Purpose-led agency Salt Mule launches in Cheshire with B Corp target

Salt Mule, a new independent creative and digital marketing boutique, has opened in Cheshire with the aim to “grow purpose-led brands by pairing performance marketing with measurable social value.”

Founder Abby Wasik previously worked as an account manager at Saatchi and is an experienced agency leader whose career spans creative and digital work at global network agencies and independents. She says Salt Mule is designed for businesses seeking commercial growth “without losing sight of the impact they want to have on the world.”

The agency offers SEO, creative, paid media, conversion rate optimisation (CRO) and web development services to clients around the UK. It sets itself apart through how it measures results: as well as commercial KPIs, it agrees specific social-value outcomes with each client so that growth and purpose can be tracked together.

Wasik said: “I’ve spent my whole career in agencies, leading large teams, working on global, award-winning campaigns, optimising delivery and sitting on the board for nearly half a decade. I felt it was time to build a shop entirely committed to purpose-led work and better creative, without compromising on strong commercial performance. Making a difference doesn’t happen in a vacuum – it needs funding. We help responsible brands grow their revenue so they can put more into their mission.”

Salt Mule’s method rests on five pillars: Impact Discovery, Human-First Creativity, Purposeful Performance, Social Value Measurement and Ethics. It supports fair, controlled and strategically aligned use of AI, and builds accessibility and authentic communication into its work from the start.

Early work includes a creative toolkit and growth strategy for People, Planet, Pint, a sustainability-focused meet-up community, designed to boost local sign-ups and grow the network across the UK.

Adam Bastock, founder of People, Planet, Pint and Small 99, said: “Salt Mule completely understood our mission to drive real, sustainable change across the UK.

“Their toolkit offers insightful concepts and messaging and new ways for us to reach our local audience via organic and paid channels, all while considering practical and commercial constraints. We look forward to continuing our partnership with them.”

The start-up wants to achieve B Corp certification in its first year, drawing on its team’s experience of working inside certified businesses, and runs under its own sustainable operating policy.