The UK’s largest online printing company, instantprint, has promoted Laura Mucklow as its new Head, tasked with defining the brand’s commercial and operational strategy to reach the goal of becoming the UK’s number one supplier of printed materials for UK-based businesses.
Mucklow joined the business five years ago as a Digital Marketing Assistant shortly after graduating from university, when she was given an opportunity to explore and develop her passion for marketing as part of a two-man team.
Within two years, Mucklow had already shot through the ranks to become instantprint’s Brand Manager, and has since headed up the brand’s marketing, creative and web development teams.
At just 27 years old, Mucklow replaces her mentor of five years, Jon Constantine-Smith, as Head of instantprint following Constantine-Smith’s promotion to Managing Director of the Medical Division within instantprint’s parent company, Bluetree Group.
Recently appointed Managing Director of Bluetree’s Print Division Mark Young, who has also grown through the company over the last 8 years alongside Laura Mucklow, commented,
“instantprint is a rapidly growing company that places a massive focus on developing and empowering its team. Laura is energetic by nature. Add that to our already-ambitious culture here at instantprint and it’s the perfect storm.
Laura has already proven her leadership skills, infectious enthusiasm for the brand and ability to deliver and drive performance. I have every confidence in her ability to push instantprint to even further success than we’ve already seen, and can’t wait to work alongside her to help bring her vision for the future of instantprint to life.”
This promotion follows a year of organisational change for instantprint, who has expanded in order to respond to and adapt its services to meet the needs of small businesses throughout the Coronavirus pandemic by launching a brand-new range of products to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Amongst the newly launched products are clear roller banners and social distancing floor stickers, as well as Type IIR Surgical masks which are produced in a dedicated 45,000sq ft neighbouring unit.
On top of leading the launch of these small business safety essentials during the pandemic, Mucklow’s biggest achievements include spearheading an entire rebrand in 2018, which was her first project as Brand Manager. As well as redesigning the website, Mucklow played an integral role in installing a new culture internally by cementing the brand’s values across the team.
On her new role within the business, Mucklow said,
“I’m absolutely thrilled to be given the opportunity to head up instantprint. The business has a unique passion for empowering its team and equipping them at any level to progress which I believe stems from the start-up culture of the business.
Despite having 600 employees, the business still feels like it’s in those early throes of rapid growth and I think that entrepreneurial spirit of the team has been pivotal for my progression. I’m incredibly excited and can’t wait to get stuck in!
Short term, the brand needs to adapt to the changing landscape as we emerge out of the pandemic and understand our customers’ needs may have changed.
My vision for the brand long term is to really concentrate on treating every one of our customers as a business client, and it is our responsibility to help them grow with print, however small their business. Business owners have enough to deal with, let’s make buying print be the least of their worries!”
Mucklow will start in her new role immediately, with recruitment to backfill her current position already underway.
