About Townsville Advertising: Castle Hill rising above the city seen across the breakwater water

About

About Townsville Advertising

An independent advertising agency in Belgian Gardens, founded in Townsville in 2021. Radio, TV, Google, AI search, websites, social, signage and creative, planned, bought and made by one team.

Talk to us 0415 298 541

The agency

One local team for the whole plan

Townsville Advertising was founded by Ray Mercer in 2021, after years running a Townsville retail franchise and managing a local commercial radio station. A business should be able to have one team plan its advertising, buy the media and make the work. That replaces managing a radio rep, a web developer, a designer and an ads agency separately.

We handle the negotiations with stations, networks and platforms on your behalf, keep the plan on a budget that suits the business, and report back every month on what it is doing. There are no lock-in contracts, and every account we set up is in your name.

The office is at Suite 17, 45-49 Bundock Street, Belgian Gardens QLD 4810. Call 0415 298 541 to book a time, in person or online.

Advertising Services Townsville Google Ads Management Townsville Website Design and Build Townsville Contact the team

At a glance

The facts

Founded in Townsville in 2021 by Ray Mercer.

Office: Suite 17, 45-49 Bundock Street, Belgian Gardens QLD 4810.

Hours: Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 5.30pm.

Phone: 0415 298 541. Office line: (07) 4445 3105.

No lock-in contracts. Accounts, domains and pages set up in your name.

Part of Australia Advertising.

The team

Meet the team

Ray Mercer, founder and director of Townsville Advertising

Ray Mercer

Founder and director

Ray moved from New Zealand to Sydney in his early twenties and learned to sell on an appliance store floor. He owned a franchise for a national brand by 26 and was named Franchisee of the Year within two years. After working in digital marketing alongside one of Australia's largest radio networks, he came to Townsville as general manager of a major commercial radio station. He founded the agency in 2021, and today he plans campaigns, buys the media and runs the Google Ads accounts.

Ray on LinkedIn
Tim Axton, operations, social media and video

Tim Axton

Operations, social media and video

Tim first worked with Ray as sales manager at Ray's second Townsville store. He went on to rural sales for a national car brand, working with clients on the land across the outback. He then managed accounts at a Townsville commercial radio station, with a client list that ran from trades to retail. Now he runs social media for clients, creates the video for programmatic and TV campaigns, produces the print and signage artwork, and keeps every schedule on time. He also does stand-up comedy.

Tim on LinkedIn
Charlie Maruff, digital lead

Charlie Maruff

Digital lead

Charlie built his first website at 13 and has been designing and building them for more than seven years. He finished at Townsville Grammar School in 2023 and now studies data science at QUT alongside his work at the agency. He builds the websites and landing pages, the Business Profile and SEO work, AI search optimisation, and custom web apps such as CRMs, booking systems and digital job sheets. He plays for the University Hawks in the AFL Townsville competition.

Charlie on LinkedIn
Lianne Scott, account manager

Lianne Scott

Account manager

Lianne has more than 20 years in media sales across radio, newspapers, magazines, digital, outdoor and television. She started with Radio 4KZ and Kool FM and ran her own surf, sport and skate store for four years. She went on to sell print and digital for News Corp and Sensis, and was sales manager at Grand Publishing. She then spent four years as Townsville sales lead for Paradise Outdoor Advertising. She shows clients how to measure radio, TV and outdoor, and has been a Justice of the Peace for more than 25 years.

Lianne on LinkedIn

Talk to us

Call 0415 298 541, visit us on Bundock Street in Belgian Gardens, or send the form and we will come back to you within one business day.

Talk to us 0415 298 541 Meet the team
Lianne Scott

Lianne Scott

From Innisfail Radio to the Seven Network

Lianne Scott is our Townsville account manager. She has spent more than 20 years selling media across radio, newspapers, magazines, digital, outdoor and television, and there isn’t much in advertising she hasn’t sold.

