The Media Guides

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.

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

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

• MarTech consulting
• AdTech advisory
• Data governance services
• AI governance consulting
• Media operations strategy

Headquarters

HQ city

Sydney

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. 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

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core 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

Named customers6 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• FMA ConsultingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTim 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

Broad 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

• Xx.com/mediaguidesau
• Facebookfacebook.com/mediaguidesau
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-media-guides

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Guides