The Media Guides
The Media Guides is a Sydney-based, founder-led consulting practice delivering MarTech, AdTech, data and AI governance, and enterprise transformation services to Australian publishers, brands, agencies and regulated FSI organisations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2023
- HeadquartersSydney, Australia
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What The Media Guides does
The Media Guides is a Sydney-based, founder-led consulting practice established in 2023 by Tim Lloyd. The firm delivers strategy and hands-on transformation programmes across MarTech strategy, AdTech and programmatic operations, data and AI governance, lifecycle personalisation, and enterprise change management. It sells through four engagement models: short Strategy Sprints (2-4 weeks), ongoing Executive Advisory retainers, embedded Fractional Leadership, and end-to-end Transformation Programmes. The practice does not build or sell software; its intellectual property is content (six Executive Playbooks, seven Media Calculators, a 40+ term glossary, four guide categories) and the founder's 15 years of operating experience at Domain, eBay, Gumtree, CarsGuide/Autotrader, NRMA and Insurance Australia Group.
The customer base spans publishers and media owners, brands and advertisers, agencies, and regulated financial services and insurance organisations, with secondary depth in property, automotive and general marketplaces. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales: quote-based consulting contracts sourced through the website, a free readiness questionnaire, and direct outreach. A curated Featured Partners directory and a Tech & Services Comparison Hub extend the firm's surface area into content-led vendor evaluation and early affiliate revenue.
Commercially, revenue is professional services fees for advisory and delivery work, with no public pricing. The firm is privately held by the founder, has 1-10 employees, and operates only across Oceania. AI governance and privacy advisory are delivered in partnership with FMA Consulting, where the founder is also a partner.
The Media Guides firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Media Guides
- Legal name
- The Media Guides
- Website
- https://mediaguides.com.au
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2023
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The Media Guides is a Sydney-based, founder-led consulting practice delivering MarTech, AdTech, data and AI governance, and enterprise transformation services to Australian publishers, brands, agencies and regulated FSI organisations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Media Guides industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Management Consulting
- NAICS
- Management Consulting Services (54161), Marketing Consulting Services (541613)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Digital & Technology Transformation Consulting (BPAHACAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Operations & Process Improvement Consulting (BPAHACAB), Organization Design & Change Management Consulting (BPAHACAD)
Keywords
Where The Media Guides is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Sydney
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Media Guides business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Strategic Consulting & Advisory Services: Fee-based consulting engagements ranging from short-term Strategy Sprints to ongoing Executive Advisory retainers and embedded Fractional Leadership arrangements. Revenue is generated through professional service fees for MarTech strategy, data governance, transformation programs, and commercial advisory work across financial services, property, automotive and marketplace sectors.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Strategy Sprint - 2-4 week engagement for critical business problems |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Executive Advisory - Ongoing flexible strategic partnership |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Fractional Leadership - Embedded executive capability |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Transformation Programs - Full program delivery |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels8 records
The Media Guides product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Media Guides is a Sydney-based consulting practice that delivers strategy-led advisory and hands-on transformation across MarTech, AdTech, data and AI governance, commercial strategy, and media operations. The firm sells fee-based consulting engagements through four models—Strategy Sprints (2–4 weeks), Executive Advisory (ongoing), Fractional Leadership (embedded), and Transformation Programs—targeting publishers, brands, agencies, and financial services organisations.
Product overview
The Media Guides is a consulting advisory firm, not a software product company. Its offering consists of free educational resources (six Executive Playbooks, seven Media Calculators, four curated guide categories, and a glossary), a technology comparison hub, and 18 billable consulting service lines spanning MarTech strategy, data and AI governance, growth and commercial advisory, and media operations. The free resources attract and educate potential clients; the service lines (MarTech Strategy, CDP & Lifecycle Personalisation, Data & AI Governance, Enterprise & FSI Transformation, Commercial Strategy, M&A Integration, Retail Media, Programmatic, and others) represent the core commercial offering. The company does not sell software products but rather strategic advisory and hands-on delivery engagements.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- MarTech & Data Consulting Services Consulting engagements covering MarTech strategy and stack selection, CDP and lifecycle personalisation, digital analytics, audience management, data security, and GenAI for marketing—delivered to publishers, brands, agencies, and financial services organisations through Strategy Sprints, Executive Advisory, Fractional Leadership, and Transformation Programs.
- Governance & AI Consulting Services Consulting engagements covering data and AI governance, enterprise and FSI transformation, change and operating model design, and contract negotiations—targeted at regulated financial services, insurance, and other compliance-heavy organisations, complemented by the FMA Consulting partnership on privacy and AI governance.
