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2003 may not have been a great year for the majority of marketing disciplines in the UK, but design stands apart as a sector that found a way to fight back against the recession.

This is not to say times haven't been tough. Not surprisingly, there was some drop-off in fee income at the top of the agency tree. But most design consultancies managed at the very least to maintain their client portfolios at a time when most other marketing communications agencies were in major decline.

Outside of those affected by the US Sarbanes-Oxley Act, which makes it difficult to establish their 2003 performance, notable successes include Checkland Kindleysides, Radley Yeldar, Blue Marlin and FPP. Further down the table, the increased income figures for BMB, The Chase, Creative Leap, Boxer Design and Shelton Fleming also catch the eye. The major network agencies may pull in the bulk of the work for the biggest brands, but there was enough growth in the second half of the league table to suggest that creativity and delivery on brief are not dependent on size.

It could be expected that design, a creative business at heart, would suffer at the hands of the economy in a similar fashion to other sections of the marketing industry. The sector's strong performance in a challenging economic market stems predominantly from agencies' willingness to develop their approach to meet the changing needs of their clients - needs that have altered significantly from the original conception of design's role in the marketing mix.

Previously, the discipline was considered useful for one-off, project-based work. Yet many clients have begun to see the sector in a more strategic light - a structural switch pushed through as much by the agencies, as by the brands themselves. 'There has been a growing appreciation among clients in recent years that design can be strategic as a marketing investment, as opposed to simply a production cost,' explains Ralph Ardill, marketing and strategic planning director at The Imagination Group, which - despite recording a 22% decline in fee income and a 16% drop in turnover year on year - still managed to top the design league table for 2003 by a significant margin.

'There is a barrier here that is being questioned,' continues Ardill.

'Clients are developing the mindset that design should be done from within, and that you don't create a product then wrap the branding around it. It's all about placing design strategically at the core of the business. The challenge for agencies is to deliver and understand design in that context.'

To this end, clients are giving design agencies much greater influence over the positioning and delivery of a brand's marketing strategy. In essence, the old-fashioned idea of a design agency partner is disappearing. In its place are companies that are more like branding consultancies, with a strategic say in the brand's long-term vision. According to Rob Taylor, partner at Like A River, the relationship between client and agency works best when they are able to share ideas across the business. He denies this poses a threat to the role of marketing or brand manager, describing the partnership as 'job-sharing'.

'When we are party to the bigger picture and understand exactly where we fit in and how our marketing objectives fit with broader business objectives, we can be much more effective,' says Taylor. 'Knowing your partner is always a good move.'

Good to talk

One major consequence of the discipline's shift to the heart of the business has been an increased need for communication between design agencies and the client's other marketing agency partners.

'Logic suggests that design agencies should be the glue that holds it all together,' says Charles Wrench, UK managing director of Landor Associates. 'But in terms of communication between agencies, it all depends on two key factors: whether the agency is any good at it and whether the client wants it.'

From a client standpoint, the more the design agency becomes immersed in the brand, the better, according to Derek Cockerill, exhibitions manager at Ford, whose recent partnership with The Imagination Group included work on the forthcoming Thunderbirds film. The car giant works closely with the design agency as one of its marketing partners and involves it fully as strategies are developed.

Although client and agency have worked together for some time, Ford's Cockerill believes the depth of the design firm's involvement is increasing. 'We look for a design agency not merely to be creative - that is a given - but also to understand our brand, what we are trying to say about ourselves and our products,' he says. 'They then have to ensure that this is totally and consistently reflected in their creativity.'

Agency rivalry

Advertisers may be looking to promote the idea of cross-communication between marketing partners, but the reality of relationships between agencies can be tricky. Keith Crook, creative director at Bite, argues that the challenge is to make everything the client does hang together, but the barrier to this is persuading advertising and direct marketing shops to appreciate the need for other agencies' involvement in their work.

'As designers we need to understand other disciplines to properly integrate a uniform creative and strategic approach,' explains Crook. 'But direct marketing and advertising agencies still describe themselves as the "lead agency", which is a problem in itself. Clients want to marry above- and below-the-line branding activity much more, which means that agencies need to be far more open to communication than they are at present.'

While both above- and below-the-line agencies have undoubtedly been reluctant to incorporate design firms into their creative processes, there are signs that they are accepting the necessity of doing so. As a result, design agency executives lead something of a nomadic lifestyle: they may be required on location at the filming of the brand's latest TV ads, or at a brainstorming session at the direct marketing partner. 'With BP we meet and greet about 30 agency partners a year across the world,' adds Landor's Wrench. 'This gives us a great overview of the client's operations.'

James Kydd, brand director at Virgin Mobile, is certainly keen to let design agencies take the integrated approach. 'We have tried to encourage a better relationship between agencies,' he says. 'The benefits of having a broad view are immense in that they can add value beyond the normal remit.'

This vision of design sitting across all marketing communications is one Kydd shares with several other leading marketers. He believes the stretched budgets of recent years have been the catalyst for clients to create a seamless agency environment. And while he admits there is an inherent tension between agencies, he believes that with the right people, and enough time to build trust, it can work.

Multi-channel skills

Design's shifting role has had a marked effect on the way agencies promote themselves, with the days of single-specialism firms fast becoming a thing of the past. Mike Curtis, managing director of Start Creative, the incumbent on the Virgin Mobile account, believes a 'broad skill range' is the best way to sustain a design business in the current environment. 'You have to be able to work in all channels, particularly given the growth of work in emerging media such as WAP and interactive TV,' he explains. 'The marketplace for those relying solely on traditional brand development work such as corporate identity and literature is simply not as strong as it was.'

This traditional brand activity, says Curtis, used to account for 50% of Start's work, but the company now takes a broader approach and seeks to cover all areas, from packaging and product design through to the internet. 'The reality is that clients want you to be able to offer value across a range of services, not just one niche,' he says.

Though it could be said that, in general, the multi-specialism approach is bringing agencies more long-term contracts, there are always exceptions.