Starting Out in Innisfail

Lianne’s media career began in 2008 as an account manager for Radio 4KZ and Kool FM, looking after businesses across Innisfail and the district. In 2012 she moved to the other side of the counter and ran her own surf, sport and skate store in Innisfail for four years, so she knows what it’s like to be the business owner paying for the advertising.

Print, Digital and Billboards

In 2016 Lianne joined News Corp Australia as an account manager, selling print and digital for The Cairns Post, the Innisfail Advocate and News Xtend, and she has also sold digital and websites for Sensis. She then became sales manager at Grand Publishing, marketing to families across the Cairns, Townsville and Mackay markets in print and digital. After time as a media sales advisor with TSA Group in Cairns, she joined Paradise Outdoor Advertising in 2021 and spent the next four years as their Townsville sales lead.

Property and Television

Along the way Lianne also sold real estate in Townsville with Elders and Century 21, including a record $1.25 million sale in Mount Low. In 2026 she became Deputy Sales Manager at the Seven Network in Townsville, before joining our team.

How She Works

Lianne doesn’t do one-size-fits-all. She digs into a business, finds its gaps and its goals, and matches it with the products and campaigns built to get real results. She also shows clients how to measure traditional media like radio, TV and outdoor, so they can see what a campaign is actually doing for them.

In her own words: “It’s great to be able to meet with businesses and provide solutions from the full range of modern media products available. I love uncovering what a business actually needs, and delivering it.”

Outside the Office

Lianne has been a Justice of the Peace for more than 25 years, so if you need a document witnessed, she’s a handy person to know.

See Lianne’s full profile on LinkedIn

Charlie Maruff

Charlie Maruff

Websites, Search and the Software Behind the Agency

Charlie Maruff is the agency’s digital lead and heads up research and development across all four of our Queensland brands: Townsville, Cairns, Mackay and Sunshine Coast Advertising. If a client’s advertising sends someone to a website, a landing page or a booking form, there’s a good chance Charlie built it.

Starting Young

Charlie built his first website at 13: an Amazon affiliate bookstore, designed, written and put online by himself. He’s been designing and building websites ever since, and now has more than seven years of it behind him.

Maths, Data and Townsville Roots

After graduating from Townsville Grammar School in 2023, Charlie studied mathematics at the University of Queensland, then moved to QUT, where he’s now studying data science alongside his work at the agency. It shows in the way he works. Most of his decisions come back to the numbers: where a business’s enquiries come from, which pages bring them in and what each one costs.

Building the Websites

Charlie designs and builds the websites and landing pages for our clients, from trades and hospitality to legal, retail and real estate. Every page is written around what people in that town actually type into Google, and every site is checked properly before it goes live: forms are submitted in a real browser, phone numbers are tapped on a real phone, and each page is tested on mobile, where most local customers find a business.

After launch, he keeps looking after the site: the hosting, the updates, the Google Business Profile and the SEO that keeps a business showing up when people search for it.

Custom Web Applications

Charlie also builds web applications: software that runs in a browser or on a tablet and handles the parts of a business a website can’t. That means CRMs that connect to Xero, online booking with card payments, digital job sheets and checklists that staff fill in on an iPad, and dashboards that put a business’s jobs and numbers on one screen.

Most of these have been built for trades, workshops and service businesses, and each one is built around the way that business already runs.

Putting AI to Work

He leads the agency’s AI work as well, from AI search optimisation, so a business gets named when someone asks ChatGPT or Google’s AI Overviews for a recommendation, to the AI tools the team uses to get client work done faster.

Qualifications

Google Ads Search and Display certified, and Google Analytics qualified.

Off the Clock

Like Ray, Charlie loves his sport. He follows the AFL and NRL closely, and on weekends you’ll find him on the field playing for the University Hawks in the AFL Townsville competition.

See Charlie’s full profile on LinkedIn

Australia Advertising - Team - Tim Axton

Tim Axton

The Creative Catalyst Behind the Operations

Tim Axton is the mastermind behind the smooth operations at Australia Advertising, but his journey to this role is anything but ordinary. Think of him as the creative engine that fuels our agency’s efficiency.

