Digital Marketing Agency for Ambitious Brands
Where Marketing Strategy Meets Performance
Experts in Digital Growth
Thrive Online Group UK is a Nottingham based, full-service digital marketing agency, with an international team of experts and proven local and global digital execution.
Our operations specialise in SEO, Pay-Per-Click advertising, Website Design & Development and Digital Design.
Creating and delivering the very best marketing solutions to build brands online, our team works with our clients as an extension of their business. We craft custom digital ecosystems that are designed to elevate brands and drives tangible returns.
Crafting Design, Shaping Strategy and Driving Impact as a multinational digital marketing agency for over 17 years.
OUR VISION
To Redefine What Businesses Expect From Digital
We believe businesses should expect more from their digital partners: better thinking, stronger accountability, genuine commercial understanding, senior involvement and a relentless focus on outcomes.
Our vision is to be the digital differentiator businesses turn to when they want more than a conventional agency relationship.
That means bringing website development, SEO, paid media, digital creative, user experience and search technologies together around one clear objective: turning digital into a genuine competitive advantage.
The Digital Methodology Behind Our Vision
BUILT AROUND BUSINESS
Building the right digital strategy around each client and their individual business needs.
We strive to understand where a client is going, what is holding them back and where digital can make the biggest commercial difference. From there, every part of the strategy has a clear purpose.
RAISING THE STANDARD
We want our clients to expect more from their agency.
Better thinking. Better communication. Better integration between disciplines, and a team that takes responsibility for the performance of the work rather than simply delivering individual services.
READY FOR WHAT COMES NEXT
We are an agency that is always looking forward.
Continually evolving how we think, how we work and how we create value for our clients. Staying adaptable, responsive and ready to turn change into opportunity.
Turning the Vision Into a Working Methodology
THRIVESENSE™ is the expression of our vision in practice.
It brings business objectives, user experience, search, AI visibility, technical performance and conversion together into one connected digital approach.
The Specialists Behind Your Strategic Digital Advantage
England born and South African raised, Mark has returned home to set up our UK offices. With 20 years in the marketing and media sales industry, at Senior Executive and Board levels, Mark has a wealth of experience in launching and building successful agency businesses. Having worked for some of the largest media businesses in Sub-Saharan Africa, with exposure to many national and international brands, he will be the driving force behind our UK office and our clients main contact point. You can find Mark at the cricket pitch most weekends either supporting his family or playing himself, he has a love for good coffee and scotch whisky…. and a well pulled pint.
MARK FUTCHER
UK EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Grant has spent more than 30 years in the Direct and Sponsorship Marketing industries, including Readers Digest, Old Mutual Direct, as well as managing one of the largest international affiliate programs Referback. For the last 16 years he’s specialised in Digital Marketing.Based on their strong insights into Financial Services, Grant, Curtis and Edward originally focused on Blue Chip FS clients when launching Thrive Online and have since moved into other categories such as Leisure, B2B, and the Wine industry. Thrive now has varied clients in SA, Australia and England.Grant spends his leisure time with his family or fly fishing in the mountains of South Africa or its fantastic oceans.
GRANT LAUBSCHER
GROUP EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Curtis started in the online gaming industry in 2000 working in the US, UK and European markets for 6 years where he cut his teeth on digital performance marketing. With a focus on ROI he moved IOL to apply his skills in the South African Publisher environment.In 2006 he started his own Agency working with Motoring, Cellular and Financial services clients. Having previously worked with Edward and Grant The Trio teamed up in 2010 to form Thrive Online Group, leveraging their experience in performance marketing in global markets. Curtis enjoys the outdoors and spends his free time touring Southern Africa and camping with his family.
CURTIS BANTJES
GROUP EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Victor heads up all things Google at Thrive Online Group. With a resume that’s seen action from customer service in the early days to senior account management, he has weathered all the storms of digital marketing for over 15 years. His journey in mastering digital began at the Institute of Marketing Management (IMM-GSM), where he clinched a BBA in Marketing Management. He also acquired certifications from the University of Stellenbosch Business School (USB) and Quirk eMarketing amongst others. The digital world waits for no one, and Victor keeps us ahead of the curve with a keen grasp of analytics, e-commerce, and the ever-evolving realms of performance marketing.
VICTOR GELDENHUYS
HEAD OF GOOGLE OPERATIONS
Michelle studied Graphic Design at CPUT, thereafter starting her creative journey as a print designer in a creative studio before joining Independent Newspapers. During her time there, she dove into the digital world just as the internet was taking off in South Africa. She moved over to IOL where she eventually headed up the design team. In 2011 she joined the team at Thrive, heading up all creative work as well as managing Thrive's development projects. She loves crafting creative solutions to match a brand's voice, designing with purpose, always sticking to the principle of form following function. Off the clock, she'll be spending time with her family and diving into all manner of creative and crafty endeavours.
MICHELLE HAYWARD
HEAD OF CREATIVE
Celeste holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and diplomas in Software Testing and Montessori Preschool Teaching. With several years in the IT environment, as well as in digital marketing and software testing, she has built a career where she is known for her organizational skills and ability to structure complex projects efficiently. As a Traffic Manager, Celeste optimizes workflows and ensures smooth project execution while fostering a supportive team environment.
CELESTE CRAWFORD
HEAD OF TRAFFIC
In an era where data is a company’s most valuable asset, Gert's mission is to ensure said asset is clean, structured, and strategically utilised. He specialises in deep-dive analyses and meticulous data cleaning, transforming fragmented datasets into the high-fidelity insights that drive well-informed, high-stakes business decisions. Beyond the backend, he is also involved with web application development and enjoys building high-performance websites and digital tools designed to streamline operations, taking our client's businesses to new heights.
