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Shapchat & Brexit: Thoughts on establishing an international HQ in London

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So Snapchat is bucking the post-Brexit trend and like a social salmon it has decided to swim against the current view and set up its non-US office in London.

An unusual move for an American tech firm where the norm is to establish a home from home in Ireland or other European countries in search of better tax brackets. Unusual until you discover its reason for picking London as an international office is due to its belief in the UK creative industries.

Figures released by the Department of Culture last year cited that creative industries were worth £84.1 billion per year to the UK’s economy. On a microscale, every hour is almost worth £10 million pounds to the economy.

It’s no wonder Snapchat has put its faith in our industries. It’s just a shame that our Government has repeatedly ignored one of Britain’s biggest success stories when it comes to our education system.

Instead of citing creativity as a key pillar of our academic curriculum with equal importance to English, maths and science, it’s been reduced pretty much to an extracurricular activity. Sir Ken Robinson, amongst many great points in his Ted Talk, believes that dancing is just as valuable as maths. He goes further to say that some people actually need to move to think better and sharper.

Randomly, while the Government refuses to join the dots, it happily reacts to our failing school system by doing a lot more of the same with the hope that the results (quite literally) will change, while encouraging innovation through rebates for businesses to improve their offering through R&D.

This ongoing debacle doesn’t seem set to change in 2017. The creative industries will continue to thrive in spite of the Government’s long term view. Fortunately Snapchat’s latest story, however small, is one that everybody can benefit from.

- Andy Bolter, Creative Partner at Yes&Pepper

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