The Backstory:
Here’s How Firefly Came to Be
At Firefly, the goal was never to become some kind of big agency. We started local, helping friends and family get online, and this local touch has remained part of our DNA.
Local businesses started coming onboard, and were treated the same as friends and family. Word got out and we started to grow. Then, we went global. The rest, as they say, is history. Here’s the story so far – we can’t wait to make you a part of it!
2010
UK Entrepreneur Barrington Kirkham starts helping friends and family get their business online. Word begins to spread and so Firefly New Media was born!
Founder & CEO
Barrington Kirkham
Barrington Kirkham was ahead of his time when he launched his first website as a schoolboy in 2001. The portal for selling race-horses online is still going to this day! Since then, Barrington has turned his entrepreneurial flair to helping people get their companies moving. Always ready with an idea, a strategy, a new angle to help bring in customers, he is passionate about building lifelong connections and making things happen. Born in Glasgow and raised in Consett, Barrington now calls Edinburgh home.
2012
Barrington founds Consett Magazine as an antidote to the negativity in local media. Finally, a local news source focused on the positive and the inspirational! He is joined by advertising expert Marco Tierney-Elsy, who brings a wealth of design and sales experience to the team.
There was no local newspaper that actually published positive stories, so I decided to create it! Eight years on, and Consett Magazine is an integral part of the local community. – Barrington Kirkham – Firefly Founder
Creative Director
Marco Tierney Elsy
Marco’s entrepreneurial streak was in evidence at a young age when he sold homemade berry juice on the corner in front of his house and washed local cars in exchange for a few pounds. He honed his commercial skills at university and where he studied Advertising & Multimedia design, before beginning a career in international finance. Looking for new challenges and to develop new skills he teamed up with school friend Barrington Kirkham in 2012 and became Firefly New Media’s creative lead.
2014
Firefly goes beyond just websites and starts to offer full-service marketing packages to their clients. If the customer asks for it, we get it done!
2015
Clients join from a diverse range of industries, from local pubs and cafes to eCommerce stores and schools!
Writer of Words
Nathan Thomas
Copywriter Nathan Thomas published his first article at the age of 11 in his local newspaper. Since then, his work for clients has appeared in Forbes, the Huffington Post and the Harvard Business Review. He has two books coming out in 2021 on the subject of travel, and believes that a writer’s work is greatly enhanced by a moderate amount of grape or grain.
2016
Back to basics – we now know what we do best
Digital Marketing Blackbelt
Jonathan Baudet
Don’t let the French accent fool you, Jonathan is a leadership and communications skills expert who has forged a global career across the full spectrum of digital marketing disciplines. A two-time Vice President of Public Relations for his Toastmasters chapter, he has created YouTube channels with a combined 15,000 subscribers and knows exactly how to make customers happy.
2017
We bring our positive focus to local news to three additional regions with the launch of Durham Magazine, Newcastle Magazine, and Sunderland Magazine!
Social Media Wunderkind
Kevin Davidson
Kevin Davidson has written over 400 articles for a huge range of businesses, and seen his client’s social media reach grow up to 300%. But the thing you’ll remember him most for is his golf swing. Sure, the business relationship is win:win, but when you’re on the course, it’s a zero-sum game!
2018
Firefly’s 100th client website is launched! Our expanded team now includes experts located in four different countries, but we stay true to our UK roots while embracing remote-work culture.
2019
Firefly’s 500th client comes onboard!
It’s hard to believe we’ve worked with 500 clients! And still, I know every one of our active clients personally. When you call your representative at Firefly, we’ll know your name. We’ll know your goals and how you like to do business. And we’ll be ready with exactly what you need. Marco Tierney Elsy – Creative Director
2020
Covid-19 hits the UK (and the globe). We help our clients ride the storm and guide many traditional companies to get online and to keep their businesses going.
2030+
Firefly delivers the Milky Way’s first-ever AI-powered marketing campaign to Mars colony – pulls anti-gravity pint to celebrate.