Monday Interview: Alisdair Straughan, managing partner at Fantastic Media

Leeds-based integrated marketing agency Fantastic Media is aiming to double its turnover in the next 12 to 18 months.

The business, which currently employs 25 people, was established by founder Andy Hobson 14 years ago. It has completed its first year at Dock Street in Leeds, after previously being based in Birstall.

Managing partner Alisdair Straughan stressed the company does not primarily focus on securing big contracts with massive businesses.

He also explained Fantastic Media operates in a different way to the traditional marketing agency, with a consultancy first approach before offering creative solutions such as advising on growth, sales, how to position for an MBO, exits, raising finance, trend spotting and cultural change.

Straughan’s professional background is in marketing communications. He began his career at Huddersfield Town Football Club where he was head of communications.

He later moved to the Middle East, working in PR roles with major organisations and businesses such as Emirates Airlines and the Abu Dhabi Government. He returned to the UK in 2015 and has been at Fantastic Media for four and a half years.

He said Fantastic Media has a strong focus on growing SMEs and a particular proficiency of working within the sports industry. Its clients include Leeds United, Maximuscle, HSL Chairs, Sheffield United and Huddersfield Town FC, as well as many Yorkshire-based manufacturing firms.

Commenting on Fantastic Media’s move from Birstall, Straughan said: “Birstall is a decent place but we realised that to grow as a business we needed to be where we could attract the right people. From a development, marketing and design point of view we knew we had to be right at the heart of things.

“As a city Leeds is just an incredible place for us to do what we do. It has a wealth of talent to tap into – and a business is nothing without its people.

“We’ve spent the last 12 months establishing ourselves as an agency in Leeds, and that has gone really well. It has been our most successful year in terms of growth and turnover.

“The core part of our work is insight – getting under the skin of businesses and working out what they want to achieve based on factors such as the services they offer and what competition they have.

“We offer a very personal service and deal with owner managers of businesses to a large degree. And everything we do is based on understanding what businesses actually need. It’s almost management consultancy as much as it is marketing.”

He said the agency has set itself some extremely ambitious growth targets for the next couple of years, which will involve almost doubling the number of clients it serves

“Looking at the kind of businesses we deal with, we believe there are enough of those around to achieve the growth we’re aiming for from an organic point of view,” he said.

“And we wouldn’t rule out an acquisition if the right opportunity comes along.

“As we’re not beholden to shareholders we are very agile so can look at different opportunities for expansion based on their merits.”