Warrington entrepreneur launches new venture

A former award-winning north west agency owner has launched a new brand communications and experience design business.

Lee Ashton, who previously founded and ran Warrington-based Bugler Smith, is now at the helm of WonderMaker, an agency that unites brand communications and experience design.
Ashton, who moved to the town to attend university and has never left, grew Bugler Smith from a video and live events operation into a multi-discipline agency, working with the likes of Pets at Home, American Golf, Vets for Pets, Booking.com and Just Eat.
The business was based in Lymm, before moving to Warrington, and it’s from where WonderMaker is looking to follow a similar growth strategy.
Ashton is drawing on almost 25 years working with corporate and consumer brands to launch WonderMaker, which operates across employee experiences, brand activations, launch events as well as communications strategy, internal comms and campaigns.
The agency, which also has presence in Manchester city centre, is already working with a number of national brands.
Ashton said: "Warrington is my second home and it’s a great place to support the emergence and development of businesses, which is why WonderMaker has a home here.
“Most agencies are set up to do one thing well, either they understand how to craft communications that land with an audience, or they know how to create an experience that moves people.
“Very few genuinely understand both, for internal and external audiences. At WonderMaker we do, because our team comes from both worlds.
"That means when a client comes to us, we're not starting from a specialism and working outward, we're starting from what they need to achieve, and we know which combination of communications and experience will actually deliver it.
"The result is work that doesn't just look good or feel good in the room, it moves people and drives action.
“As time moves on with WonderMaker, I’m hoping that by being part of the Warrington Chamber of Commerce and embedded in the business community, we’ll be able to offer opportunity to support and develop careers for young people from the region."

For further information on how WonderMaker can help your business or brand, please contact Lee at leeashton@wondermaker.co.uk or visit www.wondermaker.co.uk