A Creative Capital
You don’t have to spend long in our capital city to feel the buzz on the streets. London is currently going through a real creative surge. Figures from the Greater London Authority show that one in six jobs in the capital are in the creative industries and, even more impressively, that £10 million is generated every hour by London’s creative community.
At the heart of this cauldron of creativity and energy are London’s Creative Agencies.
Creative Agencies work with organisations to build brands, create strong marketing strategies, and sprinkle around a bit of that fairy dust that turns a brand from zero to hero.
How Do I Pick a Good Agency?
The simple answer is that it is all about the team. The more complicated answer is that it is really all about the team.
Good creative agencies should be a one-stop shop for both creating a vision for a brand and bringing it to life. Depending on your brand and the audience you are looking to reach, the team who can make all of this happen for you could include creative strategists, digital specialists, videographers, copywriters, graphic and motion designers, data analysts and maybe even transcreators.
Getting the balance right for your brand and making sure you have the right pool of talent to draw on is essential to achieving the results your brand deserves.
That isn’t exactly ground-breaking news. We all know that you should look for a team with the skills that you need. But, at Social Chameleon, we’d push it one stage further and say you should look for a team with the skills and the values that align with the direction you want your brand to take.
Why Do Values Matter?
Values matter because audiences can spot inauthenticity a mile off.
If a Creative Agency doesn’t chime with your brand, understand the key drivers and speak the language of your audience then it just isn’t going to work. It’s a bit like dating, if the chemistry isn’t right then you might as well call for the taxi home right now.
And, just like dating, getting a clear picture of the values the other person / agency really holds can be tough. So, if you are in the market for a creative agency it is important to put the work into checking out their former clients, looking at who is on the team and where their skills lie and, when you’ve got your shortlist together, meeting with them for that all important chemistry test.
So, Which of London’s Creative Agency is Right for Me?
We’ve put in the leg work for you to discover which creative agencies who are really punching at the moment, and which ones might work for your brand.
Social Chameleon
Star Performer
If you need an agency with creativity written into its bones, Social Chameleon is going to be the right choice for you. Social Chameleon understand the power of brands and, essentially in this modern, marketing environment, understand how to communicate brands online. Our expert analytic leads and marketers are backed up by researchers and audience analysts, giving us the skills to make sure that your audience connects with your brand. Our brilliant teams can then set about bringing your brand to life through jaw-dropping content and targeted campaigns designed to reach into specific markets.
Social Chameleon is also a social media agency that is genuinely at home on the socials. We are immersed in the culture and language of all the social platforms, which lends the content and messages we create authenticity and real power.
Social Chameleon is a creative agency that can develop and communicate your business and help you to realise the value of your brand fully.
Reaching the Young and Fabulous
NERDS Collective
If your campaign needs to reach the young and stylish, choose your creative agency with care. This audience is unforgiving of errors in language, tone, or look. You have one chance to get it right, so use it well!
This Youth Marketing Agency was founded to connect brands with street culture. They use a mixture of big data and cultural intelligence to help brands to connect with the trickiest audience of all. On the team they are packed with analysists and data specialists and they run a research panel of over 20,000 or 16-25 year olds from all over the world. Their list of clients includes big names such as Adidas, Lacoste, Puma and Chivas.
Livity
At 21 years old, Livity is older than many of the people it specialises in reaching. This youth-focussed agency claims that clients come to them to earn their place in youth culture. A big claim that they can back up with a client list packed with covetable brands like Nike, Netflix, Playstation and Depop. Livity’s strategists, youth knowledge experts and creatives are kept on top of the trends by the Livity Network, an ever-growing list of creative and influential under-30s who apply to collaborate with Livity and support their clients.
Rocket
Rocket specialises in marketing to children, young people and families. Their impressive team features strategists, designers, copywriters, film-makers, producers so they really are a one-stop shop for reaching this consumer group. Their ‘Family Collective’ features 400 UK families who are actively creating shareable content for Rocket’s clients. Their client list includes kids’ favourites like Disney, Cbeebies, Lego and Peppa Pig.
Reaching the Fashionably Creative
ANCC Studio
Luxury has its own language, both visually and in copywriting-terms. This is one market where those in the know definitely know who is really part of their world and who is just faking it.
