MediaLab Group
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2005
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
MediaLab Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- MediaLab Group
- Legal name
- Medialab Group Limited
- Website
- https://medialabgroup.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2005
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where MediaLab Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
MediaLab Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Media Planning and Buying Services: Full-service agency fees for strategic media planning, campaign activation, and media buying across channels including TV/AV, digital, social, radio, press, and OOH. Revenue generated through agency fees and media commissions from client budgets.
- Data Science and Analytics: Data-driven planning, analytics, and marketing effectiveness services powered by the Apollo platform, including econometric modelling, market mix modelling, and measurement frameworks.
- Thought Leadership and Research: Co-authored industry research and effectiveness studies published with partners such as WARC and the IPA, generating industry recognition and client acquisition.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
MediaLab Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
MediaLab Group is a UK-based independent media agency that provides full-service data-driven media planning and buying across offline and digital channels including AV/TV, paid search, social, press, radio, and OOH. Its work is powered by Apollo, a proprietary marketing intelligence platform supporting planning, modelling, reporting, and budget optimisation, with dedicated data science, analytics, and engineering teams delivering econometric modelling and marketing effectiveness measurement.
Product overview
Medialab Group is a data-driven media planning and buying agency offering services across multiple market sectors including charity, insurance, travel, and financial services. The core offering is anchored by Apollo, Medialab's proprietary marketing intelligence platform that enables data-driven media planning, modelling, buying, and reporting with round-the-clock actionable insights. Apollo is supported by a dedicated data science and analytics team that produces quarterly sector insight reports (such as the Charity Sector Insights Report) and provides specialist capabilities for econometrics and marketing effectiveness measurement. The agency also provides comprehensive media planning and buying services across offline and digital channels including AV/TV, paid search, social, and performance marketing. Key proprietary tools and initiatives include the Radic feedback framework (based on the Kirkpatrick model) for training evaluation, and an AI Learning Hub for staff development.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Apollo Marketing Intelligence Platform Proprietary marketing intelligence platform that powers data-driven media planning, modelling, buying, and reporting across all client activity, providing round-the-clock access to actionable insights and optimisations of media budgets for enterprise clients.
- Media Planning and Buying Services Comprehensive media planning and buying services across offline and digital channels, including AV/TV, paid search, social, press, radio, OOH, and performance marketing for brand building, customer acquisition, and retention, sold to enterprise clients in the UK.
- Data-Driven Media Services Data marketing partnership providing media and data services including communications planning, implementation, multi-market coordination, and measurement across all media channels for clients in charity, insurance, travel, financial services, and retail sectors in the UK.
Quantifiable outcome
- Laithwaites brand campaign increased spontaneous and prompted brand awareness, emotional proximity, engagement, and actual orders in ITV test regions versus controls within 4 weeks.
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use MediaLab Group
Customer profileNamed customers17 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
MediaLab Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
AI capability8 records
Feature5 records
MediaLab Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- WARCcoreMedialab co-authors and presents research in partnership with WARC and the IPA. The 'Go Big or Go Home' research report was co-authored by Will and Les and presented at the IPA Effectiveness Conference. WARC hosted the accompanying webinar.
- IPA (Institute of Practitioners in Advertising)coreMedialab co-authors research with the IPA and presents findings at the IPA Effectiveness Conference. The agency also maintains IPA CPD Platinum and Effectiveness accreditations through the IPA. IPA hosted the 'Go Big or Go Home' research presentation alongside WARC.
- LookUpminorMedialab hosted a session led by LookUp's Matthew and Caroline on how charities can harness storytelling for impact, as part of Medialab's thought leadership programme for charity clients.
- Channel 4minorChannel 4 selected Laithwaites Wine as launch partner for its social-first food and drink channel, Channel 4 Served. Medialab worked with Channel 4 and Laithwaites on this partnership covering sponsorship across food content including Come Dine with Me and Jamie Oliver's recipes.
- Bloom NetworkminorBloom Network is an organisation providing professional support and networking for women in media. Medialab attends Bloomfest annually and team members have participated in workshops. Offers mentoring for employees.
- MEFA (Media for All)minorMEFA is an industry organisation encouraging Black, Asian and other ethnic talent to join and thrive in the media industry. Medialab offers employees mentoring through MEFA as part of its DEI commitments.
- OutvertisingminorOutvertising is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to making advertising and marketing completely LGBTQIA+ inclusive. Medialab partners with Outvertising for employee mentoring and DEI education.
