STRATEGY-FIRST PAID MEDIA

Predictable growth doesn't come from more ad volume, it comes from strategy.

Less creative churn. More strategic execution.
We scale your brand without compromising its voice.

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Helping brands grow

*Includes work delivered through partner agencies.

Health and wellness

Online training webinar

14.1× blended ROAS · sold out in 30 days

Travel

Luxury accommodation

£470K in bookings from £11K spend

50+

DTC brands scaled

£2–15M · 11 verticals

WHERE GROWTH STALLS

The gap is strategy.

01 RAPID CHANGE

Platforms and tactics change constantly. Without a strategy that adapts with them, you're always a step behind.

02 THE AI HYPE

AI makes it easy to produce more, faster, cheaper. So you make more, but volume alone isn't the answer.

03 DATA WITHOUT INSIGHT

Data has never been more abundant. The real trick is what to do with it.

04 AUTOMATION BY DEFAULT

Platforms push fully automated setups that optimise for them, not for you.

05 SPAGHETTI TESTING

Testing runs without a structure, so it's like throwing spaghetti at the wall, just in hope something sticks.

06 BORROWED CREATIVE

Creative chases trends and competitors rather than being built from your data and for your audience.

Your creative engine has everything it needs. Except a clear direction.

Volume scatters.
Strategy compounds.

Every test teaches you something; what your customers respond to, or what they don't. The better you know them, the easier they are to reach, to persuade, to convert. Learnings compound, higher click‑through, lower acquisition, more profit.

THE HONED GROWTH FRAMEWORK

A framework, not a formula.

Our approach is repeatable. The strategy is not.

01

Opportunity Audit

Account, funnel, offer and audience. We diagnose the gaps, constraints and hidden opportunities that shape your next stage of growth.

02

Compounding Strategy

Who to reach, what to say, what to make and where to scale. Shaped into a strategy that gets sharper with every test.

03

Pre-launch

Tracking, benchmarks and KPIs locked. Testing structure built before a single ad goes live.

04

Launch

We launch to learn. Every ad designed for insight to drive the strategy forward.

05

Test

We review. We learn. We hone. Every result helps us find the next opportunity and a clear path to scale.

06

Scale

Winning angles become the foundation for scale. Expanded into new creative families, sharper messaging and untapped audience pockets.

Your next stage of growth is not built from guesswork. It's shaped by evidence, refined by testing and scaled with intent.

WE'RE BUILT DIFFERENTLY

For brands that need depth not just delivery.

Driven by behaviour, not the feed

We don't chase formats because they are popular. We build from what your audience needs to believe, feel and understand before they buy.

Close partnership, not account management

We work with you directly. The people who build your strategy run the work. No handoffs, full access, full accountability.

Three clients, not thirty

We cap at three. It's not scarcity for show. It's how we make sure your brand gets the full depth and time this work deserves.

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Why trust us with your brand

New name. Not new to this.

HONED is new. The expertise behind it isn't. Built on years of experience across creative, strategy, growth, and performance marketing.

CO-FOUNDER | GROWTH AND PERFORMANCE

Felix Shumack

Felix has spent seven years partnering with DTC and service-led brands, helping businesses from seven to nine figures unlock their next stage of growth.

He combines creative strategy, performance marketing and commercial thinking into scalable acquisition systems that deliver measurable results.

Senior, hands-on expertise across the full journey, from offer and creative to media investment and growth.

CO-FOUNDER | CREATIVE STRATEGIST

Sarah Shumack

Sarah has spent more than 20 years across in-house, agency and production environments, helping brands bring ambitious growth strategies to life.

She has led large-scale, multi-channel campaigns, aligning teams and maintaining momentum from strategy through to delivery.

Clients gain a senior partner who turns strategy into measurable business outcomes.

WHO WE WORK WITH

We're built for ambitious brands ready for what's next.

  • Premium DTC brands
  • Looking for a strategic growth partner
  • Ready for the next significant stage of growth
How we work together

Three levels of engagement.

Every Tier includes the HONED framework.
The difference is how much of the execution you want us to own.

Tier 01

Strategy

Best for brands with an internal production team or existing partners who need sharper direction.

  • We build the HONED framework for your brand
  • You get the research, strategy, testing roadmap and scaling direction
  • Your team owns creative production
THE SWEET SPOT
Tier 02

Strategy + Creative Direction

Best for brands with an in-house production team who need the strategy and creative direction, but can produce internally.

  • Everything in Strategy
  • We brief, script and direct all creative
  • Your team or partners produce the assets
  • We review, refine and QA before launch
Tier 03

FULL EXECUTION

Best for brands that want the full system handled end to end.

  • Everything in Strategy + Creative Direction
  • We manage creative production
  • We coordinate creators, editors and assets
  • You get everything handled for you

We can also support with Creator Programme Development, Media Buying Strategy, Platform Expansion and Internal Creative team growth.

Book a call

Let's find out if we're the right fit for your next stage of growth.

A straight conversation about where you are and whether we can help.

No pitch, no pressure.

Book a call

Pick a time that works and book your call.