Retail design is the most obvious area that stands out. 'The retail design world is different,' observes Lucy Unger, managing partner at Fitch. 'Work tends to be more one-off.'

Some of the agency's business, such as its design for Lego, can turn from project work to long-term contracts, but Unger says that clients' commitment to longevity is not as great as Fitch would like. 'It's not that you don't have long-term relationships with clients. They just tend to switch on and off, as opposed to continuing uninterrupted.'

The idea that design agencies are becoming the brand guardian for clients - a role traditionally filled by advertising agencies - may have given them an extra challenge, but there is a feeling that this shift played a major part in allowing design to see out the economic recession more easily than most other marketing sectors.

'The pressure to find additional revenue is driving our business upstream toward greater competition with advertising for the brand guardian role,' says Andrew Eyles, managing director of Blue Marlin. 'We are now much more heavily involved with the planning, strategy, innovation and extension of consumable brands into a service or durable offering. Overall the market is tough, with tight budget constraints, yet clients expect permanent over-delivery on strategic input and senior consultancy, as well as creativity and response time.'

According to Eyles, these developments are taking place at a time when the production end of the business is being severely eroded by the reprographic and print industry offering free or heavily subsidised origination in return for print orders.

'The way things are going,' he continues, 'the agency of the future will be seamless from concept origination and planning through creativity and production to in-store delivery - effectively end-to-end solutions with one team and one timeline. This might lead to some consolidation within the design agency industry, or even reprographic and print houses acquiring design agencies.'

The growing strategic role of UK design agencies - a responsibility not shared by their counterparts in other countries - may have helped the industry move away from project work toward long-term contracts. But although this approach is lucrative over time, it does not come without its problems. The foremost issue concerns the client pitching process, and the amount of time and resources needed to prepare for something which could ultimately fail.

'The pitching process hasn't necessarily changed,' explains John Mathers, UK managing director of Enterprise IG and president of the Design Business Association. 'But the introduction of the procurement process into the buying of design services is probably the single thing that has had the greatest effect on the industry over the past few years.' According to Mathers, the major issue, particularly for smaller organisations, is the investment in time needed to provide the information that is often only the prerequisite for participation in the pitch.

Existing clients

For some, the rigours of the pitching process are so time-consuming and expensive that the idea of chasing new contracts becomes a secondary concern. 'The reason we had a pretty good year in 2003 was because we didn't get seduced by the potential for new business,' says Landor's Wrench.

'Although there will always be scope for new business, there's no certainty in it.'

Instead of chasing extra clients, Landor concentrated on its existing ones by making an unrequested pitch for more work - an approach Wrench claims most agencies fail to prioritise. 'It's extraordinary how agencies chase brands they don't have, even though it inevitably detracts from the concentration they apply to the ones they do,' he says. 'We have a client list that could still double our business if we got more work from them, so why not concentrate our efforts there?'

Last year was certainly not easy for design agencies, but there is perhaps more scope for cautious optimism in this sector than in other areas of marketing communications. Despite the economic pressures of 2003, the design market remained buoyant, albeit driven by clients' seemingly insatiable desire for added value and return on investment.

Most importantly for design, however, was agencies' assumption of a more strategic role at the heart of the client's brand engagement with the consumer. By definition, brand engagement requires a long-term relationship - and design's increasingly central role in this area will stand agencies in good stead in the future.

THE SARBANES-OXLEY EFFECT

For companies affected by the US Sarbanes-Oxley Act, designed to clamp down on financial misinformation, we have used Companies House data provided by Willott Kingston Smith. In most cases, the latest data is for the 2002 financial year, though 2003 information is available for Coley Porter Bell, The Partners and Wolff Olins. Information filed in Companies House as gross income has been taken as equivalent to fee income.

Affected companies are listed under group names, rather than by their subsidiaries. Companies House financial data could not be found for Landor Associates, part of WPP Group's Young & Rubicam Brands, or Haygarth.

