Marketing for brands that bring people together

Past + current clients

Hi, I’m Matt.

Welcome to Startle Marketing, a consultancy born from my passion for helping brands connect with their audience.

Over the past decade, I've worked on projects that have used pretty much every tool in the marketing toolbox. Whether crafting catchy newsletters, building eye-catching websites, launching paid ads that actually drove sales, or orchestrating memorable events, I've been lucky enough to get stuck in.

For the past two years, I’ve been freelancing with a handful of clients, typically on set-length projects like rebuilding their email flows or promoting a new product.

I’m always down for a chat, so if you have a project coming up that you need an extra set of hands for, drop me a message:

matt@startlemarketing.com

What I’m good at.

With 9+ years of experience, I’ve worked on most aspects of marketing. These projects are where I’m at my best.

  • This is where we define the ‘who, what, and why’ of your marketing. It sets us up to get every part of the marketing machine working as well as we can for your brand.

  • It's important to get someone through the door once, but email and SMS will help keep them coming back time and time again.

    A well-set-up (and GDPR compliant) CRM system is key to keeping track of your customers.

  • Paid ads are still the fastest way to reach your audience. Having managed over $1m of ad spend directly, I can launch nimble campaigns that drive results and teach you something new about the brand.

  • Cutting through the noise online can be tough, especially for destination brands.

    Rather than chase after vanity metrics like followers and likes, we would look at who you’re trying to reach and why - then find partners to amplify your brand.

  • Having managed websites which attracted millions of visits, I’m comfortable using platforms like Wordpress and Squarespace to share your latest promotions and content.

Where I get help.

If we work together I’ll always be honest; here are the things I typically tap up my network of freelancers to help with.

  • I’m great with email and ad copy, but long-form blog posts aren’t my speciality. The good news is I know some fab copywriters who can help.

  • While I’m happy setting up 90% of tracking for paid ads, at some point, those complicated checkouts need the techy skills of a developer. Good thing I know a few.

  • One of the best ways to bring people through your door is showing off your space, and it always pays to do this properly. I tend to find a local videographer / photographer for those movie reel finishes.

  • The odd bit of HTML and troubleshooting CSS is fine, but I’m not going to pretend to be a developer who can fully design your next app.

    I have however project managed that kind of work before, so I know how to work with developers to get an idea off the ground.

Example projects

Driving 130k members for MGM Studios

  • I led the acquisition marketing for MGM’s Stargate Command, an experimental subscription service for the popular sci-fi show.

    Using a blend of paid ads, influencers, live events, and incredible press engagement, we quickly grew the platform from 0 to 130,000 members.

Bringing 10,000 people to Vauxhall’s events

  • Each year Vauxhall hosts a series of summer events that brings thousands of people to this quickly-changing corner of London.

    My involvement was to set up the website, directly manage Facebook ads, and carefully use an email waitlist to drive thousands of RSVPs.

  • One of my favourite roles so far, I spent just under two years helping to launch Toast Ale’s sustainably brewed beer in the USA.

    This covered every part of marketing and relied on building incredible partnerships. And yes, I got to prove I know how to organise a piss up in a brewery…

Raising Toast Ale’s profile in the USA

Ways I like to work

On-going retainer

Sometimes you need a flexible marketer. It could be while you hire a full-time staff member or to get you through a busy period. I’ve joined teams for 2 weeks through up to a year.

Project-based

When you have a specific project that needs to be completed, this burst of work is aimed at bringing in the outside skills to get the job done.

The joy of working with a freelancer vs an agency is I’m flexible, let’s chat through what you’re looking for and go from there.