Once again this year, the German Digital Economy Association (BVDW) has recognized Germany’s leading agencies in its Internet Agency Ranking—and SUNZINET is once again among the top performers. In the latest 2026 Internet Agency Ranking, we’ve climbed to 28th place among Germany’s largest digital agencies—another step forward after ranking 29th last year and 33rd the year before.

At first glance, that might sound like a small step. But this year, it isn’t. Because anyone who looks at market trends knows: our industry is undergoing massive change right now—and gaining another spot in this very environment says more than any percentage figure.

From the leap in 2025 to the step in 2026 

Last year, the headline of our ranking was: Growth Against the Trend. Despite an overall declining market, we grew by 3.1 percent in 2024, moved up from 33rd to 29th place, and made it into the top 30 of Germany’s largest internet agencies for the first time.

Last year’s message: Clear positioning, technological expertise, and operational clout trump sheer size.

Twelve months later, we have no reason to retract that message. On the contrary: it has become even more relevant. The market has become tougher, the rules of the game are changing faster, and the demands placed on agencies today are different from those in 2024.

What's Behind 28th Place: A Look at the Market

The results of the 2026 Internet Agency Ranking paint a clear picture of the German digital economy:

• The ten largest digital agencies now account for 57 percent of the industry’s total fee revenue. In 2023, this share stood at 43.5 percent.

• The mid-tier agencies—ranks 11 through 50—are losing ground at a noticeable rate. Its market share has fallen from 42.2 to 33.7 percent.

   

• The industry reported combined fee revenue of around 2.377 billion euros for 2025. Growth has effectively come to a standstill.

• Staff is being cut. AI is establishing itself as a value driver—while simultaneously challenging existing business models.

   

• In other words: The gap is widening. Those without a clear position will be crushed. Those with substance will win.

It is precisely in this environment that we have climbed to 28th place. Not because we are the biggest, but because we have understood what our clients need today—and what they will need tomorrow.

Growth against the trend

While the industry as a whole is under pressure, we were once again able to achieve positive growth in 2025. We’ve acquired new clients, expanded our teams, and further developed our offerings.

Our responses to shifts in the market:

1. AI is transforming value creation. Not as a buzzword, but as a real shift in who delivers what and how efficiently. Our clients don’t need a provider who writes “AI” on every slide. They need a partner who integrates AI into functioning revenue systems and delivers real value.

2. Decision-making cycles are getting longer, and expectations for business impact are rising. Marketing budgets are under pressure to justify themselves. Any agency that can’t explain how a specific initiative contributes to the pipeline, revenue, or customer lifetime value is out of the game. That is why our focus on integrated value creation across marketing, sales, and service is more relevant today than ever.

3. Consolidation is accelerating. Mid-sized agencies are disappearing, being acquired, or losing strategic relevance. Anyone working with an agency today should ask themselves: Will this partner still exist in 18 months? Does it have a sustainable business model? 

What this means for our clients

In fast-changing markets, companies need partners who won’t falter themselves. For us, this means, quite simply:

• Reliability in uncertain times: We are owner-managed and deliver consistently.

• Focus on impact, not volume: We invest strategically in what matters most to our clients.

• Future-oriented with substance: We use AI and technology not as buzzwords, but as real levers for better results.

• End-to-end thinking: We combine strategy, technology, and data into systems that drive operational results.

Our stance on rankings: unchanged

As was the case last year, our approach remains the same:

• We only participate in rankings that are transparent and relevant.

• We only share rankings if they offer added value to our clients.

• We use rankings as an opportunity for reflection—not for self-congratulation.

Ranking 28th is therefore not an end in itself. It confirms that our approach is working, even—and especially—in a market that has become more competitive. But the true measure of success lies elsewhere: in our clients’ pipelines. In their operational efficiency gains. In their resilience to market changes.

Because their success is our success. That’s not just a slogan. It’s our business model.

After the ranking is before the ranking

Our roadmap for the next twelve months is clear:

• AI as an integral part of our delivery, not as an add-on.

• Delivery Excellence: ensuring that complex digital projects don’t get stuck in the pilot phase but are successfully transitioned into production.

• We focus on sustainable customer relationships because true value isn’t created during the pitch, but through joint development over the years.

• Selected partnerships: We strategically partner with technology, platform, and strategy partners who truly expand our offerings.

• The team: We invest heavily in AI development and training—an investment that always pays off.
  
  

Conclusion

The ranking underscores what we already stated last year, only with greater emphasis: Size alone is no longer the deciding factor. What is needed is clear positioning, technological expertise, integrated value creation, and strong operational effectiveness. The fact that we are on the right track is demonstrated not only by our ranking but, above all, by the substance behind it: growth in a shrinking market, a clear strategic direction, and a team that delivers.

A big thank you to our customers for their trust, to our partners for their collaboration, and to the entire SUNZI team. Your dedication, your ideas, and your courage to embrace change make this success possible.

We are proud of our 28th-place ranking. Not because we’ve moved up, but because we’ve gotten better. For our customers. For our team. For the future.

And every year, the ranking comes around. See you again in 2027.