TOP DESIGN AGENCIES - 1-100

Agency Fee income Fee income %

2003(pounds) 2002(pounds) chng

1 The Imagination Group 28,000,000 35,800,000 -22

2 Interbrand UK* n/a 11,428,000 n/a

3 Wolff Olins* 10,900,000 14,387,000 -24

4 Design Bridge 8,399,000 9,153,000 -8

5 Corporate Edge 8,304,000 8,890,692 -7

6 Jones Knowle Ritchie 7,615,000 7,805,000 -2

7 Jack Morton Worldwide* n/a 7,405,000 n/a

8 Coutts Retail Communications 7,070,800 6,591,600 7

9 Fitch Design Consultants* n/a 7,021,000 n/a

10 Checkland Kindleysides 6,872,000 6,023,000 14

11 Radley Yeldar 6,500,000 5,900,000 10

12 Blue Marlin 5,850,000 4,420,000 32

13 FBC (Futurebrand)* n/a 5,788,000 n/a

14 Enterprise IG* n/a 5,714,105 n/a

15 Pauffley* n/a 5,588,174 n/a

16 Start Creative 5,133,000 4,628,000 11

17 FPP 5,002,000 3,414,000 47

18 The Sandom Group 4,895,000 4,780,000 2

19 Rufus Leonard 4,883,000 5,810,000 -16

20 Lambie-Nairn & Company* n/a 4,808,932 n/a

21 Coley Porter Bell* 4,717,053 4,633,114 2

22 Conran Design Group* n/a 3,943,000 n/a

23 20/20 3,775,000 4,719,000 -20

24 The Design Group 3,626,000 3,439,000 5

25 CGI BrandSense* n/a 3,423,135 n/a

26 Seymour Powell 3,361,000 3,300,000 2

27 Carnegie Orr 3,300,000 3,300,000 0

28 DCA Design International 3,286,541 2,931,095 12

29 Springetts 3,178,509 3,099,063 3

30 Tynan D'Arcy 3,150,000 3,200,000 -2

31 Springer & Jacoby Design 3,066,006 3,145,434 -3

32 Gyro 3,000,000 2,500,000 20

33 Elmwood 2,990,000 3,530,000 -15

34 Good Technology* n/a 2,908,365 n/a

35 Lloyd Ferguson Hawkins 2,700,000 2,600,000 4

36 Brewer Riddiford 2,693,877 2,240,000 20

37 C Eye 2,600,000 2,800,000 -7

38 Redhouse Lane 2,577,971 2,295,753 12

39 Tayburn 2,526,000 2,659,000 -5

40 Oakwood DC 2,458,643 2,412,068 2

41 The Team 2,429,000 2,353,000 3

42 The Open Agency 2,420,380 2,416,500 0

43 Emperor Design Consultants 2,355,000 2,322,000 1

44 Stocks Austin Sice 2,250,445 1,730,040 30

45 Allen International Consulting 2,206,683 1,745,507 26

46 The Partners (Design Consultants)* 2,173,439 2,914,416 -25

47 Parker Williams Design 2,167,000 1,621,000 34

48 Communique 360 2,161,058 1,650,000 31

49 Innocence* n/a 2,129,000 n/a

50 DVA 2,108,021 2,148,437 -2

51 Lewis Moberly 2,080,000 1,760,000 18

52 The Chase 2,010,000 1,310,000 53

53 Siebert Head 1,961,000 2,104,000 -7

54 Pearlfisher 1,952,000 1,640,000 19

55 Din Associates 1,934,000 1,623,000 19

56 Dalziel and Pow 1,920,000 1,689,000 14

57= Precedent Communication 1,850,000 1,900,000 -3

57= BMB 1,850,000 1,075,000 72

59 Ware Anthony Rust 1,845,384 2,094,211 -12

60 OTM UK 1,831,000 1,673,000 9

61 Dutton Merrifield 1,750,000 2,000,000 -13

62 Bostock & Pollitt 1,743,607 2,425,587 -28

63 Tibbatts Associates 1,730,972 1,846,394 -6

64 Glazer 1,600,000 855,000 87

65 Fraser Design 1,545,824 1,463,300 6

66 Nucleus 1,521,221 1,621,014 -6

67 Creative Leap 1,414,000 749,230 89

68 Lumsden Design Partnership 1,410,000 1,410,000 0

69 Pemberton & Whitefoord 1,400,000 1,345,000 4

70 Stocks Taylor Benson 1,387,000 1,197,000 16

71 LMC Design 1,324,000 n/a n/a

72 Designhouse 1,300,000 1,100,000 18

73 Millini Design 1,282,000 1,011,934 27

74 The Church Agency 1,250,000 1,300,000 -4

75 Ratcliffe Fowler Design 1,239,000 n/a n/a

76 First Partnership Design 1,145,000 1,536,000 -25

77 Shelton Fleming 1,141,222 647,029 76

78 Boxer Design Consultants 1,121,000 630,000 78

79 Dew Gibbons 1,072,000 894,000 20

80 View 1,071,685 867,235 24

81 Mansfields 1,069,974 n/a n/a

82 Brahm Design 1,008,000 1,052,000 -4

83 Felton Communication 1,000,000 880,000 14

84 Turnbull Ripley Design 950,196 1,609,000 -41

85 Carter Wong Tomlin 894,000 975,000 -8

86 Purple Circle 890,000 678,000 31

87 WPA Pinfold 873,550 1,087,445 -20

88 Marketing Matters 867,000 958,000 -9

89 Robson Dowry Associates 800,000 808,000 -1

90 Rare Corporate Design 782,000 772,000 1

91 Pierrot Print and Design 770,000 665,500 16

92 Bite 760,000 400,000 90

93 Redpath 700,000 880,000 -20

94 Wren & Rowe 640,000 730,000 -12

95 Point 6 632,197 547,185 16

96 TGV Design & Marketing 626,000 730,000 -14

97 HGV Design 625,000 625,000 0

98 Aqueduct 599,650 n/a n/a

99 Taxi Studio 586,000 n/a n/a

100 Minima Design 386,000 330,000 17

Agency Turnover Turnover % Staff

2003 2002 chng

(pounds) (pounds)

