AGENCY OF THE YEAR
Aurora Media Worldwide
Aurora Media Worldwide is a fully integrated content agency, specialising in the development and production of live, premium global sports events, as well as original and innovative post-produced content.
Fifty Digital
Fifty Digital is a multi-award winning digital and social media agency in sponsorship and sport.
Working with brands, teams, rights holders and governing bodies, Fifty Digital uses best-in-class social media, content, AI and data-driven insight to reach, engage and monetise audiences whilst delivering value and return for clients.
Started by two ex-Mercedes Formula One Team executives in a Soho coffee shop five years ago, Fifty Digital now has 65 employees working with the likes of: FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, The FA, Qatar Airways, The Fédération Internationale de Volleyball, Chelsea FC, The British & Irish Lions, Ferrari Formula One Team and World Athletics.
Fifty Digital has helped shape the sporting social media landscape during the global pandemic and what sport and social looks like in a post-COVID world.
InCrowd
InCrowd is a fan marketing company working in sport exclusively. Operating since November 2015 InCrowd works with major rights holders in football, rugby league, rugby union, cricket, basketball, snooker and motorsport.
Over the last year, InCrowd has experienced rapid growth as sports organisations really kicked their digital transformations into high gear. 2020 was a challenging year for everyone; but many in the industry decided to batten down the hatches. We did the opposite and focussed on investing in our products and services. We knew the industry was going to need digital tools to survive and thrive throughout and beyond the pandemic. We researched, analysed and developed our product offering across website, app and data whilst also expanding our professional services, growing as a business due to the appetite for the truly end-to-end solution we offer the sports industry.
Little Dot Studios
Specialising in creating meaningful connections between premium content and digital audiences, Little Dot Studios are dedicated to realising potential in every sporting moment. Our specialist sports agency collaborates with the world’s biggest sports federations, clubs, and broadcasters, to create, distribute and amplify content. Our partners include Formula E, The FA, ECB and Juventus.
We use audience and algorithmic behaviours to inform content strategies for cross-channel distribution. Our specialisms include the production of original, digital-first content, supported with paid amplification, and the continual gathering of data-informed insights to refine and iterate our approach.
One recent success involved working with Formula E during one of the most challenging times for events. In lieu of real-world motorsport, we directed drivers to self-shoot content and were integral to launching a 6-week eSports series, Race at Home.
When racing returned, our client staged over half a season’s racing in just nine days, during which we created 8,000 pieces of social content and produced 12 short documentaries, each turned around overnight and recut for TV. Despite a reduced race calendar, video views increased from 867m to 875m with engagements rising by 10% season-on-season. By the end, social followers stood at 3.1m – 13% up YoY.
Soapbox London
Soapbox London are reinventing personal communications for elite athletes, offering a specialised communications mix to develop, protect and manage profile in an age where there’s never been more media scrutiny and it’s never been harder to cut through the noise.
Through a bespoke combination of pro-active traditional PR, social media management and creative content production, Soapbox London aims to build authentic personal brands, connect sport and popular culture and create household names, helping their clients meet their professional and commercial objectives.
Stadion
Stadion is a team of creators – Designers, strategists and engineers, passionate about creating beautiful digital experiences for clients in the world of sport.
We create digital products and use them as the foundation for shaping bespoke, cutting-edge experiences for global sports entities – powering everything from websites and apps to voice interactions and beyond.
Our focus is on helping clubs grow through the use of digital media – Commercial growth through sponsor and fan revenue, International growth through multi-language and geo-targeted experiences, and Content growth by creating tools to publish any type of contnet on any platform.
Our client partners include Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain, Rangers FC, Harlequins, FIFA and Team GB.
WePlay
WePlay was founded as the first performance-based sports marketing agency for the digital age. Our approach is entirely focused on delivering outcomes over outputs. Our team of 40 “Players” from across the UK, Europe and the USA combine capabilities in strategic and commercially-focused consultancy, content marketing, digital content production, and performance media buying – to grow brands, their audiences, and their revenue streams.
We are a multi-award winning agency of sports specialists and digital experts, partnering with sporting organisations looking to achieve high-growth performance.
Despite the significant disruption to the sports industry in 2020, we focused on finding opportunity within the adversity. After being heavily impacted by the pandemic, we developed a new model, focusing on five core pillars of sustainable business growth for our clients. This approach transformed our business and our value proposition for sports organisations.
We went from losing 40% of our revenue and having to furlough members of staff, to pivoting our business model, reporting a year of record financial performance, and achieving 100% annual workforce growth.
2020 marked our best year yet on record, with the foundations laid for even further growth in 2021.
