The Right People In The Room

Different Narrative and the power of putting the right people in the room.

It says something when Julian Leighton, co-founder of hugely successful digital agency Orange Bus, joins a business.
He’s recently become the non-executive director at creative marketing agency Different Narrative.
Managing director Kieron Goldsborough believes it’s about having the right voice in the room, and, with so much experience behind him, Julian is undoubtedly the right voice.

We spoke to Julian and Kieron about their focuses for Different Narrative, including sustaining growth, their too-good-to-be-true ‘All-In’ model, and building long-term impact in the region.

Photography by Christopher Owens

There’s a particular kind of confidence that doesn’t shout.

It doesn’t flood LinkedIn. It doesn’t chase headlines. It gets on with it.

For the past few years, creative marketing agency Different Narrative has been exactly that.

“We’ve been building,” says managing director Kieron Goldsborough. “It might have looked quiet from the outside. It wasn’t.”

The market has been tough. Agencies across the North East have felt it. Budgets tightened. Big brands paused. Procurement got cautious.

But inside Different Narrative, something else was happening.

In 2025, the agency launched ‘All In’ - a bold, unlimited marketing model designed to rip up the traditional retainer structure. Ten clients. One flat monthly fee. No hidden extras. No nickel-and-diming creativity. Within weeks, the first spaces were gone.

“It was a risk,” Kieron admits. “But if you believe in what you’re building, you have to back it.”

“We’ve been

building.

It might have looked quiet from the outside.

It wasn’t.”

Now, as 2026 begins, Different Narrative has made another move. One that feels less like a hire - and more like a signal.

Julian Leighton has joined the agency as non-executive director .

As co-founder of Orange Bus, Julian helped build one of the region’s most recognised digital success stories before its acquisition by Capita in 2020. Since stepping back, he has taken on strategic advisory roles with high-growth agencies - but he chooses his projects carefully.

So why Different Narrative? Julian doesn’t hesitate.

“It’s the ambition,” he says. “They’re not trying to look busy. They’re trying to build something sustainable.”

He describes the agency as being “in a really good place” - not in a hype-driven sense, but structurally, strategically and culturally.

“Kieron and the team have navigated some very challenging market conditions,” he says. “That tells you a lot about a business. Anyone can grow in a boom. The interesting bit is how you behave when it’s harder.”

For Kieron, bringing Julian into the room wasn’t about prestige. It was about perspective.

“Julian’s built and scaled an agency,” he says. “He knows what the inflection points look like. He knows when you need to hold your nerve and when you need to push. And he’s honest.”

“Anyone can grow in a boom. The interesting bit is how you behave when it’s harder.”

Different Narrative isn’t a startup. But it isn’t static either.

The agency has quietly expanded its client base, securing over £200,000 of new business in just the past six weeks. Its portfolio spans local authorities, NHS organisations, and regional powerhouses. And ‘All In’ continues to disrupt the market in ways few predicted.

“Agencies go through phases,” Julian reflects. “Sometimes you’re front and centre. Sometimes you’re refining. The smart ones know the difference.”

Is this Different Narrative stepping back into the spotlight?

Kieron smiles.

“I think it’s us deciding the time is right to be visible again. Not because we need to shout. Because we’ve got something to say.”

And that “something” isn’t just about services or retainers.

It’s about belief in the North East.

Julian has long been an advocate for the region’s digital and creative sector. He’s seen what’s possible when ambition meets collaboration. He’s seen businesses punch above their weight.

“I’ve always believed the North East has the talent,” he says. “What it needs is businesses that are prepared to back themselves.”

Different Narrative, it seems, is doing exactly that.

“I’ve always believed the North East has the talent. What it needs is businesses that are prepared to back themselves.”

There’s a deliberate calmness to both men as they talk. No chest beating. No exaggerated growth claims. Just clarity.

Julian describes his role as a “thought partner” - someone to challenge assumptions, test ideas, and provide the benefit of lived experience.

For Kieron, that challenge is welcome.

“You don’t bring someone like Julian in for validation,” he says. “You bring him in because you want to sharpen what you’re doing.”

And perhaps that’s the most telling part of this story.

This isn’t a business scrambling for credibility. It’s a business strengthening its foundations before the next phase of growth.

“We had a phenomenal 2025,” Kieron says. “And we’ve started 2026 even stronger. Now it’s about sustained growth. Scaling properly. Proving the impact of ‘All In’ long term.”

There’s no fanfare here. No dramatic reinvention.

Just an experienced founder and an ambitious agency choosing to back each other.

And in a market that rewards short-term noise, that might be the most confident move of all.

Connect Kieron Goldsborough

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