Finding and defining the ‘best’ strategic marketing agency in the UK is no mean feat. As the term ‘best’ is subjective, what works wonders for one organisation may not be the right option for yours. However, the key lies in understanding your specific needs and goals. There are hundreds of marketing agencies all over the country that will offer services that might be suitable for you and your business. But by understanding your needs, you can refine the potential candidates based on whether they match your exact requirements.
That’s why in this blog, we’re sharing more information about some fantastic strategic marketing agencies in the UK that excel in various areas.
SmallGiants
Based in London, SmallGiants are a full-service strategic digital marketing agency that support B2B, fintech and technology organisations with their growth strategies. They also boast impressive awards including the Web Excellence Awards for “Advertising & Marketing/ Social Media Campaign”, “Advertising & Marketing / Branded Content” and more!
Their expertise goes beyond traditional marketing, offering a range of strategic services. From brand strategy & creative design, to digital marketing strategies and marketing & product technology, they help their clients to make their ‘vision of tomorrow come to life’. SmallGiants also have a range of partnerships with suppliers such as HubSpot, Salesforce, SEMrush and Sprout Social which positions them to offer exceptional solutions and expertise.
Their previous client list includes companies such as EuroMoney, Vixio, Whilshire and Accelex.
Tangerine
Tangerine is a strategic digital marketing agency based in Manchester. A catchy name isn’t the only thing they obtain, they’ve recently won a B2B Marketing Award for “best use of content marketing”, which is a fantastic achievement.
Their focus lies in creating strategic and creative content that puts brands at the centre of attention. They believe in the power of creating emotional connections and building long-term relationships with the target audience to drive results. This makes them a great option for organisations looking to create creative and impactful content.
Some of the brands they’ve worked with include Specsavers, Pizza Hut, Jewsons and Stagecoach.
Fight or Flight
Fight or Flight is a B2B communications agency that was founded in 2020 in London. They are also a B2B Marketing Award winner for “best use of content marketing”.
Fight or Flight pride themselves on their approach to owned and social campaigns that can ‘turn heads and make headlines’, taking a strategic approach to ensure the right messages reach the right people, at the right time. As their sole focus is on B2B, they challenge the common misconceptions around B2B marketing such as it lacks creativity and excitement. Their services range from brand positioning right through to content creation, media relations and insights & analytics.
Some of the brands they’ve worked with include Expedia, LinkedIn, Trainline and Nokia.
Don’t be Shy
Based in London, Don’t be Shy live up to their name by being ‘the nosiest agency you’ll ever work with’. They take a creative and strategic approach to marketing to help businesses stand out from the crowd through their ‘many questions’ approach.
They specialise in 4 key areas which include insights, strategy, activation and optimisation. By using their proposition which leaves no stone unturned when it comes to your brand, they make a perfect match if you’re looking for an agency that isn’t afraid to push boundaries and get creative.
TalkTalk Business, Uber For Business, Blueprintx and ANS are some of the organisations they’ve supported previously.
The Social Shepherd
The Social Shepherd is a strategic social media marketing agency based in Manchester. Their shelf is full of awards including “Best Large Social Agency,” “Best Direct Response Campaign”, “Best Integrated Paid Media Campaign”, and “Best use of Facebook and Instagram Ads”.
They pride themselves on being results-focused and being made up of social media specialists that allow them to create custom-built teams for their client’s needs. Their services include social strategy, content, creative, paid and influencer marketing. If you require the service of an innovative social media agency, then they could be a great match.
Bio Oil, Premier Inn, 19 Crimes, and Carpetright are some of the brands The Social Shephard have worked with.
Rebellion Marketing
Rebellion Marketing is a Hampshire-based strategic digital marketing agency founded in 2018 who are all about ‘rebelling against mundane marketing’. Their approach is about ditching the fluff and telling you how it is to get results. When working with Rebellion Marketing, clients get access to a whole team of digital marketing experts without having the cost of an in-house marketing team. Their strategic approach allows businesses to gain access to a bespoke marketing roadmap that aligns with business objectives and goals.
Their no-nonsense perspective is key throughout their service delivery. From SEO, content creation and web design to marketing strategies, PPC, and more, there is nothing in the digital marketing space they can’t support with.
Past clients include organisations like yppah, MTM, FFC Paragon, FBR Recruitment and Wine That’s Fruit.
Impression
Impression is a digital marketing agency based in London and are all about creating a connection between brands and their customers. Since 2012, they’ve offered a strategic partnership to unlock their client’s growth potential and help them to become market leaders. Last year, they won awards for digital agency of the year and independent agency of the year from the 2023 European Agency Awards, demonstrating their great work.
Some of their services include, strategy and implementation, SEO, media solutions and paid media. They’re also a Certified B Corp meaning they focus on People and Planet just as much as Profit which is always a big plus!
Funky Pigeon, Specsavers and Cancer Research UK are some of the brands they’ve worked with previously.
Found
If you’re looking for support with all things Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), Found could be the right agency for you. Based in London, they’re ‘masters of search performance across all digital marketing platforms’ who help organisations to get found online.
They pride themselves on being at the forefront of all things search by using their strategic approach to determine where you need to be to get in front of your target audience. Found are a 2024 Drum Recommend Agency and Google Premier Partner, which backs up their claims of being industry leaders and their ability to get results. Their services range from strategy and SEO to digital PR, paid media, content and strategy.
Some of the brands they’ve worked with previously include Puma, Peacocks, Tool Station and Bonmarche.
Earnest
Earnest is an award-winning B2B marketing agency based in London (& New York). Since being founded in 2009, they’ve followed a simple belief ‘that business people are people too – they just happen to be at work’.
They combine creativity with their strategic and data-driven insights to deliver B2B campaigns that pack a punch. Over the years, Earnest have been filling their trophy cabinet to the brim – they’ve won Agency of The Year four times and over 80 awards across brand, campaign, creative and digital. Their services include research & insights, strategy, content, digital media and much more.
Allianz, Samsung, Mastercard, Google are some of the big named brands Earnest have supported.
Twogether
Twogether is an integrated B2B marketing agency based in Marlow that specialise in supporting tech businesses. They take the time to get to know their clients inside out and then craft strategic marketing solutions to propel tech brands forward. By aligning their services to their clients’ business goals, they create dedicated teams of experts to deliver results.
Some of the awards they’ve received include the 2023 Rising Marketing Star and the Silver award for Best Channel Marketing Initiative from The B2B Marketing Awards 2023. They support tech businesses with strategy, content creation, creative, digital, media and much more.
Big names like Adobe, Dell, Sage and Lenova have all been supported by Twogether previously.
Final thoughts
As you can see, the UK has a wealth of talented strategic marketing agencies, each with their own unique strengths and expertise. It’s important to identify your needs, goals and requirements when deciding which supplier to work with as this alignment can be key in the decision. Don’t be afraid to reach out to a few agencies to discuss your project as this will help you to get a good feel for which agency is right for you. Read more about whether you should work with a small marketing agency.
