23 April 2018

The Prolific North Top 50 Digital Agencies 2018

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We do not publish or reveal any financials; these are discussed privately between the companies and Mustard as we understand that the majority of companies in the ranking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