The Drum

What The Drum does

The Drum, operated by Carnyx Group Ltd (a private limited company incorporated in Scotland, UK), is a B2B media platform serving the marketing, advertising, digital, and media industries. Founded in the mid-1980s to mid-2000s depending on source, The Drum operates from Glasgow, UK and positions itself as a leading global publisher for the marketing and media sectors. The core product is thedrum.com, a daily news and analysis publication covering marketing, advertising, media, creative, technology, and commerce topics, supplemented by The Drum TV video content, a daily newsletter, podcast, and live coverage of industry events such as Cannes Lions.

The company's product portfolio spans editorial publishing, premium subscriptions (The Drum+ with Essential and Pro tiers), industry awards programs (Marketing, Digital Experience, Commerce Media, B2B, and Honors), agency membership and discovery (The Drum Recommends with Base and Advanced bundles), video content (The Drum TV), and AI-powered search (Ask The Drum). Revenue is generated across five streams: recurring subscriptions, advertising, agency membership fees, awards entry fees and sponsorship, and event ticket sales and venue hire. Customer segments include marketing and advertising professionals, agencies and creative companies, B2B marketers, and academia. Enterprise-tier subscribers and partners include Diageo, McCann, Meta, Ogilvy, Publicis, Salesforce, Sky, Saatchi & Saatchi, Adobe, Google, and X.

Name

The Drum

Legal name

Carnyx Group Ltd

Website

https://thedrum.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Drum is a B2B media platform serving the global marketing, advertising, and media industries with daily editorial coverage, premium subscription intelligence, industry awards, agency discovery, video content, and event programming.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

B2B Marketing Media

NAICS

Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (51621)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Podcast Networks & Studio Platforms (MPAIADAC)

Keywords

• B2B marketing media
• Advertising industry news
• Marketing awards programs
• Creative agency rankings
• Marketing intelligence reports

Headquarters

HQ city

Glasgow

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Subscription Revenue (The Drum+): Premium subscription service providing exclusive editorial content, industry reports, World Creative Rankings access, and AI-powered search tools. Offered in Essential and Pro tiers.
2. Membership Revenue (The Drum Recommends): Agency membership program with Base and Advanced bundle options, offering company profile pages, validation status, and editorial opportunities.
3. Advertising Revenue: Display advertising on thedrum.com website targeting marketing and advertising industry professionals.
4. Awards Programs: Entry fees and sponsorship from The Drum Awards programs including The Drum Awards for Marketing, Digital Experience, Commerce Media, and B2B.
5. Events: B2B World Fest and other industry events including venue hire and ticket sales.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Drum operates a global B2B media platform for the marketing, advertising, digital, and media industries, publishing daily editorial coverage, video, and industry analysis through its website, newsletter, and social channels. It monetizes this audience through The Drum+ premium subscription, multiple awards programs (The Drum Awards for Marketing, Digital Experience, Commerce Media, B2B), agency membership via The Drum Recommends, BrandRanx Super Bowl ad rankings in partnership with X, and The Drum Network for senior agency and brand leaders.

Product overview

The Drum is a B2B marketing industry publication operated by Carnyx Group Ltd, offering a comprehensive portfolio of products and services for the marketing and media industries. The core offerings include the main publication (thedrum.com) providing daily news and analysis, The Drum+ premium subscription offering exclusive editorial and AI-powered tools like Ask The Drum, The Drum Awards programs celebrating industry excellence across multiple categories, The Drum Recommends agency membership for client discovery, The Drum TV video content platform, and the BrandRanx partnership with X for real-time Super Bowl ad analytics. Additional services include Focus Weeks editorial deep-dives, a Business Intelligence Center with industry reports, and The Drum Network membership for agency leaders. The portfolio spans digital publishing, awards, research, AI-powered tools, and professional networking.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Drum Global B2B publication delivering daily editorial coverage of the marketing, advertising, digital, and media industries to enterprise brands, agencies, and marketing professionals, distributed via website, newsletter, social channels, and video.
• The Drum+

Quantifiable outcome

• The Drum Awards for Digital Experience 2025 announced winners across 25+ categories during live broadcast from London studios
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• X (formerly Twitter)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 6 February 2026The Drum partnered with social media platform X to launch BrandRanx, a live, data-driven ranking that tracks Super Bowl advertisements in real time. The service, led by X CMO Angela Zepeda, provides second-by-second analytics on ad performance as the event unfolds.
• GooglecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 June 2025Google partnered with The Drum on The Responsible Marketing Hub, a content series exploring privacy-led marketing, measurement best practices, and AI applications in advertising. The partnership includes sponsored content like Google's Measurement Awards coverage.
• AdobecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 June 2025Adobe partners with The Drum on the 'Future of Creativity' documentary series, featuring interviews with industry leaders like Via's Chief Creative Officer Matt O'Rourke on microdramas and emerging advertising formats. The partnership produces editorial content exploring creativity and technology in marketing.
• IABminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Drum references IAB research including the State of Data 2025 report on AI governance adoption in advertising industry. IAB provides industry benchmark data cited in The Drum's editorial coverage.
• KantarminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Drum cites Kantar's 2026 data on generative AI perception gaps between marketers and consumers, as well as Kantar's 2023 Media Trends & Predictions report in its Business Intelligence Center.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Adweek: US-based B2B media brand covering advertising, marketing, and media with events and awards. Closest direct peer to The Drum's editorial + events + awards model, with a stronger US footprint and larger enterprise sales team.
• Digiday: B2B media company covering digital media, marketing, and the agency-business model with newsletters, events (Digiday Awards), and research. Directly comparable to The Drum's subscription-driven, niche-vertical news + events business.
• Campaign (Campaign Asia / Campaign US): Global B2B title for the advertising and communications industry under Haymarket, with regional editions and awards programs (Campaign Awards). Directly competes with The Drum's agency and brand audience in the UK and globally.
• MediaPost: US B2B media portfolio covering media, marketing, and advertising via daily publications, conferences, and awards. Closely comparable operating model and target buyer to The Drum's trade-news-plus-events stack.
• PRWeek: Global B2B publication covering the public relations and communications industry with awards (PRWeek Awards) and events. Adjacent trade-media peer with the same recurring-revenue mix of subscriptions, events, and awards.
• Insider Intelligence (eMarketer): Subscription research and media outlet covering digital marketing, advertising, and ecommerce. Comparable B2B intelligence model to The Drum's Business Intelligence Center, with deeper research-led monetization.

Regional players

• Marketing Week: UK-based B2B marketing publication owned by Haymarket, covering marketing strategy and the agency sector. Overlaps significantly with The Drum's UK editorial coverage and awards heritage, though primarily serves UK marketers.

Emerging players

• Marketing Brew: Daily marketing and advertising newsletter from Industry Dive. Competes with The Drum's editorial newsletter on share-of-attention for marketing executives, particularly in the US.
• The Media Leader: UK B2B title covering media agencies, media owners, and the media-buying ecosystem. Increasingly overlaps with The Drum's coverage and audience in the UK media-trade beat.

Broad incumbents

• Business Insider (Insider): Large generalist business and media publisher with a substantial marketing/advertising vertical (Insider's agency and CMO coverage). Sets the ceiling on scale and content breadth that trade-focused peers like The Drum must compete against.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/thedrum
• YouTubeyoutube.com/thedrum
• Facebookfacebook.com/thedrumpage
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/thedrum
• Instagraminstagram.com/thedrum

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Drum