Manchester agency Social Communications establishes London office

Social Communications, the growing full-service agency based in Manchester, has expanded its footprint in the South with a new London office.

The company, which offers a range of PR and creative services, has appointed Ben Ruse as the managing director of its Kings Cross operation.

Having featured in the PRWeek PowerBook 150, Ben spent the last three years working as the lead spokesperson for the High Speed 2 railway project, prior to which he was the media director for High Speed 1 and the capital’s St Pancras International station for 10 years.

Ben, a former founding partner of London agency Place, commented: “This is a really exciting opportunity.

“With the pipeline of infrastructure, construction and development projects in London and the South East it’s a great time to be back and be part of an agency with such huge potential.”

John Quinton-Barber, Social Communications’ group managing director, said: “We’re delighted to have opened an office in London.

“We have grown rapidly across the North and increasing demand for our services in London and the South East means we had to pick the right person to help us expand.”

He continued: “Ben brings unrivalled expertise and experience and with him on board we can now look to expand our portfolio of clients in the transport, infrastructure, housing and construction sectors – those are strong growth areas in the UK. We know there will be demand for what we offer.”

Founded in 2013, today Social Communications employs a team of 14 and handles the PR for a number of national and international brands, including property firm United Living, European retailer Lidl and developer Places for People.