Newcastle-based agency Different Narrative has appointed Orange Bus co-founder Julian Leighton as a non-executive director, as it looks to build on a run of recent client wins.
Leighton co-founded North East digital agency Orange Bus and stepped down in 2020 following its acquisition by Capita. He currently holds non-exec roles at Hedgehog Lab and Land Digital.
Different Narrative provides marketing, creative, film, digital, media, strategy and PR services to a mix of regional and national clients. Its recent wins include NewcastleGateshead Initiative, Sunderland City Council and NHS, with the agency reporting more than £200,000 of new business in the past six weeks.
Working with managing director Kieron Goldsborough and the senior leadership team, Leighton will act as what the agency describes as a “thought partner”, providing mentoring, advice and business support.
Leighton said: “Different Narrative is in a really good place and Kieron and the team have dealt really well with some very challenging market conditions over recent years. It’s exciting working with a well-run business which is on the way up. I think we’re going to make a decent dent in the landscape, and I’m glad to be part of that.”
The appointment follows the agency’s 2025 launch of ‘All in’, an uncapped marketing services model offered for a flat monthly fee, which it describes as an industry-first approach.
Goldsborough said: “Julian brings exactly the right attributes we need right now – plus he has lived experience of how to build and scale an agency. He’s honest and is a great sounding board for our ideas.
“We had a phenomenal year in 2025 for client wins and we’ve already had an incredibly strong start to 2026. Now it’s all about building on the agency’s solid foundations, growing the team, getting sustained growth and proving the impact of ‘All in’ to continue to disrupt the market. Julian is the perfect partner to help us achieve all that.”
