Total Media Group
Total Media Group is an independent UK media agency founded in 1982, operating through partner brand Mediaplus within the Serviceplan Group network. It applies behavioural science-driven media planning and buying across programmatic, performance, retail media, and social for enterprise brands from London, Birmingham, and Manchester.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1982
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Total Media Group does
Total Media Group is a privately held, independent UK media agency founded in 1982 and headquartered in London, operating through its partner brand Mediaplus as part of the Serviceplan Group's House of Communication network. The firm employs approximately 170 communication specialists distributed across three UK offices in London, Birmingham, and Manchester, with the Birmingham and Manchester operations branded as Mediaplus Connect and Running Total respectively. Its wholly owned subsidiary, Behave, is a behavioural consultancy that provides the methodological backbone for the agency's planning work.
The company's core offering is a full-service media planning and buying capability differentiated by the systematic application of behavioural science to campaign design. Service lines include media planning and buying, programmatic advertising, performance marketing, commerce and retail media, advertising technologies, media research and insights, social media and influencer marketing, and media strategy and innovation. An AI-based retail media consulting service, co-developed with LAYA Group, extends the offering into first-party data strategy for retailers. The agency's go-to-market is direct enterprise sales with a quote-based professional services pricing model; pricing is not publicly disclosed.
The firm's primary customer segment is enterprise brands seeking integrated media strategy. Named clients include Greene King (hospitality/brewery), Hiscox (insurance), and Black Bear (entertainment/film). Distribution is executed entirely through direct client engagement in the UK, supplemented by access to Serviceplan Group's international network for cross-border assignments such as the Westwing international expansion mandate. The agency holds several workplace and sustainability credentials, including Campaign Best Places to Work 2025, Advertising Association All In Champion status, Investors in People accreditation, and Ad Net Zero supporter status.
Total Media Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Total Media Group
- Legal name
- Total Media Group
- Website
- https://totalmedia.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1982
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Total Media Group is an independent UK media agency founded in 1982, operating through partner brand Mediaplus within the Serviceplan Group network. It applies behavioural science-driven media planning and buying across programmatic, performance, retail media, and social for enterprise brands from London, Birmingham, and Manchester.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Total Media Group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Media Agency Services
- NAICS
- Media Buying Agencies (54183), Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services (5418)
- SIC
- Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Full-Service Media Planning & Buying (MPAAABAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Social Media & Community Management (BPAFAAAE), Affiliate & Partner Media Buying (BPAFABAJ)
Keywords
Where Total Media Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
Total Media Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Media Planning and Buying Services: Full-service media agency providing behavioural science-grounded media planning and buying services to enterprise clients, including programmatic advertising, social media marketing, performance marketing, and retail media solutions
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
Total Media Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Total Media Group operates as an independent international media agency providing behavioural science-driven media planning and buying services. Through its agency brands (Mediaplus, Mediaplus Connect, Running Total) and subsidiary Behave, it delivers integrated media strategy, programmatic advertising, performance marketing, social media marketing, retail media consulting, and advertising technologies to enterprise clients seeking sustainable business growth.
Product overview
Total Media Group's partner agency Mediaplus operates as a behavioural planning agency network comprising multiple brands: Mediaplus (main agency focused on behavioural science-driven media planning and buying), Mediaplus Connect (Birmingham office), Running Total (Manchester office), and Behave (behavioural consultancy). The portfolio offers a comprehensive suite of media services including media planning and buying, programmatic advertising, performance marketing, commerce and retail media, advertising technologies, research and insights, social media marketing, and media strategy and innovation. The agencies are united by behavioural science methodology to drive sustainable growth for clients.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Mediaplus
Companies that use Total Media Group
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Total Media Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability1 record
Feature2 records
Total Media Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.
- WestwingmajorWestwing partnered with Mediaplus International for its international expansion, integrating media, data, and performance into a single global strategy.
- Total Media GroupcoreTotal Media Group is identified as the partner agency, with Behave being part of Total Media Group and contributing to Mediaplus Germany's behavioural consultancy capabilities and the Advertising Association's AI Taskforce report.
- LAYA GroupcoreMediaplus Group and LAYA Group offer a comprehensive, AI-based consulting service to help retailers and advertisers take full advantage of retail media opportunities in fragmented media environments.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Total Media Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Goodstuff Communications: Independent UK media agency with comparable headcount and positioning. Closest analog as a UK-only independent media planning and buying agency serving enterprise clients without holding-company affiliation.
- The7stars: Independent UK media agency of similar size and orientation, competing for the same enterprise brand budgets. Directly comparable business model as a UK-focused independent media planning and buying shop.
- Manning Gottlieb OMD: Long-established UK media planning and buying agency (part of Omnicom). Direct competitor for enterprise media accounts and similar in headcount and service breadth to Total Media Group.
Broad incumbents
- Zenith UK: Publicis-owned UK media agency. Comparable service portfolio (planning, buying, programmatic, performance) but operates inside a global holding-company network with larger procurement leverage.
- Wavemaker UK: WPP-owned UK media agency with global network support. Competes for the same enterprise brand media planning and buying budgets but with substantially greater scale and global reach.
- PHD UK: Omnicom-owned UK media agency with comparable planning and buying capabilities. Competes for similar enterprise clients and overlaps on data-driven planning methodology.
- OMD UK: Omnicom's flagship UK media agency. Direct competitor in enterprise media planning and buying, with greater scale and global network support than Total Media Group.
- Carat UK: Dentsu's UK media agency network. Directly competes for the same enterprise media planning and buying briefs, with substantially larger global resources.
- Starcom UK: Publicis-owned UK media agency. Competes in the same enterprise brand media planning and buying category with comparable service breadth but greater holding-company backing.
Emerging players
- Hearts & Science UK: Omnicom's data-driven UK media agency. Competes for the same analytics-heavy, behaviour-led media planning briefs that Total Media Group targets with its Behave methodology.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Total Media Group social profiles
Digital presenceTotal Media Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Total Media Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Total Media Group subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Total Media Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Total Media Group M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Total Media Group
What does Total Media Group do?
Total Media Group operates as an independent international media agency providing behavioural science-driven media planning and buying services. Through its agency brands (Mediaplus, Mediaplus Connect, Running Total) and subsidiary Behave, it delivers integrated media strategy, programmatic advertising, performance marketing, social media marketing, retail media consulting, and advertising technologies to enterprise clients seeking sustainable business growth.
Is Total Media Group a public or private company?
Total Media Group is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Total Media Group founded?
Total Media Group was founded in 1982. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Total Media Group based?
Total Media Group is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Total Media Group make money?
One revenue line is on record: media Planning and Buying Services.
Who are Total Media Group's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Goodstuff Communications, The7stars and Manning Gottlieb OMD. Broad incumbents are Zenith UK, Wavemaker UK, PHD UK, OMD UK, Carat UK and Starcom UK. Hearts & Science UK is listed as an emerging player.
Does Total Media Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for Total Media Group.
What industry is Total Media Group in?
Total Media Group's product category is Media Agency Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAAABAA, Full-Service Media Planning & Buying, with a secondary code of BPAFAAAE, Social Media & Community Management. Its NAICS code is 54183 and its SIC code is 7311.