What We Do

Eighteen service lines, built around where marketing & customer experiences are actually heading.

From MarTech strategy and AI governance through to lifecycle personalisation, enterprise transformation and the media operations that drive revenue today – one team, engaged at the level your business needs.

The Media Guides services
15Years in industry
Multi-SectorIncl. regulated FSI
18Service lines
01Point of accountability
Free Executive Playbooks

Six playbooks. One download. Built from real programs.

Practical frameworks on customer data, retention economics, regulated marketing, M&A integration and scaling new channels from zero – the actual patterns from work delivered inside Domain, eBay & GCA and IAG, not desk research.

Get all six playbooks →
01 · MarTech & Data

The systems behind the strategy

Platform, data and personalisation decisions that determine whether a strategy is actually deliverable.

GenAI for Marketing

New

Practical evaluation and rollout of generative AI for content and creative production – scaling personalisation without a proportional increase in production cost, with guardrails that respect brand and compliance from day one.

GenAICreative ops
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Digital Analytics

Advanced data analytics to identify and reach your ideal audience, minimising ad waste and maximising ROI through the right inventory at the right moment.

AnalyticsAttribution
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Audience Management

Deep insight into audience behaviour, preferences and demographics – building segments that let you deliver personalised content and offers that lift engagement and conversion.

DMPSegmentation
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Data Security

Fortifying your business with current security measures and compliance standards to protect customer data and commercial assets as your data footprint grows.

SecurityCompliance
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02 · Governance & FSI

Built for regulated environments

Drawn from operating-model and governance work inside a major insurer – where data, AI and compliance genuinely have to work together, not just coexist.

Change & Operating Model Design

Steering committees, delivery squads and governance frameworks designed from scratch and embedded into how the business actually runs day to day.

Operating modelGovernance
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Contract Negotiations

Complex vendor, data-sharing and DaaS partnership negotiations that balance commercial growth objectives against privacy, contractual and regulatory constraints.

Vendor managementDaaS
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03 · Growth & Commercial

The commercial engine underneath it all

Strategy, structure and deal work that gives transformation somewhere commercial to land.

Commercial Strategy

People, product, technology and process strategies tailored for commercial media and marketing organisations – built to drive incremental revenue and optimise resources.

StrategyGrowth
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Commercial M&A & Integration

Commercial due diligence, market positioning, revenue modelling and post-acquisition integration – including operating-model alignment across newly combined organisations.

M&AIntegration
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Project Management

The expertise, methodology and tools to keep complex, cross-functional projects executed efficiently, on time and within budget – with clear risk and contingency planning throughout.

DeliveryPMO
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Go-to-Market Strategy

Positioning, channel and launch planning for new products, partnerships or markets – aligning commercial, marketing and operational teams around one plan before launch, not after.

GTMLaunch planning
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04 · Media Operations

Where revenue gets realised

Retail media, programmatic and yield – the specialisations that turn strategy and data into media revenue on the ground.

Retail Media

Turning physical and digital retail space into a dynamic, revenue-generating platform – promoted listings, on-site display and personalised shopping experiences that lift loyalty and satisfaction.

Retail mediaMonetisation
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Programmatic for Publishers

Yield strategy and platform optimisation for publishers monetising inventory across display, video, social and out-of-home.

ProgrammaticPublisher yield
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Programmatic Media Buying

Advanced targeting and cross-channel execution – display, video, social and out-of-home – to reach customers where they’re most active with greater precision and efficiency.

ProgrammaticBuying
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Yield & Pricing

Pricing and inventory strategy that balances revenue maximisation against long-term partner and advertiser relationships.

YieldPricing
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“The businesses winning right now aren’t choosing between growth and governance – they’re the ones who’ve worked out how to do both from the same operating model.”
Tim Lloyd – Founder, The Media Guides
Engagement Process

From discovery to optimisation

01

Discovery

Workshops with key stakeholders to identify pain points and opportunities.

02

Define

Success criteria and dependencies, plus a strategic delivery roadmap.

03

Build

Practical solutions developed and delivered against your requirements.

04

Optimise

Ongoing monitoring and iterative improvement to keep delivery best-in-class.

How We Engage

Four ways to work together

From a two-week strategy sprint through to leading a full transformation program – the right entry point depends on how clear the problem is and how much execution capacity you already have in-house.

01 · Lowest Commitment

Strategy Sprint

Solve a critical business problem in 2-4 weeks.

