Future looks brighter for Mammoth Graphics the Olympic Legacy one year on

Future looks brighter for Mammoth Graphics – the Olympic Legacy one year on

A West London-based television graphics and application design firm is forecasting further growth after securing a contract worth £85,000 with a Norwegian TV station, one year after working with the BBC on the Olympic 2012 coverage.

For Mammoth Graphics the deal with the national broadcaster, TV2, to create live graphics for their weather broadcasts as well as a virtual studio, is the icing on the cake to their Olympic success: In the last year they have increased turnover to £1.1 million from £700,000 in 2009, boosted their team to thirteen employees and have upgraded to premises to over 1,000 sq ft.

UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) provided the firm with the advice they needed to help secure the TV project.

Phil Long, Managing Director for the firm said:

“UKTI put me in a position where we could compete internationally. We were planning on doing more work in Norway, and UKTI put us in direct contact with the British Embassy in Norway. We were able to access the details of the planned Media City in Bergen which will be open for business soon.”

Their niche Kinetrak product, a form of live interactive graphics which enables the presenter to control on screen graphics, was developed for the BBC’s Olympic coverage, and has enabled them to leverage contacts internationally. Mammoth Graphics have also worked on other popular sport programmes including Formula 1 and Tour de France, as well as entertainment shows such as Strictly Come Dancing and Big Brother.

The Olympic legacy has played an important role in providing international credibility for the company, and requests for their services have reached as a far afield as Costa Rica.

Phil said:

“Our Olympic portfolio gave us immediate credibility with the Norwegian TV station – we hadn’t worked on weather before, but we had worked on the Olympics, and this was enough.

“Being involved in the London Olympics speaks volumes to clients about our ability to deliver large and high profile projects.”

Even when Phil visited the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Conference in the US, there was no sales pitch needed as their work with the BBC was so high profile.

The advice from Matthew Bartlett, UKTI International Trade Adviser, and the UKTI network was of huge value in helping the firm tap into overseas opportunities and has enabled Mammoth Graphics to export to three new markets: Norway, Denmark, and Russia.

Phil added:

“Britain is a very strong brand, and the Olympics were a great advert for Britain”.

The long term vision for Mammoth Graphics is to expand within the Norwegian market. As the seeds for trade have been sown in Norway, the firm intends to build on these relationships and explore further what this European market has to offer.

There are also plans for expansion in Europe with a possible partnership with a German company on the cards.

As some companies have gone out of business in this industry, Phil has stressed that it’s important to adapt to changes and explore other markets.

Phil said: “Working with UKTI has proved invaluable. The support has helped us identify and target new markets. Gaining the extra bit of advice, particularly when I am busy with multiple projects, was important in guiding the business in the right direction.”

Contacts

If you are based in London and looking to develop your business overseas contact UKTI London for assistance:

London International Trade Team

Tel: +44 (0) 20 7234 3050

Email: [email protected]

Information about the range of support services from UKTI is available through your local UKTI office.

Mammoth Graphics

Sectors: Creative & Media, Software, Sports Events, and TV & Radio
Countries: Norway
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