Northern creators are having a moment. The accent, humour and bluntness that once felt like something to hide are now their superpower, and brands are listening, says Ashley Rudd, co-founder of MODA PR.
For as long as I can remember, there was an unspoken rule: tone it down. I know, I followed it.
Stick a camera in my face and instantly my eyes widen like a deer in the headlights, and my voice goes full telephone voice. Vowels I didn’t know I owned suddenly appear, and then there’s just a natural pull to sound like someone from anywhere but home.
I softened the accent, polished the edges and hoped people would think I sounded more “refined” and less like someone raised between a McArthurGlen outlet and an oil refinery.
Then the pandemic hit. We were stuck at home, with no shiny office to hide behind and no fancy events to get lost in. Just us, our kitchens, the box room at our mum and dad’s, and our phone cameras and TikTok flipped the script completely.
What we hid became the hook
On TikTok, the accent isn’t a liability. It’s the hook, blunt and funny is exactly what stops the scroll, and Northern creators have it in spades.
Manchester’s Farron Clark is fronting ASOS’s autumn campaign as its Marketing Insider, and TALA handed her the keys to design its new outerwear collection while founder Grace Beverley was on maternity leave.
Stoke’s Luke Hamnett has gone from comedy sketches to M&S ambassador. And Ellisha Clapham has gone viral time and again talking openly about her working-class roots and her path from Yorkshire to London fashion PR, never once shying away from her accent. Now she’s back up North, building her own talent management agency, ES Collective.
Audiences trust people who sound like them
The reason is simple. Too polished reads like an advert, but a familiar voice reads like a recommendation from a mate.
And it’s not just a feeling. When OnBuy asked more than 2,000 people to rate 15 British accents, Yorkshire was voted the most trustworthy, with 60% of the vote.
When someone sounds like your sister, your colleague or the girl you prod on the arm to ask “omg, where did you get that from?”, you believe them. You believe them when they say a jacket is worth it, and you believe them when they say a product is absolute rubbish and not worth your time, or your hard-earned cash.
And brands are listening. The question in brand partnerships has shifted from “who has our audience?” to “who would our audience trust on this?” Farron comes from a marketing background, so her ASOS role feels seamless: she brings real insight to the brand and to her followers.
Northern creators are on the rise
It’s part of a bigger shift. For years, the North’s creative and digital scene has been growing, and London agencies are now opening offices and building teams up here rather than just visiting (if Avanti West Coast gets them here on time).
That momentum is spilling into the creator economy. I’ll try not to go full Sansa Stark, Queen of the North, here, but as someone proud to be from the North West, I’m here for it.
And the brand deals are only the start. The next stage is national press, panels, awards shortlists and boardrooms, and Northern voices belong there just as loudly. A viral moment gets you noticed; a reputation keeps you in the room.
How to make the moment last
In my work, I see the opportunity every day: big, loyal audiences ready to become household names.
For creators:
- Don’t sand it down for the bigger stage. The accent that got you here is the reason people listen. I’m not one to keep throwing the word “authenticity” around, but audiences want three things: connection, community and consistency. Start acting up to be something you’re not and you’ll get rumbled real fast.
- Build assets you own. Press coverage, speaking slots, award entries and a newsletter all outlast a viral video. Think less “content creator”, more media empire.
- Choose partnerships that fit the story. You’ve worked hard to build a community, so protect it. A handful of long-term brand relationships builds more than fifty one-off posts, and your audience will notice the difference.
For brands and agencies working with Northern creators:
- Listen to them. They understand their audience, the landscape and what will land, often better than the brief does. And please don’t lean into stereotypes. If the idea starts with a flat cap, a shellsuit or a can of coke … get in the bin.
- Treat creators as talent, not media space. Invest in ambassadorships, not just deliverables.
- Put them forward. Book them for your brand panels and pitch their stories to press, not just their content to feeds.
- Shout about them. When a creator sells out your product, say so. Their success becomes part of yours.
The North has always been good at telling stories and now it’s our turn to be the story. Northern creators are already selling out and already shaping how brands sound.
We spent years being told to tone it down. Now the smart money says turn it up, and as for my telephone voice? It can finally hang up.
Ashley Rudd is co-founder of MODA PR, a strategic public relations and consultancy agency based in Chester, working with entrepreneurs, creators and names across entertainment.
