Ali Johnson: carving out a new space in a fast-moving market

When Ali Johnson talks about Forward & Thinking, it is clear the business is evolving with purpose. As co-founder and COO of the Market Weighton-based agency, she has spent the past year helping shape a new direction, with a growing focus on connected TV and digital audio alongside its established out-of-home, radio and digital offer.

A new direction in TV advertising

For Ali, the attraction is not just the medium itself, but the insight it offers.

“It’s an eye-opener,” she says. “You can see the whole journey now — someone sees an advert, clicks through to the website, and you can track what happens next. With connected TV, especially, you can follow that journey from start to finish, and if they go on to put something in their basket, you can see that too. It really changes the conversation about what TV advertising can do.”

That shift has opened up exciting opportunities for the business. While many people still think of TV as a channel reserved for the biggest advertisers, Forward & Thinking is helping challenge that assumption. Through its access to connected TV platforms and growing expertise in the space, the agency is helping both brands and partner agencies enter a market that can otherwise feel out of reach.

“A lot of agencies can’t get onto the trading desks for Netflix, Amazon Prime and the other major platforms,” Ali explains. “That’s where we come in. We can partner with agencies, white label, and do the buying for them. It means smaller agencies and businesses can still access those platforms, which is a real game changer.”

Blue Ocean thinking

That clarity of thinking has not happened by accident. Last year, Ali took part in FEO’s Step Change for Growth programme, where a conversation about Blue Ocean Strategy helped her apply fresh thinking to the business. Rather than competing in a crowded market, Forward & Thinking has focused on what makes it different.

“We really wanted to look at what makes us different,” Ali says. “For us, it’s our service, our people and our ability to build strong relationships. But we also needed to be more specific about how we position ourselves, especially as we specialise more in TV.”

The result is a business with a clearer identity and a sharper sense of direction. Forward & Thinking is still active in out-of-home, but the focus on connected TV has become central to its next chapter.

Client insight and growth

2026 has started strongly, with the business already ahead of target and Ali back out in the market, focusing more heavily on sales and new client relationships.

“The client survey as part of Step Change also proved vital,” she says. “It uncovered some issues within our client account management, which we’ve rectified, and that has also increased business from the clients who pointed it out.”

Why FEO matters

Alongside the business changes, Ali’s relationship with For Entrepreneurs Only has become an important part of her professional life. She joined as a member, became a mentor and values the practical, honest support the network offers.

“It’s unlike anything else I’ve experienced,” she says. “If you have a problem, people help. They’ll introduce you to someone, give advice, or just share what they’ve been through themselves. That kind of support is brilliant when you’re running a business, because sometimes just knowing you’re not on your own makes all the difference.”

For Ali, FEO provides a space where people genuinely want each other to succeed.

“It’s about having real conversations with people who understand what it means to build a business,” she says. “That’s rare, and it matters.”

Mentoring and mindset

Ali also speaks openly about the personal journey that has shaped her approach to work.

That self-awareness, determination and sales instinct have served her well. They are also reflected in the way she approaches mentoring through FEO, where she enjoys helping others think through strategy, forecasting, database management and sales planning.

“I really enjoy it,” she says. “You can talk through someone’s business with them, look at what they’ve got in the pipeline, and help them think about the next step. Sometimes people just need someone to ask the right questions.”

Entrepreneurial family

The entrepreneurial spirit clearly runs in the family too. Ali’s son, Ross, has built Smart Scout, a football scouting app designed to give grassroots players a platform to showcase their skills and achievements.

“It’s really exciting to see,” Ali says. “He’s had that drive for a long time, and now he’s putting it into something of his own.”

For Ali, that feels like a fitting reflection of the mindset that has guided her own career: practical, ambitious and unafraid to look at things differently. At Forward & Thinking, that approach is now shaping a business with a clearer offer, a stronger niche and a future full of possibility.

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