Based in Woodseats, Sheffield, Hydra Creative is a digital and design agency with an 18-strong team that has expertise spanning websites, SEO, digital marketing, video, UX and UI. Known for its bespoke approach, Hydra has sharpened its focus on user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) design, reshaped its video services offering, and continues to engage with community and charitable initiatives. We spoke to Business Development Manager, Richard Kerr to see what’s changed and why since our original Spotlight in 2021, and where his focus lies for the coming year.

Hydra Creative has built a solid portfolio of clients since it was founded in 2009 and, whilst the agency services organisations across the UK, they have more recently noticed a trend in SMEs wanting to ‘keep things local’. “The large majority of our clients are in Sheffield and South Yorkshire. There’s been a shift in SMEs wanting to support other SMEs in their region,” says Richard.

Naturally, this has meant that Hydra cites many manufacturing and engineering firms as clients, whilst also building a strong reputation in the care sector and taking on multiple projects for schools and universities.

Meeting demand for bespoke, user-centric websites

Hydra has always prided itself on delivering tailored solutions, avoiding the temptation to compete on price by offering an off-the-shelf service. Richard explains,

“We’ve done countless websites over the years and could quite easily put together packages of our base websites. But, we intentionally don’t do that because we love getting embroiled in what a business does and what they’re about.”

He continues, “They receive a truly bespoke website that they can be proud of, that is completely unique to them, looks great and does exactly what their users want it to do.”

Well-researched, user-centric websites are increasingly sought after, Richard notes, particularly by the agency’s larger clients. Hydra now has a dedicated UX/UI designer in the web team, whose role is to focus on mapping customer journeys and planning user experiences before even considering colours, graphics or other more ‘traditional’ aspects of design.

Evolving services and extended sales cycles

Whilst Hydra continued to thrive during the instability of the pandemic, the effects of the cost of living crisis and political change have been felt by the agency.

“Marketing always seems to be one of the first things that’s slashed when budgets are constrained,” Richard explains. “And this year we’ve had a general election and a budget which wasn’t particularly favourable for smaller businesses. We’ve definitely seen elongated sales cycles – clients taking far longer to make decisions and sign contracts.”

The agency has responded by expanding their sales pipeline, spreading themselves out more and focussing on winning larger projects with bigger budgets.

The agency’s video department has suffered a redundancy in the past year, which is reflective of not just the challenging economic climate, but increased competition from freelancers and agencies that deal exclusively in video production.

This has led Hydra to reposition its offering. Richard comments, “Video is a great way to enhance our services for our retainer clients and website projects. While it’s no longer just a standalone service, it helps us win and retain clients and adds significant value, as and when it is needed.”

Taking a strategic approach to business development

Richard’s journey at Hydra Creative reflects the company’s emphasis on hiring for cultural fit and potential. A marketing professional by background, Richard initially focused on sales during his first year but quickly applied his expertise to boost the agency’s marketing efforts. His work contributed to one of Hydra’s best years since the pandemic, and one of the strongest in the company’s history. He shares the credit for this with the whole Hydra team and their commitment to the business.

Now, Richard’s role is shifting toward strategy. He’s focused on refining sales processes, pricing structures and service packages while nurturing Hydra’s organic growth. “We don’t have a ‘grow, grow, grow’ mentality,” he notes. “We want growth to happen naturally and sustainably, and that includes continuing to expand nationally and grow in markets like London, where we have clients and a flexible office space, and we’ve seen potential, particularly in the professional services such as law firms and accountants.”

Community, collaboration and charity focus

Hydra’s culture and ethos remains deeply rooted in the community, both in their role as an active member of Sheffield’s digital ecosystem and their commitment to supporting charities and community organisations.

Offering discounted services to charities, Hydra combines its creative expertise with a passion for meaningful causes including Grimm & Co, Cavendish Cancer Care, Under the Stars, Kidscape and more. “These projects are incredibly rewarding for our team,” Richard shares. “Many of us have personal connections to the charities we work with, and it’s an area we’re eager to continue building on.”

Now in his second year at Hydra Creative, Richard is looking forward to integrating himself and the agency even further into the Sheffield Digital community, confident that shared learning and collaboration can result in mutual growth. He says,

“We’re here to chat with anyone who’s interested, including fellow industry specialists. We’re not precious and are always open to collaboration and partnership where it makes sense. We believe there’s plenty to go around and collaboration drives growth, which is pretty much the ethos of Sheffield Digital, right? So we’re happy to be part of it, and here to grow together.”

You can find out more about Hydra Creative on the website: www.hydracreative.com and you can connect directly with Richard on LinkedIn.