ANCC is a Creative Agency specialising in fashion and luxury. They are all about building a consistent story for the brands they take on, aiming to connect up fashion, art and commerce, and make sure that each launch gets the attention it deserves. Their client list features some of the most desirable and desired brands on the planet, including Stella McCartney, Nanushka, Cos and JW Anderson.
Hudson Wright Easton
This agency is all about aspiration. They work with their clients to create brand strategies and brand identities that are the ultimate in desirability. At the heart of everything are beautiful, iconic images and films which scream luxury. As you’d expect, their team has huge expertise in design and real knowledge of how to make products emblematic of prestigious lifestyles. Their client list boasts star players like Harrods, Waldorf Astoria, Lodha and The Ritz.
Grain Creative
Grain claim to really know what makes brands work. They specialise in getting brands ready for launch with expertise around naming and building identity for new players on the luxury market. Their team is design-heavy and features big-hitters with loads of experience in creating a visual identity that exudes desirability. Grain’s client list features the Catwalk Club, Petit Tribe and jewellery brands Savage & Rose, and Devotion.
Creating Big Splashes
Create London
If you need an event that will create a real impression and get consumers talking about your brand you may need a Creative Production / Experiential Marketing agency. These agencies specialise in live events and brand activations and aim to put on a show that will show that your brand is the real deal.
This event production agency specialises in live brand activations which capture attention and drive conversations. They work with brands to create experiences which feel authentic to that brand’s values. Create London’s technical expertise is key to their success. Their ‘Tech Shop’ department is dedicated to advancing the interactive-event technology which will make live events unforgettable. Clients include Coca Cola, Gucci-Cosmos, ASOS and Virgin-Voyages.
Backlash
This agency prides itself on making experiential marketing available for all brands, whether or not they have a ‘big agency’ budget. The team work with brands to build a creative concept and then use their design and production skills to create a live event that showcases the brand and elevates it in the minds of consumers. They have particular expertise in creating retail experiences and Pop-Up shops. Clients include L’Oreal, Beauty Pie, Nespresso and Rituals.
Hyperactive
Hyperactive describes itself as a ‘next gen experiential agency’. It works with brands to create the kind of moments that social media thrives on and which will also cement key brand-attributes into the public consciousness. The team here are multi-talented, including strategists, designers and project managers but they put real importance on the team’s cultural connections. Hyperactive have created events announcing Anthony Joshua’s partnership with Beats by Dre and launched Tag Heuer as the timing partner of the Premier League, among many others.
Staying Tech Focused
Innovation is essential for tech companies. They are always working to create new products, refine what they have and push ahead of the competition. The trouble is that lots of that innovation is tough to explain to consumers. Agencies who can explain why software is brilliant or why a new product is worth the investment can be game-changers for tech brands.
Together
Together’s mission is to bring tech companies and their customers closer together. It is an unusual full-service company because on top of the essential brand and website work, their team boasts specialists who can help companies to design the digital products that they will then market to consumers. Their client list is a really interesting mix of start-ups and global players including Unit, Amazon Web Services and Accel.
Dusted
Dusted pride themselves on their ability to get to grips with a tech brand’s core offer and then to translate that into something that customers can understand. Their team have strong tech backgrounds as well as data and marketing expertise. Dusted’s specialism is in helping companies to carve out a coherent identity and bringing out the real, emotional values that lie behind the functionality. Clients include Leathwaite, Verbatim and Mahindra.
Cremarc
This B2B agency is exclusively focused on the tech sector. They aim to work at the same pace as their tech clients, finding everything on good data and constant innovation. B2B requires a tight focus and, because the numbers are so much smaller than marketing to consumers, you really need to make every click count. Cremarc’s team have the tech expertise to understand complex technologies and they use that knowledge to help brands create lasting resonance in the market. Their clients include Quantum AI, NAK and Advanced Dynamics.
Picking Your Agency
A strong brand is, perhaps, the greatest asset a business can possess. Hopefully our guide to London’s fantastic Creative Agencies has shown the impact the right agency might have for your business and helped you to discover the right agency for your business.
If you are looking for a Creative Agency with a social media focus and an award-winning track record we hope that you talk to Social Chameleon about your goals.
