After last night’s successful Digital Dinner at Cloud 23, Mustard can reveal 2019’s Top 50 Digital Agencies in the North of England.
Mustard has collaborated with Prolific North for 7 years to compile these rankings. Thank you to all the businesses that have supplied us with information this year. We had more than 100 agencies get in touch to provide us with their data – another new record and testament to the high esteem that this ranking is held in (along with our top 50 PR and top 50 integrated agency rankings).
Although we rely heavily on agencies submitting their data for the rankings, submissions are also checked and verified against online sources such as Bureau van Dijk’s Fame database and Companies House.
Like with previous years, the rankings are primarily predicated by financials, notably balance sheet value, turnover, profit and growth. We also take into account factors such as headcount.
So, who are the winners and big movers in the Digital agency rankings for 2019?
Once again, congratulations to everyone at Stickyeyes, who take the top spot for the fourth year running. Stickyeyes are just one of 6 Leeds based agencies that have made it into the top 10 this year with Edit (Branded3 & Amaze) moving in at number 8 and Search Laboratory continuing to climb up the top 10, now at number 4.
Some other noticeable movers and honourable mentions in this year’s list:
- Within the top 10, Visual Soft climb 6 places into 2nd and Dept (Building Blocks & e3creative) move up 10 positions to 5th
- The highest new entry into the top 50 is Add Digital, placed at 29th place in their first year entering the Top 50 digital agencies. Other new entries include I-Com moving up 26 places from 65th to 39th and Ixis IT Limited moving 12 places from 62nd to 50th. But the biggest mover of all is CSI Media who have climbed an impressive 48 positions from 90th to 42nd. The SEO Works (38th) and PushOn (44th) have also both improved by 15 places and have now joined the Top 50.
- Within the top 50, moving up 17 and 16 places respectively are Hedgehog Lab (from 43rd to 26th) and Mosquito Digital (from 49th to 33rd). ICS Media Group have moved up 14 spots from 35th to 21st place, meanwhile, Parallax have made their way up the list from 47th to 36th place, whilst Media Works have climbed from 26th to 17th

Rank | Company | Location | Ownership | Services | Staff | Clients |
1 (1) | Stickyeyes | Leeds | Interpublic Inc | SEO / PPC | 146 | Hertz Europe, Tesco Bank, Staples Europe, LG, Gilead |
2 (8) | Visualsoft | Stockton-on-Tees | Independent | Dev / Tech | 280 | Jules B Ltd, Charles Clinkard, The Electric Tobacconist |
3 (6) | IDHL Group | Harrogate | Independent | SEO / PPC | 134 | Slendertone, Osprey Europe, Ryobi, Card Factory, TNT |
4 (10) | Search Laboratory | Leeds | Independent | SEO / PPC | 135 | Ann Summers, Moonpig, Wren Kitchens, Citrix, Viking |
5 (15) | Dept (Building blocks & e3creative) | Manchester | Independent | n/a | 121 | Sony Playstation, O2, Triumph Motorcycles, Formula-e |
6 (7) | Summit Media | Brough | TCC Global | SEO / PPC | 80 | Jaguar Land Rover, Sainsbury’s Argos, Reckitt Benckiser |
7 (3) | Epiphany | Leeds | Jaywing Plc | SEO / PCC | 170 | PANDORA, Euro Car Parts, Kempinski, ScS, Savills |
8 (13) | Edit (Branded3 & Amaze) | Leeds | St Ives Group plc | SEO / PCC | 69 | Rank Group, Jaguar Land Rover, Travelex, Azzuri, RAC |
9 (9) | CDS | Leeds | Baird Group/NI | Dev / Tech | 91 | Transport for London, Metropolitan Police, Bank of England, Social Work England |
10 (5) | Twenty Six Digital | Leeds | Part of MSQ Partners | 50/50 | 144 | Aggregate Industries, Fortnum & Mason, Proctor & Gamble, NHS |
11 (11) | Code Computerlove | Manchester | Mediacom North (WPP) | Dev / Tech | 90 | Hillarys Blinds, The BBC, Woodlands Trust |
12 (14) | Click Consult | Wirral | CEUTA Group | SEO / PPC | 70 | Kwik Fit, Viesmann, Chill.ie, Liverpool ONE, Oxfam |
13 (4) | Latitude Digital Marketing | Warrington | Transunion (acquired Callcredit) | SEO / PPC | 81 | Comfort Insurance, Allclear, Hilton, London and Country Mortgages |
14 (17) | CTI Digital | Manchester | Independent | Web Dev | 75 | Merlin Entertainment, Wildlife Trusts, McGraw Hill Education |
15 (12) | Think | Newcastle | EPAM | Dev / Tech | 58 | Atom, Nando’s, Vue, Britvic, LV |
