A new North East agency is challenging the way ecommerce brands approach affiliate marketing. Founded in 2024 by Guide Post native Shaun Brown and Hartlepool entrepreneur Ross Longhorn, Studio Two was created to rethink a performance model the founders believe is overdue an upgrade.
While affiliate marketing has traditionally been viewed as a dependable revenue channel, Brown and Longhorn argue that many brands are overpaying for existing demand and missing the opportunity to use affiliate as a true acquisition engine.
“We’ve seen too many brands rely heavily on discount-led traffic,” says Shaun Brown. “Affiliate should be structured to drive incremental growth, protect margin and strengthen brand authority. When done properly, it becomes one of the most controllable and scalable channels in the mix.”
Brown brings years of agency-side experience across Newcastle and London, specialising in affiliate strategy and performance partnerships. Longhorn offers a complementary perspective as the owner of ecommerce brand wavecase.co.uk, where he has experienced first-hand the pressures of rising acquisition costs and the importance of sustainable profitability.
“Running an ecommerce brand changes your outlook,” says Longhorn. “Revenue alone isn’t enough, you need profitable growth. That’s the mindset we’ve built Studio Two around.”
The pair met around five years ago through industry connections in the North East. Conversations around ecommerce growth and the evolving role of digital PR gradually developed into a shared ambition: to build an agency that combines the authority-building power of digital PR with the commercial discipline of traditional affiliate marketing.
Studio Two blends strategic affiliate management with editorial-grade PR and proprietary outreach technology. Its approach combines digital PR tactics with traditional affiliate marketing tactics to build diversified, resilient partner ecosystems, reducing overreliance on voucher traffic and focusing instead on high-authority content partnerships and long-term commercial relationships.
The agency’s results are already gaining attention. Studio Two recently delivered a 71% year-on-year increase in affiliate revenue for Hornby Hobbies, revitalising performance across Hornby, Scalextric, Airfix and Corgi. Through affiliate PR placements, partner diversification and commission restructuring, the programme became more profitable and scalable.
Proudly rooted in the North East, Studio Two represents a growing wave of regional agencies competing nationally without relocating to London.
“There’s exceptional talent here,” Brown adds. “You don’t need a London postcode to build something nationally competitive. We’re building from the North East, and growing from here.”
For more information, visit studiotwoagency.com
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