Direct Social Communications
The content of this factsheet is in Dutch.
Direct Social Communications, opgericht in 1985, is een data-, crm- & martechbureau uit Anderlecht. Er werken ongeveer 36 mensen, uitgedrukt in voltijdse equivalenten. Het aanbod bestrijkt crm & marketing automation, creatie & reclame, data & analytics en social media. Namen die publiek aan dit bureau gelinkt worden: Mercy Ships, GAIA en Vlaams Oogfonds.
How this agency makes money
Revenue, margin and what an hour of work brings in. Everything on the earning side sits together here.
Can the agency take a hit
Buffer, cash position and payment behaviour side by side, so you can see where they disagree.
Signals and strengths
Events from the CBE and the Official Gazette over the past 24 months, plus positive markers derived from the figures.
Continuity
Points to ask about- Late filing · 31 Aug 2026 · NBBThe annual accounts were filed after the statutory deadline. Over a third of the sector does this, usually because of the accountant's calendar. Rarely a story in itself.
- Board change · 6 Jul 2026 · StaatsbladAppointments or resignations on the board. Routine during growth, succession or a new partner. Ask about it when several changes follow each other closely.
- Loss-making year · 31 Dec 2025 · NBBOne financial year closed at a loss. The size is not shown here: it can be a few thousand euros, a one-off settlement, or a deliberate investment. Ask the agency what was behind it.
- Late filing · 30 Aug 2025 · NBBThe annual accounts were filed after the statutory deadline. Over a third of the sector does this, usually because of the accountant's calendar. Rarely a story in itself.
What this agency does well
- Strong buffer: 26,6 months of payroll in equity
- Stable team (no meaningful FTE loss)
- Value-added per euro of payroll above the sector median (1,14)
- Healthy working capital (current ratio 2,22)
All the figures
Reference material, not a starting point. Expand it if you want to read the series yourself.
5 financial years, 2021 to 2025Result, staff and balance sheet
| 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | |||||
| Gross margin | € 4,57 mln | € 4,57 mln0% | € 3,81 mln-16,6% | € 3,81 mln-0,2% | € 2,68 mln-29,6% |
| EBITDA | € 2,89 mln | € 1,56 mln | € 530.228 | € 656.566 | € 448.303 |
| EBITDA margin | 63,3% | 34,2% | 13,9% | 17,2% | 16,7% |
| Staff | |||||
| FTE | 33,4 | 37,3+11,7% | 36,1-3,2% | 36,10% | 35,9-0,6% |
| Gross margin per FTE | € 136.860 | € 122.553 | € 105.601 | € 105.436 | € 74.593 |
| Payroll cost per FTE | € 70.955 | € 75.726 | € 91.226 | € 81.617 | € 89.647 |
| Balance sheet | |||||
| Equity | € 6,43 mln | € 7,23 mln | € 7,21 mln | € 7,22 mln | € 7,13 mln |
| Cash | € 709.071 | € 546.864 | € 386.275 | € 285.334 | € 431.129 |
| Liquidity ratio | 2,38 | 2,78 | 2,64 | 2,31 | 2,22 |
Payroll cost per FTE comes from the social report where available, otherwise from the Remuneration line. Both are gross costs including employer contributions.
What this factsheet does not know
- How good the work is. Figures do not measure creativity, strategy or chemistry.
- How the client portfolio is spread. Concentration is not in the accounts.
- Freelancers and subcontractors are not in the FTE figures. An agency with 40 staff may in practice run with 70 people.
- The figures cover financial year 2025, filed on 31/08/2026. At a fast-moving agency reality today may differ.
Based on publicly filed annual accounts (NBB) and official records (CBE, Belgian Official Gazette). An indication, not financial advice. Sector medians calculated on 2 Nov 2026. Sector medians based on financial year 2025: the last year for which nearly all accounts have been filed.
What the agency actually does 11 services
Sector focus
Non-profit en goede doelen (uitsluitend). Enige Belgische bureau volledig gespecialiseerd in fondsenwerving; eigen CRM-platform (Fundflow op Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud).
From our own research. The agency hasn't listed its sectors yet.
Publicly known clients
Based on IKAg research and public sources. Incomplete or outdated? Let us know.
People 40 people mapped
This team is built around client service: 15 of 40 are account & project. Within that core, Klantbeheer, Relatiebeheer and Projectleiding stand out. The titles skew top-heavy: lots of seniority, few juniors — you're mostly buying experience. One strategist on board — enough to hold the direction, not to fill meetings.
Based on public profiles. Something wrong? Let us know.
Seniors or juniors?
Payroll cost per FTE is the best public proxy for a team's experience level. Higher is not automatically better, but it says something about who sits at the table.
- 59% women
- 41% men
Will your team stay?
Inflow and outflow from the social report. This series only counts people on the payroll: freelancers who invoice do not appear in it. A low figure therefore means two very different things, a stable permanent team or a small core with heavy outsourcing. A high figure usually points to short contracts. Compare only within the same type of agency.
Source: annual accounts and social reports (NBB), collected by IKAg. Financial year 2025. Calculations by IKAg; an indication, not financial advice. Sector medians based on financial year 2025: the last year for which nearly all accounts have been filed.
Frequently asked questions about Direct Social Communications
- When was Direct Social Communications founded?
- In 1985.
- Where is Direct Social Communications located?
- In Anderlecht, Belgium.
- What is Direct Social Communications specialised in?
- Campaign concepts & big ideas, Campaign execution, Performance creative & DCO, Organic social content, Social strategy & platform mix, Mobile apps & PWAs.
- How big is Direct Social Communications?
- Around 36 full-time equivalents (financial year 2025).
- Which sectors does Direct Social Communications work for?
- Public sector & non-profit.
- Who are the clients of Direct Social Communications?
- Among others Mercy Ships, GAIA, Vlaams Oogfonds.
Figures from the annual accounts up to financial year 2025. Company details checked against the CBE register on 2026-10-21.