Magpie
Magpie is a Leeds-based creative communications agency that designs and delivers evidence-based behaviour change campaigns for UK NHS bodies, local authorities, government departments, and charities, combining applied behavioural science, creative production, and community co-production.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersLeeds, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Magpie does
Magpie Creative Communications Limited is a Leeds-based, founder-led creative communications agency founded in 2009, operating as a private limited company with 11-50 employees. The firm specialises in behaviour-change campaigns that combine applied behavioural science, creative production, and community co-production to serve NHS trusts, integrated care systems, cancer alliances, local authorities, combined authorities, government departments, and purpose-led charities across the United Kingdom. Its core services span campaign strategy and creative development, behavioural science and insight (including research, evaluation, behavioural diagnosis via the COM-B model, and the proprietary '6 for Gold' framework), community co-design, multi-channel digital activation, filmmaking and animation, web development, and branding and campaign toolkits.
The agency's underlying methodology is anchored in evidence-based behaviour change frameworks rather than traditional advertising creative, distinguishing it from generic UK creative shops. It applies AI-mediated tooling (Copy.ai, Adobe Generative Fill, Adobe Podcast Enhance) for content generation, video optimisation, sentiment analysis, and predictive analytics around intervention design, all under human oversight. Its technical stack is service-delivery oriented: a small, named team of specialists including a PhD-level behavioural scientist (Dr Julie Van de Vyver), a Creative Director, a Senior Digital Strategist, and a Senior Behavioural Strategist. Magpie holds no patents and discloses no proprietary software product; its deliverables are campaigns, toolkits, and consultancy outputs rather than licensed technology.
Magpie's business model is professional services, with revenue generated through project-based and retainer engagements commissioned via public-sector procurement and direct outreach to charity clients. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, and the firm has not raised external capital. Geographic reach is UK-wide, with disclosed campaigns spanning Yorkshire and Humber, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and South Cumbria, Hull, Bradford District and Craven, Hertfordshire, Leeds, London, and South East London. The company maintains WCAG 2.1 Level AA accessibility conformance on its digital properties and pursues recognition through industry awards including the Smiley Charity Film Awards, Prolific North Champions Awards, and The Wow Company Top 25 Most Admired Agencies list.
Magpie firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Magpie
- Legal name
- Magpie Creative Communications Limited
- Website
- https://wearemagpie.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Magpie is a Leeds-based creative communications agency that designs and delivers evidence-based behaviour change campaigns for UK NHS bodies, local authorities, government departments, and charities, combining applied behavioural science, creative production, and community co-production.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Magpie industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Creative Communications and Behaviour Change Agency Services
- NAICS
- Public Relations Agencies (541820), Advertising Agencies (54181), Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services (5418)
- SIC
- Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cause/Sustainability & Purpose-Driven Creative Agencies (MPAAAAAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Reputation Management & Online PR (BPAFADAN), Social Media & Community Management (PR-led) (BPAFADAM)
Keywords
Where Magpie is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Leeds
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Magpie business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Creative Services and Campaign Delivery: Magpie generates revenue through providing professional creative communications services, behavioral science consulting, campaign development, and community engagement services to public sector and charity clients. Revenue appears to be project-based and retainer-based, with clients commissioning campaigns through procurement processes.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Magpie product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Magpie is a creative behaviour change agency that designs and delivers evidence-based communications campaigns for public sector, NHS, charitable, and government clients. Their work combines applied behavioural science, creative communications production, and community co-production to influence public behaviour across health, harm reduction, sustainability, and learning impact areas. Campaigns are commissioned through procurement processes and delivered via multi-channel digital, film, web, and out-of-home activations.
Product overview
Magpie is an award-winning creative behaviour change agency based in Leeds that combines three core disciplines: behavioural science and insight, creative communications, and community collaboration. The agency operates as a unified service offering rather than a modular software platform. Their core services include campaign development, digital activation, filmmaking and animation, web development, and training consultancy, delivered across multiple campaign projects focused on public health, social good, and behaviour change. Their work spans health & wellbeing, harm reduction & safety, sustainable futures, and learning & opportunity impact areas.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Creative Communications Specialist campaign strategy and creative development service delivering accessible, evidence-informed campaigns using simplicity, logic, and empathy for changemakers in the public sector, charity, and government spaces.
- Behavioural Science and Insight Applied behavioural science consultancy providing research, evaluation, behavioural diagnosis using the COM-B model, logic models, training, and consultancy for organisations seeking evidence-based behaviour change.
