CNS Media Celebrates 20 Years Of Growth

Independent full-service marketing agency CNS Media is celebrating its 20th anniversary this August, marking two decades of sustained growth from a small office in Clay Cross into one of the UK’s leading independent marketing agencies.

Founded in 2006 by CEO Andy Hattersley and joined by CEO Evaristo Mascarenhas in 2017, CNS Media began life in a modest office in Clay Cross before relocating its headquarters to Chesterfield as the business continued to expand. Since then, the agency has grown its regional footprint with the opening of its Birmingham office in 2018, followed by a Greater Manchester hub in 2024, before relocating to a larger office in Piccadilly in 2026 to support continued recruitment, collaboration and client growth across the North West.

Today, CNS Media employs nearly 50 specialists across its Chesterfield headquarters and offices in Birmingham and Manchester, delivering integrated media, digital and creative campaigns for clients across the UK and beyond.

Remaining proudly independent throughout its journey, the agency has established itself as a full-service marketing partner, combining media buying, digital marketing and creative expertise to deliver commercially focused campaigns that generate measurable results. Free from network bias, CNS Media works collaboratively across every discipline to ensure clients receive joined-up strategies built around their objectives.

A significant milestone in the agency’s evolution came in 2022 with the launch of Fork The Waffle, CNS Media’s in-house creative production team. Established to meet growing demand for integrated creative support, the specialist team works alongside the agency’s media and digital experts to produce campaigns designed to perform across every channel.

Alongside investment in its services, CNS Media has remained equally committed to investing in its people. The agency has made 15 internal promotions over the past 20 years, while significant recruitment over the last three years has supported continued expansion across its media, digital, creative, client success, operations, finance, HR and sales teams.

That commitment to long-term development is reflected through personalised career pathways, hybrid working, wellbeing initiatives, employee recognition programmes and its Employee Ownership Trust, giving employees the opportunity to share in the agency’s continued success. Several members of the team have built careers spanning more than a decade with CNS Media, while a growing number of new recruits have joined the business in recent years as its services and client portfolio have continued to expand.

Beyond the agency itself, CNS Media has also developed a strong culture of giving back to the local community. Over the years, the team has supported numerous fundraising and volunteering initiatives for charities and organisations including Ashgate Hospice, Chesterfield Foodbank, Cash for Kids, Teenage Cancer Trust, Dementia UK, Thornberry Animal Sanctuary and Chesterfield FC’s Toy Appeal, alongside regular community volunteering and agency-wide fundraising events.

The agency’s growth has also been recognised through a series of regional and national industry accolades, including Media Buying Agency of the Year at both the UK Agency Awards and Global Agency Awards, Campaign’s Best Places to Work, Campaign’s Top 50 Media Agencies, Prolific North’s Top 50 Integrated Agencies, multiple Northern Digital Awards and Best Creative/Design Agency at the UK Agency Awards.

As part of its 20th anniversary celebrations, CNS Media is also launching The 20 Series, a programme of 20 free webinars running from August 2026 through to January 2027. Drawing on two decades of industry experience, the series will see specialists from across the agency share practical insights, emerging trends and proven strategies spanning media, digital, creative and marketing performance. Designed for marketers and business leaders alike, The 20 Series reflects the agency’s commitment to sharing knowledge, supporting the wider marketing community and helping organisations navigate an ever-evolving marketing landscape.

Andy Hattersley, Joint CEO at CNS Media, said:

“Twenty years ago, we started CNS Media with a simple vision: to build an agency that would be regarded as the best independent marketing agency by our team, our clients and our suppliers. That vision still guides everything we do today.

“When I look back over the last two decades, what makes me proudest is the people who have helped us get here. We’ve built a culture where talented people can develop their careers, support one another and enjoy coming to work. Seeing colleagues progress through the business, welcoming new talent as we’ve expanded and celebrating so many personal and professional milestones together has been incredibly rewarding.

“We’re hugely grateful to every member of our team, every client who has trusted us and every supplier who has supported us over the past 20 years. Reaching this milestone is something we’re incredibly proud of, but we’re just as excited about the opportunities that lie ahead as we continue investing in our people and the future of the agency.”

Evaristo Mascarenhas, Joint CEO at CNS Media, added:

“Remaining independent has always allowed us to focus on what matters most, delivering the best possible outcomes for our clients. We’ve continually evolved our services to meet changing client needs, bringing together media, digital and creative expertise under one roof to deliver truly integrated campaigns.

“The launch of Fork The Waffle, our expansion into Birmingham and Manchester, and our continued investment in new talent have all been driven by one goal: helping our clients achieve better commercial results. As the industry continues to evolve, we’ll keep investing in our people, technology and capabilities so we’re always able to deliver the highest standard of service.

“Celebrating 20 years is an important milestone, but it isn’t the finish line. We have ambitious plans for continued growth, further expansion of our services and strengthening the long-term partnerships we’ve built with our clients. The foundations we’ve created over the past two decades give us every confidence that the best is still to come.”

As it celebrates its 20th anniversary, CNS Media remains focused firmly on the future, with continued investment across its media, digital and creative services, ongoing recruitment and development of its team, and ambitious plans to further grow its client portfolio while remaining true to the independent values that have shaped the business since 2006.