What Code Computerlove does

Code Computerlove (trading as 'Code') is a Manchester-based digital agency founded in 1999 that delivers end-to-end customer experience, design, technology, and innovation services to large enterprises and select non-profits in the United Kingdom. The firm is structured around seven service pillars — Experience (product, service, and content design plus user research), Brand, Digital Strategy, Software Engineering, Innovation (including AI services), Organisational Change, and Performance (Conversion Rate Optimisation and analytics) — delivered by cross-disciplinary teams organised into Design, Performance, Engineering, and Delivery communities. Its technology practice centres on modern headless and MACH-compliant architectures, with implementation expertise across Contentful, Storyblok, Hygraph, and DatoCMS, cloud platforms (AWS, Azure), Test Driven Development, and high automation levels; proprietary assets include a Studio Manifesto methodology, an Atomic Design Library used to enable client self-sufficiency, and a 'Navigating Success in Service Design' survey conducted with Censuswide.

The agency's client base is heavily concentrated in UK FTSE-grade and consumer-facing enterprises, including the BBC (one of seven global agency partners, 25+ years), Asda, Hillarys (20+ years, grew from £60m to £300m), Center Parcs, Bentley, Bupa, the Crown Estate, Manchester Airport Group, Oxfam, and JCT600, with case studies showing measurable commercial outcomes (e.g., 21% monthly revenue increase for Asda, £2.6m additional first-year revenue for Hillarys, 1:31 ROI for High Street Vouchers). Pricing is project-based and custom-scoped, delivered through multi-year retained and project engagements, with no public rate cards and no self-service channels. The firm was acquired by EssenceMediacom North in 2019 and now operates as a WPP Media Brand within the WPP/GroupM ecosystem, with its headquarters at WPP Campus in Manchester.

The operating model is enterprise field sales with direct new business outreach and WPP/GroupM referral distribution, supported by content-led marketing (blog, case studies, commissioned research, WPP Campus events) and a Great Place to Work-certified culture recognised with a 2022 UK Best Workplace in Tech award. Headcount sits in the 101–250 range; revenue is not publicly disclosed. The company maintains dual-sector exposure (commercial and non-profit) and a multi-vertical industry footprint spanning retail, travel & leisure, automotive, healthcare, financial services, real estate, and government.

Name

Code Computerlove

Legal name

Code Computerlove Ltd

Website

https://codecomputerlove.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Code Computerlove is a Manchester-based digital agency delivering end-to-end customer experience, design, technology, and innovation services to UK enterprises and non-profits. Acquired by WPP's EssenceMediacom North in 2019, it serves clients including BBC, Asda, and Hillarys.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital Experience and Design Services

NAICS

Custom Computer Programming Services (541511), Computer Systems Design Services (541512)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370), Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)

akta.pro primary industry

Customer Experience (CX) & Digital Experience (BPAHAEAC)

Keywords

• Digital experience design
• Software engineering services
• Conversion rate optimisation
• Brand strategy consulting
• Customer experience agency

Headquarters

HQ city

Manchester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Services - CX and Design Consulting: Fees for customer experience consulting, brand strategy, digital strategy, product design, service design, content design, and user research services delivered through cross-disciplinary teams.
2. Technology and Engineering Services: Fees for software engineering, technical due diligence, headless CMS implementation (Contentful, Storyblok, Hygraph, DatoCMS), cloud hosting (AWS/Azure), and DevOps services.
3. Innovation and Organisational Change Services: Fees for technology innovation consulting, design sprints, AI services, organisational change programmes, and fractional leadership consultancy.
4. Conversion Rate Optimisation Services: Fees for CRO services including GA4 audits, A/B testing, user journey mapping, analytics implementation, and performance optimisation programmes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Code Computerlove is a CX, Innovation and AI agency that delivers end-to-end digital services spanning experience design (product, service, content, and user research), strategy, brand, software engineering, conversion rate optimisation, organisational change, and AI consultancy. The agency works with enterprise clients to design, build, and continuously improve digital products and platforms using human-centred design and modern engineering practices. Engagements are delivered on a project or retained basis, with services typically bundled into multi-disciplinary programmes of work.

