Agency Profile: IMA

Frank Wainwright met James Henry, CEO to hear about the rise and rise of retail activation and multichannel integrated agency IMA. Photos taken during Frank Wainwright’s shopper vist to the adidas flagship store where IMA is the activation partner.

As an agency IMA, the global agency based in Leeds, came onto my radar through its now parent company, Smollan in South Africa. In South Africa IMA was presented to me as a leading force as the global group expands its brand experience capabilities.

As a marketing business however, IMA has a much longer history than I first thought, and I soon discovered more by talking to global CEO James Henry. The company was founded by James’ uncle some 40 years ago and has a heritage steeped in mail order and financial services, serving clients back then that included Next Directory and First Direct.

James knows this company as well as anyone could be expected to. He started out on the reception desk. From there he has grown with the company, seeing core client adidas form the reputational basis of an agency that is a force to be reckoned with in retail activation and experiential marketing – whilst harbouring omnichannel expertise.  

There have been a couple of MBOs prior to the arrival of IMA into the Smollan family with clients including Tommy Hilfiger, North Face and Jet2 topping up the reach and engagement insight of an agency that commands a £20M spend from adidas alone.

That spend is held accountable at IMA. ‘Driving sales is core to our offer’, says James.

James recounts a recent campaign delivered in Liverpool for adidas’ brand Climacool. IMA created intrigue around Liverpool One with products frozen in ice blocks and trucks driving around the city. The campaign was always harnessed back to the store and sales.

There is an always-on feeling about the agency-client relationship. IMA-led retail activation is a process that is easy to witness via a simple visit to the brand’s flagship store in Oxford Street. The store has various experiential areas and a schedule of events taking place. The day I visited had seen a bra fitting class, DJ vibes, gait analysis at the treadmill, a photobooth and product personalization at a ‘flocking’ counter.  There’s always something going on – so that the retailer can keep up to date with its committed fanbase and visitor shoppers, bringing brand advocates and brand adopters together.

At the time of my visit adidas and IMA had also recently joined forces for an activation at the Future Store, the purpose built brand activation space that is also on Oxford Street.

The activation featured numerous interactive areas and shoppable moments, including a fit wall, try-on zone, basketball games, 3-D figurines and a giant superstar trainer.

A dedicated photobooth provided every guest with a branded printout. The back of each printout included messaging encouraging guests to shop for their next pair of Superstars, and one in every 100 prints revealed a winning message for a free pair of Superstars.

The activation saw an incredible 3000 visitors per day (video by Future Stores)

Whilst adidas is a major client for IMA, the agency is expanding a client portfolio that includes a number of fashion and sportswear brands as well as airline Jet2. The agency has been hand in hand with Jet2 and its growing family of brands.  IMA has been ever-present, seeing the company grow from one plane in 2016 to more than 100. IMA describes itself as the trusted ‘brand guardians’ of Jet2.  For such a close relationship it is appropriate that IMA has developed a ‘Hold My Hand’ marketing strategy for the brand, one that emphasises the human connection.

Hold My Hand currently has a digital focus, with IMA a core part of any channel strategies for the brand.

Whatever strategies IMA deploys for the brands that it works with it is clear that the human connection – and the shopper/consumer mindset – powers the marketing and vice versa.