- Adam&EveStudiosminorMedialab partnered with Adam&EveStudios on the Laithwaites brand building campaign. The creative agency led on the TV creative while Medialab led on media planning and buying. The campaign won Gold at IPA Effectiveness Awards and best use of small budget.
- The Aperto PartnershipminorThe Aperto Partnership managed the competitive review for Save the Children UK's media account which Medialab won. Aperto has also run reviews for Sky, L'Oréal, and Save the Children. Also managed the Sharps media account review.
- WYK DigitalminorMedialab is a sponsor of WYK Digital ('What You Know'), a not-for-profit social enterprise dedicated to breaking down barriers and opening doors to careers in digital marketing for young people from all backgrounds. Through this partnership, they co-launched the LEAP programme — a 10-week early-careers programme providing essential skills training for young talent.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
MediaLab Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- iProspect (Dentsu): Global digital performance media agency within Dentsu. Specifically relevant because Medialab won the £20m Sharps account from iProspect in a competitive four-way pitch, demonstrating direct head-to-head competition for digital-led UK enterprise media accounts.
- OMD (Omnicom Media Group): Global network media agency under Omnicom. Directly competes with Medialab in enterprise pitches (Medialab took Standard Life from Omnicom's Ptarmigan Media). Broader portfolio including creative, content, and commerce adjacency that independents cannot match.
- Mindshare (WPP): Global network media agency within WPP's GroupM. Operates at vastly greater scale than Medialab and competes in the same enterprise media planning and buying pitch pool, with cross-channel and cross-market capabilities independents cannot replicate.
- PHD (Omnicom Media Group): Global network media agency under Omnicom. Frequently pitched against Medialab for UK enterprise accounts, with global trading capabilities and cross-market coordination that exceed Medialab's UK-only footprint.
- Wavemaker (WPP / GroupM): Global network media agency within WPP/GroupM. Significant UK presence and directly competes in UK enterprise pitches. Provides integrated planning, buying, and content capabilities at network scale that Medialab must compete against in every enterprise review.
Direct peers
- the7stars: UK's largest independent media agency prior to Medialab's positioning shift. Closest direct comparable by structure: independent, founder-owned, multi-sector UK media planning and buying, competing head-to-head in UK independent pitch processes.
- Goodstuff Communications: UK independent media agency with comparable size and independent positioning. Directly competes for the same UK client pitch opportunities as Medialab and serves similar mid-market and enterprise clients across consumer-facing verticals.
- Brainlabs: UK-born digital media agency with proprietary tech stack and data-led approach. Most directly comparable to Medialab given similar size, independent heritage, data-driven positioning, and ownership of in-house technology (Brainlabs' Cortex vs. Medialab's Apollo). Mark Syal, Medialab's new CPO, joined from Brainlabs.
- Total Media: UK independent media agency with comparable independent structure and full-service media planning/buying offering. Operates in the same UK independent competitive set, frequently appearing alongside Medialab on competitive pitch shortlists.
- Bountiful Cow: UK independent media agency operating at similar scale with comparable independent, data-led positioning. Competes for UK enterprise and mid-market media planning and buying accounts in the same competitive set as Medialab.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
MediaLab Group social profiles
Digital presenceMediaLab Group compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
MediaLab Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
MediaLab Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles15 records
MediaLab Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
MediaLab 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 MediaLab Group
What does MediaLab Group do?
MediaLab Group is a UK-based independent media agency that provides full-service data-driven media planning and buying across offline and digital channels including AV/TV, paid search, social, press, radio, and OOH. Its work is powered by Apollo, a proprietary marketing intelligence platform supporting planning, modelling, reporting, and budget optimisation, with dedicated data science, analytics, and engineering teams delivering econometric modelling and marketing effectiveness measurement.
Is MediaLab Group a public or private company?
MediaLab Group is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was MediaLab Group founded?
MediaLab Group was founded in 2005. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is MediaLab Group based?
MediaLab Group is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does MediaLab Group make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Media Planning and Buying Services are the primary driver. The others are data Science and Analytics and thought Leadership and Research.
Who are MediaLab Group's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are iProspect (Dentsu), OMD (Omnicom Media Group), Mindshare (WPP), PHD (Omnicom Media Group) and Wavemaker (WPP / GroupM). Direct peers are the7stars, Goodstuff Communications, Brainlabs, Total Media and Bountiful Cow.
Does MediaLab Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for MediaLab Group.