1 The Imagination Group 79,000,000 94,500,000 -16 376

2 Interbrand UK* n/a 13,420,000 n/a 150

3 Wolff Olins* 12,339,000 16,757,000 -26 125

4 Design Bridge 12,262,000 12,161,000 1 107

5 Corporate Edge 10,327,544 11,809,305 -13 122

6 Jones Knowle Ritchie 7,825,000 8,017,000 -2 80

7 Jack Morton Worldwide* n/a 29,225,000 n/a 79

8 Coutts Retail Communications 35,354,000 32,958,000 7 500

9 Fitch Design Consultants* n/a 9,686,000 n/a 81

10 Checkland Kindleysides 8,292,000 11,043,000 -25 79

11 Radley Yeldar 10,500,000 9,500,000 11 67

12 Blue Marlin 5,900,000 4,520,000 31 60

13 FBC (Futurebrand)* n/a 8,616,000 n/a 70

14 Enterprise IG* n/a 8,312,664 n/a 63

15 Pauffley* n/a 5,877,245 n/a 78

16 Start Creative 5,648,000 5,239,000 8 60

17 FPP 10,242,000 7,040,000 45 56

18 The Sandom Group 5,818,000 6,054,000 -4 61

19 Rufus Leonard 5,743,000 6,747,000 -15 51

20 Lambie-Nairn & Company* n/a 8,129,965 n/a 39

21 Coley Porter Bell* 5,820,537 5,659,857 3 44

22 Conran Design Group* n/a 4,733,000 n/a 57

23 20/20 4,113,000 5,195,000 -21 40

24 The Design Group 5,281,000 5,893,000 -10 64

25 CGI BrandSense* n/a 4,906,072 n/a 43

26 Seymour Powell 3,663,000 4,100,000 -11 44

27 Carnegie Orr 4,500,000 4,500,000 0 20

28 DCA Design International 4,529,241 3,353,095 35 56

29 Springetts 3,571,161 3,504,472 2 40

30 Tynan D'Arcy 4,270,000 4,600,000 -7 36

31 Springer & Jacoby Design 6,025,445 4,847,482 24 37

32 Gyro 5,900,000 4,800,000 23 40

33 Elmwood 3,490,000 4,410,000 -21 43

34 Good Technology* n/a 2,908,365 n/a 54

35 Lloyd Ferguson Hawkins 3,300,000 2,700,000 22 39

36 Brewer Riddiford 2,948,741 2,391,000 23 28

37 C Eye 2,800,000 3,000,000 -7 24

38 Redhouse Lane 3,753,774 3,426,445 10 56

39 Tayburn 4,558,000 4,800,000 -5 55

40 Oakwood DC 2,588,046 2,539,019 2 31

41 The Team 3,113,000 3,225,000 -3 30

42 The Open Agency 3,650,500 3,618,000 1 21

43 Emperor Design Consultants 3,614,000 3,556,000 2 40

44 Stocks Austin Sice 3,734,706 2,617,948 43 28

45 Allen International Consulting 2,366,504 2,038,630 16 26

46 The Partners 4,771,596 6,628,184 -28 47

(Design Consultants)*

47 Parker Williams Design 2,359,000 1,871,000 26 28

48 Communique 360 3,728,784 2,500,000 49 33

49 Innocence* n/a 2,453,000 n/a 27

50 DVA 2,435,572 2,543,636 -4 32

51 Lewis Moberly 2,700,000 2,300,000 17 32

52 The Chase 5,390,000 3,180,000 69 43

53 Siebert Head 2,563,000 2,756,000 -7 29

54 Pearlfisher 2,899,000 2,400,000 21 35

55 Din Associates 2,012,951 1,751,575 15 22

56 Dalziel and Pow 2,796,000 2,076,536 35 38

57= Precedent Communication 2,100,000 2,150,000 -2 30

57= BMB 8,700,000 4,465,000 95 112

59 Ware Anthony Rust 3,242,923 3,527,269 -8 35

60 OTM UK 3,409,000 2,894,000 18 19

61 Dutton Merrifield 2,296,000 3,045,000 -25 29

62 Bostock & Pollitt 2,614,576 3,468,458 -25 27

63 Tibbatts Associates 1,847,553 1,959,420 -6 25

64 Glazer 2,300,000 1,100,000 109 n/a

65 Fraser Design 2,789,920 2,499,569 12 18

66 Nucleus 1,540,524 1,698,889 -9 22

67 Creative Leap 1,591,000 881,448 80 23

68 Lumsden Design Partnership 1,700,000 1,600,000 6 17

69 Pemberton & Whitefoord 1,425,000 1,355,000 5 11

70 Stocks Taylor Benson 2,181,000 2,214,007 -1 22

71 LMC Design 2,344,000 n/a n/a 20

72 Designhouse 1,500,000 1,300,000 15 20

73 Millini Design 1,655,000 1,179,297 40 13

74 The Church Agency 2,500,000 2,860,000 -13 30

75 Ratcliffe Fowler Design 1,906,091 n/a n/a 16

76 First Partnership Design 1,145,000 1,536,000 -25 19

77 Shelton Fleming 2,588,205 2,484,429 4 14

78 Boxer Design Consultants 1,658,000 1,297,000 28 21

79 Dew Gibbons 1,425,359 1,054,433 35 14

80 View 1,137,772 1,033,952 10 17

81 Mansfields 4,321,522 3,979,554 9 20

82 Brahm Design 2,518,000 1,954,000 29 116

83 Felton Communication 1,450,000 1,260,000 15 10

84 Turnbull Ripley Design 1,244,000 2,426,000 -49 10

85 Carter Wong Tomlin 1,700,000 2,100,000 -19 19

86 Purple Circle 1,480,000 1,056,000 40 20

87 WPA Pinfold 881,211 1,087,445 -19 12

88 Marketing Matters 3,041,000 2,821,000 8 21

89 Robson Dowry Associates 1,160,000 1,150,000 1 13

90 Rare Corporate Design 1,567,000 1,374,000 14 9

91 Pierrot Print and Design 1,400,000 1,210,000 16 11

92 Bite 1,100,000 600,000 83 16

93 Redpath 1,040,739 1,297,751 -20 15

94 Wren & Rowe 680,000 780,000 -13 11

95 Point 6 764,777 650,289 18 16

96 TGV Design & Marketing 1,047,000 1,340,000 -22 11

97 HGV Design 893,000 893,000 0 4

98 Aqueduct 1,165,067 n/a n/a 12

99 Taxi Studio 586,000 n/a n/a 6

100 Minima Design 386,000 330,000 17 10

Agency

1 The Imagination Group

Founded 1978. Privately owned. Chairman Gary Withers. No

specialisms given. Clients include Ford, Royal Bank of Scotland,

Guinness. www.imagination.com

2 Interbrand UK*

Founded 1974. Subsidiary Omincom Group. CEO Jez Frampton. No

specialisms given. Clients include Abbey, BUPA, British Gas.

www.interbrand.com

3 Wolff Olins*

Founded 1965. Subsidiary Omincom Group. MD Charles Wright. No

specialisms given. Clients include Unilever, Orange, BT.

www.wolff-olins.com

4 Design Bridge

Founded 1986. Privately owned. MD Jill Marshall. Packaging (90%),

corporate identity (7%), corporate literature (3%). Clients include

Unilever, Diageo, Sara Lee. www.designbridge.com

5 Corporate Edge

Founded 1972. Subsidiary Lorica Group. MD Chris Wood.

Retail/interiors (5%), corporate identity (50%), corporate

literature (38%), web (6%). Clients include Cadbury Schweppes,

Shell, Diageo. www.corporateedge.com

6 Jones Knowle Ritchie

Founded 1990. Privately owned. MD Nir Wegrzyn. Packaging (100%).

Clients include Mars, Heinz, Bacardi. www.jkr.co.uk

7 Jack Morton Worldwide*

Founded 1976. Subsidiary Interpublic. MD Laurence Croneen. No

specialisms given. Clients include General Motors, Department of

Health, Reuters. www.jackmorton.com

8 Coutts Retail Communications

Founded 1978. Subsidiary Coutts Holdings. Chairman Robert Essex.

