It’s no secret that top brands enlist the expertise and skills of top marketing agencies to help them grow online sales and fill gaps in internal teams. 

As technology and consumer needs change, so does the landscape of marketing. In 2023, we can expect to see more agencies pushing the boundaries to help their clients remain relevant and competitive in an ever-evolving economy that’s going through a tough period.

This list showcases 5 of the UK digital marketing agencies that we think are setting the standard for creativity and innovation and ushering in a new era of digital marketing.

Rise At Seven

Creative-search agency Rise At Seven is co-founded by UK entrepreneur Carrie Rose and has been helping global brands reach their digital marketing goals since 2019. They focus on creating results-oriented campaigns that are tailored to each client’s business needs and objectives. Their expertise covers SEO, PPC, content marketing, social media, PR and more.

With an impressive list of clients, including GAME, Klarna and Parkdean Resorts, Rise At Seven has won multiple awards and recently opened a New York office and employs over 100 members of staff in the UK and state-side.

They won a contract with Misguided within their first 3 weeks of trading and are certainly an agency to watch in 2023 Their creative-led approach has gained clients millions of impressions and online recognition.

Neural Edge

Neural Edge is a data-driven search marketing agency powered by a Martech stack infused with artificial intelligence tools. Their unique process incorporates AI at every stage of campaign development and delivery, from data collection and intelligent analysis to content creation and live reporting. 

The agency is multi-award winning and in 2022, picked up an award AI Journal Global Excellence award for their innovative and unique use of AI that’s helped to produce millions in revenue, impressions and clicks.

Ben Barnes, co-founder and managing director, heads up the Neural Edge team and has ten years of experience in search marketing at brands like Screwfix, the UK’s biggest DIY and trade store network and Mylee (HSNF) who were ranked 5th fastest-growing private company in The 2021 Sunday Times BDO Profit Track 100.

Social Chain

The disruptive and innovative social media marketing agency Social Chain quickly became one of the most recognised social media publishing houses in Europe and the USA. By 2020 Social Chain’s market cap had grown to $500m, and the global team was almost 1,000 people strong.

Their story started in 2014 when the founders created an owned social media network that they called Social Chain, which gave brands unique access to target demographics across an engaged network of users. 

With an impressive list of new acquisitions, including Ravensberger, Coral, Glow, Vytal and Synbiotic Social Chain is sure to be at the forefront of building diverse digital marketing communities in 2023. 

Flight Story

One of the founders of Social Chain, Steven Bartlett, founded Flight Story in Jan 2022 which has proprietary data and technology tools to gain invaluable insight into the factors driving interest in your business. 

Offering strategic consulting services to support great companies in building their brand, driving growth and ultimately increasing their value, the team have advised some of the most disruptive and emerging tech brands around, including Apple, ThirdWeb and Citibank.

Journey Further

Journey Further is a global marketing performance agency that prides itself on challenging the accepted norms of the agency model. They have coined the phrase “clarity at speed”, and every client gets to speak directly with the senior team, working in real-time, with complete transparency to create a step-change in your brand’s performance.

They won The Drum Top Agencies 2022 and employ nearly 200 people across Leeds, New York, London and Machester. Their case studies include brands like Christy – a UK heritage brand featured in The Telegraph, Vogue and Cosmopolitan. 

With their straightforward and hybrid approach to PPC, Paid Social and programmatic advertising, they are experienced specialists with decades of experience.