Tsuko opens London office and reveals designs on oversea clients

TSUKO, the agency behind the recent rebranding of the Edinburgh Tattoo, is launching a base in London after winning a number of lucrative contracts south of the Border.

The Edinburgh firm, which changed its name from Tsunami after the Boxing Day disaster of 2004, also intends to expand internationally in the next two years.

Susanna Freedman, who founded the company 12 years ago, expects the plans will help double turnover to 1.5 million within the next 24 months. Accounts due to be filed with Companies House shortly are set to reveal turnover of 750,000 for the 12 months to the end of March and the highest level of profitability the company has seen in four years. Last year Tsuko reported a profit of 71,500.

"I'm expecting that around 50 per cent of our business will be generated from the London office in the near future," said Freedman.

"It seems like quite a logical step for us. When you're travelling quite a lot, it does seem like the best way to service your clients is to be as close to them as possible."

Tsuko, which boasts a Scottish client list including Stobo Castle Health Spa and Edinburgh University, recently picked up work with UK-wide property and land firm Land Securities, where it rebranded the enlarged The Centre shopping mall in Livingston. Other recent client wins include the UK India Business Council.

"There is potential that our existing London clients might open up other opportunities for us, not just nationally but internationally as well," said Freedman.

"We would probably look to markets such as India, where strategic branding is not as developed at the moment."

She said the firm's recent contract with the Tattoo - which has met with success in Australia - has given it confidence to expand overseas.

Four staff are to be based part-time in Tsuko's London office, in Holborn, but Freedman plans to enlarge the base in the future.