Retail/interiors (85%), packaging (5%), corporate identity (2%),

corporate literature (2%), events (4%), web (2%). Clients include

Disney, L'Oreal, AOL. www.crc-uk.com

9 Fitch Design Consultants*

Founded 1973. Subsidiary WPP. Partners Lucy Unger, Tim Greenhalgh.

Retail/interiors (30%), packaging (7.5%), corp. identity (30%),

corp. literature (7.5%), products (5%), events (10%), web (10%).

Clients include Lego. www.fitchworldwide.com

10 Checkland Kindleysides

Founded 1979. Privately owned. MDs David Checkland, Jeff

Kindleysides. Retail/interiors (70%), packaging (2%), corporate

identity (2%), corporate literature (21%), events (4%), web (1%).

No clients given. www.checkind.com

11 Radley Yeldar

Founded 1986. Privately owned. MD Carl Radley. Corporate identity

(4%), corporate literature (85%), web (11%). Clients include

Diageo, Aviva, Pearson. www.ry.com

12 Blue Marlin

Founded 1993. Privately owned. MD Andrew Eyles. Retail/interiors

(10%), packaging (75%), products (15%). Clients include Cadbury

Schweppes, GlaxoSmithKline, Reckitt Benckiser. www.bluemarlinbd.com

13 FBC (Futurebrand)*

Founded 1999. Subsidiary Interpublic. MD Elizabeth Finn. No

specialisms given. Clients include Coca-Cola, Marks & Spencer,

Tesco. www.futurebrand.com

14 Enterprise IG*

Founded 1976. Subsidiary WPP. MD John Mathers. No specialisms

given. Clients include Vodafone, Unilever, SABMiller.

www.enterpriseig.co.uk

15 Pauffley*

Founded 1984. Subsidiary Omnicom. MD Nigel Pearcy. Retail/interiors

(2.5%), corporate identity (10%), corporate literature (50%),

events (2.5%), web (20%), other (15%). Clients include BT, ING, BP.

www.pauffley.com

16 Start Creative

Founded 1996. Privately owned. MD Mike Curtis. Retail/interiors

(15%), packaging (10%), corporate identity (25%), corporate

literature (25%), web (25%). Clients include Virgin, Royal Mail,

Hertz. www.startcreative.co.uk

17 FPP

Founded 1988. Privately owned. MD Ted Rodger. Retail/interiors

(17%), packaging (2%), corporate literature (55%), events (19%),

web (6%). Clients include Iams, Gillette, Sage Software.

www.fpp.net

18 The Sandom Group

Founded 1993. Privately owned. CEO John Wringe. Packaging (100%).

Clients include Unilever, Quaker, Nestle. www.sandom.com

19 Rufus Leonard

Founded 1989. Privately owned. MD Will Rowe. Corporate identity

(35%), corporate literature (5%), web (60%). Clients include BT,

Shell, Lloyds TSB. www.rufusleonard.com

20 Lambie-Nairn & Company*

Founded 1976. Subsidiary WPP. CEO Nick Hough. Retail/interiors

(5%), packaging (5%), corporate identity (80%), web (10%). Clients

include O2, Norwich Union, BBC. www.lambie-nairn.com

21 Coley Porter Bell*

Founded 1979. Subsidiary WPP. MD Cheryl Giovannoni. No specialisms

or clients given. www.cpb.co.uk

22 Conran Design Group*

Founded 1956. Subsidiary Euro RSCG. MD David Worthington. No

specialisms given. Clients include BT, L'Oreal, Sainsbury's.

www.conrandesigngroup.com

23 20/20

Founded 1988. Privately owned. MD Jim Thompson. Retail/interiors

(80%), corporate identity (20%). Clients include Boots,

Sainsbury's, Orange. www.20.20.co.uk

24 The Design Group

Founded 1953. Privately owned. Creative director Grant Marshall.

Retail/interiors (25%), packaging (50%), corp. identity (2%), corp.

literature (20%), events (1%), web (2%). Clients include Bosch,

Procter & Gamble. www.thedesigngroup.co.uk

25 CGI BrandSense*

Founded 1988. Subsidiary Havas. MD Stephen Thomas. No specialisms

or clients given. www.cgibrandsense.com

26 Seymour Powell

Founded 1984. Privately owned. MDs Richard Seymour, Dick Powell.

Products (100%). No clients given. www.seymourpowell.com

27 Carnegie Orr

Founded 1994. Privately owned. MD James Carnegie-Brown. Corporate

identity (35%), corporate literature (40%), events (5%), web (20%).

Clients include BSkyB, First Choice Holidays, Kidde.

www.carnegieorr.com

28 DCA Design International

Founded 1958. Privately owned. MD Robert Woolston. Products (100%).

No clients given. www.dca-design.com

29 Springetts

Founded 1976. Privately owned. MD Andy Black. Packaging (100%).

Clients include Twinings, Dairy Crest, Young's Bluecrest.

www.springetts.co.uk

30 Tynan D'Arcy

Founded 1991. Privately owned. MD Alastair Eglinton.

Retail/interiors (10%), packaging (60%), corporate literature

(20%), web (10%). Clients include Lever Faberge, General Mills,

Coca-Cola. www.tynan-darcy.com

31 Springer & Jacoby Design

Founded 1996. Subsidiary Springer & Jacoby Group. MD Sandra Render.

