How to estimate video marketing agencies market size in England from ONS data

What to take away

Why is there no single official figure?

The ONS publishes GDP for the whole economy, not for video marketing as a standalone trade. Its GDP monthly estimate gives the national output context, including the service sectors where agencies sit.

Agencies are spread across advertising (SIC 73.11), film and video production (SIC 59.11), and business services classifications. No published series isolates them. Anyone quoting one precise number is guessing at the boundaries.

Two analysts working from the same release can land far apart, simply because one counts freelance editors and the other does not. The gap is usually a definition problem rather than a data problem.

So the honest approach is to build a transparent estimate. State which activities you include, which year you are measuring, and where your data comes from.

What counts as a video marketing agency?

A video production company typically shoots, edits and delivers footage. A video marketing agency usually adds strategy, distribution and measurement.

For sizing, decide whether you count only firms where video is the main service, or every agency offering it. The first gives a smaller, cleaner market. The second a larger figure with more overlap.

Sole traders complicate the count. A freelance editor with three retained clients is trading, yet many registers and surveys miss that work. The same market can look very different depending on your source.

Geography matters too. England has separate data from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in several official series. The ONS regional GVA data uses international territorial level 1 (ITL1) geographies; England is the sum of its nine ITL1 regions, so add those and exclude the other three nations.

Which ONS sources and classifications do you need?

How do you build the estimate?

Start with total output for the relevant service sectors from the ONS Annual Business Survey, using UK SIC 2007 codes 59.11 and 73.11. Then apply a share that reflects video's portion of that activity, based on your own client or invoice evidence.

For example, a team paying £400 a month for retained video content represents £4,800 a year from one client. Multiply that by a defensible client count and you have a bottom-up cross-check.

Government guidance, including the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) sector definitions, helps define which activities and regulations apply before you draw the boundary. The media and communications sector page is one starting point.

Cross-check the top-down share against something countable: your own enquiry log, your client list, or the volume of paid video briefs you handled last year.

Document each assumption. For example, a £12 million to £18 million range with the method shown is more useful than a false decimal.

Which demand signals support the number?

Skills spending is one proxy. The Chartered Institute of Marketing runs social media and content marketing training that reflects employer demand for these capabilities.

Job adverts mentioning video editing, motion graphics or paid social are a faster monthly read, and they tend to move before budget surveys do.

Recruitment volumes, brief enquiries and platform advertising spend usually move with the same cycle. If your estimate rises while every signal falls, revisit the assumptions.

Our review of demand signals in England sets out which indicators to track month by month.

Before and after: refining a rough estimate

How should you update the estimate?

Rebuild the estimate each year when the ONS publishes the latest Annual Business Survey and regional GVA data. Use the new turnover figures for the same SIC codes and re-run your share calculation, updating your client budgets as they shift.

Keep a version history. When the new ABS data lands, note which SIC codes moved and whether your client mix changed. That way you can explain the movement rather than just publishing a new number.

If you are comparing agencies or planning spend, the wider market guide for 2027 explains how the England picture fits together.

Common questions

Is there an official market size for video marketing agencies in England?

No. The ONS publishes economy-wide output data, not a video marketing breakdown. Any England figure is an estimate built from published data plus stated assumptions.

Should I use revenue or client numbers?

Revenue is the standard measure and is easier to compare with national accounts. Client numbers work well as a bottom-up cross-check on your top-down total.

How often should the estimate be updated?

Once a year, when the latest GDP release lands. Revisit sooner if client budgets or platform spending move sharply.

Which SIC codes should I use?

Use 59.11 for motion picture, video and television programme production activities and 73.11 for advertising agencies. Add 59.12 for post-production and 73.12 for media representation if they fit your definition.

Where do I find the turnover figures?

The ONS Annual Business Survey publishes turnover by UK SIC 2007 code. Use the latest release and extract the figures for your chosen codes.

How do I isolate England?

Use the ONS regional GVA data by international territorial level 1 (ITL1). England is the sum of its nine ITL1 regions, so add those and exclude Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

What is the role of the Business Register and Employment Survey?

BRES gives employment and business counts by industry and region. It helps you check how many firms are actually trading in England and supports the bottom-up cross-check.

Do I need DCMS sector definitions?

They are useful for drawing a consistent boundary. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport publishes definitions for the creative industries, including film, TV, video, radio and photography.