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12 new-client wins and innovative technology initiatives give this midsize agency an edge
When it came time for the staff of Adweek's IQ to put together our annual special report spotlighting best interactive agencies, the hardest part was selecting a single agency as the best of 2001. In past reports, we profiled a handful of i-shops-amazingly, sometimes as many as 10 of themand highlighted each one's business, creative and technological achievements. This year, it was decided that only one interactive agency would be chosen for recognition.
At first blush, that assignment might seem a bit easier these days, given the fact that the interactive agency playing field has thinned considerably since the go-go days of the dot-com bubble. Many i-shops that were once dead center on our radar screen have either shifted business focus, were consolidated or have simply evaporated into the ether.
However, despite having fewer players to consider in 2001, the challenges of choosing the best interactive agency were the same as they were when this special report began in 1995. What kinds of companies are considered interactive agencies? What kinds of initiatives count as interactive advertising? As interactive marketing? After all, unlike traditional agencies, which create advertising for recognized, established mediums such as TV and print, i-shops are frequently required to develop a wide variety of established (banner ads) and yet-tobe established (emerging technology) advertising and marketing programs across multiple interactive platforms. Assessing a broad array of interactive campaigns created in various formats by agencies with varying business structures is a bit like comparing different kinds of architectural styles and building methods. A difficult task, indeed.
Among the factors we used to determine our best interactive agency were: The i-shop's level of creative excellence, both from a visual design and technology standpoint; the company's financial successes, including new business wins and existing clients retained; the stability of the i-shop's core management team; and the group's innovative use and development of interactive technologies.
We also felt our choice should raise the bar for what it means to be an interactive agency. Once the "wow factor" had passed, does the creative work push the boundaries of interactive design and interaction? Do the client wins represent lasting relationships? Is there a clearly articulated mission...