Corporate literature (80%), web (20%). Clients include

DaimlerChrysler, JP Morgan, Morgan Stanley. www.sj.com

32 Gyro

Founded 1991. Privately owned. MD Gary Brine. Corporate identity

(35%), corporate literature (35%), products (5%), events (10%), web

(15%). Clients include Sun Microsystems, Adobe, Nortel Networks.

www.gyrogroup.com

33 Elmwood

Founded 1989. Privately owned. MD Jayne Barrett. Packaging (28%),

corporate identity (11%), corporate literature (44%), web (7%),

other (10%). Clients include FA, Asda, BBC. www.elmwood.co.uk

34 Good Technology*

Founded 1994. Subsidiary WPP. MD Xanthe Arvanitakis. No specialisms

given. Clients include Bentley, Audi, Royal Albert Hall.

www.goodtechnology.com

35 Lloyd Ferguson Hawkins

Founded 1993. Privately owned. Client services director Alastair

Jones. Packaging (100%). Clients include Lever Faberge, Lever

Bestfoods, Orkla Group. www.lfh.co.uk

36 Brewer Riddiford

Founded 1992. Privately owned. MD George Riddiford. Packaging

(95%), corporate identity (3%), corporate literature (2%). Clients

include Unilever, Coca-Cola, Sainsbury's.

www.brewer-riddiford.co.uk

37 C Eye

Founded 1985. Privately owned. MD Gary Riley. Corporate identity

(69%), corporate literature (31%). Clients include Royal Mail

Group, Hitachi, Sainsbury's. www.c-eye.co.uk

38 Redhouse Lane

Founded 1990. Privately owned. MD Jeremy Redhouse. Corporate

identity (15%), corporate literature (45%), events (5%), web (35%).

Clients include Department of Trade and Industry, BAA, Department

of Health. www.redhouselane.co.uk

39 Tayburn

Founded 1979. Privately owned. MD Erick Davidson. Retail/interiors

(5%), packaging (35%), corp. identity (10%), corp. literature

(40%), web (10%). Clients include Diageo, Scottish & Newcastle,

Royal Bank of Scotland, www.tayburn.co.uk

40 Oakwood DC

Founded 1996. Privately owned. MD Tony Marwick. Retail/interiors

(10%), packaging (10%), corporate identity (5%), corporate

literature (64%), events (5%), web (6%). Clients include Jaguar,

Mattel, Amtico. www.oakwood-dc.com

41 The Team

Founded 1982. Privately owned. MD Julian Grice. Corporate identity

(40%), corporate literature (40%), web (20%). Clients include

Vodafone, BBC, Microsoft. www.theteam.co.uk

42 The Open Agency

Founded 1983. Privately owned. MD Mike Horseman. Packaging (5%),

corporate identity (20%), corporate literature (35%), products

(10%), web (30%). Clients include Royal Mail, Cunard, British

Airways London Eye. www.openagency.com

43 Emperor Design Consultants

Founded 1996. Privately owned. MD Stephen Kemo. Corporate identity

(10%), corporate literature (60%), web (30%). Clients include Stena

Line, Bradford & Bingley, Arriva. www.emperordesign.co.uk

44 Stocks Austin Sice

Founded 1989. Privately owned. MD Jeremy Sice. Specialisms:

corporate identity (15%), corporate literature (50%), web (35%).

Clients include BT, Centrica, Ericsson. www.sasdesign.co.uk

45 Allen International Consulting

Founded 1992. Privately owned. MD Michael Allen. Retail/interiors

(90%), packaging (3%), corporate identity (4%), corporate

literature (3%). Clients include National Commercial Bank, SPAR

International, Carlsberg. www.allen-international.com

46 The Partners (Design Consultants)*

Founded 1983. Subsidiary WPP. Managing partner Aziz Cami. No

specialisms given. Clients include Clifford Chance, Harrods,

Jaguar. www.thepartners.co.uk

47 Parker Williams Design

Founded 1990. Privately owned. MD Kate Bradford. Packaging (95%),

corporate identity (2%), corporate literature (3%). Clients include

Sainsbury's, Unilever, Toys 'R' Us. www.parkerwilliamsdesign.co.uk

48 Communique 360

Founded 1990. Privately owned. MD Tim Petherbridge. Corporate

identity (20%), corporate literature (50%), events (5%), web (25%).

Clients include Royal Bank of Scotland, Travel Inn, Learning &

Skills Council. www.communique360.co.uk

49 Innocence*

Founded 2000. Subsidiary Omnicom. MD Jez Frampton. No specialisms

or clients given. www.innocence.co.uk

50 DVA

Founded 1987. Privately owned. MD David Stewart. Retail/interiors

(5%), packaging (5%), corporate identity (5%), corporate literature

(5%), events (10%), web (70%). Clients include TaylorMade/Adidas,

Lucent Technologies. www.dva.co.uk

51 Lewis Moberly

Founded 1984. Privately owned. MD Robert Moberly. Packaging (60%),

corporate identity (30%), corporate literature (9%), web (1%).

Clients include Harrods, Tefal, Waitrose. www.lewismoberly.com

52 The Chase

Founded 1986. Privately owned. Creative director Ben Casey.

Packaging (10%), corporate identity (30%), corporate literature

(50%), events (5%), web (5%). Clients include Co-operative Bank,

Yorkshire Water, Yellow Pages. www.thechase.co.uk

53 Siebert Head

Founded 1972. Privately owned. MD John Parsons. Specialisms:

packaging (100%). Clients include Colgate, British American

Tobacco, Kraft Foods International. www.sieberthead.com

54 Pearlfisher

Founded 1993. Privately owned. Managing Partner Michael Branson.

Packaging (80%), corporate identity (10%), corporate literature

(5%), web (5%). Clients include Absolut, Unilever, Coca-Cola.

www.pearlfisher.com

55 Din Associates

Founded 1988. Privately owned. MD Rasshied Din. Retail/interiors

(96%), packaging (2%), corporate identity (1%), corporate

literature (1%). Clients include French Connection, Fenwick, BAA.

www.din.co.uk

56 Dalziel and Pow

Founded 1983. Privately owned. Creative director David Dalziel.

