Subscribe to the daily newsletter.

The Prolific North Top 50 Digital Agencies 2022

Prolific North Top 50 Digital Agencies 2022

The benchmark ranking for digital agencies in the North of England for 2022, Prolific North’s Top 50 Digital Agencies, has today been revealed.

It follows a first look at the ranking at a special networking dinner last night at Manchester Hall, sponsored by Cowgills.

There, the full list was revealed exclusively to attendees, who also listened to a lively panel chaired by Prolific North Editor David Prior, joined by Ashley Bolser of Bolser, and Peter Marshall from Thrive Media Group and Add People.

They spoke about how they emerged from the pandemic and how agencies in the Leeds and Yorkshire region performed strongly once again in the rankings this year.

“One thing about Leeds is we have a great, young, willing workforce” in Leeds, explained Ashley Bolser, hailing from four universities and the surrounding regions.

 


This year’s Top 50 was once again compiled by our independent research partners Mustard, who put together the ranking based on information sourced from agencies themselves, confirmed with data at Companies House.

Widely counted on nationally as a definitive gauge of the success of the sector in the region, the Top 50 Digital Agencies list is hotly anticipated each year.






Summary

Just like the 2022 Top 50 Integrated Agencies‘ shake-up at the top, this year – for the first time in six years – we have a new number one digital agency, as IDHL Group edges out Stickyeyes for the first time.

Visualsoft returns to the top three this year again, while AND Digital jumps into the top 10 – having climbed seven places to reach fifth.

Looking at the regional breakdown, Yorkshire continues to thrive. The proportion of the top 10 with offices in the Yorkshire region has risen from six to seven since last year.

With a number of the Top 50 spanning regions, this year the North West is represented among 56% of all entries (28). Yorkshire is home to 44% (22), while 18% (9) are in the North East.

The highest new entry this year is Add People, whose CMO Peter Marshall spoke at last night’s event. The independent Altrincham agency, which employs over 200, enters the list at an impressive 11th.

Special mention too to the rest of the new entries for 2022, with Leeds’ Circus PPC (33rd), Manchester’s Digital Media Team, Cheshire’s Dark Horse (46th) and Wakefield’s 6B Digital (47th) hitting the Top 50.

Space48, finally, deserves huge congratulations for climbing 29 positions this year to get to 17th place – while Bring Digital has also done great work to enter the list at 40th spot, jumping 20 spots onto the list.


The Prolific North Top 50 Digital Agencies 2022

Ranking from 2021 in brackets.

table.tableizer-table {

font-size: 12px;

border: 1px solid #CCC;

font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;

}

.tableizer-table td {

padding: 4px;

margin: 3px;

border: 1px solid #CCC;

}

.tableizer-table th {

background-color: #104E8B;

color: #FFF;

font-weight: bold;

