The Drum Recommends Agencies Agency Models

Think Design, The Corner and Space & Time named top recommended digital agencies of 2021

By Eleanor Lim, Event Producer

October 18, 2021 | 8 min read

The Drum Recommends is a platform designed to help brands find their next agency partner, and to support agencies by closing the feedback loop with clients. Brands rate the services they receive, and agencies with enough good ratings achieve recommended status.

The staff of Space & Time, which won one of this year’s top awards alongside The Corner and Think Design

Each year, The Drum collates these ratings to identify the teams that consistently go the extra mile for their clients. The ratings process makes these awards unique in their class: with no reports or entry form, winners are determined by the high scores given by their clients.

Cat Hartland, head of The Drum Recommends, believes the ratings function as a system of honest recommendations. “In a recent survey, brand-side marketing and digital experts told The Drum that peer recommendations are their preferred way to find new agency partners, more so than Google and intermediary companies.

“Like-minded peers can provide a proven, honest indication of what an agency is like to work with, and our unique platform makes it easy to see top-ranked companies and awards.”

Of the teams that specialize in digital services and campaigns, the best are recognized at The Drum Recommends Awards for Digital. This year’s winners were revealed at a virtual ceremony on Thursday October 14.

Hartland says she is always honored and excited to see comments from thousands of clients each year because they vouch for the quality of the agency winners. “I can genuinely say that every winner of The Drum Recommends Awards for Digital is worth considering when you’re in need of a great digital agency.”

If you missed the ceremony, you can catch up below, or read on to find out who this year's winners are.

The winners

Awards are given for service categories – the specific marketing and advertising services offered by an agency – as well as performance categories, five measurable areas that indicate a successful client relationship. Each category is divided into small, medium and large agencies.

This year’s grand prix for the Under 40 Staff category went to Think Design Agency, a Manchester-based company that describes its staff as “curiously creative minds.” Feedback from their clients said the agency “demonstrates the effectiveness of a small business on a global scale.”

“We are so very pleased to be working with such wonderful creatives, who are clearly knowledgeable and trustworthy. We can’t recommend them highly enough.”

London agency The Corner took home the grand prix in the 40-99 staff category. Its clients said it “brings value, talent and a drive for results” to every project. “This is a passionate, solution-driven agency that works hard. They are flexible, efficient and have a positive ‘can-do’ attitude to briefs and feedback.”

In the largest agency category, the grand prix for agencies with over a hundred staff went to Space & Time. With 20 years in the business and five offices across the UK, this year it also won six other awards. Its clients had this to say: “They consistently deliver results. We have seen a marked improvement in conversions since we started working with them and they consistently bring new ideas and maintain an excellent level of client service.”

If your agency is not yet a member of The Drum Recommends, but deserves to become officially recommended by The Drum, you can sign up here.

Here is the full list of winners for 2021:

Service categories

Analytics

Under 40 Bind Media
40-99 RocketMill
100+ Adapt

Digital content strategy/creation

Under 40 Ambitious
40-99 Brilliant Noise
100+ Purple Agency

Digital animation

Under 40 FDG Creative Ltd
40+ The River Group

Digital full service

Under 40 SO Marketing
40-99 Hallam
100+ Space & Time

Digital innovation

All sizes FX Digital

Digital strategy

Under 40 The MTM Agency
40-99 RocketMill
100+ Somo

E-commerce

Under 40 Aware Digital
40-99 The Pixel
100+ Adapt

Email marketing

Under 40 Burn
40+ Torpedo

Mobile

Under 40 SO Marketing
40-99 FX Digital
100+ Parkhouse

Online advertising

Under 40 Bind Media
40-99 The Corner
100+ Space & Time

Online media buying

Under 40 Bind Media
40-99 AMS Media Group
100+ Space & Time

Optimization/conversion

Under 40 Bind Media
40-99 Hallam
100+ Adapt

Search

Under 40 Launch Online
40-99 RocketMill
100+ Space & Time

Social

Under 40 Storm
40-99 The Corner
100+ The River Group

Software development

All sizes Somo

Usability

Under 40 The MTM Agency
40-99 Coast Digital
100+ Rufus Leonard

Web design

Under 40 Think Design Manchester
40-99 Torpedo
100+ Parkhouse

Web development

Under 40 Storm
40-99 Coast Digital
100+ MMT Digital

Performance categories

Client service

Under 40 Bind Media
40-99 Accord Marketing
100+ Space & Time

Creativity/innovation

Under 40 Think Design Manchester
40-99 The Corner
100+ Parkhouse

Effectiveness

Under 40 Launch Online
40-99 Hallam
100+ Space & Time

Service delivery

Under 40 Think Design Manchester
40-99 Hallam
100+ Parkhouse

Strategic thinking

Under 40 Launch Online
40-99 The Corner
100+ Gravity Global