For organisations that need clarity before committing to a larger investment.

Typical engagements
  • Retail media strategy
  • AI and personalisation roadmap
  • Growth strategy
  • Customer data strategy
  • Commercial opportunity assessment
  • Vendor evaluation and RFP support
  • Product or GTM strategy
Deliverables
  • Executive recommendations
  • Prioritised roadmap
  • Business case
  • Investment options
  • Stakeholder presentation
Best for: executive teams needing rapid strategic direction.
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02 · Ongoing, Flexible

Executive Advisory

An experienced strategic partner for your leadership team.

Ongoing advice, without the cost of a full-time executive. Flexible monthly retainers.

Support may include
  • Executive coaching for marketing, product and commercial leaders
  • Strategic decision-making support
  • Transformation governance
  • Investment prioritisation
  • AI adoption
  • Retail media growth
  • Customer experience strategy
  • Board or Steering Committee participation
Best for: CEOs, CMOs, Chief Product Officers, Chief Customer Officers and founders navigating growth or transformation.
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03 · Embedded

Fractional Leadership

Executive capability when you need it most.

Step into a senior leadership role to accelerate a critical initiative.

Examples
  • Fractional Chief Growth Officer
  • Fractional Chief Customer Officer
  • Fractional Product Strategy Lead
  • Interim Transformation Lead
  • Personalisation Program Lead
  • Retail Media Director
Typical responsibilities
  • Building capability
  • Leading teams
  • Driving commercial outcomes
  • Executive stakeholder management
  • Vendor leadership
  • Operating model design
Best for: organisations needing experienced leadership during a period of change.
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04 · Full Program

Transformation Programs

Leading complex customer, data and commercial transformation.

Large-scale programs often need independent leadership that bridges strategy and execution.

Areas of expertise
  • Personalisation transformation
  • Customer data platforms (CDPs)
  • MarTech operating models
  • Retail media networks
  • Audience monetisation
  • Customer lifecycle transformation
  • Data governance
  • AI-enabled customer experiences
  • Enterprise change management
Support spans
  • Discovery
  • Strategy
  • Business case
  • Vendor selection
  • Delivery oversight
  • Benefits realisation
  • Executive reporting
Best for: enterprise organisations undertaking strategic transformation.
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Why Organisations Engage The Media Guides

Rather than a generic consultancy, this is 15+ years of experience helping leading Australian organisations grow digital products, unlock new revenue streams and modernise customer capabilities – spanning enterprise transformation, marketplaces, publishers, retail media, customer data, AI and commercial strategy. Whether you need an independent strategic perspective, executive leadership, or hands-on support delivering a critical initiative, every engagement is built to create a measurable commercial outcome, not just a deck. See the specific business challenges we solve most often →

Not sure which service line fits? Start with the challenges, not the menu.

Every service above maps back to a specific business problem. See the business challenges we solve most often, then book a free consultation to talk through where you’re starting from, no obligation, no generic sales deck.

Common Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of commercial strategy consulting do you offer?

With over a decade of eight-figure P&L ownership, our team has driven media FP&A, product development, monetisation, and partnership procurement across adtech, martech and SaaS verticals. From overhauling pricing models to implementing performance-based revenue structures, we help businesses scale sustainably with commercial architecture built on data and market insight.

Do you work with financial services and insurance (FSI) organisations on transformation?

Yes – this is one of our core areas of depth. We’ve led organisational readiness and operating-model transformation inside Australia’s largest general insurer, including governance frameworks, AI use case evaluation and cross-functional delivery at enterprise scale. We understand the additional rigour regulated FSI environments need that a typical media or marketing engagement doesn’t.

How do The Media Guides help publishers grow revenue?

We specialise in publisher-side monetisation, having led multi-million dollar product, yield and pricing strategies across multiple brands, from traditional mastheads (Fairfax Media, CarsGuide), to digital marketplaces (eBay, Gumtree Group). Our team designs revenue frameworks spanning programmatic sell-side configurations, affiliate and commercial data strategies, and ecommerce monetisation to unlock incremental value across publisher web and app environments.

What’s your approach to AI governance and responsible AI adoption?

We evaluate AI use cases against a practical governance lens – brand integrity, user consent and regulatory compliance – before they reach production, not after. This work is delivered in partnership with FMA Consulting, a dedicated privacy and AI governance advisory, giving clients both hands-on commercial experience and specialist regulatory depth in the same engagement.

Do you provide strategy for publisher content and UX optimisation?

