The strongest partnerships begin when both sides share the same ambition.
Most agency relationships begin with a brief. Ours began with a belief.
Matthew Palmer had already built something remarkable. After more than 25 years teaching people to paint, he had become one of the UK’s best-known professional artists, selling over 400,000 books worldwide, building an audience of more than 170,000 YouTube subscribers, and creating Watercolour.tv, an online learning platform with thousands of paying members across the globe.
The foundations for growth were already there. The question was: how far could the business go?
Like many successful founder-led businesses, Watercolour.tv had reached an important crossroads.
The subscription platform was growing, the community was engaged and new commercial opportunities were beginning to emerge. But taking the business to its next stage would require more than marketing support.
There were strategic decisions to make about technology, e-commerce, product development, fulfilment, international supply chains, broadcasting and long-term commercial growth. Matthew didn’t need another supplier – he needed people prepared to think like business partners.
Having worked together for several years, we already understood both the brand and the ambition behind it.
The conversation had naturally evolved beyond campaigns and creative work; we found ourselves discussing business strategy, investment priorities and future opportunities just as often as marketing. That changed the relationship completely.
Rather than continuing as a conventional agency, Purpose Media took an equity stake in Watercolour.tv, aligning our own success with the future growth of the business.
It wasn’t a change in services. It was a change in mindset. From that point onwards, every decision was made through the same lens: how do we build a stronger, more valuable business?
Together, we developed a long-term growth strategy that extended far beyond marketing.
A new website and e-commerce platform were designed to create a better customer experience, while providing a stronger foundation for future expansion. A dedicated mobile app introduced new functionality, allowing members to upload artwork, engage more directly with Matthew and become part of a growing creative community rather than simply subscribing to online lessons.
Alongside the digital platforms, we worked with Matthew to expand the commercial potential of the brand itself. International supplier relationships were established to support the launch of a growing range of Matthew Palmer-branded brushes, paints and art materials. We advised on procurement, logistics and fulfilment, helping create the infrastructure needed to scale product sales alongside subscription revenue.
As new opportunities emerged, the partnership continued to evolve.
Recognising the increasing importance of high-quality video, Purpose invested in a dedicated 4K television studio and fulfilment centre within our Derbyshire headquarters, creating a professional production environment capable of supporting live broadcasts, premium tutorial content and television production.
That investment opened the door to a significant new opportunity with HobbyMaker, the UK’s dedicated crafting television channel, where Matthew now demonstrates techniques live on air while viewers purchase books and art materials directly through the programme.
Throughout the relationship, our role has extended beyond marketing.
We have challenged ideas, explored new revenue streams, invested in technology and worked alongside the business to identify opportunities that may never have emerged through a traditional client-agency relationship.
The partnership has delivered commercial results that reflect the value of long-term strategic collaboration.
Since Purpose became an investor in the business, Watercolour.tv has doubled both turnover and profit, while expanding into new sales channels, launching a redesigned website, introducing a dedicated mobile app and significantly increasing its content production capability.
Today, the business reaches aspiring artists around the world through subscriptions, books, e-commerce, television, live broadcasting and digital learning, supported by infrastructure designed not simply for today’s success but for continued long-term growth.
More importantly, the relationship continues to evolve — because when your partner shares your ambition, growth is never treated as a completed project. It’s an ongoing journey.
If you're ready to grow, let's talk.
It starts with a proper conversation about where your business is going and what’s standing in the way — not a pitch deck.