Colin Mckevitt

 One of the special things about Badger & Combes is its unique ability to connect with talent on a level that larger organisations struggle with. We are personable and create tangible relationships both with talent and industry.  

Salford has a great diverse community across a wide range of industries, socio-economic groups and cultures. Working within this varied dynamic creates a very special environment in which companies and organisations can flourish. We are very proud to be part of this community and being based at MediaCityUK we take our role as a Salfordian business very seriously. We continue to develop talent pathway projects with this in mind and contribute towards the development of this skillset and its ability to stay at the heart of Salford.

One of the special things about Badger & Combes is its unique ability to connect with talent on a level that larger organisations struggle with. We are personable and create tangible relationships both with talent and industry. We sit in between academia and industry perfectly nurturing both sides and facilitating strong links and solid growth potential. We also believe in long term enduring relationships and this includes our relationship with Salford and the GMCA.

A key element at the core of Badger & Combes is its role in Research & Development projects. We have worked on some impressive culture projects from a UNESCO ceramics artist in Korea to immersive walking tours along Chapel Street in Salford, our commitment to the future media consumption habits of audiences is key. We thrive on understanding the direction of how connecting technology and creative industries will benefit future storytelling. We place ourselves right in the middle of the digital skills gap and pull both Digital & Creative together.

I came up to Manchester from the south in 1990, young, disenfranchised with London and on my own. The idea was to gain a degree but in those early years Greater Manchester changed me by teaching me what belonging to a culture and community meant. When the lockdown hit us in the North, Northerners, and in particular the people of the GMCA showed their tenacity to difficult situations by showing the rest of the UK how to solider on. We are extremely proud of the United we Stream project and the fact we were pivotal to its success. We were able to bring our unique understanding of culture and communities to the digital technologies and stream Live content to over 14 million people. The key to this is shared experiences and authentic connections to the audience. The team at Badger & Combes were able to translate this into all their productions during this time, including challenging the traditional broadcast medias approach to production.

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I’m a huge rugby fan and love DJing but these stopped paying the bills back in 1991, so now my passions are driven by coaching the current and future digital talent of our great region. I strongly believe in giving opportunity to those who show the same passion and commitment as I do and it’s important to recognise that the core beliefs of people are personal and special. No one wants to know about the try I scored from the other end of the pitch vs Blackburn in the late 90s (it was special), or why Generation X music is so way cooler than mumble rap. What they do want to know though is they have a confidant in the same things that make them stay in Salford and want to be part of its growth potential.

When asked “what makes you a digital leader” I have to say is not being in charge but giving everyone around me intent. The greatness in leadership is not my vision but that of the leaders that surround me. You will have read some personable information about all the Badgers here and you will hopefully learn why the leadership and ownership culture at Badger & Combes extends beyond the MD.

Key Clients Include 

GMCA (United we Stream)

BBC (Events, Philharmonic, Digital Cities)

Betfred Super League

Media City UK Ltd

Lancs Country Cricket

The Sale Sharks

Relevant Capabilities and key roles

Working within and with restricted COVID-19 methodologies (broadcasting safely during lockdown and beyond)

Camera operation, media kit and ownership (reduction on kit hire costs)

Live OB (Outside Broadcasts) to both traditional TV and Digital Platforms (reduction on kit hire costs)

Drone Flights and Instruction (CAA Accreditation)

GMCA Digital Blueprint advocates. Live streamed launch event and continue to develop our ethos with this digital leadership vision in mind.

Digital Cities Expo relationships Developing partnerships alongside next year’s expo and will be responsible for broadcasting content that promotes the cultural and night-time economy of Greater Manchester. 

BBC Digital Cities event technical partner. 

United we Stream project key stakeholder. Developed the project from concept through to continued delivery. Responsible for 207 hours of original content broadcasting to over 14 million views globally. Helped raise the incredible £480K to help the night-time economy and the cultural and arts sector of the GMCA. We continue to drive the United we Stream project onwards and will be responsible for the Pride Festival taking place at the end of August. 

Future Talent Pathway projects

One of our key roles is to bring talent normally graduating this year and affected by the Covid-19 pandemic to industry in a way that nurtures and develops them at a time where normal companies would scale back and not be hiring.