Meet The Shortlist: Agency Of The Year

This year’s Agency of the Year category sees six agencies from a variety of backgrounds, sizes and specialisms selected by the expert steering committee.

Reflecting the variety of offerings available across the sport industry and beyond, Agency of the Year is open to any agency with a significant focus and body of work in sport.

In addition to a review by the steering committee and main Judging Panel, the prestigious category also features an additional full day of judging, with a specialist Agency of the Year judging group hitting the road to experience the atmosphere and culture of each shortlisted agency first-hand, in their own office environment.

The official shortlist features: CAA Sports, Ear to the Ground, M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment, Seven League, Two Circles and Wasserman. Meet them below: 

CAA Sports

Creative Artists Agency (CAA) is one of the world’s biggest sport and entertainment agencies, with CAA Sports UK leading the agency’s international expansion – working with some of the world’s best athletes, properties and brands. Dele Alli, Formula 1 and Nico Rosberg joined its roster in 2017, which already includes the likes of Red Bull Racing, FC Barcelona and Cristiano Ronaldo, and also brokered new deals including Amazon’s partnership with City Football Group, Allianz’s Drone Racing League title sponsorship, and David Beckham and Tudor Watches.

“Being shortlisted is recognition of the convergence of our business results, consistent work, and investment into the professional and personal development of the next generation of talent at CAA,” said creative director Sam Feasey. “Our strong recruitment in the last 12 months is helping create real momentum and grow our offering, to highlight to our clients and our team in London that it’s an exciting time to be working at, and with, CAA Sports.

“It’s always a nervous morning waiting for the shortlist to be announced. This year felt particularly special for everyone, for so many reasons. We never take them for granted. The competition is getting stronger every year, so to be shortlisted for Agency of the Year, two years in row, is recognition of the achievements by our rapidly growing, young team.”

Ear to the Ground

Ear to the Ground enjoyed a phenomenal 2017, reporting 60% revenue growth driven by its specialist Fan Intelligence offering. The agency carved a new position in sports marketing, providing clients with valuable and collaborative ways to connect with sport and music fans. During this time the agency welcomed a number of new clients including Beats by Dre, npower, MBNA, England Golf and Canterbury.

Managing director Richard Adelsberg, said: “Fan Intelligence puts our clients firmly at the heart of fan culture. Having officially taken the model to market in 2017, it’s incredible to receive this level of recognition from the industry already.

“Our determination to disrupt drives us to create great work for clients who show the ambition to see what can be really achieved when sport and wider culture crossover. The shortlist not only gives us a platform to shout about this, but gives us an opportunity to help tackle some of the bigger challenges that the industry faces at the moment.”

M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment

M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment described 2017 as one of those years where ‘everything just clicked’. The agency delivered 54% growth across their five biggest clients, won 12 new clients and delivered the ‘Cricket has no boundaries’ campaign for NatWest, resulting in their 14th year of consecutive double digit profit growth.

But it wasn’t all work, work, work. The agency has always placed an importance on physical fitness but this year they included mental fitness with the creation of Re:MIND – their own mental health initiative.

Global CEO Steve Martin explained: “Every year we have to evolve and re-invent ourselves to keep meeting our client’s needs and our growth over the past year demonstrates that we’re managing to do that successfully. Adding Los Angeles, Johannesburg and Cape Town to our network this year has been a massive achievement, especially when you look at how far we have come since 2004 when we started in London.”

“Everyone is waiting by the post room from 8am hoping something arrives,” added Martin, about shortlist announcement day. “It’s so hard to get shortlisted because the competition is heating up the whole time.”

Seven League

Seven League is a digital agency that helps sport properties grow and engage with audiences, increase commercial value and champion innovation.

In the last year, the agency expanded from 14 to 25 full-time staff, with Lewis Wiltshire, former editor of BBC Sport website and Twitter’s global head of sport, also joining the team. Seven League’s revenue grew 74%, while its football footprint continues to grow, covering clients FC Barcelona, Juventus, Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, Leicester City and Newcastle Utd, as well as rights holders such as UEFA. 

“We’ve matured from a consultancy into a hybrid of consultancy and agency,” explained founder and CEO, Richard Ayres. “We deliver the content and marketing as well as advising on it. We work with the world’s biggest and some of the world’s smallest brands. We deliver commercial value not just digital geekery.”

“Big smiles all round,” added Ayers, on the news of the shortlist back in February.  “The gift of an inflatable unicorn which we’ve subsequently taken to LA, Berlin and Monaco, as well as England Netball’s staff conference, and Lord’s. If you’re not following sportunicorn on Instagram, you’re missing out!”

Two Circles

In 2017, the data-driven agency experienced further record growth, with revenue up 81%, all long-term clients renewed and 22 new clients acquired. In support, the team continues to expand at a rate faster than any point in its six-year history, with 71 new Two Circlers joining, as well as the launch of the industry’s first graduate scheme.

“Two Circlers are a proud bunch and it is great to be recognised for our work and approach,” said chairman Matt Rogan. “Whilst we don’t come to work every day just for this recognition, it is great acknowledgement of the progress we have made.

“Last year on the night of the BT Sport Industry Awards we had 65 people in a pub in Marylebone (and four in the States) following our clients’ successes – and happily our own – as the winners were announced. That’s the best way of summing up what these Awards mean to all Two Circlers!”

Wasserman

Wasserman is a talent, partnerships and activation agency that delivers within sport and entertainment to create value for its clients. From signing a wealth of new talent to delivering campaigns for brands and properties, 2017 was a successful year for the agency.

Wasserman’s Lenah Ueltzen-Gabell explained: “In 2017 we won 16 new clients, grew revenues by 24.5%, and continued to deliver standout, global campaigns for some of the world’s leading brands, properties and talent. But this would be nothing without all of the hard work we’ve put into aligning and integrating all aspects of our business together, helping us to punch above our weight against some of the larger players in our space.

“2017 was the first year in our new home, and it’s our proudest achievement. By aligning our talent management and marketing services divisions under one roof, we have been able to create better, more collaborative work for our clients.”

Check out the full shortlist for the BT Sport Industry Awards here.

The BT Sport Industry Awards are the largest commercial sports awards in the world, taking place at Battersea Evolution in London, on Thursday 26th April 2018.

Bringing together sports stars, celebrities, senior decision makers, influencers and global media, the industry’s most anticipated night of the year celebrates the very best work from across the sector. The famous trophies are awarded on-stage in front of a sell-out crowd of 1,700 guests at the star-studded event, held annually in London.

The Awards are now SOLD OUT. For more information on the event click here, and follow @SportIndustry #BTSIA.