From a modest fashion-directory outfit in Headingley, Leeds, to a 300-strong global agency spanning seven hubs, IMA has always thrived on one simple truth: people buy feelings. Under CEO James Henry’s leadership, the team has sharpened its focus on “Creating connections people buy,” marrying brand strategy, retail experiences and high-impact campaigns to turn emotion into sales. With a culture that prizes agility over bureaucracy and invests deeply in its people, IMA is not just keeping pace with change—it’s defining how brands win when it matters most.

To explore the story behind IMA’s meteoric rise and its bold new proposition, we sat down with James. In the following conversation, he reveals how IMA has evolved—from its Leeds roots to global powerhouse—what drives its culture of creativity, and how it helps brands spark the emotional connections that lead to real-world sales.

How was your company born and where are you based?

IMA is a global agency, connecting people and brands through campaigns, environments, retail and culture. 

IMA started life in 1988 in Headingley, Leeds, powering the booming fashion directory scene. Fast forward, and six years ago we hit our growth spurt - expanding capabilities, winning bigger clients, and moving into the Malthouse in Leeds.

Today, we're 300+ strong across seven global hubs: Leeds, Manchester, London, New York, Sydney, Gibraltar, and Cape Town, covering everything from brand strategy to creative production.

What’s the biggest opportunity for you and your company in the next year?

We’ve launched a bold new proposition: Creating connections people buy.

Whether it’s brand strategy, retail experience, or flagship takeovers with Adidas and Premier League giants, we help brands win when it matters: at the point of purchase.

We understand that a strong brand knows what it is, who it's for and where it needs to be. We believe emotion sparks purchase. 

So, we’re offering brands a streamlined ability to translate feeling into doing. By harnessing cultural understanding, we help clients create connections that convert into sales for brands that people buy into – both emotionally and literally. 

And we can do it for anything. From buying a pair of trainers or booking a holiday, to deciding which phone provider to go with and choosing which sweets to pick up in the shop. 

How does your team remain inspired and motivated?

We believe in building careers, not filling jobs. That means supporting our people with everything from free professional coaching and free breakfasts to menopause policies.

It’s so easy to lose motivation if the process feels like you’re pushing against a tide. We’ve stripped out unnecessary red tape, giving teams the freedom to do what they do best: great work, without the bureaucracy. Great ideas can come from anywhere.

What is one tip that you would give to other agencies looking to grow?

We apply the same energy and strategic thinking to IMA as we do on our biggest accounts. Adapt fast, stay relevant, and connect your clients to the right talent. It works.

Can you share a defining moment in your company's journey that shaped its identity or direction?

Covid hit. Stores shut, experiential paused, and we had to pivot, fast.

We doubled down on integrated campaigns, scaled up production, expanded our social expertise and built out CX and HX capabilities. That evolution turned IMA into a full-service powerhouse for brands needing impact where it counts. 

Agility wasn’t just helpful, it was essential. It made IMA the go-to full-service agency for brands needing to sell themselves at the point of purchase. 

We were able to adapt our offer and our strategies to client needs, opening up a new revenue stream and expanding our capabilities as an agency. 

How do you foster a culture of innovation and experimentation within your team?

Innovation starts with connection. 

We champion cross-team collaboration, embrace new tech and track trends like hawks.
Our monthly Creative Soapbox keeps ideas flowing, we dissect the best work out there, our own and others, to fuel what’s next. The session keeps the creative team on the pulse of the latest trends, helping to inspire new ideas for our clients.  

Our Effectiveness Director, Laura Chaudary, and her team make sure that we react to cultural and business changes to deliver thought-provoking, high-quality campaigns that add value to our clients at every point of the relationship. 

In what ways do you invest in the professional development and growth of your team members?

We put serious backing into team growth - as an IPA member, we offer external and in-house training across all levels.

Our learning and development pot allows the team to nominate anyone for specific professional training across multiple disciplines.  

Our apprenticeship program develops future leaders, and our monthly ‘Agency Hacks’ keeps skills sharp and minds open. Learning opportunities aren’t a nice-to-have – they’re imperative.