Edison Media ranked 12th in The Drum’s Indie 100

We’ve been ranked 12th in The Drum’s Indie 100, placing us among the highest ranked independent agencies globally.

The recognition also makes us the only Manchester agency to feature in the ranking and the only Northern agency inside the Top 20.

For us, it is a big moment. Since launching in 2019, we have grown from a small independent agency into a team of 24, working with brands and organisations across retail, education, leisure, sport and the public sector.

That growth has brought bigger clients, larger campaigns and some of the strongest work we have produced to date. Recent campaigns have included work for JD Sports, Manchester City, boohooMAN and Visit Blackpool, alongside a growing portfolio of education and public sector clients.

What makes this recognition particularly important is that we have achieved that growth while remaining completely independent.

There is no parent group or outside ownership behind Edison. Decisions are made by the people running the agency and delivering the work. That gives us the freedom to move quickly, challenge briefs, back ideas and stay close to our clients.

For us, that is what independence really means.

It means our clients have direct access to the people making decisions and delivering the work. There are fewer layers, fewer delays and less distance between the brief, the idea and the outcome.

If we think there is a better route, we can say it. If an opportunity appears, we can act on it. If something needs fixing, the people who can make that decision are already involved.

Nicola Orrell, Managing Director at Edison Media, said:

“We’re buzzing. Being included in the Indie 100 gives us a chance to stop for a minute and look at how far we’ve come.

“We have grown quickly, built a much bigger team, taken on larger clients and delivered work we are genuinely proud of, but we have never wanted growth to mean becoming slower, more corporate or further removed from the people we work with.

“Being recognised in the Indie 100 feels like proof that we have managed to grow while staying true to who we are.”

The ranking follows a strong period for the agency, with continued client growth, national and international award recognition and further expansion across media, digital, creative and content.

It also follows our recognition as one of the UK’s best workplaces, something that matters just as much to us as the work we produce.

We have always believed that growth only works if the culture, relationships and quality of the work grow with it.

That is why client approval matters so much to us too. Results are important, but so are communication, reliability, honesty and trust. We want clients to stay with us because they value the results we achieve, the work we create together and the relationship they have with the team.

Nicola added:

“When I started Edison in 2019, the ambition was never simply to build another media agency.

“I wanted to build an agency that could genuinely compete, challenge the traditional agency model, push the work further and, most importantly, deliver for its clients.

“To now be ranked 12th globally, while still being completely independent, is something I am incredibly proud of.”

The biggest credit goes to the team.

Every client win, campaign, idea, late night, problem solved and piece of work has contributed to getting us here.

Nicola said:

“The team turn up every day with ideas, ambition and a determination to keep pushing for more.

“They have built the agency we have today, and this is another achievement they should be incredibly proud of.

“It also belongs to our clients, who trust us with their brands, budgets and reputations and give us the opportunity to create the work that has put Edison on this stage.”

Being the only Manchester agency included in the ranking and the only Northern agency in the Top 20 makes the recognition feel even bigger.

We have come a long way since 2019. We are still independent. Still close to our clients. Still hands on with the work.

And now, 12th in The Drum’s Indie 100 and we are buzzing!