Retail/interiors (89%), packaging (10%), web (1%). Clients include

Nokia, River Island, Jones Bootmaker. www.dalziel-pow.co.uk

57= Precedent Communication

Founded 1989. Privately owned. MD Paul Hoskins. Corporate identity

(30%), corporate literature (20%), web (50%). Clients include

Middlesex University, Bluewater, Essex County Council.

www.precedent.co.uk

57= BMB

Founded 1993. Privately owned. CEO/MD Jeff Bushell. Packaging (8%),

corporate identity (35%), corporate literature (29%), events (16%),

web (12%). Clients include Vauxhall, Center Parcs, NTL.

www.bmb.uk.com

59 Ware Anthony Rust

Founded 1985. Privately owned. MD John Wilson. Retail/interiors

(5%), packaging (10%), corporate identity (25%), corporate

literature (25%), events (10%), web (25%). Clients include

Multiyork, Visa, Electrolux. www.war.uk.com

60 OTM UK

Founded 1981. Privately owned. MD David Childs. Packaging (4%),

corporate identity (2%), corporate literature (79%), events (4%),

web (11%). Clients include Man Investments, Transport for London,

L'Oreal. www.otmcreate.com

61 Dutton Merrifield

Founded 1988. Privately owned. MD David Merrifield. Packaging (5%),

corporate identity (10%), corporate literature (45%), events (3%),

web (18%), other (19%). Clients include Lloyds TSB, 3, 118 118.

www.dutton-merrifield.co.uk

62 Bostock & Pollitt

Founded 1987. Privately owned. MD Phillip Mann. Corporate identity

(20%), corporate literature (40%), events (5%), web (35%). Clients

include Princess Yachts International, BT.

www.bostockandpollitt.com

63 Tibbatts Associates

Founded 1991. Privately owned. MD Neil Tibbatts. Retail/interiors

(100%). Clients include Urbium, Luminar Leisure, Gala Casinos.

www.tibbatts.co.uk

64 Glazer

Founded 1992. Privately owned. MD Michael Murphy. Corporate

identity (100%). Clients include Welsh Development Agency, Arriva,

BAA. www.glazer.co.uk

65 Fraser Design

Founded 1991. Privately owned. MD Andrew Fraser. Retail/interiors

(75%), packaging (5%), corporate identity (10%), corporate

literature (5%), web (5%). Clients include Argos, Thresher Group,

ICI Paints. www.fraserdesign.com

66 Nucleus

Founded 1979. Privately owned. MD Peter Matthews. Corporate

identity (50%), web (50%). Clients include Orient-Express Hotels,

London Underground, Cable & Wireless. www.nucleus.co.uk

67 Creative Leap

Founded 1996. Privately owned. MD Trevor Bradford. Retail/interiors

(10%), packaging (35%), corp. identity (15%), corp. literature

(30%), web (10%). Clients include Wanadoo, William Grant & Sons,

Boots. www.creativeleap.com

68 Lumsden Design Partnership

Founded 1994. Privately owned. MD Callum Lumsden. Retail/interiors

(83%), corporate identity (17%). Clients include the Albertina

Museum (Vienna), Lakeland, Compass Group. www.ldp.co.uk

69 Pemberton & Whitefoord

Founded 1987. Privately owned. MD Simon Pemberton. Packaging (90%),

corporate identity (10%). Clients include Tesco, Focus.

www.p-and-w.com

70 Stocks Taylor Benson

Founded 1988. Privately owned. MD Glenn Taylor. Retail/interiors

(30%), packaging (37%), corporate identity (2%), corporate

literature (30%), events (1%). Clients include Alliance &

Leicester, Blacks Leisure, Next. www.stbdesign.co.uk

71 LMC Design

Founded 1985. Privately owned. MD Andrew Cole. Packaging (25%),

corporate identity (20%), corporate literature (35%), events (10%),

web (10%). Clients include Merlin Entertainments, Carlsberg,

Gallaher. www.lmcdesign.co.uk

72 Designhouse

Founded 1970. Privately owned. MD Lavinia Dobie. Retail/interiors

(40%), corporate identity (30%), corporate literature (25%), events

(5%). Clients include Alpha Airports, BT, Bourne Leisure.

www.designhouse.co.uk

73 Millini Design

Founded 1986. Privately owned. MD Sue Sutton. Packaging (20%),

corporate identity (15%), corporate literature (40%), events (5%),

web (20%). Clients include Britvic Soft Drinks, Centura Foods,

Interbrew UK. www.millini.com

74 The Church Agency

Founded 1987. Privately owned. MD Martin McInnes. Retail/interiors

(10%), packaging (36%), corp. identity (7%), corp. literature

(20%), products (9%), events (3%), web (3%), other (12%). Clients

include Nestle, ICI. www.thechurchagency.com

75 Ratcliffe Fowler Design

Founded 1994. Privately owned. MDs Mike Ratcliffe, Jim Fowler.

Retail/interiors (60%), corporate literature (30%), events (10%).

Clients include Nike, Signet Group, Rotary Watches.

www.ratcliffefowlerdesign.co.uk

76 First Partnership Design

Founded 1997. Privately owned. Director Bob Bayman.

Retail/interiors (60%), packaging (14%), corporate identity (13%),

corporate literature (13%). Clients include Bank of Ireland,

National Trust, Austin Reed. www.firstpartnership.co.uk

77 Shelton Fleming

Founded 1982. Privately owned. MD Maurice Fleming. Retail/interior

(10%), corporate identity (10%), corporate literature (5%), events

(75%). Clients include BT, Department for Work and Pensions,

Hewlett-Packard. www.sheltonfleming.co.uk

78 Boxer Design Consultants

Founded 1994. Subsidiary The Marketing Store. MD David Poole.

Retail/interiors (10%), packaging (30%), corp. identity (30%),

corp. literature (20%), web (10%). Clients include McDonald's,

GlaxoSmithKline, Urban Splash. www.boxer.uk.com

79 Dew Gibbons

Founded 1997. Privately owned. MD Steve Gibbons. Packaging (60%),

corporate identity (10%), corporate literature (15%), other (15%).

Clients include Proctor & Gamble, Coca-Cola, Sara Lee.

www.dewgibbons.com

80 View

Founded 1992. Privately owned. MD Bernard Guly. Corporate identity

(10%), corporate literature (20%), exhibition/events (10%), web

(60%). Clients include Rolls-Royce, Rio Tinto, Diageo.

www.view.uk.com

81 Mansfields

Founded 1905. Privately owned. MD AB Frankland. Corporate

literature (12%), events (83%), web (5%). Clients include Ford,

Jaguar, Moss Bros. www.mansfieldsdesign.co.uk

82 Brahm Design

Founded 1983. Privately owned. MDs Julie Hanson, John Morgan.

