Advertising and market research (SIC division 73)
Division 73 of the UK SIC 2007 list. It holds 3 codes, listed in full below with the number of active UK companies filed under each.
What sits in division 73
One code dominates here: 73110, the advertising agencies code. UK founders use it for everything, from full-service creative shops to freelance media buyers and social media specialists. Code 73120 covers media representation, which is selling advertising space and time on behalf of the owner. Code 73200 marks market research and polling firms. In practice 73110 overlaps a lot with marketing consultancies registered under 70229. So a list built on 73110 catches firms that call themselves agencies, not the whole marketing sector.
Agencies are among the most sold-to companies on the public record. SaaS vendors offer them project management, reporting and creative tools. Freelance platforms and production studios pitch white-label capacity. Recruiters trade in scarce creative and paid media talent. A new incorporation usually means an account director has gone independent with a client or two. Headcount growth or a rebrand suggests new retainers. Agencies also need their own pipeline, so they buy lead data themselves.
How to read a division 73 code
A UK SIC code is five digits and division 73 is the first two of them. Everything filed under 73 shares those digits: all 3 codes below begin 73, then the third digit narrows to a group, the fourth to a class and the fifth to the subclass a company actually picks. Division 73 sits inside section M, professional, scientific and technical activities, which is the broadest tier of the classification. So a code is read left to right, from an industry down to a specific activity.
More on how division 73 codes are built
Companies choose their own codes at incorporation and can change them on any confirmation statement, and Companies House does not check the answer. A company may list up to four. That is worth knowing before you treat any division total as a headcount: the numbers here are what companies said about themselves, on the August 2026 register, and the largest single code in this division is 73110, advertising agencies.
Working division 73 as a list
Division 73 holds 3 codes and 70,942 active companies between them. One code carries most of it: 73110 accounts for 73 per cent on its own, and the other 2 codes account for the rest. Filtering by the whole division is therefore close to filtering by 73110 with a tail attached, so start from the code and widen only if the list runs dry.
More on working division 73
A caveat that matters more in some divisions than others: a company may register up to four SIC codes, and the figures below count every position, not just the first. A business filed under two codes in this division appears under both. Treat the totals as reach rather than a headcount, and if you need a clean list, filter to companies whose FIRST code sits in the division. Every company you pull carries the Companies House record, the director's name, a verified website and a verified email, and the ones we cannot complete are not charged.
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Division 73 questions
Should a marketing consultant register 73110 or 70229?
Code 73110 suits businesses that create and place advertising. Strategy-led marketing advice fits 70229 in the consultancy division. Companies House checks neither choice. Plenty of firms sit on the line and simply register both. A company can hold up to 4 SIC codes and adjust them whenever it files a confirmation statement (CS01).
Can I add a market research code alongside my agency code?
Yes. Each company may declare up to 4 SIC codes. An agency that also runs research projects can list 73200 next to 73110. Add or swap codes on the next confirmation statement. There is no fee beyond the statement itself, and no approval step. Holding both codes also helps buyers find you when they search either category.
Find companies across division 73
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