Sheffield businesses break the mould with a bold attitude to marketing

The report, Marketing Trends at Sheffield’s B2B SMEs, brings together insights from conversations with local B2B and marketing leaders across a range of sectors, from advanced manufacturing to digital consultancy. It highlights a pattern of long-term thinking, people-first strategies, and a clear belief in the power of place, relationships, and community.

What began as a small event series hosted by Casla – Sheffield B2B Marketing Drinks & Discussion at Marmadukes – soon inspired a broader idea, as interest and engagement from local marketers revealed a shared appetite to connect, collaborate and reflect on what's working.

‘This report is rooted in the kinds of conversations we’re having every day with our clients and peers,’ said Richard Costeloe, Founder of Casla.

‘We’ve built Casla to be an embedded, flexible partner for B2B businesses with complex propositions, and that means understanding not just the outputs, but the context. It’s been a privilege to listen, learn, and help tell the story of what’s happening here in Sheffield.’

Participating companies featured in the report include Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre spinout Productive Machines, leading technology consultancies The Curve and DeeperThanBlue, steel pricing company MEPS International and more, with special contributions from local and regional organisations Sheffield Digital, Sheffield Chamber of Commerce, Business Sheffield, Prolific North, TECH SY, TechUK and Sheffield Technology Parks.

Here are some extracts from the report:

The role of being based in Sheffield

• ‘It gives us our tone of voice,’ says Stephen Birch, Marketing Manager at DeeperThanBlue. The digital transformation agency likes to be seen as approachable, and uses a friendly but frank Sheffield tone in its messaging. ‘If you’re not doing something right, we’ll tell you,’ says Stephen. ‘But we’ll tell you the right way.’
• As a supplier of steel market data, it’s no surprise that MEPS International leans into its Sheffield identity in its marketing. ‘It would be rude not to,’ say Joe Rugg and Shashank Singh. ‘It builds up that authority and trustworthiness because we’re from the Steel City.’
• MEPS sponsors the stadium at Sheffield Football Club, and at Christmas, it sponsors some of the snowflake decorations that are hung up on Sheffield Children’s Hospital. ‘We were talking the other day about sponsoring the Sheffield Steelers,’ says Joe. ‘I just want to see the MEPS logo on the ice.’
• One2Call’s marketing strategy has a clear focus, as they’re working towards becoming the number-one MSP in Sheffield. Limiting digital advertising spend to Sheffield is more cost-effective than advertising to a larger region, and when paired with word of mouth, it builds momentum. Being local also means One2Call can offer in-person support for clients, providing on-site support for Sheffield United on match days, which includes monitoring the network for the turnstiles at the stadium.

Content

• Content co-creation or collaboration is a way to create something of value for customers and prospects. It offers a platform for industry leaders to share their expertise, creating a space for discussions that can reach new audiences.
• The importance of sharing knowledge generously and authentically was a key takeaway from our conversations on content marketing. Mark Cody at Ferrio believes in ‘selfless’ content that educates, entertains and gives something to the person on the receiving end. ‘I just don’t see the value in doing egotistical chess-piece manoeuvres in the marketing game. I just feel they don’t add anything,’ he says.

Events

• ‘I cannot shout more about how, from a B2B perspective, we see a benefit from events,’ says Abbey Kirwin at Millgate. ‘Whether that’s selling to current customers or finding new ones. Since Covid, a lot of stuff in the tech industry went behind a screen, and we’re trying to eradicate that.

Conclusions

• Sheffield’s businesses give a patient, wise and down-to-earth vibe – brilliant characteristics that you wouldn’t want to lose. But perhaps there is an opportunity for the city to be bolder, louder, more ambitious and openly ‘commercial.’

The findings reflect a marketing culture that values patience over quick wins, depth over noise, and authenticity. With themes ranging from the role of Sheffield for business, to content creation and event-led brand building, the report offers a timely look at what’s shaping B2B marketing, and Sheffield’s business culture of collaboration and trust.

Casla, based on Eyre Street in Sheffield, delivers Marketing Team as a Service (MTaaS) and account-based marketing initiatives for B2B SMEs across the UK. Their integrated approach blends strategy, content, CRM, events and outbound enablement into one cohesive and scalable marketing function.

The full report is available to read at: https://www.casla.agency/research-report-marketing-trends-at-sheffield-b2b-smes

You can also find a preview video here: https://youtu.be/AOx7tMduyhg

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