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The Prolific North Top 50 Integrated Agencies 2020

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Welcome to the Prolific North Top 50 Integrated Agencies for 2020, the benchmark ranking for the North’s multi-faceted creative agencies. 

The list was compiled by independent research agency Mustard, creating a ranking that represents the definitive ranking of the North’s leading integrated agencies – spanning a range of advertising, marketing and creative businesses. 

A huge congratulations go out to every agency included in the list. It’s a great achievement, and the list goes to show the vast amount of creative talent we have across the North of England.

Whilst this list isn’t associated with a dinner event this year, influential industry leaders from two of the Top 10 agencies, Intermarketing and BJL, will be speaking at the first dinner event of the year, the Independent Agencies Dinner. Click here to buy tickets.





The ranking is predicated on a formula which examines a variety of factors including shareholder funds and/or balance sheets, turnover, pre-tax profits and headcount. As only around a third of the agencies file full accounts (over £6.5m turnover), part of our agreement with companies providing confidential information is that we will not itemise or publicise their individual financials. Agencies were not offered the option to be included or not. Data was confirmed with the financial reporting company fame Bureau van Dijk and data at Companies House.

Key findings

The podium of this year’s list remains identical to that of last year’s, with Manchester’s McCann and Havas Lynx in first and second, and Adelphi Group, who entered the rankings for the first time last year, in third. Intermarketing also held onto their fourth-place position.

The Creative Engagement Group is a new entry and breaks straight into the top 10, placing 7th, with Nicky Unsworth’s BJL also moving up two notches to take the 10th spot. Other new members of the top 50 club include Accord Marketing (28th), Alchemy Media (38th), One Agency (39th), Blue Chip (43rd), HGA Creative (44th), Aire Design (48th), and Access (50th).

Big movers

  • Manchester and Cheshire-based Big Brand Ideas jumped from 39th up to the top half of the table at 22nd.
  • Heckford Advertising in Preston climbed 15 places to take the 30th spot in the rankings.
  • After dropping from 17th to 23rd in last year’s rankings, TBWAManchester has bounced back to better than they were in 2017, taking spot number 16.
  • Leeds-based Gecko, who has worked with the likes of Volkswagon and Grosvenor Casinos, will be pleased to jump from 16th last year into the top 10, placing 9th.


The Prolific North Top 50 Integrated Agencies 2020

Previous year ranking in brackets

Ranking Company Private / Group Location Employee count Key clients
1 (1) McCann Manchester Interpublic Manchester 383

Matalan, Aldi, CrossCountry Trains, Magnet Kitchens, Peugeot/Vauxhall 

2 (2) Havas Lynx Havas Network Manchester 408

Astra Zeneca, Johnson & Johnson, Novartis, Roche, Sanofi Genzyme

3 (3) Adelphi Group Omnicom Group Inc Bollington 360 Top Pharma companies
4 (4) Intermarketing Advantage Smollan Group Leeds 213

Adidas, Moda, KIND, Maoam

5 (6) Home Independent Leeds 198

Jet2.com & Jet2holidays, Jaguar Land Rover, Royal Canin, Chicago Town, Dr Oetker

6 (5) Jaywing Public (AIM) Sheffield 256

First Direct, Castrol, Virgin Money, Pandora, Insurance2go

The Creative Engagement Group Huntsworth PLC Manchester 150

AstraZeneca, Roche, Google, BBC, HSBC

8 (8) MB Advertising & Marketing Ltd MB Group (UK) Ltd Sheffield 69

Drive Motor Group, JCT600, Marshall Motor Group, Motus, Robins & Day

9 (16) Gecko Private Leeds 62 Volkswagen, Grosvenor Casinos, EuroCamp, Peninsula, Mecca Bingo
10 (12) BJL Dentsu Aegis Network Manchester 72

Florette, The Co-operative Bank, Craghoppers, BASF, Ronseal 

11 (10) Drummond Central Private Newcastle 55

bet365, Tor Coatings, Greggs, Stoke City Football Club, Tracerco 

12 (13) Momentum Instore Private Handforth 120 Tesco, Sainsbury’s, BP, Google, Harry’s
13 (15) Love Creative Private Manchester 58 BrewDog, Botanic Lab, Häagen-Dazs
14 (9) Media Agency Group  Private Manchester 35

ISAWITFIRST.COM, Never Fully Dressed, Greene King, Malaysia and Sykes

15 (14) Elmwood Private Leeds 112 Carlsberg, Alpro, Joii, LW Theatres
16 (23) TBWA Manchester Private Manchester 61 Jacamo, Alton Towers, Remington, Papyrus, Pizza Hut, Warwick Castle
17 (7) Fresh

