JANUARY, 2025
The Best Alcohol Marketing Agencies 2025
backed by the Forbes Global 2000 survey
This rating was updated on:
6th of May 2025
6th of May 2025
In an industry shaped by culture, regulation, and fierce competition, picking the right marketing partner isn’t optional — it’s existential. Whether you’re launching a challenger tequila or scaling a global whisky portfolio, your agency will shape more than just ads — it will shape how the world sees your brand.
Why This List Is Different
Most agency directories are filled with SEO-driven fluff, recycled reviews, and pay-to-rank placements. This list is built differently — for CMOs, founders, and brand leaders who need partners that can move fast, think boldly, and deliver real commercial impact.
To build this list, we went straight to the source:
We surveyed 112 executives, founders, and marketing leaders from the world’s top alcohol holdings and brands — including companies in the Forbes Global 2000. Their feedback shaped 75% of each agency’s score.
The remaining 25% came from 14 independently verified indicators, including awards (Cannes, Red Dot, Awwwards, see the full list below), published case studies with measurable brand impact, client quality, media recognition, and IP or proprietary platform development.
What emerged is not a popularity contest — it’s a shortlist of agencies that consistently drive results for beer, wine, and spirits brands on the global stage.
Why the Right Agency Choice Matters in Alcohol Marketing
In the alcohol industry, poor creative isn’t just forgettable — it’s deadly. Compliance is tight. Attention spans are short. Loyalty is earned sip by sip. Whether your goal is brand heat, channel expansion, or e-commerce growth, a misaligned agency can burn through your budget and leave you behind the bar.
The agencies on this list? They don’t just understand digital — they understand your category. They’ve built whisky empires, revived heritage wines, and launched next-gen RTD brands in competitive markets. From Cannes-winning creative to omnichannel GTMs, these are the operators who know how to win shelf space and share of mind.
What to Expect From These Agencies
Why This List Is Different
Most agency directories are filled with SEO-driven fluff, recycled reviews, and pay-to-rank placements. This list is built differently — for CMOs, founders, and brand leaders who need partners that can move fast, think boldly, and deliver real commercial impact.
To build this list, we went straight to the source:
We surveyed 112 executives, founders, and marketing leaders from the world’s top alcohol holdings and brands — including companies in the Forbes Global 2000. Their feedback shaped 75% of each agency’s score.
The remaining 25% came from 14 independently verified indicators, including awards (Cannes, Red Dot, Awwwards, see the full list below), published case studies with measurable brand impact, client quality, media recognition, and IP or proprietary platform development.
What emerged is not a popularity contest — it’s a shortlist of agencies that consistently drive results for beer, wine, and spirits brands on the global stage.
Why the Right Agency Choice Matters in Alcohol Marketing
In the alcohol industry, poor creative isn’t just forgettable — it’s deadly. Compliance is tight. Attention spans are short. Loyalty is earned sip by sip. Whether your goal is brand heat, channel expansion, or e-commerce growth, a misaligned agency can burn through your budget and leave you behind the bar.
The agencies on this list? They don’t just understand digital — they understand your category. They’ve built whisky empires, revived heritage wines, and launched next-gen RTD brands in competitive markets. From Cannes-winning creative to omnichannel GTMs, these are the operators who know how to win shelf space and share of mind.
What to Expect From These Agencies
- High-stakes thinking. They’ve launched billion-dollar SKUs and crafted campaigns with global cultural reach.
- Senior teams. You won’t be passed off to interns or juniors — these are specialist-led shops.
- Deep alcohol category expertise. They speak your language — from label compliance to retail activations.
- Real budgets. Expect engagement minimums starting at $75K+, often with global or multi-market scope.
- Creative that travels. Whether it’s a Cannes Lion, a Shopify spike, or a sold-out DTC drop — they deliver.
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Lack of insights into shifting consumer behaviors and attitudes - is one of the top internals challenges for the alcohol industry
This rating is tailored to empower you to solve the main marketing leaders' challenges:
- secure growth KPIs;
- initiate impactful digital transformations;
- navigate shifting customer behaviours;
- predict and plan for disruptive digital dynamics;
- adopt emerging technologies;
- innovate safely yet decisively;
- win an agenda with other C-Suite leaders;
- master digital activations.
