Creative content agency Ride Shotgun, which has offices in Manchester, Leeds, and Sheffield, has launched a new integrated PR and social media service with the addition of two key hires: Tom Hemingway as Senior PR Strategist and Megan Clarke as Social Strategist.
Tom brings over 12 years of PR expertise to Ride Shotgun, having previously worked at performance marketing agency Journey Further, where he spent three and a half years in the Organic department. His PR experience spans multiple sectors, including insurance, finance, fashion, technology, home interest, and leisure. Before this, Tom spent three years working in-house on PR for well-known drinks brands like Hooch and Franklin & Sons, and also gained agency-side experience with clients such as Hisense, Diageo, Russell Hobbs, and Thomas Cook.
Megan joins from the global games company Sumo Group, based in Sheffield, with over seven years of social media marketing experience across various platforms. Her work has ranged from large-scale LinkedIn campaigns to more niche projects on Pinterest. At Sumo Group, she worked on campaigns for 19 studios, increasing followers by 676% and improving website conversions by 286% over the past three years.
The in-house agency team, led by Stephen Kenwright, the new Director of Strategy and Digital Marketing, will collaborate closely with the broader strategy team to integrate brand, digital, and performance strategies, all driven by audience insight.
Stephen Kenwright commented on the new appointments: “These two key hires add an exciting new dimension to Ride Shotgun. We now have a team of strategic experts who can deliver both digital and brand PR under one roof, alongside creating exceptional social content using design, CGI, mixed reality, video, and photography from our 40,000-square-foot studios, and amplifying them through paid and organic channels.
“Ride Shotgun is all about connecting brand journeys, and having content strategy, production, and activation all in one place allows us to take brands to the next level.”
Tom added: “Ride Shotgun has ambitious growth plans, and it’s fantastic to be part of this journey as we launch our PR service for both existing and new clients. Combining brand and digital PR is the perfect way to build awareness, credibility, and trust, while also boosting organic search performance.
“What’s exciting is how this approach enhances client offerings even further. By integrating PR and social media, we can engage customers across multiple platforms, guiding them from inspiration through to purchase and beyond.”
Megan also expressed her enthusiasm: “I’m thrilled to bring my social media expertise to this dynamic role, where I’ll be driving strategic alignment and delivering measurable results across platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn. By leveraging emerging trends and data-driven insights, I’m excited to help our clients build meaningful connections and achieve sustained growth.”
These appointments follow the recent acquisition of PIX-US and Volume Group, giving Ride Shotgun a presence on both the East and West coasts of the United States. The agency’s headcount now stands at 200 across the UK, US, EU, and Asia, with revenues surpassing $20m.
Ride Shotgun provides a full range of content services, from photography and video production to CGI, AR/VR, and immersive experiences, on both sides of the Atlantic. Their global client roster includes major names such as Intuit, Diageo, John Lewis, Tempur Sealy, HSBC, and Amazon.
