IT Service Providers

The Reference

Digital agency offering strategy, web, commerce, data and marketing services, with a Sitecore practice

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TrustList summary

The Reference is a digital agency founded in 1993 in Belgium, with an office in New York City. Its website now presents the agency as Empathy Lab, by EPAM, under the same team. The agency works across strategy, web and commerce, data, marketing technology and branding for international clients.

Services

Digital strategy and roadmaps: plans for digital change and the order in which to build.
Digital platforms and applications: web and mobile builds, plus API development and integrations.
Commerce: commerce platforms, including composable commerce.
Data and analytics: dashboards, reporting and business intelligence.
Marketing and CRM: online marketing, CRM, marketing automation and analytics.
Sitecore projects: web platform work on Sitecore, which the agency has used since 2006.

Who it works with

International brands. The listing names clients including Ikea, Carglass and Santander, and the website cites recent work for DPG Media and Vandersanden.

Key facts

Founded: 1993
Based in: Belgium and New York City
Team: 170 multidisciplinary experts
Sitecore: three Sitecore MVPs and 40 or more active Sitecore customers

Summary written by TrustList from the business's own published information, Oct 2026.

Categories & features

The Reference rankings

The Reference is ranked on 1 TrustList ranking at #7.

Every ranking orders its listings by their reviews, how complete the profile is and the Trust Score. The Reference has no reviews yet and 3 of the 10 profile details we look for. Where no listing on a page has been reviewed, the order follows the profiles alone.

It service provider · 1 ranking

#7of 88
Belgium
It is the only one of the top 69 here listing sitecore and umbraco.
Its profile: “The Reference is a digital agency founded in 1993 in Belgium, with an office in New York City.”
Of the top 69 here, 60 also cover IT services and 58 also cover web development; 3 also work in Italy and 2 also work in Czech Republic.
Behind Fincons Group, ahead of Synapsis-Group.

As of 2026-11-14. Organic ranks only; sponsored placements are never ranks. How TrustList ranks