Product overview

Code Computerlove (trading as Code) is a CX, Innovation and AI agency offering end-to-end design and technology services. The agency operates as a unified portfolio of service offerings rather than a single product with modules. Core service pillars include Experience (Product Design, Service Design, Content Design, User Research), Strategy (Digital Strategy, Fractional Leadership, Customer Experience), Brand (Brand Strategy, Brand Expression, Brand Experience), Technology (Software Engineering, Technical Due Diligence, Headless CMS Development including Contentful, Storyblok, Hygraph, and DatoCMS, SEO), Innovation (Technology Innovation, Design Sprints, AI), Organisational Change, and Performance (Conversion Rate Optimisation, Analytics & GA4). The agency emphasises human-centred design, modern engineering practices (including Test Driven Development), and iterative delivery approaches. Founded in 1999, Code is part of WPP's EssenceMediacom North and GroupM media investment group. Key differentiators include 25 years of heritage, Google CRO Partner certification, and Great Place to Work recognition.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Experience Services End-to-end product, service, content, and user research design services that help enterprise clients launch new digital products or solve specific customer experience challenges through specialist design teams.
• Strategy Services Digital strategy engagements that define and deliver against business objectives across products, platforms, customer experience, and service processes, including research-based product strategy, roadmapping, and ROI modelling.
• Brand Services Brand strategy, expression, and experience services that define, refine, and align brand vision; craft visual identities; and deliver distinctive brand experiences for enterprise clients.
• Software Engineering Builds modern, scalable digital platforms with Test Driven Development and high levels of automation, using headless CMS and cloud-native (AWS, Azure) architectures.
• Innovation Services Technology innovation consulting, design sprints, and AI services that help clients understand changing customer behaviours, generate breakthrough ideas, and identify valuable opportunities.
• Conversion Rate Optimisation (CRO) Data-led CRO programmes including GA4 audits, A/B testing, user journey mapping, analytics implementation, and performance optimisation, delivered as a certified Google CRO Partner.
• Organisational Change Services Workshops and long-term programmes that help organisations upskill people, organise teams, embed new routines, and evolve culture to support digital and customer-centric transformation.
• Artificial Intelligence (AI) Services AI consulting and implementation services supporting customer experience, innovation, and operational use cases as part of the agency's CX, Innovation and AI agency positioning.
• Digital Strategy Day-zero workshops, design sprints, service design, north-star strategy, and measurement frameworks that translate business objectives into a research-based product strategy and roadmap.
• Technical Due Diligence Expert reviews of technical landscapes that benchmark platforms against industry best practice and assess maturity, risks, and improvement areas for clients and investors.
• Contentful Headless CMS Development Specialist implementation and ongoing development services for clients building on the Contentful headless content platform.
• Storyblok Headless CMS Development Specialist implementation and ongoing development services for clients building on the Storyblok headless content platform.
• Hygraph Headless CMS Development Specialist implementation and ongoing development services for clients building on the Hygraph headless content platform.
• DatoCMS Headless CMS Development Specialist implementation and ongoing development services for clients building on the DatoCMS headless content platform.
• SEO Services Search engine optimisation services integrated into digital strategy and platform delivery, supporting organic acquisition and on-site performance.
• Analytics and GA4 Services Web analytics services including GA4 audits, setup, and ongoing performance tracking to underpin CRO and digital strategy engagements.
• Fractional Leadership Provides access to discipline leaders across Sales, Operations, Design, Delivery, Change, and Technology on a fractional basis to help client teams drive growth and tackle specific challenges.
• Design Sprints Accelerated 1–2 week design sprints that surface the biggest opportunities, align teams, and produce client-tested prototypes to de-risk subsequent delivery.
• Product Design UX/UI product design services that build client-facing design capability and deliver products faster and more effectively.
• Service Design Human-centred service design that improves end-to-end services across multiple touchpoints, taking into account end users alongside organisational people, technology, and processes.
• Content Design Strategic content design and creation services that improve user experience and the effectiveness of communication across digital products.
• User Research Quantitative and qualitative user research that generates actionable insights and identifies the most valuable problems to solve for client product teams.

Quantifiable outcome

• Hillarys grew from £60m to £300m revenue over 20+ year partnership
• +11 more outcomes

Named customers22 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• WPPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent company through EssenceMediacom North acquisition. Code operates as a WPP Media Brand at WPP Campus Manchester. Part of WPP's media investment group, GroupM. WPP relationship enables access to global network resources and cross-network client collaboration.
• BBCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCode is one of only seven global agency partners for the BBC. This prestigious partnership spans 25 years and involves ongoing digital and design services for one of the world's most recognised broadcasters.
• EssenceMediacom NorthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcquired Code Computerlove following two decades of independent success. Together, EssenceMediacom North and Code help brands create breakthrough growth across the whole customer journey. EssenceMediacom North expertise spans customer experience, communications, media, insights, AI, and cutting-edge technology.
• GroupMcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWPP's media investment group that houses EssenceMediacom North, and therefore Code. Provides global media investment infrastructure and network relationships.
• Project50minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic marketing consultancy that partnered with Appreciate Group (High Street Vouchers) to brief Code on CRO and merchandising optimisation work. Collaborative three-party engagement model.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Dept Agency: Global digital agency offering end-to-end services spanning experience, engineering, brand, and performance marketing. Comparable to Code in multi-disciplinary end-to-end CX delivery and modern engineering practices.
• TH_NK (The Narrative): Manchester-based digital agency delivering CX, brand, and technology services to enterprise clients. Highly comparable geographically and operationally, sharing Code's Manchester base and similar client profile.
• ustwo: London-based digital product studio offering product design, engineering, and innovation services to enterprise clients. Directly comparable to Code in its human-centred design heritage, product/engineering blend, and enterprise CX focus.
• Manifest: London-based digital agency delivering CX, design, and engineering services with strong enterprise and retail focus. Comparable to Code in offering and in client overlap across UK enterprise accounts.
• Nixon Design: UK digital agency delivering CX, design, and technology services to enterprise clients. Comparable as a direct UK-headquartered competitor offering overlapping brand, experience, and engineering capabilities.

Broad incumbents

• AKQA: Global design and innovation agency within WPP competitor networks, delivering brand, experience, and technology services. Comparable as an enterprise-focused CX and digital experience agency at greater scale.
• Capgemini Invent: Global consultancy delivering digital transformation, innovation, and customer experience services. Competes for large enterprise mandates that overlap with Code's CX and innovation offering.
• Accenture Song: Global consultancy's creative/experience arm delivering large-scale CX transformation, design, and engineering. Competes with Code for enterprise transformation RFPs at the upper end of deal size.
• Deloitte Digital: Big Four consultancy's digital arm delivering integrated CX, design, and engineering programmes. Overlaps with Code on enterprise digital transformation engagements and headless CMS implementations.
• IBM iX (IBM Consulting Experience Design): Global consultancy's experience design arm delivering large-scale CX transformation and engineering. Competes for the same enterprise digital mandates that Code targets, especially in regulated industries.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/computerlovers
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/code-computerlove

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Code Computerlove