Rethinking the Agency Model, Luke Tobin’s Unusual Group Leads the Industry Reset

Luke Tobin’s Unusual Group is redefining agency exits with a founder-first model that drives fair value and collaborative growth

London EC1V 2NX, Oct. 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --
Rethinking the Agency Model, Luke Tobin’s Unusual Group Leads the Industry Reset

Luke Tobin’s Unusual Group is redefining agency exits with a new model designed to deliver fair value and long-term success.

Luke Tobin, the three-time exited founder behind Digital Ethos’ eight-figure sale, today announced the launch of Unusual Group, an industry-first business model designed to transform the agency M&A landscape, where the majority of exits catastrophically undervalue founders’ life’s work.

The venture addresses a critical market failure: Beauhurst analysis reveals that just 2% of UK companies achieve successful exits within five years, with the challenge particularly acute for marketing and creative agencies, where founders often walk away with a fraction of what their businesses are truly worth. This challenge is intensifying as AI transformation reshapes client expectations and service delivery, leaving many agencies struggling to adapt while maintaining profitability.

Unusual Group’s pioneering approach works with agencies before they need an exit, building collective value through shared back-office infrastructure, AI-readiness programmes, cross-agency collaboration, and strategic growth capital. Unlike traditional models that extract value through consolidation, Unusual Group amplifies each agency’s individual worth while creating powerful network effects and shared innovation across its partner portfolio.

Having scaled and exited Digital Ethos as one of the UK’s fastest-growing digital agencies, I know how broken the exit process is,” said Luke Tobin, Founder of Unusual Group. “Too many founders are being pushed into selling under pressure, undervalued not only by outdated exit structures but by the challenges of adapting to AI. Unusual Group is designed to flip that script.

The model represents a fundamental shift from acquisition-led consolidation to partnership-driven growth. Unusual Group takes minority stakes in carefully selected agencies, providing immediate access to enterprise-grade back-office systems, AI transformation support, peer-to-peer learning cohorts, and growth capital, all whilst founders retain full operational control and majority ownership.

Tobin’s track record includes scaling Digital Ethos from startup to eight-figure exit, with previous successful exits in the agency space. His advisory work has helped dozens of agency founders navigate complex growth and exit challenges, revealing the systemic issues that Unusual Group now addresses.

“The agency sector is ripe for reinvention,” added Tobin. “We’re not here to buy and flip agencies, we’re here to partner with exceptional founders and prove that collaborative growth delivers better outcomes than traditional consolidation.”

Unusual Group isn’t just about building bigger agencies; it’s about rewriting what a founder’s exit looks like. For too long, brilliant founders who’ve spent decades building agencies are being pushed into cut-price exits, not because their work lacks value, but because they’re forced to navigate AI transformation and exit planning alone. Our goal is simple: prove that collaborative growth creates better businesses, better exits, and ultimately, a better industry.

Agencies interested in learning more about partnership opportunities can visit unusualgroup.com or contact hello@unusualgroup.com

About Unusual Group
Unusual Group is a founder-first collective that partners with exceptional marketing and creative agencies through minority stake investments. Founded by three-time exited entrepreneur Luke Tobin, Unusual Group provides shared infrastructure, collaborative growth programs, and strategic capital whilst founders retain operational control. The company is headquartered in London.

About Luke Tobin
Luke Tobin is a three-time exited founder best known for scaling Digital Ethos into one of the UK’s fastest-growing digital agencies before its multi million-pound exit. He serves as an advisor to agency founders navigating growth and exit challenges, and is a recognised leading voice on entrepreneurship and M&A strategy.

Media contact:
Sabatina de Freitas
Unusual Group
+44 (0)2038 353637
www.unusualgroup.com

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