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Marketing or advertising agency companies in the Southampton area

252 marketing or advertising agency companies have a registered office in the Southampton area (SO postcodes), and 65 of them were formed in 2025 or 2026. In their latest accounts, the typical one held £16,228 in cash and owed £18,649 at year end.

Companies House register, 1 September 2026, and accounts filed in the last twelve months. Compared with the official category “Advertising agencies” (SIC 73110). Covers companies with a registered office in SO postcodes, including Southampton, Winchester, Eastleigh.

The numbers

Marketing or advertising agency companies in the Southampton area (SO postcodes) compared with the same category across the UK. Typical figures are medians.
MeasureSouthamptonUK
Registered companies25233,083
Formed in 2025 or 202665 (26%)33%
Being struck off or in liquidation18 (7.1%)9.2%
Typical cash at year end£16,22866 accounts£17,802
Typical amount owed at year end£18,649140 accounts£14,687
Typical number of employees1142 accounts1

What this means if you’re starting one

You can start without much equipment

The typical marketing or advertising agency company in the Southampton area (SO postcodes) carries £1,719 of equipment and other fixed assets after depreciation, lower than 94% of UK industries.

Most of the cost of entry is time and running costs rather than kit, so a small test is cheap.

Most of your competition will be other newcomers

26% of the 252 marketing or advertising agency companies in the Southampton area (SO postcodes) were formed in 2025–26, against 17% of all companies in the Southampton area (SO postcodes). Nationally, that share of new companies is higher than 92% of UK industries.

New rivals are arriving faster than in most trades, so your customers already have fresh options. Being new is not a difference on its own.

Most of these businesses are run by one or two people

The typical marketing or advertising agency company in the Southampton area (SO postcodes) reports 1 employee; the top quarter has 2 or more (142 filings).

You are mostly up against owner-operators. Your own hours are likely to be your biggest cost, and the easiest one to undercount.

Planning a business like this in Southampton?

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What these figures can’t tell you

Companies are counted where their registered office is, which may be an accountant or a home address rather than a shop. Sole traders and partnerships are not on the register, and electronically filed accounts cover roughly 60–75% of accounts filed each year. The figures describe companies that exist; they cannot prove demand for your idea or predict whether it will work. How the figures are built.

Marketing or advertising agency in other places

Other businesses in Southampton

All business benchmarks in Southampton