Two former IMA seniors have gone solo with new Leeds-based agency Invested.
Will Hughes and Chris Quinn first worked together as graduates at Brilliant Media 14 years ago. Following a decade at different agencies, most recently the duo both held senior positions together at IMA. They have worked with brands including Wren Kitchens, Expedia, First Bus, Flutter Group, Marriott and WWF.
As a focused media agency, Invested is designed from the ground up to support clients as they move beyond the limits of only using performance media. With expertise in market planning, strategy and measurement, Invested will help brands push more confidently into new channels and tactics.
Services offered by the new agency include media strategy; above-the-line media; performance/ digital media; media measurement; auditing and consultation; and training.
Invested already has a roster of clients across a range of sectors including Luminate Education Group, Brass Monkey and Lightspeed Broadband.
By maintaining a focus on media strategy and buying, the Invested model enables open and seamless partnerships with creative, development, PR and social teams. The agency is looking to recruit its first team member before the end of the year, with a focus on building a team around senior industry talent.
Will Hughes commented: “The idea of starting our own agency was something we have talked about for well over a decade, and it felt like the time was right. We bring the best of both worlds together – my career headed more in the direction of digital strategy, while Chris focused on above-the-line planning and media buying. I’ve worked in independent agencies which have scaled up, whereas Chris has worked for the biggest agency networks. We feel we’re uniquely placed to cherry pick from all the fantastic things we’ve learnt and experienced over our careers to create something very special. It’s also very freeing to be able to operate without the inevitable trappings of a large agency.
“First and foremost in our plans was to make Invested somewhere people really want to work, where they feel motivated and valued. Our mission is to deliver exceptional outcomes for our clients while fostering an environment where our team members feel empowered to produce their best work – and that will underpin everything we do.”
Chris Quinn added: “Whatever people feel about it, we’re gearing up for a future where AI is going to play more of a role. That doesn’t have to be a negative – it can be a huge positive when used in the right way. We see it as being a way to free up our time from some of the laborious admin, so clients get more of our focused attention on the important stuff. Fundamental to any great media campaign is really knowing what you want and need at the planning stages, which AI can help us with as we use reliable and credible research and insight to formulate meaningful plans for our clients. And then, of course, making sure we measure the results in the short, medium and long term.”
Until recently Quinn and Hughes were head of media operations and digital media strategy, respectively, at IMA. Their former agency was last month reported to be cutting as many as 100 jobs, or 10% of its workforce. https://www.prolificnorth.co.uk/news/ima-not-commenting-on-redundancy-reports/