- Growth & Commercial Consulting Services Consulting engagements covering commercial strategy, commercial M&A and integration, go-to-market strategy, and project management—offered to commercial leaders and operating teams needing senior strategic and delivery support.
- Media Operations Consulting Services Consulting engagements covering retail media, programmatic for publishers, programmatic media buying, and yield and pricing optimisation—targeted at publishers, media owners, and advertisers seeking to monetise audience and inventory.
Quantifiable outcome
- Built and scaled Domain's Audience Extension product into a multi-million dollar direct acquisition engine for real estate and property developer partners
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use The Media Guides
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments7 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
The Media Guides technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The Media Guides partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- FMA ConsultingcoreTim Lloyd, founder of The Media Guides, is a partner at FMA Consulting, advising organisations on privacy and AI governance. This partnership reflects the close linkage between commercial growth and regulatory change, with FMA providing complementary expertise in responsible AI adoption as data and marketing regulation evolves.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Media Guides competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Publicis Sapient: Global digital transformation business of Publicis Groupe covering MarTech, data, AI, and customer experience. Overlaps with The Media Guides on transformation, MarTech strategy, and personalisation engagements but at much larger scale and breadth.
- Isobar: Dentsu-owned global digital experience transformation agency with capabilities in MarTech, commerce, and data-led customer experience. Overlaps with The Media Guides' MarTech and personalisation service lines within a broader creative and media portfolio.
- Accenture: Global professional services firm with extensive MarTech, AdTech, data governance, and transformation practices. Comparable at the strategy and operating-model layer that The Media Guides sells into, particularly for FSI and large enterprise.
- Deloitte Digital: Digital transformation arm of Deloitte serving global enterprises with marketing, customer experience, and data consulting. Direct overlap with The Media Guides' enterprise transformation, MarTech, and regulated FSI work, but with vastly greater bench and breadth.
Emerging players
- Luma Partners: Specialist advisory firm focused on digital media, advertising technology, and marketing services M&A and strategy. Comparable on commercial advisory and M&A integration, an explicit service line of The Media Guides, though narrower in scope.
Direct peers
- Lion & Lion: Asia-Pacific digital agency with strong media, MarTech, and data practice serving enterprise brands. Comparable on digital transformation, programmatic, and data-led marketing engagements across the APAC region.
- Slalom: Boutique strategy and technology transformation consultancy with strong MarTech, data, and digital transformation practices. Closely comparable business model and engagement style to The Media Guides, though at vastly greater scale.
- The Lumery: Australian MarTech and data consultancy founded by former operators. Highly comparable as a boutique Australian firm helping enterprises with MarTech stack selection, CDP implementation, and data-driven personalisation.
- RXP Services: Australian-listed technology and digital consulting firm serving enterprise clients with data, digital, and MarTech capabilities. A regional direct peer given overlapping services and Australian customer base.
- Forward (formerly ForwardPMX): Global performance marketing and transformation consultancy focused on media, MarTech, and data for enterprise brands. Comparable on media/MarTech transformation consulting for enterprise buyers.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Media Guides social profiles
Digital presenceThe Media Guides financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Media Guides leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
The Media Guides funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Media Guides 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 The Media Guides
What does The Media Guides do?
The Media Guides is a Sydney-based consulting practice that delivers strategy-led advisory and hands-on transformation across MarTech, AdTech, data and AI governance, commercial strategy, and media operations. The firm sells fee-based consulting engagements through four models—Strategy Sprints (2–4 weeks), Executive Advisory (ongoing), Fractional Leadership (embedded), and Transformation Programs—targeting publishers, brands, agencies, and financial services organisations.
Is The Media Guides a public or private company?
The Media Guides is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was The Media Guides founded?
The Media Guides was founded in 2023. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is The Media Guides based?
The Media Guides is headquartered in Sydney, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does The Media Guides make money?
One revenue line is on record: strategic Consulting & Advisory Services.
Who are The Media Guides's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Publicis Sapient, Isobar, Accenture and Deloitte Digital. Luma Partners is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are Lion & Lion, Slalom, The Lumery, RXP Services and Forward (formerly ForwardPMX).
Does The Media Guides have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Media Guides.
What industry is The Media Guides in?
The Media Guides's product category is Management Consulting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHACAH, Digital & Technology Transformation Consulting, with a secondary code of BPAHACAB, Operations & Process Improvement Consulting. Its NAICS code is 54161 and its SIC code is 8742.