The Media Image

What The Media Image does

The Media Image (legal entity: Macfarlane Media Limited) is an independent, London-headquartered digital performance marketing agency founded in 2008 in Durban, South Africa by Grant Macfarlane — Google's fifth UK employee and first AdWords hire. The firm delivers integrated paid media, SEO and organic search optimization, and business intelligence/data analytics services to multinational enterprise brands, with documented engagements for LVMH's beauty portfolio (Fenty, Clarins, Ole Henriksen, KVD), LSEG, Refinitiv, BetMGM, KIND Snacks, Debenhams, Saxo Bank, Jack Daniels, Interflora, Avon, Thomson Reuters and others.

Operationally, TMI operates a cloud-native ad-stack with follow-the-sun delivery across roughly 100-105 specialists in 8-10 countries and 16 time zones. Differentiated technical components include a proprietary predictive tROAS bidding model that maps offline claims to GCLID/MSCLKID for CRM-linked optimization, bespoke DCO feeds and attribution frameworks, and the pioneering use of Meta's Search Lift Study for cross-channel incrementality measurement. Multi-platform partnerships span Google, Meta, Amazon Ads, TikTok, Microsoft (Elite) and YouTube (Masters 2025).

The business is fee-based managed services — TMI earns management/performance fees on media budgets it deploys on behalf of clients. Media under management has grown from £110M (2021) to £138M (2022) and £180M (2024), with disclosed fee income at £10M (2022/2023) at an average fee income per client of £315k and a 36% YoY fee growth in 2021. Revenue is heavily skewed to the US (77% of total in 2022 versus 68% in 2021). Customer acquisition is consultative and referral-driven, with senior specialists embedded inside client teams and multi-year engagements (e.g., Clarins in year 7+, Saxo Bank since 2017). The company is privately held with no disclosed external funding and operates across the UK, Netherlands, Switzerland, USA, and South Africa.

Name

The Media Image

Legal name

Macfarlane Media Limited

Website

https://the-media-image.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Media Image is an independent global digital performance marketing agency specializing in integrated paid media, SEO, and data-driven business intelligence for multinational enterprise brands across beauty, finance, retail, gaming, and CPG verticals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital Marketing Services

NAICS

Media Buying Agencies (541830)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro primary industry

Media Planning, Buying & Optimization (BPAFAAAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Paid Social Media Buying (BPAFABAD), Media & Audience Measurement Analytics (BPAHALAO)

Keywords

• Paid media management
• Performance marketing services
• SEO and organic search
• Programmatic advertising
• Digital marketing analytics

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Performance Media Management & Consulting Fees: TMI operates as a fee-based independent agency earning income from managing paid media budgets and providing strategic consultancy services. Fee income reached £10 million without increasing headcount. Average fee income per client climbed to £315k. The agency manages substantial media spend on behalf of clients (£138M in 2022, £180M in 2024, targeting $500M), earning management/performance fees.
2. Integrated Digital Marketing Services: Revenue generated from integrated paid media, SEO, business intelligence, creative services, and social media management. Services expanded from specialist PPC to include PPC, SEO/Content, Social, Programmatic Media and creative production.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Media Image is an independent global performance marketing agency that plans, buys, and optimizes paid media, SEO, and business intelligence programs on behalf of enterprise brand clients. It earns fee-based agency income by managing media budgets (over £220 million annually across paid search, social, programmatic, video, and display) and delivering outcome-led campaign strategies. Its offering spans three integrated expertise areas: Integrated Paid Media Strategies, SEO & Organic Search Optimization, and Actionable Business Intelligence.

Product overview

The Media Image is a premier global independent digital marketing agency delivering comprehensive media solutions architected on data analytics. Their offering centers on three integrated expertise areas: Integrated Paid Media Strategies (covering paid search, social, programmatic, video, and display across channels), SEO & Organic Search Optimization (including digital PR, UX, and AI visibility optimization), and Actionable Business Intelligence (leveraging data analytics and predictive models for performance optimization). The company operates as a consultative agency rather than a software platform, combining strategic insight with operational execution across 10 countries and 16 time zones.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Integrated Paid Media Strategies

Quantifiable outcome

• Fee income exceeded £10 million (36% YoY growth), headcount grew to 99 employees across four continents
• +15 more outcomes

Named customers22 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability8 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor, flagship and core.

