The top four digital agencies in the North all hail from Yorkshire

The study debunks the view that Manchester is the North’s most developed digital hub.

Digital marketing agency Stickeyes topped the Prolific North Top 50 Digital Agencies 2014, followed by two fellow Leeds agencies, Epiphany and Twenty Six Digital, with Hull’s Summit Media in fourth.

The leading Manchester agency was Code Computerlove, with another Yorkshire agency, Search Laboratory, in sixth.

The top 10 was completed by Manchester’s Lakestar McCann (seventh), Liverpool’s Rippleffect (eighth), Leeds’s Fuse8/delete (ninth) and Warrington-based Latitude (tenth).

Financial data from a total of 140 digital agencies across the North was used to compile the table, using information provided both from financial reporting company fame BVD and representatives of the agencies themselves.

Craig Chalmers founded Stickyeyes in 1997.

Turnover is expected to be north of £15m this year with gross margin up to £7m.

He said: “It is extremely pleasing to see the strength of the digital industry in Yorkshire, and Leeds in particular, reflected by this report and it is a strong endorsement for the quality of talent within the region.

“With the top 10 being dominated by Yorkshire agencies, perhaps Google should consider moving their northern offices away from Manchester and come across the Pennines to Leeds?!”

Tom Howard, chief financial officer at Stickyeyes, said the company’s mantra is “working with big brands with big budgets”.

“It’s all about blue-chip customers. We are growing with our existing clients but also with new and international customers.”

Mustard Research carried out the survey for Prolific North, the independent publishing house.

Nick Jaspan, publisher of Prolific North, said: “This is a stunning result for the Yorkshire digital sector, demonstrating not only how strong the region is but the degree to which it is perhaps underestimated as a centre for successful digital businesses.”

He said Manchester is going from strength to strength as a digital city, but now has a very formidable rival in Leeds.