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The Prolific North Top 50 Digital Agencies 2018

digitalagency

Today we are delighted to unveil the 2018 edition of the Prolific North Top 50 Digital Agencies, the definitive listing of the North’s largest digital agencies spanning SEO and PPC, web, content, mobile and e-commerce.

The Top 50 Digital Agencies initiative – follow the #Top50digital hashtag on Twitter – complements other market-defining Prolific North research features including the Top 50 PR Agencies and the Top 50 Integrated Agencies.

We’re delighted that Click Consult are for the sixth consecutive year sponsoring the initiative.




And this year we’re also very pleased to announce McCann Manchester as co-sponsor. McCann has chosen to attach its McCann Connected digital business to this ranking to highlight its breadth and depth of digital capability with more than 140 specialists spanning paid, owned and earned channels.





Methodology

And as with our other research-led rankings, Mustard Research has managed the research underpinning the compilation and has ensured that the process has been rigorous and the results entirely independent – unlike some rankings which are predicated on financial subscriptions and payments to be included.

As with our other Top 50s, the Prolific North Top 50 Digital Agencies is anchored on financials including balance sheet/shareholder funds, turnover, pre-tax profit, headcount and growth, with the information and data sourced from the agencies themselves and confirmed with the financial reporting company fame Bureau van Dijk and data at Companies House.

We do not publish or reveal any financials; these are discussed privately between the companies and Mustard as we understand that the majority of companies in the ranking publish abbreviated accounts.

And this year, in a new innovation, we have also asked agencies to specify whether their work was primarily web development/technical or SEO/paid search in nature. We hope this additional detail will be useful to companies seeking digital support services and to potential recruits and agencies and other companies seeking new partnerships and commercial relationships.

Thanks as ever to those agencies who have taken the time to compile information for the initiative.

Summary

Yorkshire agencies continue to dominate the higher echelons of the ranking, with Leeds agency Stickyeyes holding on to its number one placing.

A total of seven agencies from the county make up the top 10, with Amaze (no 2) and Latitude (rising seven places to no 4) the only agencies from the North West. Stockton-on-Tees’ Visualsoft ensures a top 10 place for the North East at no 8.

Elsewhere, Newcastle’s Think rises 12 places to no 12, Manchester’s Degree 53 moves up 10 places to no 20 and e3creative, the Manchester agency co-owned by Gary Neville, jumps 19 places to no 27.

As ever, all corners of the North are represented, including Durham’s Leighton (22), Lancaster’s Fat Media (24), Chester’s Prodo Digital (30) and Newcastle’s Enigma Interactive (37).


The Prolific North Top 50 Digital Agencies 2018

Sponsored by Click Consult and McCann Manchester

Rank

Company Location Ownership Services Staff Clients
1 (1) Stickyeyes Leeds Interpublic SEO / PPC 125

Hertz Europe, Tesco Bank, MBNA

2 (2)

AmazeRealise 

Manchester, Liverpool

St Ives Group

Dev / Tech 250

Emirates, Lexus, Unilever, Toyota

3 (5)

Epiphany

Leeds

Jaywing Plc

SEO / PPC

186

Wonga, PANDORA, Euro Car Parts

4 (11)

Latitude Digital Marketing

Warrington

Callcredit

SEO / PPC

64

Bet Victor, Yours Clothing, BT, 1&1

5 (4)

twentysix 

Leeds

MSQ Partners

50/50 154

P&G, LSEG, NHSBT, Talk Talk

6 (3)

IDHL Group 

Harrogate

Independent

SEO / PPC

145

TNT, Radley, Coast, HMV, Thorntons

7 (8)

Summit

Brough

TCC Global

SEO / PPC

115

Argos, Jaguar Land Rover, Reckitt Benckiser, Aldi

8 (6)

Visualsoft

Stockton-on-Tees

Independent

Dev / Tech 206

Canterbury, John Greed, Big Dug, Charles Clinkard

9 (7)

CDS

Leeds

The Baird Group Ltd

Dev / Tech

88

Metropolitan Police Service, Cabinet Office, National Rail Enquiries

10 (16)

Search Laboratory

Leeds

Independent

SEO / PPC

115

Office Depot (Viking), BT (PlusNet), Watchshop

11 (9)

Code Computerlove

Manchester

Mediacom North (WPP)

Dev / Tech 96

Hillarys (Blinds), Manchester Airport Group, BBC, Bentley

12 (24)

Think

Newcastle Independent Dev / Tech 91

Liverpool Victoria, Vue Cinemas, Adecco Group

13 (10)

Branded3

Leeds

St Ives Group plc

SEO / PPC

61

Vue, Provident, Wren Kitchens, Travelex

14 (13)

Click Consult

Wirral

Independent

SEO / PPC

73

Talk Talk, Kwik Fit, Oxfam, Lloyds Pharmacy

15 (12)

DEPT  (Building Blocks)

