Award-winning media players forge new co-operative

A chance meeting by two of Scotland's leading players in the new media and television arenas has led to the creation of a new consortium co-operative producing cutting-edge broadcast and internet content for blue-chip clients.

Yellow Brick House Media was advised by Co-operative Development Scotland (CDS) after two of its key principals - Dougal Perman and Roger Dubar - met at the first BarCamp¹ networking event at STV's Pacific Quay headquarters in Glasgow and saw immediate benefits in collaborating.

Both had been pitching for contracts where a combination of their complementary expertise - the creation of digital media content and traditional television programming - would provide a winning formula.

CDS, a Scottish Enterprise subsidiary set up to develop the contribution of co-operative and employee owned business models to Scotland's economy, helped the duo and their associates set up a consortium co-operative, which would allow them to pool skills and resources, while retaining their individual brands and independence.

"We knew we wanted to collaborate, but CDS showed us how the consortium would work in practice and guided us through the set-up stage," Dubar said. "The consortium instantly gave us scale, which greatly improves our market presence and access to larger contracts. It's also very low risk because there are no overheads, no extra staff and we can build up trust as a brand gradually."

Perman added: "It allows us to compete on equal terms with bigger marketing, web and digital agencies who may be seen as the first port of call for large clients tendering these kinds of jobs."

Perman and colleague Tom Lousada pioneered the highly-acclaimed internet radio station Radio Magnetic in 2001 and run Inner Ear, a digital media production and promotion specialist. Dubar, a media lawyer who has advised broacasters including the BBC, ITV and Channel 5, works alongside BAFTA award-winning producer Eric Coulter (The Cops, Rebus, Taggart) in Surefire Television Productions, which specialises in producing drama and comedy for TV and online networks.

The two businesses have joined forces in the new co-operative with Ryan Addams, a freelance web and graphic designer, and Don MacLellan, a freelance web developer and database management specialist.

Based in a yellow brick former stable block in Glasgow's Hidden Lane creative community off Argyle Street in Finnieston, Yellow Brick House Media specialises in creating audio, video, image, text, software development and interactive content, delivered as podcasts, webinars, smart phone apps and streamed video or offline by broadcast and printed media.

CDS business development manager Jim Maxwell, who advised the Yellow Brick House team, said consortium co-operatives were an ideal solution for creative practitioners who want to work together without compromising their core business.

"The consortium model was right for Yellow Brick House because it allows them to work together, combining their different strengths and developing a new strong market presence – but without affecting the independence of member businesses," Maxwell said.

"CDS is seeing growing interest in these business models and believes Scotland's creative industries sector – where 97% of enterprises employ fewer than 50 people – could significantly boost productivity and achieve real critical mass if collaboration was more widely adopted."

Consortium co-operatives act like an agent for their member businesses, marketing their combined services and retaining a percentage of revenues to cover running costs such as administration and bookkeeping.