A marketing agency founder from the Wirral says she’s on track to reach £1 million in turnover, just three years after launching her business following the sudden collapse of a previous venture.
Justine McLaughlin, founder of Hoylake-based Phantom Digital, set up the agency in 2022 after parting ways with a business partner. She claims the split led to the abrupt closure of their former business, leaving jobs at risk and her own future uncertain.
Since then, McLaughlin says she has rebuilt from the ground up, retaining her former team and securing a steady stream of clients from small businesses to household names. The agency offers a broad range of digital services, including web design, content creation, social media and email marketing.
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Phantom Digital has picked up multiple accolades in recent months, including Best Digital Marketing Agency 2025 and Client Service Excellence Awards 2025 at the UK Enterprise Awards, and was also shortlisted at this year’s Prolific North Champions Awards.
McLaughlin, who is also a patron of The Tim Cogley Foundation, was recently nominated for Merseyside Woman of the Year 2025. Alongside commercial work, Phantom Digital supports local causes including Wirral Rotary, Wirral Bikeathon, and The UTS Foundation.
McLaughlin said: “said: “Back in 2023, it was a big shock when my business partner walked away from our agency. We had different visions ultimately and things came to an abrupt end. I was immediately thrust into fight or flight mode and was very worried about my future and the future of all our staff.”
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She continued: “I created Phantom Digital almost straight away. I knew that I had to work quickly to protect myself and my staff. I have an incredible team so we hit the ground running and I’m absolutely delighted about our rapid growth. We’re really good at what we do so we have a strong client retention rate of 80% and most of our clients are on ongoing retainers. It’s been hard work but we’re smashing it!”
Phantom Digital is now expanding, hiring additional staff, and in the process of gaining ISO 9001 and 14001 certifications.
McLaughlin added: “In life and business, things can change in a heartbeat. Often things are out of our control and when things come to an end unexpectedly, this is where we discover our strength of character. At first I was worried about the future and panicked but I’m now super proud of what I’ve created with Phantom Digital and have big plans for even more growth of the business.”
