FiftyFive5 named global consultancy of the year in marketing land

Australian consultancy Fiftyfive5 has been named ‘Global Consultancy of the Year’ – not in the world of management consulting, but in its home land of marketing and advertising.

Now in their fourth year, the Global Agency of the Year Awards by industry publication Campaign places the spotlight on the most creative and commercially successful firms serving the marketing, advertising and media communities.

Judged by global and regional chief marketing officers, with the process audited by PwC, the Awards announces winners in 30+ company categories, with Fiftyfive5coming out on top as the top performer in the Consultancy category, ahead of Half Rhino (Singapore) and Manifest Group (United Kingdom).

Sydney-headquartered Fiftyfive5 is a market research and insights consultancy with around 215 staff across six offices in four countries. The firm was snapped up by global consulting and technology giant Accenture late 2022 and is part of the Accenture Song division (formerly Accenture Interactive).

According to Campaign’s jury report, Fiftyfive5 stood out for its “incredibly strong commercial result”, having booked its twelfth consecutive year of revenue growth since its inception twelve years ago.

Over the past two years, the firm doubled in size, with Fiftyfive5 taking the opportunities offered by post-Covid-19 remote working to push beyond Australia; in 2022, the company worked across 45 countries.

The jury also praised the consultancy’s strong ethos around quality, experience and leadership.

Notably, the firm’s workforce is 60% female, including 13 of the 22-strong leadership team. 60% of employees were born outside Australia with people from 16 different nationalities and 28 languages spoken.

Commenting on the recognition, Fiftyfive5 managing partner Mark Sundquist said: “For Fiftyfive5, winning this recognition is testimony to our great people, the quality of their work and the impact this has had on our clients, in driving both organisational and societal outcomes.

Darren Kemp, partner at FiftyFive5, added: “To win Global Consultancy of the Year is brilliant recognition firstly for our team and the strategic consultancy skills they provide. Whilst our roots are planted firmly in market research, we go beyond research to deliver consumer-centric strategies and implications for our clients. Thanks also has to go to our clients, many of whom have worked with us since our inception.”