16 (18) | Activewin | Manchester | Independent | SEO / PPC | 140 | Petfre, Kerching, Tote, Adzooma, Betable |
17 (26) | Media Works | Newcastle | Independent | n/a | 68 | Yorkshire Water, River Island, History Channel, Stagecoach |
18 (19) | Fusion Unlimited | Leeds | Principal Communications | SEO / PPC | 34 | Halfords, RBS Group, Liverpool Football Club, McCain Foods |
19 (20) | Degree 53 | Manchester | Independent | Dev / Tech | 110 | Betfred, Penn Interactive Ventures, Co-Op |
20 (24) | Fat Media | Lancaster | Independent | Dev / Tech | 69 | Lakeland, Pork Farms, Typhoo, Heath and Heather |
21 (35) | ICS Media Group | Leeds | Racing Post | SEO / PPC | 60 | bet365, 888, Oddschecker, Betfair |
22 (25) | Delete Agency | Leeds | Independent | Dev / Tech | 38 | The FA, Roquette, Southampton Football Club, The R&A |
23 (22) | Leighton | Durham | Independent | Dev / Tech | 57 | BA, Home Group, Tourism Australia |
24 (29) | Cantarus | Manchester | Independent | Dev / Tech | 33 | Sports Direct, Worldpay, WHSmith, Royal Pharmaceutical Society |
25 (21) | Mando | Liverpool | Independent | Dev / Tech | 45 | United Utilities, Electricity Northwest, AA Car Insurance |
26 (43) | Hedgehog Lab | Newcastle | Independent | Dev / Tech | 70 | Thales, Northumbrian Water, Leisure Pass Group, CMC Markets, Santander |
27 (31) | Engage Interactive | Leeds | Independent | Dev / Tech | 28 | Whitbread, British Ceramic Tile, Giraffe Restaurants |
28 (23) | Apadmi | Manchester | Independent | Dev / Tech | 63 | United Utilities, Argos Financial Services, the Co-op, NHS |
29 (-) | And Digital/Club Kilburn | Manchester / Leeds | Independent | n/a | 71 | Covea, Matalan, Talk Talk, Key Group, evestor |
30 (33) | Enjoy Digital | Leeds | Independent | 50/50 | 60 | Costcutter Supermarket Group, Bank Of Ireland, Marsh |
31 (28) | Return | Manchester | Independent | SEO / PPC | 35 | The Couture Club, San Carlo, Robinsons Brewery |
32 (37) | Enigma Interactive | Newcastle | Independent | Dev / Tech | 36 | Barbour, Carbon Trust, NHS, Superdrug |
33 (49) | Mosquito Digital | Manchester | Independent | Dev / Tech | 43 | Thornton & Ross, Freudenburg Household Products, Turtle Wax, ARM |
34 (38) | Clicky Media | Chester | Independent | n/a | 44 | Raleigh, Halton Housing, Northumbrian Water Group, Elegant Resorts |
35 (30) | Prodo Digital | Chester | Independent | n/a | 50 | Aspinall Foundation, Orbit Group, Emirates Old Trafford, Payzone |
36 (47) | Parallax | Leeds | Independent | Dev / Tech | 30 | Unilever, Lucy Zodion, Cauldron Foods, NHS, TCS PLC |
37 (32) | Sigma Consulting Solutions Ltd | Macclesfield | Sigma IT Consulting Group | Dev / Tech
|
21 | AstraZeneca, Mind, NICE, BBC and Sport England |
38 (53) | The SEO Works | Sheffield | Independent | SEO / PPC | 39 | Rab, Denby, Zippo, Roland DG, University of Birmingham |
39 (65) | I-Com | Manchester | Independent | n/a | 36 | JMW Solicitors, Evaris, Lanes Group, Cedar Electronics, |
40 (39) | Shout Digital | Newcastle | Independent | n/a | 30 | EXSUS, Parkdean, CPP, NCFE, North P&l |
41 (40) | Bring Digital | Bolton | Independent | SEO / PPC | 35 | DW Group, Love Energy Savings, Cotton Traders, Wynsors, F1 |
42 (90) | CSI Media | Crewe | Independent | Dev / Tech | 32 | The Priory Group, Cargiant, Auto Trader, The Cormar Carpet Company, The Bland Group |
43 (41) | Axonn Media | Manchester | Independent | SEO / PPC | 49 | Cox & Kings, CMI, arrow, Barclay Simpson |
44 (59) | PushOn | Manchester | Independent | Dev / Tech | 35 | Ryman, Medline, Silver Cross, Liverpool One, Virgin Money |
45 (45) | SQ Digital | Lancaster | Independent | SEO / PPC | 35 | Smart Storage, Roccia, European Springs, Dean Group International, CityBlock |
46 (44) | Cube 3 | Manchester | Independent | Dev / Tech | 32 | Revolution Bars Group, NHS, Merlin Entertainments, Rohan, CAE |
47 (51) | Strawberry | Hull | Independent | n/a | 29 | NHS, Deliveroo, Attiro, Aunt Bessie’s |
48 (34) | Space48 | Warrington | Independent | Dev / Tech | 32 | Charlotte Tilbury, Silentnight, Dawson, Cox & Cox |
49 (48) | Kagool | Manchester | Independent | Dev / Tech | 22 | Welsh Water, Inchcape, Saint Gobain, Biffa & DWF Law |
50 (62) | Ixis IT Limited | Warrington | Independent | Dev / Tech | 18 | Blue Prism, Haringey Council, Association Corporate Treasurers, British Council, IBM |
2018 ranking in brackets