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About
Who are Essential?

About
Essential

Our mission is to help channel companies to reach their marketing goals through the creation of Kick-Ass campaigns that deliver Kick-Ass results!

Sam Rudland

Sam Rudland

Founder / CEO

Sam cut her teeth in the rugged mobile computing space working for a vendor that transitioned from a direct to indirect model. She's in her element working in the channel.

Sam advises on strategy and planning for clients.

She is passionate about the benefits of fitness and regularly organises team workouts, often accompanied by her two dogs.

We ensure she's kept plied with a regular flow of coffee which fuels her creativity.

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Essential has been working on Kick-Ass marketing campaigns for clients in the technology channel since 2002.

Drawing from years of client-side experience, Founder & CEO, Sam Rudland wanted to establish an agency that really understood its clients and their markets. She envisioned an agency that works hand in hand with clients to help them achieve their business goals through the creation of  Kick-Ass campaigns that deliver Kick-Ass results. This vision gave rise to The Essential Agency and our growth has been fuelled by happy clients who get great results from our services.

Our clients include vendors, distributors, resellers, ISVs and disruptive tech start-ups.

We help tech companies create Kick-Ass Campaigns, Content and Incentives, by targeting their audience and focusing on the challenges our clients’ technology is solving for them. This means moving beyond the simplistic, short-term selling product mindset.

We ensure that clients truly understand their audience – the market they operate in, the people they’re targeting and their personas, the messaging that will resonate with them at all stages of the buying cycle. We then produce work that captures their audience’s interest and promote it through the best channels to reach them.

Our deep knowledge of tech and the channel enables us to hit the ground running, helping you to hit your goals on time and to budget. We're used to working with busy channel marketing leaders and working as their go to team that adds value and gets things done. We can help you to successfully deliver on your plans.

Mike Harrison

Mike Harrison

Solutions Director

Mike is our marketing technology specialist and guru when it comes to strategy and the creative.  He has been fortunate to spend over 20 years in the field of digital marketing both in senior roles and working for clients in the channel.  We keep his brains fed on a blend of coffee, crisps and cake.

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Marie Hughes

Marie Hughes

Financial Controller

Marie is a finance chartered accountant with a varied finance background.  She laughs at all of Mike's jokes (no matter how bad!) and resembles a tomato after exercising.

Ed Anderson-Stewart

Ed Anderson-Stewart

Head of Channel & Incentives

Ed is a highly experienced technology marketer, with over 20 years spent working for tech organisations both large and small, client-side and agency side. He’s equally at home designing marketing strategy as he is honing copy for PPC ads… and everything in between. When not collaborating with our clients, you’ll likely find Ed on the tennis court or a football pitch either playing or coaching.

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Patrick Brownlee-Smith

Patrick Brownlee-Smith

Head of Content & PR

Patrick has over 20 years experience as a PR and Marketing specialist for tech companies and has worked both client-side and in multiple agencies. He helps clients with content strategy and creation but has also been known to obsess over the use of a semi-colon. When not working, Patrick likes to spend time with his family, but he also likes open-water swimming and has written one book (so far!).

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Nicky Jackson

Nicky Jackson

Senior Account Manager

Nicky is passionate about tech marketing and PR. Having worked for more than 25 years in technology companies, she understands the importance of effective channel marketing strategy to achieve business growth. When not working on client accounts, Nicky can be found ogling gadgets in Stuff magazine.

 

Debbie McGowan

Debbie McGowan

Marketing Manager

Debbie is a highly motivated, result-led digital marketeer, having worked in the digital arena since 2006. With a focus on data, Debbie is adept at identifying trends and interpreting the data, with the intention to optimise marketing activity. When not working or entertaining her young family, she can often be found with a large cup of tea and her head buried in a book!

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Sarah Chidgey

Sarah Chidgey

PR Associate

PR is in Sarah's DNA. She loves all country sports especially horse racing.

Sam Crowe

Sam Crowe

Associate PR Director

Sam’s an award-winning PR consultant and advises Essential's clients on strategy. Sam has a camper van and will spend weekends on adventures with her young family. 

Kato

Kato

Head of Security

Kato has a number of key roles. He checks out everyone's lunch to ensure they are eating a balanced diet, moves his bed in front of the door to stop us leaving early and entertains us with his doggie humour (which is usually funnier than Mike's).

Archie website 2

Archie

Deputy of Special Projects

While Archie is also on lunch duty, he takes care of cleaning by eliminating any crumbs and gobbling them up. He is also a great communicator, letting everyone know he is happy with our work environment by loudly snoring in his bed. 

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