Yes. From editorial restructuring to marketplace personalisation and product listing enhancements, we’ve improved session engagement, SEO, and user value across multiple digital properties, leveraging agile product development, multivariate testing and behavioural insights.

What enterprise software and MarTech platforms do you have hands-on implementation experience with?

Our experience is operational, not just advisory – implementing and scaling enterprise personalisation, content management and experimentation platforms in production environments, alongside adtech and demand-side platform integrations. We’ve directly owned platform selection, vendor negotiation and rollout, not just evaluated tools from the outside.

Can The Media Guides support data product innovation?

Yes. We’ve developed and commercialised full-scale data product suites, such as customer lifecycle communication strategies for automotive and finance clients at Autotrader Group, and integrated DaaS partnerships to support clean room adoption, insights monetisation, CDP and CRM implementations, and audience enrichment across the auto, retail, and finance sectors.

Do you offer consulting for clean rooms and privacy governance?

Yes. We’ve implemented clean room solutions, led cookie deprecation readiness projects, and advised media companies on privacy governance in line with current and developing Australian and international regulations – work we extend further through our governance partnership with FMA Consulting on AI compliance frameworks and Australian regulatory evolutions.

Can The Media Guides support marketing automation and lifecycle strategies?

Yes. We’ve led CRM and EDM transformations across Salesforce, Adobe and HubSpot product suites, and created high-performing lifecycle journeys for Tier 1 finance, insurance, energy, and property brands. We can architect and deploy tailored solutions and integrations to lift retention, LTV, and engagement for your business.

How do The Media Guides approach data monetization?

We help clients activate and package first-party data for internal insights, external licensing, and campaign targeting. Our data monetisation work spans taxonomy development, segmentation strategies, DaaS partnerships, and integration into downstream activation channels for scalable value generation across paid media and owned channels.

Do you provide retail media and self-serve ad platform consulting?

Absolutely. We’ve led the design and GTM execution of self-serve platforms, such as Gumtree Ad Manager, and advised on affiliate monetisation and retail media network (RMN) strategies for leading marketplaces and B2C brands. Our customer-first and privacy by design approach blends product, growth marketing, and vendor management best practices, to ensure seamless advertiser UX and monetisation.

Can you help set up or audit a retail media network (RMN)?

Yes. We’ve been deeply involved in RMN strategies – from building monetisation models and designing first-party data assets, to launching self-serve ad platforms and affiliate integrations. Our clients include online marketplaces, publishers, and B2C retail brands.

What’s your expertise in media M&A and platform transitions?

We’ve directly supported on M&A events, such as Gumtree’s merger with Autotrader Group and Adevinta’s GCA divestment, managing media workstreams, contract renegotiations, and platform migrations. We also offer consulting on MarTech/AdTech stack consolidation, data governance, and post-merger synergy alignment to preserve monetisation pipelines during change.

What’s your experience with MarTech and AdTech migrations?

We’ve led complex stack migrations across ERP, DMP, CDP, header bidding, and ad server transitions – reducing overheads, enhancing performance, and establishing robust data governance protocols. All our migrations have incorporated risk modelling, vendor negotiations, and GTM support.

How do you approach digital transformation in media businesses?

Through a proven track record in leading change projects – from ad server and data storage migrations, to ERP, CRM and OMS overhauls – we help media businesses streamline their operations, improve UX/CX, and align sales, data, and engineering teams to future-proof growth.

Do you work with affiliate or performance marketing platforms?

Absolutely. We’ve scaled affiliate programs with networks and brands directly, specialising in the development and deployment of dynamic widgets and lead capture tools for finance and retail brands. These strategies have consistently delivered some of the strongest ROAS and CPAs for our affiliate partners.

Are your services tailored to early-stage or scaling businesses?

Yes. Whether you’re a boutique publisher, startup marketplace, or mid-tier brand, our consulting flexes to your maturity. From MVP planning to enterprise growth strategy, we bring hands-on leadership in marketing automation, product-led growth, and commercial partnerships.

Looking for more detail on pricing, process or how engagements actually work? See the full FAQ →

Are you ready to get started with a free consult?

Get in touch with us today to discuss how we can help you grow your business.

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Career Highlights

The experience behind the advice.

Eight real examples from Domain, eBay / GCA and IAG – AdTech, MarTech, M&A integration, retail media and governance work that shapes how we advise clients today.

See Selected Work

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Sydney, Australia · guides@mediaguides.com.au

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