From Townsville Sales Manager to Outback Guru

Tim’s path crossed with Ray Mercer’s early in his career, working as the Sales Manager for Ray’s second store in Townsville. This experience honed Tim’s ability to connect with clients and understand their needs.

Taking his talents to a different industry, Tim joined Australia’s largest car brand at the time. Working his way to rural sales, he journeyed deep into the outback, forging relationships with clients who worked the land. This experience not only broadened his industry knowledge but also instilled in him a deep understanding of the unique challenges faced by businesses in remote areas.

Reuniting with Ray and Unleashing the Creative Spark

Fate brought Tim and Ray back together when Ray returned to the city. This time, Tim took on an account management role at the local commercial radio station. His natural charm and creativity quickly translated into results. He built an extensive client list spanning trades, retail, and even landed a nationwide political campaign activation!

Humor Meets Strategy: A Winning Combination

Tim’s secret weapon? He leverages his well-honed creativity, nurtured through his passion for stand-up comedy. This unique skill set allows him to approach problems from a fresh perspective and find innovative solutions. You might even catch him cracking jokes in the office – a guaranteed stress reliever during busy campaign periods!

What Tim Handles Day to Day

Tim runs social media for our clients: planning the posts, designing the artwork and running the Facebook and Instagram campaigns. He creates the video for programmatic and TV campaigns, from the first cut to the version that goes to air or out across streaming TV, apps and websites.

He also produces the print and signage artwork that leaves the office, and manages the schedules and production so every campaign goes out on time and in the right order.

More Than Just Operations

Tim’s diverse background and creative spirit make him an invaluable asset to Australia Advertising. His experience working with Ray, coupled with his time in the car industry and the radio station, equips him with a unique understanding of Australian businesses across various sectors.

Tim is the bridge between the analytical world of operations and the creative spark that drives successful campaigns. He keeps the agency running smoothly while constantly seeking new and innovative ways to deliver exceptional results for our clients. So, when you meet Tim, be prepared for a conversation that’s both insightful and entertaining!

See Tim’s full profile on LinkedIn

Australia Advertising - Team - Ray Mercer

Ray Mercer

From Appliances to Adrenaline - With a Side of Cricket and Rugby

Ray Mercer’s journey is a testament to ambition, a knack for seizing opportunities, and a healthy dose of Aussie spirit. Migrating from New Zealand in his early 20s, Ray landed in Sydney, Australia, and found himself on the bustling sales floor of an appliance store. Here, he honed his skills, learning the art of the sale from the ground up – fridges, TVs, kettles, toasters – Ray mastered the path to a customer’s “yes.”

Driven by a desire for more, Ray set his sights on franchise ownership. By the impressive age of 26, he’d achieved that goal, becoming a franchisee for a national brand. His talent shone brightly, earning him “Franchisee of the Year” honors within just two years.

Years later, with a growing family, Ray and his wife sought a change of pace. They relocated to the sunny Sunshine Coast, where Ray pivoted to the world of digital marketing. Working alongside one of Australia’s largest radio networks, he gained invaluable experience in the ever-evolving marketing landscape.

Ray’s talents weren’t confined to the digital realm. He soon found himself in North Queensland, taking the helm as General Manager of a major commercial radio station in Townsville. This role solidified his understanding of the media landscape and its power to connect with audiences.

The pandemic proved to be a turning point. Ray realised he had a wealth of experience to offer businesses of all sizes, a desire to help them make a real impact in their industries. This passion for empowering businesses led him to his current path, where he leverages his diverse skillset to help businesses thrive.

But here’s the thing about Ray:

When he’s not strategising marketing campaigns, you’ll likely find him cheering on his beloved cricket team or passionately analysing the latest rugby match. His love for sport reflects his competitive spirit and his dedication to seeing a team succeed – qualities he now brings to the world of business.

See Ray’s full profile on LinkedIn