}

Ranking Company Private / Group Location Headcount Key clients
1 (2) IDHL Group* Independent Harrogate, Leeds, Manchester & Newcastle 339 TTi, Neom, Hammonds, Casio, Aviva
2 (1) Stickyeyes Interpublic Leeds 188 Groupon, Hertz, Etihad Airways, Cisco, Tommee Tippee
3 (4) Visualsoft Independent Stockton-on-Tees, Newcastle & Manchester 291 Eternal Collection, Milton Diamonds, Fusion Living
4 (3) Dept Independent Manchester 182 END., World Health Organisation, Harwoods, Nikon, Triumph Motorcycles
5 (12) AND Digital Independent Manchester, Leeds & Halifax 655 DRAX, Lookers, Vanquis, Premier Inn
6 (6) Search Laboratory Havas Media Group Leeds 120 Burton Snowboards, Appian, UiPath, Ann Summers, Withings
7 (5) twentysix digital Part of MSQ Leeds 124 Arla, Asda Money, Fortnum & Mason, Tommee Tippee, Wilko
8 (7) CDS Bailie Group Leeds 92 Yorkshire Water, Home Office/Digital Policing Portfolio, Cabinet Office, Insight Investments, NHS
9 (-) Jellyfish† Fimalac (France) Warrington & Manchester 50 Hiscox, Harrods, BT, Experian, Duracell
10 (8) ICS-digital Spotlight Sports Group  Leeds 100 Betfair, 888, Lottoland, Plarium, bet365
11 (new entry) Add People Independent Altrincham 201 YouManage, Baby Boutique, Knobbles & Bobbles, WOW World Group, Industville
12 (20) Apadmi Independent Manchester 188 Domino’s Pizza, Schroders, Co-op, Chetwood, Dunnes Stores
13 (13) Journey Further Independent Leeds & Manchester 135 Marks & Spencer, Sky, Virgin Money, GoHenry, Liberty London
14 (11) Media Works Independent Newcastle, Manchester & Leeds 170 Northumbria University, Metro Bank, ESH Group
15 (27) Nexer Digital Sigma IT Consulting Group Macclesfield 100 AstraZeneca, Department for Education, Nest, Mind, Convatec
16 (24) Rise at Seven Independent Sheffield & Manchester 90 Parkdean Resorts, Pretty Little Thing, Boohoo, ODEON, Interflora
17 (46) Space48 Independent Manchester 101 Richer Sounds, Missguided, Menkind, Irregular Choice, Ordnance Survey
18 (23) The SEO Works Independent Sheffield 79 DHL, Jessops, Benenden Health, Effat University, Staffordshire County Council
19 (35) Evolved Search Independent Newcastle upon Tyne 60 Peugeot, MoneySupermarket, Mattress Online, Tombola Bingo, Bristol Street Motors
20 (17) Code Computerlove Mediacom/WPP Manchester 68 Bluestone Resorts, Hunter Douglas, Go Ahead Group, JCT600, Bayer CropScience
21 (9) UNRVLD (previously Delete / Kagool) Independent Manchester 64 EuroLeague Basketball, Biffa, London Metal Exchange, NTT
22 (16) Summit Media Independent Brough 111 Three, Durex, H. Samuel, Ernest Jones
23 (22) Active Win Independent Manchester 137 Betfred, Wigan Warriors, GGRecon.com, Peninsula, Bucky Bingo
24 (28) Mando Independent Liverpool 53 Croda, USS, United Utilities, British Red Cross, SES Water
25 (18) Click Consult Ceuta Group Cheshire 51 Tesco, UEFA, Post Office, Viessmann, CV Library
26 (90) Fusion Unlimited Independent Headingley & Leeds 26 Halfords, Nat West, LSLGroup, Leeds University, Titan Travel
27 (44) Connective3 Independent Leeds & Manchester 80 Wren Kitchens, ComparetheMarket, Barker & Stonehouse, Ebuyer, thortful
28 (38) Enjoy Digital Independent Leeds 56 Age Uk, Hunters, Nisa, Sherwin Williams, V & A Baths
29 (42) Parallax Independent Leeds 42 Hexagon, SCIEX, Home Group, Glencore, Clear Channel
30 (33) Netsells Independent York 49 Wombat Invest, Your Parking Space, Hiscox, Guild Esports, Itsu
31 (36) Engage Interactive Independent Leeds 46 Whitbread, TTI, Dishoom, Bettys and Taylors, Ath the races
32 (32) Cantarus Independent Manchester 46 BigHand, Frasers Group, INTO University Partnerships, Sesame Bankhall Group, Worldpay (FIS)
33 (new entry) Circus PPC Agency Independent Leeds 12 Miele, Lavazza, JLA, Booths, Hairburst
34 (26) Mosquito Digital CTI Holdings Manchester 40 Freudenburg, Astonish, Certas, Little Greene, Basketball England
35 (40) Tangent Independent Newcastle 16 SAP, UK Power Networks, International Workplace Group, Reed, Egis
36 (25) Hedgehog Lab Independent Newcastle upon Tyne 60 Tesco Bank, AJ Bell, deliveroo, Atom Bank, Coty
37 (31) 9xb Independent Harrogate & Leeds 47 Euro Car Parts, Watco, Williams, Jigsaw24, Doves Farm 
38 (34) Enigma Independent Newcastle 36 NHS, Superdrug, Solopress, Western Power Distribution, Drager
39 (21) Fat Media Independent Lancaster 77 Lakeland, Four Seasons Healthcare, Yotel, Age Concern
40 (60) Bring Digital Independent Bolton 44 Cotton Traders, American Golf, Yours Clothing, Beaverbrooks, Formula 1
41 (37) Clicky Media Independent Chester 47 Releigh, Little Mistress, AICO, Knauf, Destination2
42 (54) Embryo Independent Manchester 46 TH Baker, Boda Skins, Edward Mellor, Kaplan, The Hut Group
43 (new entry) Digital Media Team Independent Manchester 37 Missy Empire, Roseland Furniture, Lavish Alice, Lo-Dough, DeMellier
44 (30) Leighton Independent Newcastle 58

Atom Bank, British Airways, EQUANS, IAG Loyalty, North plc

45 (15) EPAM EPAM Newcastle 11 Vue, LV, Atom, Britvic
46 (new entry) Dark Horse Independent Cheshire 30 Jura Watches, Maximuscle, Strong Roots, Superbike Factory, Kitchen Knives
47 (new entry) 6B Digital Independent Wakefield 45 ITV, NHS, Public Health England, IgniteData, Franke
48 (51) SQ Digital Independent Lancaster 35 Tile Mart Ltd, Lesjöfors Group, Sophia Webster, Kangaroo Self Storage, James Cropper Plc
49 (47) PushON Independent Manchester 30 Brandon Hire Station / VP PLC, Spectrum Brands, ViewSonic, Edrington, Invopak
50 (48) Bolser Independent Leeds 27 Xbox, Microsoft Ventures (M12), The Football Foundation, AIG, Minecraft

* IDHL Group includes WMG, Ingenuity Digital, NetConstruct and Ampersand.
† Jellyfish has moved from the Top 50 Integrated Agencies to be included in the Top 50 Digital Agencies.

Related News