OhBEV
Agency profile
OhBEV is a Vancouver-based alcohol marketing agency recognized for its category-exclusive focus and end-to-end capabilities across brand development, creative execution, and go-to-market strategy. The agency has been cited by outlets like Bloomberg for expert commentary on industry dynamics ranging from trade tariffs to celebrity spirits trends. Its team includes former brand and creative leads from major global drinks companies, enabling a rare blend of regulatory fluency, category nuance, and creative depth. OhBEV’s work spans premium spirits, wine, beer, and RTDs, with campaigns recognized through multiple Red Dot and Cannes Lions nominations.
Hopscotch Season
Agency profile
Hopscotch Season is a French communication agency with years of experience in alcohol beverage communications. With a passion for taste and an in-depth understanding of the industry, markets, and consumers, Hopscotch Season develops tailored messages and impactful strategies that engage with customers worldwide. Their expertise in PR, influence, media, operational marketing, events, and digital allows them to create innovative and integrated campaigns that promote products and drive sales. With a global network and solid knowledge of the wine ecosystem, Hopscotch Season is the go-to agency for those seeking professional and effective communication solutions.
YesMore
Company profile
YesMore is a dynamic and innovative creative agency exclusively focused on the alcohol beverages. With a team of passionate professionals who have a wealth of experience in the field, they offer a complete creative service from idea generation to final delivery. Agency's unique approach and collaborative working environment allow them to create high-quality, engaging content that resonates with clients' target audiences. YesMore specializes in social media marketing and content production for the drinks industry, serving clients in the UK and the US.
Stranger & Stranger
Company profile
Stranger & Stranger is a renowned branding and packaging agency with over 25 years of experience in the alcohol industry. They specialize in creating unique and sexy packaging, brand strategies, and collateral guides that help their clients' brands flourish. The agency's expertise in packaging extends to structural and closure design, label design, shippers, and secondary boxes. They work with clients all over the world and have offices in three locations, offering insights and expertise that cut to the chase and deliver tangible results.
Wieden+Kennedy
Company profile
A titan of creative advertising, Wieden+Kennedy (W+K) continues to shape alcohol marketing globally. The agency’s recent “Made for More” campaign for Hennessy highlights its approach: cinematic mixology films and vibrant OOH visuals showcase the whiskey’s versatility and drive consumer trial. W+K’s blend of pop culture, digital content and surprising storytelling (e.g. music videos, celebrity direction) has earned it industry accolades, making it a go-to partner for beer, spirits and wine brands seeking cultural relevance.
Katlist
Company profile
Katlist Agency is a marketing agency with a focus on building spirits brands in the real world. They have a culture-first mindset and specialize in the luxury alcohol spirits sector. Their services include brand communication, digital marketing, activation, and influencer marketing. Since 2013, Katlist has utilized strategic and creative thinking, along with their extensive knowledge and insight within the drinks industry, to unlock commercial successes for their clients. They create captivating campaigns and activities that effectively communicate a brand's story and drive sales.
High-Proof Creative
Company profile
High-Proof Creative is a full-service creative and marketing agency founded by Karen Locke, a seasoned drink writer and marketer with extensive experience in content strategy and project management. The agency specializes in alcohol marketing and offers custom services and consulting for distilleries and spirits brands. They have received numerous awards for their work, including Best Branding/Design Expert and Best Website, and have launched successful projects such as Small-Batch Maps and Women in Distilling. With their expertise in distilling and drink knowledge, High-Proof Creative is the go-to agency for alcohol marketing needs.
Wonderworks
Company profile
Wonderworks is a full-service creative agency based in London, specializing in drinks marketing. Comprised of a team of experienced strategists, designers, and brand visionaries, Wonderworks approaches each project with passion and insight to bring brands to life across global markets. Led by Sarah Wildman-King and Miranda Hart, Wonderworks defines "wonder" as the one big idea that creates a spark, connecting brands and audiences. Their unique SPARK model helps grow brands and attract new audiences through a strategic approach that cuts to the heart of what makes each brand distinctive and compelling.
Cubo Drinks
Company profile
Cubo Drinks is an independent creative agency that specializes solely in alcohol marketing. With over 25 years of experience, they have worked with both global icons and start-up craft brands across various categories, including spirits, beers, wines, and emerging trends. They have a deep understanding of drinkers from around the world and use this knowledge to create big ideas that can travel and work in different markets. Cubo Drinks offers a wide range of capabilities, including integrated creative, c-suite support, and brand activation. They also have a strong network of industry experts to tap into for every project.
Company profile
Brunch is a specialized digital marketing agency that focuses on the alcohol industry. With a track record of successful campaigns, they offer a range of services, including paid media, social media, email/SMS marketing, design, photography, videography, and sales and marketplaces. Based in Collingwood, Australia, Brunch helps businesses in the alcohol industry drive traffic to their websites, increase sales, and build a loyal following of raving fans.