- Community Collaboration Co-production service working alongside communities for co-planning, co-design, co-delivery, and co-evaluation, designed to give real power to people and surface unheard voices in campaign design.
Quantifiable outcome
- Epilepsy Action campaign: 1.84 million impressions, 4x click targets, 70% lower cost-per-click than benchmark, 1 million new people reached
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Magpie
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Magpie technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability8 records
Feature3 records
Magpie partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor, supporting and core.
- Magpie Line (UK)minorMagpie Line in the UK is listed as a partner in the Richard Scarry licensing expansion managed by Art Ask Agency. This appears to be a product licensing partnership for branded merchandise, distinct from the creative agency's main business.
- Press RecordsupportingVideo production studio that developed hard-hitting campaign films for the Chapter One gambling harm prevention campaign. Worked with Magpie to optimize video content for digital advertising.
- Learning CommonscoreLearning Commons partnered with Magpie Literacy to build shared infrastructure including a Knowledge Graph that maps academic standards to learning science. Magpie's involvement suggests broader educational behavior change capabilities beyond their public sector focus.
- Lester Film CosupportingVideo production studio that partnered with Magpie to produce campaign films for the Epilepsy Action 'If I Told You' campaign, bringing emotional storytelling to life on screen.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Magpie competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Ogilvy UK: Global creative network with a strong public sector and health behavior change practice. Comparable in serving NHS/government behavior change briefs, but as part of a much wider portfolio of commercial work.
- M&C Saatchi: Large global creative agency network with public sector and behavior change practices. Comparable in creative campaign execution for government and health clients but operates at significantly larger scale with broader portfolio.
Direct peers
- Forster Communications: UK-based PR and communications agency focused on social purpose, public sector and charity clients. Directly comparable to Magpie in client verticals (NHS, government, charities), behavior change orientation, and creative campaign approach.
- Whitehouse Communications: UK public affairs and communications agency with public sector focus. Comparable in serving government and public-sector clients with communications campaigns, though more public affairs/PR than behavior change creative.
- Reason Digital: UK digital creative agency focused on social good, charity and public sector clients. Directly comparable in mission, client verticals, and digital-first campaign approach for behavior and behavior change outcomes.
- Diva Creative: UK creative agency specializing in behavior change, social marketing and health campaigns for public sector clients. Highly comparable offering: combines creative communications with behavioral insight for NHS, local authority and charity audiences.
- Cowry Consulting: UK behavior change communications consultancy applying behavioral science to social marketing and public health campaigns. Comparable in behavioral science methodology and public-sector behavior change remit.
- The Behavioural Insights Team: Applied behavioral science organization working with governments and public services globally. Comparable to Magpie's behavioral science practice and public-sector behavior change work, though more consultancy/research-led than creative execution.
Regional players
- Threepipe Communications: London-based integrated communications and creative agency. Comparable in offering creative campaigns and digital activation, though serves a more commercial client base rather than Magpie's public-sector/social-good niche.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks1 record
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Magpie social profiles
Digital presenceMagpie compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Magpie financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Magpie leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Magpie funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Magpie M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Magpie
What does Magpie do?
Magpie is a creative behaviour change agency that designs and delivers evidence-based communications campaigns for public sector, NHS, charitable, and government clients. Their work combines applied behavioural science, creative communications production, and community co-production to influence public behaviour across health, harm reduction, sustainability, and learning impact areas. Campaigns are commissioned through procurement processes and delivered via multi-channel digital, film, web, and out-of-home activations.
Is Magpie a public or private company?
Magpie is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Magpie founded?
Magpie was founded in 2009. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Magpie based?
Magpie is headquartered in Leeds, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Magpie make money?
One revenue line is on record: creative Services and Campaign Delivery.
Who are Magpie's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Ogilvy UK and M&C Saatchi. Direct peers are Forster Communications, Whitehouse Communications, Reason Digital, Diva Creative, Cowry Consulting and The Behavioural Insights Team. Threepipe Communications is listed as a regional player.
Does Magpie have an API?
No public API is recorded for Magpie.
What industry is Magpie in?
Magpie's product category is Creative Communications and Behaviour Change Agency Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAAAAAL, Cause/Sustainability & Purpose-Driven Creative Agencies, with a secondary code of BPAFADAN, Reputation Management & Online PR. Its NAICS code is 541820 and its SIC code is 7311.