Leeds’ Fantastic Media Hits £2m in 20th Year Milestone

Key Points

• Leeds-based full-service marketing agency Fantastic Media has surpassed £2m in revenue for the first time as it heads into its 20th year of trading in 2026.​
• The agency attributes this milestone to a sustained period of growth driven by its consultancy-led, strategic approach to marketing rather than volume-based activity.​
• Fantastic Media reports rising demand from ambitious businesses that want clarity, focus and measurable commercial impact from their marketing investments.​
• The agency’s strategy-first model has underpinned recent client wins across manufacturing, engineering, technology and food retail sectors.​
• Leadership at Fantastic Media argues that effective marketing begins with insight, placing commercial understanding, audience insight and market opportunity at the centre of every client relationship.​
• The agency runs an integrated model combining brand, PR, digital, content and demand generation within a single strategic framework aligned to clients’ commercial objectives.​
• Managing director Sally Willis says crossing the £2m income threshold reflects a clear shift in how ambitious businesses prefer to work with agencies, prioritising disciplined, strategic work that drives genuine value.​
• Willis notes that, amid economic uncertainty, clients increasingly seek clarity over complexity, and want to know what will make a real difference to their business and why.​
• Communications director Stefanie Hopkins emphasises that the agency’s progress is as much about its people and culture as its commercial performance, highlighting its role as trusted consultants rather than just marketers.​
• Fantastic Media employs 28 professionals at its Leeds city centre base and is targeting turnover of £2.5m in its 20th year.​
• The agency now works with more than 50 retained national and international clients across diverse sectors.​
• Notable clients include STADA Thornton & Ross, British Weightlifting, Schades Group, SEW‑EURODRIVE and Huddersfield Town AFC.​

Leeds (Fantastic Media) January 21, 2026 – Leeds-based full-service marketing agency Fantastic Media has begun 2026 by surpassing the £2m revenue mark for the first time in its history, a financial milestone that coincides with the business entering its 20th year of operation. As reported in a company statement, agency leaders say the figure reflects a period of “sustained growth” powered by a consultancy-led, strategic approach and a marked shift in what ambitious businesses now demand from their marketing partners. The agency is now setting its sights on reaching £2.5m turnover during its landmark 20th year while consolidating its position as a strategy-first, integrated marketing provider.​

How has Fantastic Media achieved the £2m revenue milestone?

According to the agency, the £2m threshold has been reached following what it describes as a “period of sustained growth driven by the agency’s strategic approach to marketing”. In statements released by Fantastic Media, this growth is linked to an emphasis on clarity, focus and measurable commercial impact, which it says has resonated with businesses seeking more accountable marketing.​

The consultancy-led model has supported a series of new client wins across manufacturing, engineering, technology and food retail, sectors where complex buying journeys and long-term commercial decisions place a premium on evidence-based marketing. Rather than relying on short bursts of tactics, the agency says its programmes are designed to deliver sustained performance over time, enabling clients to align campaigns with long-term business goals.​

What is the agency’s consultancy-led, insight-first approach?

Fantastic Media frames its philosophy around the belief that effective marketing “starts with insight, not tactics”, placing commercial understanding, audience insight and market opportunity at the centre of every client relationship. This means initial engagements are focused on understanding a client’s business model, market pressures and growth targets before any channel-specific activity is planned.​

By emphasising insight, the agency seeks to help clients make “confident, evidence-led decisions” about where to invest and how to achieve long-term returns on their marketing spend. This approach, according to the agency, contrasts with activity-led models that prioritise volume and output over strategic fit and measurable outcomes.​

How does Fantastic Media’s integrated model work in practice?

The agency operates an integrated model that brings brand, PR, digital, content and demand generation together under what it describes as a single strategic framework. The intention, as set out in the agency’s own explanation, is to ensure that all channels contribute towards the same commercial objectives rather than working in isolation.​

This integrated structure is pitched as a way to build “joined-up marketing programmes” designed to drive sustained performance rather than short-term bursts of activity. For clients, this means brand positioning, communications, digital activation and lead generation are planned as interdependent components of one overarching commercial strategy.​

What does managing director Sally Willis say about this growth?

Managing director Sally Willis has characterised the £2m income milestone as a “significant moment” for the agency as it marks two decades in business. As stated by Willis,

“As we enter our 20th year, surpassing £2 million income feels like a significant moment and reflects a clear shift in how ambitious businesses want to work with agencies.”​

Willis stresses that growth “hasn’t come from chasing volume or adding layers of activity” but rather from “a disciplined, strategic approach that focuses on what genuinely drives value”. In her assessment, this discipline is central to building marketing programmes that deliver meaningful commercial outcomes rather than simply increasing the number of campaigns or channels in use.​

How is economic uncertainty shaping client expectations?

Commenting on the wider economic backdrop, Willis notes that “at a time when many organisations are navigating economic uncertainty, leaders are looking for clarity rather than complexity”. She adds that clients “want to understand what will make a real difference to their business and why”, highlighting a demand for clear rationales and transparent links between marketing activity and business performance.​

As reported in the agency’s statement, Willis argues that by “putting strategy first and integrating everything around it”, Fantastic Media helps clients “cut through the noise, make smarter decisions and achieve stronger, more sustainable results over time”. This emphasis on sustainability suggests a deliberate move away from short-term, campaign-by-campaign thinking towards longer-term value creation.​

What role do people and culture play in the agency’s success?

Communications director Stefanie Hopkins frames the milestone as a reflection of both people and performance. As quoted in the agency’s announcement, Hopkins says:

“Reaching this point is as much about our people as it is about performance.”​

Hopkins explains that the team has been built to “truly understand our clients’ businesses and operate as trusted consultants, not just marketers”, which she identifies as a key reason organisations place their confidence in the agency when making critical decisions. She also notes that, as Fantastic Media approaches its 20th anniversary, its culture “remains one of our strongest assets”, underlining the importance placed on internal values and ways of working.​

What are Fantastic Media’s scale, targets and client base for its 20th year?

Fantastic Media is based in Leeds city centre and currently employs a 28-strong team of professionals working across its integrated service offering. Looking ahead to its 20th year, the agency has set a target of reaching £2.5m turnover, building on the £2m milestone achieved at the start of 2026.​

The agency reports a growing portfolio of more than 50 retained national and international clients spanning a diverse range of sectors. Its current client list includes brands such as STADA Thornton & Ross, British Weightlifting, Schades Group, SEW‑EURODRIVE and Huddersfield Town AFC, reflecting a mix of healthcare, sport, manufacturing and professional services.​

Why is this milestone significant for the Leeds marketing sector?

Fantastic Media’s announcement adds to the narrative of Leeds as a growing hub for marketing, creative and digital services, with agencies in the city competing for national and international clients. Crossing the £2m income mark while entering a 20th year in business demonstrates a level of resilience and longevity that agency leaders argue has been built on a strategy-first model and integrated delivery.​

For the wider regional sector, the agency’s growth trajectory and stated target of £2.5m turnover offer an example of how consultancy-led, insight-driven marketing propositions are being positioned to meet the demands of businesses navigating uncertain economic conditions. As the agency continues its 20th year, attention will focus on whether its integrated, evidence-led approach can deliver the further step-change in revenue it has set out to achieve.