We Are Social
We Are Social is a technology company.
We Are Social is a technology company.
We Are Social is a global socially-led creative agency, not a technology company in the traditional sense of building software products or hardware. Founded in 2008, it specializes in social media marketing, influencer strategies, and creative campaigns that leverage digital behaviors and emerging technologies like AR, VR, mixed reality, chatbots, and voice recognition to drive client engagement.[1][2][3] With over 1,200 employees across offices in New York, London, Paris, Milan, Munich, Berlin, Singapore, Shanghai, Beijing, and Sydney, the agency serves forward-thinking brands such as adidas, McDonald’s, Netflix, Google, HSBC, and Audi, focusing on "social thinking" to create ideas worth talking about in online communities and subcultures.[2][3] It produces proprietary reports like the *Digital 2026 Global Overview*, analyzing internet, social media, and AI trends to inform client strategies, with projections such as 13.6% year-on-year growth in global social media ad spend.[4]
The agency emphasizes platform-agnostic creativity, including branded content, gaming campaigns, immersive experiences (e.g., McDonald’s anime-inspired dining or adidas Super Bowl activations), and influencer co-creation, positioning itself at the intersection of culture, social platforms, and innovation to deliver measurable business value.[1][2]
We Are Social was founded in 2008 in London, emerging during the early boom of social media platforms when brands were beginning to grasp their marketing potential beyond traditional advertising.[3] Key details on specific founders are not highlighted in available sources, but the agency quickly evolved from a social media specialist into a global creative powerhouse, expanding to over 700-1,200 employees and multiple international offices by focusing on "social thinking"—prioritizing human behaviors over platforms.[2][3]
Pivotal moments include building a global network for platform discovery and in-house R&D, such as prototyping AR/VR experiences and virtual worlds, which allowed it to stay ahead of trends like chatbots and mixed reality.[1] Its evolution reflects a shift from reactive social posts to proactive cultural storytelling, exemplified by annual *Global Digital Reports* (now advanced to align with client planning cycles, like the 2026 edition covering 6+ billion internet users and 1 billion monthly AI users).[4][5] Early traction came from working with major brands on regional and global projects, humanizing its growth through a culture of creative hack days and knowledge-sharing squads.[1]
We Are Social rides the explosive growth of social media as a cultural and economic force, where over 5 billion users (a "supermajority") drive trends, with 259 million new identities added yearly and social ad spend projected to rise 13.6%.[4] Timing is ideal amid accelerating digital adoption—6+ billion internet users, 1 billion monthly AI engagers, and revisions showing 1 billion online in India alone—fueling demand for agencies that decode behaviors in fragmented ecosystems.[4][5]
Market forces like platform evolution (e.g., TikTok virality, AI integration) and subculture marketing favor its model, as brands seek authentic engagement over broad ads.[2] It influences the ecosystem by publishing free, data-rich reports via DataReportal partnerships, shaping strategies on search, e-commerce, and news consumption, while its campaigns (e.g., Bose World Cup anthems) amplify how tech intersects with entertainment and sports.[2][4][5]
We Are Social is poised to deepen its role as a cultural translator for AI-augmented social experiences, capitalizing on trends like faster digital growth in Asia and immersive tech. Expect expanded R&D in AI-driven personalization and metaverse campaigns, with reports forecasting sustained ad spend surges and platform shifts.[1][4] Its global footprint and social thinking will evolve influence amid maturing ecosystems, potentially leading more "supermajority" innovations that make ideas worth talking about—echoing its mission since 2008 to put people at the heart of digital marketing.[2][3]