Nick Cranwell is the co-founder and performance strategy director at Green Ginger Digital.
Launched in 2020 by Cranwell and Emily Falkingham with just £500 in the bank, the Yorkshire-based performance marketing agency has grown rapidly to a team of 16 and was named as one of Prolific North’s Independent Agencies to Watch in 2023.
The agency revealed its strategic growth plans earlier this year, which include hitting an annual turnover of up to £3m by the end of the firm’s financial year in 2030 and further investing in talent.
From entering the world of marketing to job challenges, Cranwell shares his career journey and words of advice.
How did you first get into your industry?
I’ve always been fascinated by how businesses work and what makes them succeed, which led me to study Marketing and Advertising at The University of Hull. After exploring a few graduate schemes, including a stint at PriceWaterhouseCoopers, I found my way into an entry-level role at an independent marketing agency in Yorkshire.
Over the next 10 years, I grew with the business as it scaled, eventually becoming a client director and working with brands such as Jaguar Land Rover, Durex, and The Range. I loved the variety of challenges and the opportunity to help clients improve performance and drive growth.
In 2020, I felt it was time for a change and co-founded Green Ginger Digital with Emily, driven by a passion to support ambitious businesses and build partnerships where we could make a real impact through performance marketing.
What do you love about your job?
Owning a business is never straightforward and is full of highs and lows. People often talk about the wins, but the challenges shape you just as much. For me, it’s a rollercoaster that I wouldn’t have any other way.
It is a cliché, but seeing the impact we create for clients keeps me motivated. I love the clients we work with and the relationships we’ve built. Many of our clients have been with us for many years, and that trust means a lot. I often find myself logging on to check on performance across weekends and evenings because I want to see our clients succeed.
I’m equally proud of the team and culture we’ve built. Whilst we set high expectations, we ensure that we support our people in developing and growing professionally. I firmly believe every person who has worked at GGD has progressed during their time, something I think is a core part of our business.
Who – or what – has inspired you in your career?
I’ve been fortunate to work with many amazing people throughout my career. When I first entered the industry, I was lucky to join an agency where the senior management and owner, along with so many knowledgeable and supportive colleagues, created a hugely inspirational environment.
Today, I’m also lucky to work with many fantastic clients who have a genuine passion for their businesses, which is impossible not to share.
As a performance marketing specialist agency, we partner with a range of experts who not only share the same values as us, but are hugely knowledgeable about their fields. Partners such as GetBetter and Customer First Digital, who began their journeys around the same time as Green Ginger Digital, have been particularly inspiring to watch. Seeing their growth alongside our own has been a real privilege.
A special shout-out has to go to my co-founder, Emily whom I’ve worked with for many years. I’m lucky to have her as a friend and business partner and is a constant inspiration not just to me, but to everyone at Green Ginger Digital.
What are the biggest challenges about your job?
I think some of the biggest challenges of my role are also the most exciting parts. Our landscape never stands still, with new technologies and insights constantly emerging. This definitely keeps you on your toes, but also means staying at the forefront of the industry requires significant time, energy, and commitment. It’s not enough to simply keep pace; you need to anticipate change and be ready to adapt.
Likewise, I can feel out of my comfort zone as a business owner. Running a business demands a whole new skillset. From people management and building a positive culture, to improving my understanding of financials and operations, I’ve had to learn quickly. These situations have made me better equipped as both a marketer and a business owner. In an industry as fast-moving as ours, challenges will never disappear. But by seeing them as part of the journey rather than obstacles, they help me to drive learning and innovation.
What skills have been the most crucial to you succeeding in your career so far?
I see inquisitiveness as one of the most valuable skills, which has been so important for me. Even after being in the industry for so long, every day is a learning day. Asking questions and looking to understand as much as possible has helped me to develop as both a marketeer and a business owner. Nobody has all the answers, so taking as much information from different, more informed sources has helped me to improve.
I think every business owner also needs a level of resilience. Running a business has its fair share of ups and downs so I try to maintain a sense of stability as much as possible. I still think I can improve here but I have learnt to celebrate and appreciate our successes more, which is important.
What was your first salary and what could someone getting into the industry expect to earn nowadays?
It was a long time ago now, but I think my first salary was in the region of £11,000. Whilst money went a lot further then, it is incredible to see how much has changed and the growth in salaries and opportunities. Over the last 10 years, the industry has evolved at an astonishing pace, and salaries have grown in line with that change. Opportunities have multiplied, and the routes for career development have expanded massively. Today, it feels like the sky truly is the limit for those who want to grow and evolve in this field.
What education or training would be most useful for someone looking to follow your career path?
At Green Ginger, we place more focus on practical skills and personality rather than formal qualifications. Whilst a degree can certainly provide a useful grounding, it’s by no means a prerequisite to enter the digital industry.
We run a successful apprenticeship programme, for example, where we provide on-the-job training and tailored support to help apprentices build their skills with us. I believe that this hands-on experience is often the most effective way to learn and develop and the apprenticeship programme has helped attract and retain some great talent for us so far.
For anyone looking to get started and improve their knowledge, there is also a wealth of excellent resources available online. Free resources on YouTube can be a great way to build your knowledge if you are looking to break into the industry, and I’d encourage anyone, regardless of experience, to read widely, whether that be blogs, articles, and industry news. Making use of practical platforms such as Google Skillshop and Moz Academy could also be a great start.
What advice would you have for someone looking to follow your path?
Everyone’s journey is different, so I would encourage anybody to follow a path that feels true to them, their skills and their interests. Some people thrive as generalists and enjoy the variety of working across multiple channels, whilst others prefer to focus more deeply on a specialist area. I think the beauty of digital marketing is that it never stands still; you can constantly evolve based on the industry or what you enjoy, which is why adaptability is such an important trait to develop.
Ultimately, I encourage anybody to be as inquisitive as possible and ask as many questions as possible. Not only will this help you learn faster, but it will also help you understand the why rather than just the what, which is incredibly powerful. When you know precisely why something is or isn’t working, you can then evolve your strategy to improve over time.
If you’re keen to start your own business, my advice would be to go for it. There’s rarely a perfect time to go freelance or launch an agency. When we launched Green Ginger Digital, just a week before lockdown, we quickly learned that with the right attitude and approach, success is always possible, even in the most challenging circumstances.
Right now, many businesses are actively seeking to work with smaller, more agile, and passionate agencies, which makes it an exciting time to start out. It will, of course, be hard work, and you’ll need to be both resilient and relentless in equal measure, but the rewards can be huge.
