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Media Buying in Cardiff · 1 agency

Media Buying agencies in Cardiff.

Media Buying is the discipline of planning and purchasing paid media across channels (TV, OOH, print, radio, cinema, digital, programmatic, retail media) on behalf of an advertiser. It is distinct from PPC (search), Paid Social (Meta/TikTok/LinkedIn), and Programmatic (DSP-led automated buying), all of which usually sit inside a fuller media plan rather than alongside it. This page shows every agency on AgencyIndex offering media buying in Cardiff.

At a glance
  • 1 UK agencies offering media buying in Cardiff
  • Part of the Media Buying service set
  • Indexed in Cardiff
  • Reviewed 17 May 2026
Showing 1-1 of 1 media buying agency in CardiffAll Media Buying agencies
Hello Starling logo
Hello Starling
Independent·Cardiff·11-50 Employees·Verified

Hello Starling is a Cardiff-based media planning and buying agency that prioritises result-driven strategies. Uniquely identified by its dedication to delivering quantifiable results for its clients, Hello Starling utilises data-led insights to customise campaigns for optimal engagement and influence. With a diversity of media specialities, encompassing TV, cinema, radio, outdoor, press, digital,

Email MarketingPPCProgrammaticMedia Buying·Food & BeverageGovernmentNon-Profit Organisation+6 more industries
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Editor's note

AgencyIndex tracks 1 media buying agency in Cardiff. The list above is filtered to that intersection and ordered with verified and featured listings first.

For the wider editor's view on media buying agencies in the UK, see the media buying service brief. For context on Cardiff's marketing cluster, see the Cardiff location brief. The pricing, timeline and red-flag notes below apply to media buying as a discipline; they do not change materially in Cardiff.

Typical cost
£5,000-100,000+/mo
retainer, or 5-20% of media spend

Independent media agencies: SME cross-channel £2,000-7,500/mo · mid-market £7,500-20,000/mo · larger accounts £15,000-30,000+/mo. Holding-group networks: meaningful retained support £10,000-30,000+/mo · multi-channel enterprise £25,000-100,000+/mo. Commission models: typically 5-15% of spend on larger or execution-led accounts, 10-20% on smaller accounts. Hybrid (base retainer plus % above a threshold) is now the most common 2026 model. Trading desk / execution-only fees usually layered on top.

Realistic timeline
4-12 weeks
brief to launch, then always-on

1-3wk brief, audience and KPI definition, initial channel hypothesis · 1-2wk plan refinement and stakeholder approval · 1-3wk trading and setup (IOs, programmatic builds, tracking, creative trafficking) · launch within days of final sign-off. First pacing read 1-2 weeks post-launch, first formal optimisation report 2-4 weeks in. Always-on cadence: daily delivery checks, weekly optimisation, monthly business review, quarterly planning reset. Complex enterprise or multi-channel launches run 8-12+ weeks.

Red flags
7 to watch
in any pitch
  • · Will not state in writing whether the agency acts as agent or principal on each channel, or refuses to disclose principal-trading margin
  • · No AVB / rebate / vendor incentive clause in the contract, or wording that lets the agency retain undisclosed media-owner rebates
  • · No audit rights for the advertiser, including no access to invoices, supply-path data, or holding-company-level rebate records
  • · Digital supply chain (DSP, SSP, data, verification, trading desk fees) not separated from media cost in reporting
  • · Reluctant to commit to ISBA Framework Agreement principles or IPA contract recommendations as a baseline
  • · Pure percentage-of-spend pricing with no flat-fee or hybrid option, and no commitment to outcome metrics alongside delivery
  • · Trading desk or proprietary inventory recommended as default without an independent benchmark
Media Buying across the UK

Media Buying agencies in other cities.

All locations
Media Buying in London16Media Buying in Birmingham1Media Buying in Cheshire1Media Buying in Manchester1Media Buying in Reading1
Other disciplines in Cardiff

Other services in Cardiff.

All Cardiff agencies
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Frequently asked

What brands ask about media buying agencies.

The 5 questions our editors get most often, answered honestly. These apply to media buying as a discipline regardless of city.

Curated by humans

Pricing splits by agency type. Independent media agencies typically charge £2,000-7,500 a month for SME cross-channel work, £7,500-20,000 for mid-market, and £15,000-30,000+ for larger accounts. Big-six holding-group networks (GroupM, Publicis Media, OMG, IPG Mediabrands, dentsu, Havas Media) start at £10,000-30,000 a month for retained support, with multi-channel enterprise mandates at £25,000-100,000+. Commission models run 5-15% of spend on larger accounts and 10-20% on smaller ones. Hybrid retainers (base fee plus % above a threshold) are now the most common 2026 model.