GERT MYBURGH
Relational Database Architect
Etienne has spent more than 28 years working in Search Engine Optimisation and Digital Marketing and was an early adopter in the field, having started in the early days of the internet before Google even existed. Over the years he has worked with companies across a wide range of industries including Telecommunications, Fintech, eCommerce, Travel, Hospitality, Manufacturing and Insurance, helping businesses turn search visibility into meaningful growth. He advises clients on modern SEO and AI strategies that support long-term digital performance. When not working in the ever-changing world of search, Etienne enjoys trail running in the mountains, surfing whenever the ocean calls, co-parenting a few well-loved dogs, and experimenting in the kitchen as an enthusiastic amateur chef beside a cozy winter fireplace.
ETIENNE BENEKE
SEARCH ENGINE SPECIALIST
TESTIMONIALS
WHAT OUR CLIENTS ARE SAYING
Working with Thrive Online Group UK in building our new website has been a real pleasure. They have guided us from start to finish and have delivered on all aspects of the project. I would highly recommend using them for their digital services. – Russell O’Keeffe, CEO O’Keeffe Building services Limited
Russell O'Keeffe
O'Keeffe Building Services“I have worked with the Thrive team for over 15 years and when it came to launching our new venture Sea Dream Charters in the Whitsundays, Australia they were the obvious digital partmer of choice says Grant Elliott, Manging Director.
They built our bespoke website and since launch in October 2023 we have achieved our first year targets in 6 months utilising Search, Social and SEO managed by the Thrive team.
“Understanding Thrive is based in Cape Town and we are in Australia, the working partnership is one of trust and performance driven focus and I would be happy to refer them to other companies looking for a digital partner, says Grant”
Grant Elliot
SeaDream ChartersI've had the pleasure of partnering with Thrive Online for our digital marketing needs. Their expertise in developing and managing our campaigns across Google, social media, and email has been valuable.
Thrive Online's team has consistently demonstrated a deep understanding of digital marketing, which has been evident in the development of our campaigns. Their strategic approach to campaign development, coupled with their experience with digital marketing tactics, has enhanced our online presence and engagement.
The partnership with Thrive Online has been really positive. Their professionalism, creativity, and dedication to our digital campaigns have exceeded our expectations. It's clear that they are not just a service provider but a committed partner in driving success.
I highly recommend Thrive Online to any organization looking to elevate their digital marketing efforts.
Nelson Camara
Alula Technologies“Working with Thrive Online Group UK continues to be a great experience for NOVA Centurion. We entrusted them with the complete redesign and build of our new website. Their team produced an online presence that exceeded our expectations. Understanding the brief, the timelines and the goals, they managed to ensure that the outcome hit and beat all the key targets.
Based on the trust that has been built, NOVA Centurion continues to work with Thrive Online Group UK as our go-to-agency for our further digital design and digital projects.
Well done Thrive Online Group UK, it’s a pleasure working with you."
Michelle Parkins
Nova CenturionI recently referred a piece of work to Thrive Online Group, and I can’t recommend them enough! Their team is incredibly professional, responsive, and always ready to support your business needs. Whether it's digital marketing, website development, or SEO strategies, they deliver results that truly make a difference.
What I appreciate the most is their personalized approach—they really take the time to understand your goals and tailor their services to fit your needs. The communication is always clear, particularly to a non-technical person.
If you're looking to grow your online presence and drive real results, I definitely suggest it's worth talking with Thrive Online Group.
Claire Bicknell
CatenaLittle Women have been working with the Thrive Online Group UK for around three months, with them supporting our SEO and PPC efforts. Although it is very early days, the whole approach by the TOUK team shows that they really do know their stuff and I am totally confident that the work they are putting in will yield us results.
Their approach is utterly professional however not condescending to those who don't have their breadth and depth of knowledge in their subject areas. They show that they listen and understand our business and they are friendly and approachable all the time.
I already see them as an integral part of my own team and am equally confident that they are handling our digital marketing, giving me time to concentrate on my own areas of expertise.
Caroline Jackson
LIttle Women LingerieFrom the first meeting, I realised that Thrive Online Group UK were more than just at team to "sort out" our website. I believe they go that extra step to truly understand your business and also have great pleasure in watching your business grow with small or large tweaks behind the scenes. I would definitely recommend the Thrive Online Group UK team to anyone who is looking for extra support for their online offering.
Sally Longden
Stick & RibbonWorking with Thrive has been like having our own in house team of marketing specialists - with a single point of contact ensuring continuity of message and purpose. With both Google Ad-words management and separately Website SEO management they provided professional 12 month road maps. Each with incremental goals both practical and performance to hit and measure. Each month we get a full log of works done and elements checked off so we can see the progress that is being made. Its always easy to talk to Thrive and they provide very clear confirmations of what they are or will be doing.
Measurable results so far have been a huge shift of the bulk of our enquiries coming in by phone to those same enquiries coming via our website. This has significantly eased pressure on our staff and was 100% by their design.
I had thought outsourcing to a team would create a disconnect but every time we speak to anyone at Thrive its like we are their only customer. They know exactly what’s happening in our business and what they are doing for us.
Pricing is very reasonable for the quality of service they are providing and if you are looking to try an agent for a period you are in good hands with Thrive Marketing.
