Bicycle launches Manchester-based shop to drive organic social & creator partnerships

Bicycle is expanding its business outside of London to include a social shop led by the agency’s incoming managing partner, Natalie Jackson.

Jackson has been hired as a managing partner of the media agency to head up and relocate Bicycle Ripple to Manchester, and diversify its offering. Bicycle launched Ripple last year, initially with influencer marketing at its core.

Jackson is a self-starter social media marketing specialist who founded her own Manchester-based agency, Lifestyle Social, 7 years ago.

Jackson’s brief will be to expand out Ripple’s capabilities beyond just influencer, to include the full breadth of social marketing and to help existing Bicycle clients seamlessly integrate social into media strategies. Ripple will also be tasked with going out to market to bring on board social-first brands.

The new expanded offering will work tightly with Bicycle’s creative and performance arms, Bicycle Studio and Bicycle Blade. Henry Daglish, CEO of Bicycle, says: “This expansion underlines Bicycle’s belief that social isn’t just a channel, it’s the canvas where brand creativity comes to life. By embedding Ripple in Manchester, we are ensuring our clients can harness social to be braver, more creative, and more effective in how they connect with culture.”

Based in Manchester Jackson has built an enviable network of social media specialists and creative talent in the North. Relocating Ripple to this location gives Bicycle access to some of the best social talent in the country. It also expands Bicycle’s business into the thriving tech and entrepreneurial hub of the north.

Jackson has over a decade of social-first strategy experience with top fashion, beauty and lifestyle brands. In the past decade she has run her own Manchester based social agency and consultancy, Lifestyle Social. Most recently she has also worked in-house at social media agency Campfire, leading on the Wella and Unilever accounts. She specialises in driving integrated organic, influencer and paid social strategies, pioneering creator-led content that drives measurable impact.

This evolution of Bicycle Ripple builds on its existing partnership with Hypetap, the influencer marketing specialists that Bicycle launched Ripple with.

Natalie Jackson, managing partner of Bicycle and Head of Bicycle Ripple, said: “Social is no longer a bolt-on, it’s the heartbeat of modern brands. What excites me most about leading Bicycle Ripple is bringing social, creators and communities into the centre of media strategies, not left on the sidelines. By connecting the power of traditional media with the agility of social, we can help brands show up in culture in a way that’s both authentic and impactful.”

Jackson will start on Monday (22nd September). She will report to Bicycle co-founder and Exec Chair Pedro Avery, who said: “Natalie is the rare operator who protects the creative spark and delivers exceptional business results. With a proven track record, she will bring to Bicycle unique skills that will help us turn live cultural signals into performance. We are thrilled that Natalie has come on board to take Bicycle Ripple to the next level, where clients can benefit from a truly integrated ecosystem.”