Blueberry Marketing Solutions marks 20 years of business, people and opportunity

From a university incubator in Leeds to a 50-strong team that has supported more than 500 organisations, Blueberry Marketing Solutions is celebrating 20 years in business.

Founded by Managing Director Faresh Maisuria after a last-minute opportunity led to the company’s launch, Blueberry has grown into a well-established UK business. Its clients span the public and private sectors, from the AA, MKM and AQA to the Department for Business and Trade and other major institutions.

Over those two decades, Blueberry has helped organisations find new customers, understand their markets and build stronger relationships through B2B telemarketing, lead generation, appointment setting, market research and data services.

Its impact has also extended beyond client campaigns. Many team members have progressed into senior roles within the business, while 28 former employees have gone on to launch businesses of their own – the most recent securing $20m in funding for an innovative way to produce steel using hydrogen in New Zealand.

BUILT IN LEEDS, STRENGTHENED BY LOCAL PARTNERSHIPS

Blueberry’s story is closely tied to the Leeds business and education community. Faresh started the company from a virtual office at Leeds Beckett University, drawing on incubator support, business programmes and graduate talent during its early years.

Support from organisations including the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses programme, local chambers of commerce, Digital Enterprise and regional Growth Hubs also helped Blueberry develop while remaining firmly rooted in the region.

COMBINING PEOPLE, PARTNERSHIPS AND PERFORMANCE

Following the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses programme, Faresh introduced a more structured approach to learning and development, alongside an EMI share scheme designed to reward and retain staff.

In recent years, the company has:

• Expanded leadership and management development, including ILM courses and the #WECAN women’s leadership programme.
• Supported apprenticeships, internships and early-career programmes, including the “From Classroom to Career” talent pipeline, which was shortlisted for Marketing Week’s 2025 Talent Trailblazer Award.
• Supported employees developing their own business ventures, while giving staff time to work with students from local schools, colleges and universities.

“We’ve always tried to balance results with responsibility – helping clients hit their targets while creating opportunities for people,” said Faresh. “Seeing former team members go on to build their own businesses, and current colleagues grow into leadership roles, is just as rewarding as the campaigns and contracts we’ve won.”

“Markets, technology and channels have all changed enormously over the last 20 years, but some fundamentals haven’t,” he added. “Good data, meaningful conversations and a clear strategy still matter. Our role is to bring those ingredients together in a way that works for each client – whether that’s a local authority engaging SMEs or a manufacturer wanting to grow its customer base.”

LOOKING AHEAD

As Blueberry looks to its next phase, it is expanding its insight and research capabilities and exploring employee ownership.

The move would build on the company’s long-standing approach to sharing opportunity and giving employees a stake in its success.

For Faresh, the 20-year milestone is as much about people as performance.

“The real pride for me is in the individuals who’ve grown with us,” he said. “Our people are who we are, and many have been with us for more than a decade – building careers, starting families and buying homes.

“We’re also involved in helping start-ups because we know first-hand how important the right support is in the early days. We’ve benefited from that ourselves, and we’re passionate about giving something back – from signposting businesses to supporting young people become the next generation of marketers and business leaders.

“Leeds has been at the heart of Blueberry from day one. The support we’ve had from universities, local partners and our clients has been invaluable, and our focus now is on using what we’ve learned over the last 20 years to keep creating value – for our clients, our team and the wider region.”

About Blueberry Marketing Solutions

Blueberry partners with public sector organisations and businesses across education, manufacturing, wholesale, construction supply, events and professional services, helping them generate high-quality leads and drive measurable growth.

Blueberry’s 20-year timeline charts the people, partnerships and milestones that have shaped the business since its early days in Leeds.