Private

Cheadle 78 Co-op, Santander, M&S, BMW, Clarks, DFS
18 (22) Uniform

Private

Liverpool 64

Ideal Standard, Unilever, Innocent, Liverpool FC & Primark

19 (18) Propaganda

Private

Leeds 50

Clipper Logistics Plc, Roberts Bakery, Gym King, The Car People 

20 (20) Refinery

Private

Manchester 61 Manchester Arndale, Clearpay, EGO, Siemens, Varta, AkzoNobel
21 (17) SteinIAS

Private

Bollington 67 ABB, HSBC, Ingredion, Oracle, Republic Services
22 (39) Big Brand Ideas

Private

Macclesfield 56

Shell, Tyres On The Drive, Hoover, Nextbase, Willerby

23 (39) Workhouse Marketing

Private

Preston 42

Stax Trade Centres, Crown Paints, Hempel, Shell, Topps Tiles

24 (25) A&P

Private

Preston 41

DAF Trucks, Redrow Homes, Furness Building Society, Princes, VEKA

25 (11) CreativeRace

Private

Leeds 96 Asda, Icelolly.com, Radley, Help-Link, Evans Cycles
26 (30) Principles

Private

Leeds 34 Arla, Barratt, Butterkist, Astonish
27 (27) Shoot the moon

Private

Manchester 48

TUI, Lakeland, Pets at Home, Stoves, Synexus

28 (new) Accord Marketing

Private

Manchester 6

Handicare UK, Anchor Hanover, Titanic Spa, Just Travel Cover, Claire House

29 MC2

Private

Manchester 40 Krispy Kreme, NPIF, Mondelez International, Crawford Healthcare
30 (45) Heckford Advertising

Private

Preston 32 Priestley College, Wainhomes, Sandcastle, Vimto, Tomy
31 (28) Delineo

Private

Manchester 34 Co-op Insurance, Penguin, East Lancashire Hospice, Aldermore Bank, WST Travel
32 (43) Cravens

Private

Newcastle 18

Ladbrokes Coral, London City Airport, Gala Interactive, First Bus, Sail GP

33 (36) Creative Marketing Services

Private

Leeds 20

Mobility Plus, Premier Bathrooms, Bathing Solutions, Adjustamatic, Network Rail

34 (35) Cirrus

Private

Wilmslow 44

BT, Allianz, EE, Bupa, Sainsbury’s Argos

35 (24) FPP Private Newcastle, Leeds 58 Rowntrees, Ferrero Rocher, Anchor, Quorn
36 (46) Parker Design Private Northwich 31

AstraZeneca, Ineos Group, Thomson Reuters, Sage UK, United Utilities

37 (33) Live & Breathe

Private

Leeds 65 Kraft Heinz, Dixons Carphone, Peroni, The Happy Egg Company
38 (new) Alchemy Media

Private

Harrogate 12

Boost Drinks, Harrison Spinks, Methodist Homes, Primula, Hisense

39 (new) One Agency

Private

Manchester 30

Footasylum, The Couture Club, Hype, Tinsdills, BJ’s Bingo, Charlotte Tilbury

40 (34) Ponderosa

Private

Leeds 45

Russell Hobbs, Puerto De Indias, Ski Club of Great Britain, Hisense, George Foreman

41 (31) driven

Private

Wilmslow 28

Dr Wolf, 1:1 Diet, Go Outdoors, Subway, Vanquis Bank

42 (29) Bluestorm

Private

Hull 34 Greenport Hull, Ullyotts, Hollands Pies, Lincat
43 (new) Blue Chip

Private

Manchester 28 Cushelle, Rustlers, Kellogg’s, O2
44 (new) HGA Creative

Private

Manchester 21

Nationwide, Travelodge, Brakes, Manchester United FC, BASF

45 (32) Seventy7

Private

Manchester 80 Creative England, Carrier, PartyLite, Ego Shoes
46 (37) Oakbase

Private

Wilmslow 30 Avalon Funeral Care, Joe Wicks, TJ Hughes
47 Clear Marketing

Private

Manchester 19 Thomas Cook, Cala Homes, Hoover, Cala Homes, Brother
48 (new) Aire Design

Private

Leeds, Manchester 75

Kellogg’s, Unilever, AB InBev, Mondelez, Quorn

49 Everything Different

Private

Newcastle 37 BBC, P&G, Carpetright, Skym AutoTrader
50 (new) Access Private Manchester 31

WaterAid, Stagecoach Bus, Edrington, Greater Manchester Moving, National Grid

 


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