Barnsley based firm HMA Digital Marketing has been placed within Prolific North’s top 50 list of digital agencies in the North of England, having competed alongside 140 other agencies.

The Prolific North Top 50 Digital Agencies 2014 is the definitive listing of the North’s largest digital agencies spanning SEO and PPC, web, content, mobile and e-commerce.  Unlike many other agency rankings, the Prolific North listing is completely independent, based on information taken from Companies House.

The study was carried out by Prolific North in collaboration with Mustard Research, an independent research company, and financial reporting company fame BVD. Accounts of over 140 digital agencies were reviewed and weighted according to key variables including balance sheet/shareholder funds, turnover, growth and headcount and whittled down to reflect the top 50 agencies of the North.

Rob Hill, Managing Director said: “We are extremely pleased to be placed in the Prolific North Top 50 Digital Agencies 2014 list and our inclusion demonstrates the success and growth we have had within the last year”.

Rob said a combination of increased business from current clients and client gains had led to the rapid growth and their expansion has been supported by the Enterprising Barnsley programme, which targets high growth businesses in the borough, as well as the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills-supported Growth Accelerator programme.

“In 2012 we set ourselves the target of doubling in size within three years, whilst maintaining profitability, and so far we are on course to do that, growing from 12 to 20 people in just one year. Digital marketing has become much more complex and we need a greater breadth of skills to deliver the same high quality to the client.” New recruits to deliver these skills include a Head of Design, Senior Marketing Manager and Senior Web Developer.

The company was established in 1996 to supply services in what was then “new media”. Early clients of the company, which has offices on Sackville Street in the town centre, included Network Rail, who still work with HMA today. Other clients include multinational technology business 3M, commercial property management company MEPC and the University of Sheffield.

Picture top right: (from left) Manoj Livera, Developer and Rob Hill, Managing Director of HMA Digital Marketing in Barnsley. Picture: Courtesy of www.enterprisingbarnsley.co.uk