page it’s probably worth a chat isn’t it? No obligation or hard sell – just tell us what you have in mind.

T: 01455 55 22 46
E: nigel.bromley@keyparker.co.uk

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As long as it’s tea or coffee.

Key Parker Ltd,
York House, Leicester Road,
Lutterworth LE17 4HF

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