• Frazier Healthcare PartnersminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2024TMI collaborated with Frazier Healthcare Partners in a pre-acquisition advisory role for GIVF Fertility due diligence. Provided customer acquisition cost modeling and digital marketing insights during the evaluation process, leading to a decision not to proceed with the acquisition.
• Saxo BankflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2017Partnership began in September 2017 as a 3-month consultancy and evolved into a longstanding relationship. TMI conducted 50+ account audits, created bespoke dynamic creative optimization (DCO) feeds, and built a full funnel media attribution framework for Saxo's London and Copenhagen offices.
• GooglecoreTechnology or IntegrationTMI holds platform partnerships with Google for advertising technology access across Google Ads, YouTube, and Google Display Network. The partnership provides TMI with best-in-class media technology, algorithmic bidding capabilities, and API integrations for predictive modeling and campaign automation.
• Meta (Facebook / Instagram)coreTechnology or IntegrationTMI is a Meta partner with access to Meta Ads technology. TMI pioneered Meta's Search Lift Study to quantify cross-channel incrementality and social investment impact. Partnership enables advanced targeting, creative testing, and attribution across Facebook and Instagram.
• Amazon AdscoreTechnology or IntegrationTMI manages Amazon Ads campaigns for beauty, CPG, and retail clients including Clarins. Partnership enables retail media network access, sponsored products, and demand-side platform integration for commerce-driven outcomes.
• TikTokcoreTechnology or IntegrationTMI holds TikTok partnership status enabling access to TikTok for Business advertising technology, including TikTok Measurement Partner programme and creative optimization capabilities for short-form video campaigns.
• Microsoft (Bing / Microsoft Advertising)coreTechnology or IntegrationTMI operates Microsoft Advertising partnerships across search, programmatic, and connected TV. Microsoft Elite Partner status provides TMI with advanced programmatic capabilities and exclusive beta access to new advertising products.
• YouTubecoreTechnology or IntegrationTMI is recognized as a YouTube Masters 2025 partner. Partnership provides access to YouTube advertising technology, video campaign optimization, and cross-platform measurement across Google ecosystem.

Scale indicators28 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Rise Interactive: Independent US performance marketing agency offering paid media, SEO and analytics. Comparable in independent positioning, data-driven optimization philosophy, and enterprise client base.
• Croud: Independent UK-headquartered digital performance agency offering paid media, SEO, content and programmatic across global markets. Closely comparable in business model, mid-market enterprise positioning, and award-winning independent status.
• Wpromote: US-headquartered independent digital marketing agency providing integrated paid media, SEO and creative services. Comparable in scale, enterprise client roster, and independent agency positioning outside the major holding-company networks.
• Jellyfish (Brandtech Group): Global digital marketing agency part of Brandtech Group, offering paid media, SEO, content and creative. Closely aligned in mid-to-large enterprise performance marketing and multi-market capability.
• Bounteous: US-headquartered digital experience and performance agency offering paid media, SEO, analytics and creative. Comparable in mid-to-large enterprise performance marketing and integrated search capability.
• Journey Further: UK independent performance marketing agency focused on paid media, SEO and analytics for enterprise brands. Comparable in independent positioning, mid-sized team, and enterprise client focus.
• Brainlabs: Independent global digital media agency combining paid search, programmatic, SEO and data science with proprietary technology. Direct competitor for TMI's enterprise performance-marketing engagements with similar specialist-embedded model.

Broad incumbents

• Performics: Publicis Groupe's global performance marketing network offering paid media, SEO and commerce. Comparable offering at greater scale through the network model; primary competitor for multinational RFPs.
• iProspect: Dentsu's global digital performance agency covering paid search, SEO, programmatic and content. Comparable enterprise performance-marketing capability within a major holding-company structure.
• Merkle: Dentsu's performance and CRM agency focused on data-driven marketing, media and customer experience. Comparable in CRM-integrated bidding methodology and enterprise B2C/B2B clients.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/themediaimage
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheMediaImage

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Media Image