Retail/interiors (15%), packaging (15%), corporate identity (19%),

corporate literature (23%), web (28%). Clients include Learndirect,

Somerfield, Jobcentre Plus. www.brahm.com

83 Felton Communication

Founded 1989. Privately owned. MD Roger Felton. Corporate identity

(35%), corporate literature (65%). Clients include Terrence Higgins

Trust, BAA Lynton, Lambeth Borough Council. www.hgvfelton.com

84 Turnbull Ripley Design

Founded 1989. Privately owned. MD Mark Turnbull. Corporate identity

(10%), corporate literature (90%). Clients include Axa Investment

Managers, Earl's Court & Olympia Group, Burberry.

www.turnbullripley.co.uk

85 Carter Wong Tomlin

Founded 1984. Privately owned. MD Philip Wong. Packaging (47%),

corporate identity (31%), corporate literature (17%), web (5%).

Clients include Unilever, Wasa, Woolworths.

www.carterwongtomlin.com

86 Purple Circle

Founded 1991. Privately owned. MD Michael Slack. Packaging (20%),

corporate identity (50%), corporate literature (20%), web (10%).

Clients include Nottingham City Council, Boots, Speedo.

www.purplecircle.co.uk

87 WPA Pinfold

Founded 1978. Privately owned. MD Myles Pinfold. Retail/interiors

(15%), packaging (23%), corp. identity (15%), corp. literature

(40%), products (1%), events (1%), web (5%). Clients include Bourne

Leisure Group. www.wpa-pinfold.co.uk

88 Marketing Matters

Founded 1989. Privately owned. MD Jeremy Gee. Corporate identity

(35%), corporate literature (40%), events (10%), web (15%). Clients

include Sunseeker International, RNLI, Crest Nicholson.

www.marketing-matters.co.uk

89 Robson Dowry Associates

Founded 1976. Privately owned. MDs Ian Robson, Andy Sanders.

Packaging (25%), corporate identity (15%), corporate literature

(60%). Clients include Environment Agency, Constellation Wines,

Bevan Ashford. www.robsondowry.co.uk

90 Rare Corporate Design

Founded 1974. Subsidiary Chime Communications. MD Peter Higgins.

Corporate identity (60%), corporate literature (40%). Clients

include Standard Chartered, Tussauds Group, Richemont.

www.rarecorporate.co.uk

91 Pierrot Print and Design

Founded 1992. Privately owned. MD Andrew Campbell. Packaging (5%),

corporate identity (10%), corporate literature (70%), events (10%),

web (5%). Clients include Compass Group, WSP Group, ArjoWiggins.

www.pierrot.uk.com

92 Bite

Founded 1995. Privately owned. MD Keith Crook. Corporate identity

(70%), events (20%), web (10%). Clients include Volvo, Granada,

Interoute. www.anotherbiteidea.com

93 Redpath

Founded 1995. Privately owned. MD Richard Irvine. Packaging (25%),

corporate identity (50%), corporate literature (25%). Clients

include Royal Bank of Scotland, Somerfield, Scottish Executive.

www.redpath.co.uk

94 Wren & Rowe

Founded 1994. Privately owned. MD Paul Foulkes-Arellano. Packaging

(100%). Clients include Nestle, Gerber Foods Soft Drinks, Grampian

Foods. www.wrenrowe.co.uk

95 Point 6

Founded 1993. Privately owned. MD David Tulett. Packaging (35%),

corporate identity (15%), corporate literature (20%), events (5%),

web (15%), advertising (10%). Clients include Cannon Avent, BSkyB,

L'Oreal. www.point6.co.uk

96 TGV Design & Marketing

Founded 1984. Privately owned. MD Colin Beckenham. Packaging (10%),

corporate identity (15%), corporate literature (48%), events (15%),

web (12%). Clients include Octagon Developments, Lafarge Group,

Unicorn Group. www.tgvdesign.co.uk

97 HGV Design

Founded 1988. Privately owned. MD Pierre Vermeir. Corporate

identity (35%), corporate literature (65%). Clients include

Unilever, Esprit, Royal Mail. www.hgvfelton.com

98 Aqueduct

Founded 2002. Privately owned. MD Rob Oubridge. Corporate identity

(35%), corporate literature (40%), events (5%), web (20%). Clients

include MGM Home Entertainment, EBS, Churches Conservation Trust.

www.aque.co.uk

99 Taxi Studio

Founded 2002. Privately owned. Creative directors Spencer Buck,

Ryan Wills. Packaging (35%), corporate identity (20%), corporate

literature (45%). Clients include Clarks International, Somerfield,

First Group. www.taxistudio.co.uk

100 Minima Design

Founded 1990. Privately owned. MD AJ Stockman. Products (100%).

Clients include David S Smith, Sound Foresight, Miniflex.

www.minima.co.uk

*Companies House financial data provided by Willott Kingston Smith on

agencies affected by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act

TOP 5 FOR GROWTH - BIG AGENCIES

Agency Fee income Fee income Change

2003(pounds) 2002(pounds) (%)

1 The Chase 2,010,000 1,310,000 53

2 FPP 5,002,000 3,414,000 47

3 Parker Williams Design 2,167,000 1,621,000 34

4 Blue Marlin 5,850,000 4,420,000 32

5 Communique 360 2,161,058 1,650,000 31

TOP 5 FOR GROWTH - SMALL AGENCIES

Agency Fee income Fee income Change

2003(pounds) 2002(pounds) (%)

1 Bite 760,000 400,000 90

2 Creative Leap 1,414,000 749,230 89

3 Glazer 1,600,000 855,000 87

4 Boxer Design Consultants 1,121,000 630,000 78

5 Shelton Fleming 1,141,222 647,029 76