Business Support Case Study: Beakus Ltd
About the business
- Business name: Beakus Ltd
- Support programme: Big Ambitions Essentials (Lewes)
- Participant name: Steve Smith
Beakus is a UK-based animation and motion design studio, founded by Steve Smith. They create engaging animations for brands, broadcasters, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and start-ups, with a focus on storytelling, character and design. Their work includes TV series like Yakka Dee! and Olobob Top, as well as projects for the Science Museum and Oxford University.
Why they signed up to the business support programme
The creative industries are constantly evolving, and with recent shifts, Steve felt it was time to return to some core outreach practices that had been overlooked. The programme offered a valuable mix of one-to-one advice and workshops, particularly focused on marketing strategies the team was keen to implement.
What support they received
The one-to-one sessions helped highlight key areas for immediate improvement, such as search engine optimisation (SEO) and keyword use, to boost visibility. Workshops on AI, email marketing and social media provided valuable insights, and the team has begun to explore how to apply these tools more effectively. While implementation is being balanced alongside existing work, there is clear motivation to put well-planned strategies into action.
How this has helped the business
The support helped the business identify key areas for immediate improvement, such as search engine optimisation (SEO) and keywords, to boost visibility.
Workshops on AI, email marketing and social media provided useful insights, and the team is now taking small but focused steps to apply these learnings.
There is renewed energy around implementing thoughtful strategies, and they are confident these changes will attract more potential clients and lead to stronger projects in the long term.
Wider benefits from supporting this business
Supporting Beakus helps strengthen a creative business that brings high-quality animation to wide audiences, including children and schools. With plans to grow a small team and explore new ideas, the support is helping the studio become more stable and visible. This not only creates future job opportunities but also supports the wider creative industry by encouraging original storytelling and collaboration.
The Big Ambitions Essentials programme provided a plethora of expert insights into value-adding marketing tools and techniques that really helped to galvanise our outreach efforts and set in motion a long-term plan to boost our business and reach more clients.
Steve Smith
Contact
For more information on the business support programmes provided by East Sussex County Council, contact the Economic Development Team.
Economic.Development@eastsussex.gov.uk
Big Ambitions Essentials is a specialist support programme for East Sussex businesses, offering one-to-one support and participation in group-based sessions with expert business advisors. It is fully funded by the UK Government and is delivered by Digital Islands on behalf of East Sussex County Council, who manage and support the programme.
