The firm has moved into The Yard at Riverside Sunderland where it has ample room to grow its team

A growing outdoor media business is set for expansion after setting up new North East headquarters. Smart Outdoor is one of the UK’s fastest growing digital outdoor advertising specialists, having secured significant investment in 2024.

The business has now relocated to a new 2,300 sq ft office at The Yard at Riverside Sunderland in the city centre, giving it ample room to grow its team.

The moves comes after Smart Media, which was established in 2019, sealed a seven-figure deal in July 2024 for a minority share in the group from M Core Ventures, part of M Core. At the time, the group had 27 members of staff and a digital estate comprising 450 screens across the UK in locations such as the Tyne Tunnel, Tyne Bridge, A19 and Murrayfield stadium.

The firm has since grown its network of live screens to more than 1,100 covering over 190 towns and cities, from Edinburgh to London. The firm will employ 50 people out of its Sunderland office, cementing the city as the company’s home.

Mark Catterall, founder and chief executive of Smart Outdoor, said: “We’re an ambitious, growing company and moving to this modern, new office will help us continue on our journey. It will be more than a workplace, it will be a hub where our team can collaborate, create, innovate and deliver for our clients.

“We’re also a company that has long been based in Sunderland, with the North East historically being our heartland, and this move is testament to how great this area is to do business.”

Last year Smart Outdoor began a new partnership with Shell, bringing 91 digital forecourt locations into its network. The deal proved to be a major step in increasing the firm’s footprint further south, giving advertisers access to high-frequency, roadside environments across the UK.

Mr Catterall said: “We had a great 2025 and the partnership with Shell was a big part of that, it’s a first-of-its-kind agreement, allowing us to roll out hundreds of screens at dozens of selected forecourts nationwide. We’re a company that is always looking ahead whether it’s our office space, partnerships or tech, we’re continuously looking to innovate how we help brands connect with audiences.”

Smart Outdoor has been supported since setting up in the city by the Business Investment Team at Sunderland City Council, who assisted the company with their property search.

Coun Kevin Johnston, portfolio holder for housing, regeneration and business at Sunderland City Council, said: “Smart Outdoor are a real Sunderland success story, a company that is having a huge impact on its sector nationally, all from its base in the city. “It is great that the firm has reiterated its confidence in and commitment to the city by investing in this new city centre head office and I’m sure it will be a great platform to allow them to continue to grow and be successful.”

The Yard provides office space in the heart of urban regeneration project Riverside Sunderland, which was developed by The Hanro Group.

Gagan Jagpal, head of portfolio at The Hanro Group, said: “We’re delighted that Smart Outdoor has chosen The Yard as the location to realise its ambitious growth plans, joining the other professional services businesses already based in the building.”

Like this story? For more news from the commercial property scene around the regions, visit our dedicated section here for the latest news and analysis within the sector.

The New York Times’ daily Wordle puzzle for Saturday, March 21, 2026 — puzzle #1736 — delivered a moderately easy challenge with an average solve rate of 3.3 guesses among testers, according to the official Wordle Review. Released at midnight local time (with global resets aligning to players’ time zones), today’s five-letter word tested vocabulary around smoothness and surface qualities while offering straightforward clues for most solvers.

Wordle, the viral word-guessing game acquired by The New York Times in 2022, continues to captivate millions with its simple mechanics: guess a secret five-letter word in up to six attempts, with green tiles indicating correct letter and position, yellow for correct letter but wrong spot, and gray for absent letters. The puzzle resets daily, encouraging streaks and sharing results on social media.

**Today’s Wordle Answer**
The solution to Wordle #1736 on March 21, 2026, is **SLICK**. A versatile word functioning as a noun (an oily patch on a road), verb (to make smooth or glossy) and adjective (sleek, polished or slippery), it draws from Webster’s New World College Dictionary definitions emphasizing smoothness or glossiness. Common usage includes “slick road after rain” or “a slick operator,” adding layers of meaning that reward contextual thinking.

**Progressive Hints to Guide Your Solve**
For those tackling the puzzle blind or seeking strategic nudges, here are layered hints ranked from general to specific:

– Hint 1: The word describes something smooth, glossy or slippery in texture or appearance.
– Hint 2: It contains one vowel and no repeated letters.
– Hint 3: It begins with ‘S’ and ends with a consonant often associated with quick, effortless movement.
– Hint 4: Synonyms include “deft,” “polished,” “sleek” or “slippery” — think of a wet surface or a suave person.
– Hint 5: Rhymes with words like “brick,” “trick” or “quick.”

These clues, drawn from community solvers and NYT’s own review, help narrow possibilities without immediate spoilers. The puzzle’s moderate difficulty stemmed from common letters in strong starter positions, allowing quick elimination of options.

**Strategies for Success on Today’s Puzzle and Beyond**
Wordle’s enduring appeal lies in its blend of luck and logic. For #1736, effective strategies included starting with vowel-heavy openers like ADIEU or AUDIO to test common vowels early, followed by consonant-rich words like SLANT or CRYPT to probe frequent letters.

Many solvers reported success with S-based starters (SLATE, STARE) given the word’s initial ‘S.’ Once the ‘S’ and ‘L’ appeared yellow or green, narrowing to SLICK proved straightforward due to limited alternatives fitting the pattern.

General tips for consistent performance:
– Prioritize vowel placement — today’s word had one vowel (I) in the third position, a common spot.
– Use the process of elimination: Gray tiles eliminate letters entirely; yellows reposition them.
– Avoid rare letters early unless clues suggest them — today’s puzzle featured everyday consonants.
– Track your average guesses: Testers averaged 3.3, meaning many finished in three or four rows with smart play.
– Preserve your streak: Play daily via nytimes.com/games/wordle or the NYT Games app.

Community feedback highlighted the puzzle’s fairness — no obscure words or tricky plurals — making it accessible for casual players while rewarding strategic veterans. Some noted the adjective form dominated guesses, with “slick” evoking both literal slipperiness and metaphorical cunning.

**Why Wordle Remains a Daily Staple**
Since its 2021 launch, Wordle has evolved into a cultural phenomenon, spawning variants like Connections and inspiring daily rituals worldwide. In March 2026, the game maintains strong engagement amid seasonal themes and equinox timing, though puzzles remain independent of dates.

For Seoul-based players logging in at 11:23 p.m. KST on March 20 (ahead of the March 21 reset), the puzzle offers a relaxing wind-down or morning starter on March 21. Global solvers in different zones accessed it sequentially, fueling social shares and discussions.

If you nailed SLICK in few attempts, celebrate your streak; if it took more, tomorrow’s reset brings fresh opportunity. Wordle #1736 stands as a satisfying, balanced entry in the archive — proof the simple formula still delights after thousands of puzzles.