Manchester DEPT n/a 55

Triumph Motorcycles, DFDS, Imperial Brands

16 (17)

Orange Bus

Newcastle

G2G3 (Capita)

n/a 69

HMRC, Joules, Pearson, Argon

17 (15)

CTI Digital

Manchester Paperhat Group Dev / Tech 72

Merlin Entertainments, Mayor of London, High Street TV

18 (21)

Activewin 

Manchester

Independent / Fred Done

n/a 124

Petfre, Nektan, Foxy, Prospect Hall

19 (14)

Fusion Unlimited

Leeds

Principles Comms

Dev / Tech 39

Natwest, Halfords, Vertu Motor Group, KP Foods

20 (30)

Degree 53

Manchester

Independent / Fred Done Dev / Tech 76

Betfred, Penn Interactive Ventures, Sykes Cottages

21 (23) Mando Liverpool

Independent

Dev / Tech

53

TalkTalk Business, Together Money, United Utilities

22 (25)

Leighton

Durham

Independent

Dev / Tech 57

British Airways, Home Group, Northumbrian Water

23 (20)

Apadmi

Manchester

Independent

Dev / Tech

65

Argos, BBC, Co-Op, NHS

24 (22) Fat Media Lancaster

Independent

Dev / Tech 62

Lakeland, Hallmark Hotels, Jessops, YOTEL

25 (28)

Delete Agency

Leeds

Independent

Dev / Tech

32

The FA, Southampton FC, The R&A

26 (31)

Mediaworks

Newcastle

Independent

SEO / PPC

65

Ralph Lauren, Yorkshire Water, River Island

27 (46)

e3creative

Manchester Independent / Gary Neville Dev / Tech 46

Sony PlayStation, Ascot, Southbank London

28 (33) Return Manchester Independent SEO / PPC 40

Oh Polly, The Couture Club, Canopies UK

29 (-)

Cantarus

Manchester

Independent

Dev / Tech 34

INTO University Partnerships, Sports Direct, Worldpay

30 (35)

Prodo Digital 

Chester Independent n/a 50

The Aspinall Foundation, Knowsley Safari Park, Payzone

31 (32)

Engage Interactive

Leeds Independent Dev / Tech 27

Whitbread, British Ceramic Tile, Bettys & Taylors

32 (41)

Sigma Consulting Solutions Ltd

Macclesfield n/a n/a 30

Astra Zeneca, Sport England, BBC

33 (37)

Enjoy Digital

Leeds Independent Dev / Tech 49

Costcutter Supermarkets Group, Bank of Ireland, Marsh

34 (-) Space48 Manchester

Independent

Dev / Tech 32

Charlotte Tilbury, Better Bathrooms, Silentnight

35 (45)

ICS-digital

Leeds

Independent

SEO / PPC

50

bet365, Deliveroo, 888, Oddschecker

36 (34)

Venn Digital

Wilmslow

Independent

Dev / Tech 38

Siemens, Brewdog, Life Residential

37 (47)

Enigma Interactive

Newcastle n/a n/a 35

BBC, Northern Powergrid, RSPCA

38 (48) Clicky Media Chester Independent n/a 46

Halton Housing, Tabor, DayInsure

39 (-)

Shout Digital

Newcastle

Independent

n/a 30

ncfe, North plc, Parkdean, P&G

40 (-)

Bring Digital

Bolton Independent SEO / PPC 35

Ann Summers, DW Fitness, Wynsors

41 (27) Axonn Media Manchester Independent SEO / PPC 30

NCR Group, MSC Cruises, TalkTalk Business

42 (-) Ampersand Manchester Independent n/a 40

Harvey Nichols, Poundland, Bench

43 (38)

Hedgehog Lab

Newcastle Independent Dev / Tech 70

B&M Stores, Akzo Nobel, CMC Markets

44 (-) Cube3 Manchester Independent n/a 40

ANS, Revolucion de Cuba, Rohan

45 (42)

SQ Digital

Lancaster

n/a SEO / PPC 35

Smart Storage, Roccia, European Springs

46 (-)

Blueclaw

Leeds Independent SEO / PPC 27

TUI, Mobile Phones Direct, Sky Betting and Gaming

47 (-) Parallax Leeds Independent Dev / Tech 27

Marlow Foods, easyGym, cap hpi

48 (-)

Kagool

Manchester Independent Dev / Tech 19

Zenith, Inchcape, Welsh Water, Formica

49 (-) Mosquito Digital Manchester Independent Dev / Tech 30

Freudenberg, Basketball England, Thornton & Ross

50 (-) Fast Web Media Manchester Mporium Group Dev / Tech 23

Carling, PZ Cussons, blu, BBC Children in Need

2017 ranking in brackets


consumer-PR (1)
The definitive list of the North’s leading PR agencies
The Prolific North Top 50 PR Agencies


integated
The North’s leading advertising, marketing, integrated, sales and communications agencies
The Prolific North Top 50 Integrated Agencies 2017

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