In a sense, Plum has a relatively short history: we set up in September 2003 in Bath, UK, as the result of a merger between Memento Design and Nick Nettleton Limited.

But because the directors of these companies - Gary Hinton, Martin Hulbert and Nick Nettleton - had already been working together for several years, we have a little more to say than that.

2001 - the very beginning

Gary and Martin were working at IdeaWorks, Bath's largest advertising agency, when the company sadly ceased trading in 2001. The duo decided they could succeed where IdeaWorks had failed, and immediately set up the Memento Design Partnership, and quickly attracted a roster of high-profile clients.

At the same time, Nick was editing the successful Creative Network of websites at Future Publishing, when he was offered the contract to write a book about website design for Barnes & Noble, the giant US bookseller. This would be hard work - some 35,000 words and 800 images - but lucrative enough to finance a dream: setting up his own business.

It was against this backdrop that Nick met the Memento team through a friend in the Green Tree pub in Bath, to discuss a new website for the Broadmead Shopping Centre in Bristol.

2003 - Plum is formed

Over the next two years, both businesses grew and worked on many projects together, as clients were keen on commissioning advertising, print and Internet work as a single, integrated package. Soon talk turned to joining forces, and in September 2003, Plum Digital Media began as a limited company.

The organic way in which Plum came about remains a key theme in the company ethos, which encourages forming relationships with other businesses to share knowledge and skills, and provide clients with an inspired, fully featured service.

This has been a huge success with both new and existing clients, who now have access to a complete, on-going cross-media solution.

2004 - An outstanding first year

The first year in business is famously tricky for almost all companies: managing clients, cashflow, staff, busy periods and quiet periods can be a full time job in itself.

2004 was no exception to the rule for Plum, but the team's long experience working together and running business paid off: as the final accounts came in, 2004 was clearly a huge success. The company had grown its roster of regular, day-in day-out clients to around 10, based on referrals and quality of service; it had exceeded revenue and profit targets; and it had no debts.

The first half of the year saw the completion of Matchbox™ version 2, Plum's internet business software, which immediately when into action on the Daylight Company's worldwide group of ecommerce sites, and on Chartwell Investment's financial information site. By the end of the year was running on a total of 9 key websites with a further 5 in the planning, and had developed sufficient new features to move to version 3.

The second half of 2004 saw a rapid increase in new business across all sectors of Plum's services, with the Plumm team winning a number of key pitches. Meanwhile several existing clients launched new operations, needing heavyweight cross-media marketing.

By the end of 2004, Plum had truly established itself as an important and viable cross-media agency with a unique approach that really worked.