Independent youth marketing agency Livity, whose clients include Google, Unilever, Barclays and Channel 4, is set to accelerate its growth ambitions and enhance its specialist agency offer, following an investment of up to £1.5 million from award-winning social investment fund, Impact Ventures UK (IVUK). The agency, which is also a social enterprise, will be using the funding to strengthen its core agency offering of having best-in-class youth insights and access. This will be done through investment in creative and strategic expertise; new agency products and services; the creation of a youth-led innovation team and a social impact report.
Livity will also be scaling its international youth audience ownership through the launch of a new publishing offering, which will see the creation of a suite of youth co-created social content channels. The “Made By Livity” multi-platform network will be overseen by Livity’s current Executive Creative Director, former Dazed editor, Callum McGeoch who takes on the newly created role of publishing director. The network of wholly-owned and partnered channels will provide brands and clients with authentic, trusted routes to mass youth audiences whilst giving young people opportunities to train in creative, production, community and channel management and social data analysis.
Liam Black, member of IVUK’s Investment Committee and one of the UK’s best-known social entrepreneurs, said: “Livity is one of the best chances for young people in London to get inspired and change their lives. We are delighted and honoured that Michelle and Sam have chosen to partner with IVUK to scale their business and purpose. We look forward to many years of productive collaboration in the interests of young people.”
Michelle Morgan, CEO and co-founder of Livity, added: “We’ve been proving that a purpose-led agency offering has a clear place in the sector for 15 years. Now, with IVUK as our investor partner, we are ready to scale our model and purpose to have much greater impact. The agency model needs to evolve, and with purpose and young people at our heart, we are best-placed to grow in ways that will ensure we continue to give clients the very best youth-led insights and access. This will in turn lead to deeper, more meaningful solutions for them and work that truly works.”
Livity’s unique social enterprise model means that its work for clients benefits from young people’s insights, energy and authentic voices, while the young people it mentors receive training, experience and support into employment and education.
