An independent Cardiff-based advertising agency has been named as the top digital agency in the UK by influential industry bible The Drum.
Award-winning Studio Tri beat off stiff competition from global agencies including Ogilvy and Mediacom to scoop the accolade, which rewards agencies whose clients report the highest levels of satisfaction.
The agency, which specialises in devising and planning creative digital and media advertising campaigns, acts for over 30 clients including the Football Association of Wales, Welsh Blood, the Wales Cooperative Centre and Welsh Water.
Established in 2011, Studio Tri has seen a strong year-on-year financial performance, with its annual turnover increasing from £300k in 2011 to £1.4m in 2014. The company is targeting continued growth over the next year, and has recently launched a London office in the trendy media quarter of Farringdon. It is also rebranding to ‘S3′, a more universal name that will – in conjunction with its new London base – allow it to focus on growing its national and international client base on the back of its growing reputation.
The Drum’s Digital Census 2014 highlights the top-performing players and growth in a fast-paced digital landscape. Over 200 agencies were included in the census, of which 92% reported positive growth. Studio Tri ranked number one in the top digital media agencies according to client feedback, and ninth in the financial rankings list. It beat global agencies including Ogilvy, Havas and Mediacom to both places.
Studio Tri has a unique business model amongst advertising agencies as it doesn’t mark up rates offered from media owners, allowing clients to stretch small budgets further. Clients pay a flat, competitive management fee to ensure the highest quality creative and planning.
Matt Jones, Media Director at Studio Tri said:
“Sitting alongside the UK’s biggest advertising agencies at The Drum Digital Census 2014 is a real accomplishment in itself. As an agency a central part of our strategy is to invest in long-term relationships with clients, through transparent pricing and industry-leading insight, expertise and delivery.
“We are so pleased that this strategy is paying off and we are delighted to have been recognised for our industry-leading satisfaction ratings. We think there is no better measure of success than how happy our customers are, so our whole team is over the moon.
“I think it goes to show that it’s not about how many staff you have, or your turnover. It’s about ensuring that your clients are given the best possible service. We believe that if clients come first, then success and recognition follows.
“This recognition is testament to how much we invest in keeping ahead of the latest trends and developments, be that with Google, targeted TV advertising techniques or driving YouTube views. It’s also a recognition of the hard work being done day in day out by our highly committed team.
“I’m very proud that an independent Welsh agency beat the big boys to win this accolade and we look forward to building on this over the coming year. We have plans to create Wales’ largest digital team, covering display, search, content and data. Our overall aim is to win more major national accounts and bring that business into Wales.”