Republic of Media

What Republic of Media does

Republic of Media is a UK-based independent media planning and buying agency, founded in 2012 and headquartered in Manchester with a regional office in Edinburgh. The company operates as part of The Freethinking Group, alongside wholly-owned subsidiaries Intelligence22 (data visualisation and analytics) and Rommatic (programmatic media trading). It serves enterprise and government clients across the UK, with a named customer base spanning sports betting (bet365, the founder client), beverages (Magners, Highland Spring, Tennent's, Jura, Whyte & Mackay), retail (Beaverbrooks, Slimming World, Landsec, Donald Russell), financial services (FSCS, Skipton Building Society), and public sector (Scottish Government, NHS Greater Manchester, Transport for Greater Manchester, Scotrail, and Crown Commercial Services framework clients). Its core offering is paid media planning and buying across TV, video, OOH, digital, radio, and social channels, with particular expertise in broadcast sponsorship management (e.g., Premier League Football on Sky and BT Sport for bet365) and behaviour change campaigns.

The business operates a sales-led go-to-market motion, winning work through competitive pitches and government framework agreements such as the Crown Commercial Services Lot 2 framework. Revenue is generated through client retainers, project fees, and media commissions under a professional services and managed services model. The company transitioned to employee ownership in November 2025 after 13 years of organic growth, reaching 80 employees and reporting turnover in excess of £100 million in both 2021 and 2022. It is Real Living Wage accredited and Investors in People certified, supporting its employer brand.

Republic of Media positions itself as the "Freethinking agency" — an independent, employee-owned business unconstrained by holding-company trading deals. External validations include Marketing Society Scotland Star Agency of the Year 2022, FT Future 100, LSE 1000, and Google Partner status. The leadership team comprises CEO Simon Crunden, Chair and founder Stuart Feather, Managing Director Leigh Herbert, Chief Strategy Officer Clare Elder (ex-OMD UK), Chief Commercial and Finance Officer Dean Mckinney, and Director of Client Services (Edinburgh) Gill Jarvie.

Name

Republic of Media

Legal name

Republic of Media Limited

Website

https://republicofmedia.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Republic of Media is a UK-based independent media planning and buying agency serving enterprise and government clients with paid media, broadcast sponsorship, and behaviour change campaigns, operating within The Freethinking Group alongside data and programmatic subsidiaries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Manchester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Media Planning and Buying Services: Full-service media agency providing paid media planning and buying across TV, video, OOH, digital, radio, and social channels. Revenue generated through client retainers, project fees, and media commissions.
2. Data and Analytics Services: Intelligence22 provides data visualisation and analytics services as part of The Freethinking Group offering.
3. Programmatic Media Trading: Rommatic provides programmatic media trading services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Republic of Media is a full-service UK media planning and buying agency that delivers paid media campaigns across TV, video, OOH, digital, radio, and social channels, and manages broadcast sponsorships and behaviour change campaigns for enterprise and government clients. As part of The Freethinking Group, the offering is complemented by Intelligence22 (data visualisation and analytics) and Rommatic (programmatic media trading), providing an integrated talent-and-data media service. Revenue is generated through client retainers, project fees, and media commissions.

Product overview

Republic of Media is a media planning and buying agency operating under The Freethinking Group parent company. The agency provides paid media services including TV, video, out-of-home (OOH), digital, and broadcast sponsorship management. The group also includes wholly-owned subsidiaries intelligence22 (data visualization and analytics) and Rommatic (programmatic media trading services). Republic of Media does not appear to offer discrete software products but rather agency services across media planning, buying, strategy, and behavior change campaigns for clients in sectors including FMCG, alcohol, retail, financial services, and public sector.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Media Planning and Buying Services Full-service media planning and buying across TV, video, out-of-home (OOH), digital, radio, and social channels, delivered through client retainers, project fees, and media commissions. Serves enterprise FMCG, retail, beverage, financial services, and public sector clients.
• Intelligence22 - Data Visualisation and Analytics Data visualisation and analytics services delivered as part of The Freethinking Group, supporting media planning, campaign measurement, and insight generation for clients.
• Rommatic - Programmatic Media Trading Programmatic media trading services delivered as part of The Freethinking Group, enabling automated, data-driven media buying for clients.
• Behaviour Change Campaign Services Strategic behaviour change campaign planning and execution for government, NHS, and public sector clients, including public awareness initiatives and measurable behaviour change outcomes.
• Broadcast Sponsorship Management Negotiation and management of broadcast sponsorships including Premier League Football on Sky and BT Sport, and bespoke multi-channel sponsorships with Channel 4, UKTV, and Warner Bros. Discovery.

Quantifiable outcome

• 90% of NHS campaign respondents took action, 16% quit smoking, 35% reduced smoking
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers17 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Channel 4coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 28 November 2024Channel 4 partnership for festive entertainment sponsorship on behalf of Beaverbrooks. The property includes programming across Channel 4, E4, More4, UKTV, and Warner Bros. Discovery channels including U&GOLD, U&Dave, U&W and U&Yesterday.
• UKTVcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 28 November 2024Partnership with UKTV for festive entertainment sponsorship extending Beaverbrooks' reach across additional channels.
• Crown Commercial ServicescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 9 February 2024Appointed as framework supplier for media planning and buying services to UK public bodies through Crown Commercial Services Lot 2 framework, enabling direct access to government media spending.
• Warner Bros. DiscoverycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for Festive Entertainment sponsorship extending across Warner Bros. Discovery channels.
• 4Studio ProductionsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduced 'Hidden Gems' bespoke social branded entertainment series for Beaverbrooks across Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and YouTube.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Wavemaker UK: WPP-owned global media agency with substantial UK operations. Competes for similar enterprise and government-adjacent UK media planning and buying briefs at greater scale.
• PHD Media: Global media agency network within Omnicom with significant UK presence. Competes for the same enterprise and brand-building mandates, with greater international reach and data assets.
• Havas Media UK: UK arm of Havas Media Network, a global holding-company media agency. Competes for similar UK enterprise briefs and is a known prior employer of Republic of Media's strategy leadership.
• Zenith UK: UK arm of Publicis Media's Zenith network. A scaled holding-company competitor in the UK media planning and buying market, particularly for performance and data-driven briefs.
• OMD UK: UK arm of Omnicom Media Group, one of the largest global media agency networks. A direct competitor for enterprise UK media planning/buying mandates, but operates with materially greater scale and holding-company trading leverage.
• Manning Gottlieb OMD: UK-based Omnicom Media Group agency with a long-standing UK media planning and buying heritage. A scaled holding-company competitor for similar enterprise and public sector briefs.
• Starcom UK: UK operations of Publicis-owned Starcom, a global media agency network. A direct competitor for UK enterprise media planning/buying work and a known prior employer of Republic of Media's Director of Strategy.

Direct peers

• Goodstuff Communications: UK-based independent media agency of comparable size, also competing on the 'independent alternative to holding companies' proposition. Direct competitor for the same enterprise and government RFPs Republic of Media targets.
• Medialab: UK independent media agency with comparable headcount and a similar independent-vs-holding-company pitch. Direct competitor for UK enterprise and public sector media planning/buying work.
• The&Partnership: UK-headquartered independent media and creative agency group with similar full-service planning, buying, and data capabilities. Competes for the same mid-to-large UK brand and government briefs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wearerom
• Facebookfacebook.com/wearerom
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/republic-of-media
• Instagraminstagram.com/republicofmedia

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries2 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 Republic of Media