Company profile
DAf is an integrated creative agency founded in 2004, specializing in branding, brand communication, and production for wine and spirits brands. With a multicultural team of strategists, creatives, and production artists, DAf partners with brands originating in eight international markets and exports globally. Their innovative craft rooted in strategy allows them to develop each phase of the brand life cycle under one roof, creating powerful and truthful creative experiences that captivate consumers and take brands to new global markets.
Crew Marketing Partners
Company profile
Crew Marketing Partners is an independent and values-driven agency with offices in Canada and the US, providing expert marketing solutions for consumer goods brands. Their secret sauce lies in their blend of marketing and data-inspired creativity, remote-first approach, and "just right" sizing, offering personalized service with a geographically diverse team. Their deep expertise in CPG and unique 8-step framework ensures efficient and impactful solutions, while their purpose-driven mission means they're committed to growing brands that make a positive impact on people's lives.
Untold Agency
Company profile
Untold Agency (UK) has rapidly become a global leader in beer marketing, known for its rich storytelling and multi-market campaigns. In 2020 Untold became the global agency for Budweiser Budvar (Czech beer), creating the award-winning “Republic of Beer” brand platform. Untold produced 18 films and new websites in multiple languages, sparking outstanding results: over 5 million cross-platform video views, 88% average YouTube watch-through, and a social engagement rate above 10× industry norms.
Vinbound Marketing
Company profile
Vinbound Marketing is a digital marketing agency that specializes in creating smart websites and digital marketing solutions for wineries. Their suite of marketing services includes website development, SEO, photography, ecommerce consulting, and more. With a focus on helping wineries stand out online and boost DTC sales, Vinbound is best known for its high-quality, sophisticated winery websites that are easy for consumers to use and wineries to manage. Founded in 2014 and based in the Pacific Northwest, Vinbound has worked with over 150 wineries throughout North America.
Pour Agency
Company profile
Pour is a marketing agency exclusively dedicated to helping beer, wine and spirits beverage companies build awareness and attract ideal customers. They go beyond creating attractive content by fusing in-depth strategy with a brand's vision. Pour's results-driven marketing approach ensures that every touchpoint with a brand, from photography to marketing initiatives, is aligned to achieve a brand's goals. They work closely with their clients to establish a timeline and tailor their services to meet the specific needs of the brand and its audience.
Studio Minerva
Company profile
Studio Minerva is a London-based, women-owned design agency renowned for its "Purposeful & Beautiful" approach to branding and packaging. Founded in 2014 by Daniela Nunzi-Mihranian, the studio specializes in creating compelling visual identities for premium lifestyle brands, with a particular emphasis on the alcohol sector. Their portfolio boasts collaborations with esteemed names such as Courvoisier, Brugal, Bushmills, and Writers' Tears. Their work on Brugal's limited editions showcased intricate designs inspired by cultural artistry, enhancing the brand's premium appeal.
Quench
Company profile
Quench is a specialized agency that guides alcohol beverage products from idea to shelf with a highly integrated approach. They cultivate culinary curiosity, identifying trends and shifts that can invigorate a classic brand or turn a startup into a household name. As an industry thought leader, Quench pushes themselves, clients, and partners to challenge traditional CPG conventions. Their strategic insight, client-side experience, and inventive thinking approach gets products in all the right carts and hearts, blending fresh industry trends with engaging content throughout modern media.
Company profile
Vin agency is a team of passionate professionals committed to celebrating the beauty and bounty of wine country. Based in Portland, Oregon, the agency offers a range of services, including web design and development, messaging, brand strategy, and consulting services. With more than two decades of experience working with wineries around the world, Vin agency's collaborative and detail-oriented approach helps build robust, DTC-driven businesses. They bring an expert insider's perspective to the wine world, telling winery stories in a compelling way and bringing customers closer to their favorite brands.
Heart Creative
Company profile
Heart Creative is a women and POC-owned Content + Digital Marketing Agency that was founded with the purpose of disrupting the shame-centered media surrounding "health" and changing the way America views and experiences food. With their inclusive, holistic, sustainable, and pleasurable approach, they have become an award-winning agency that serves hundreds of food and alcohol beverage brands, from local startups to B Corps to billion-dollar, global businesses. They pride themselves on being agile, data-driven, transparent, responsible, and committed to creating a welcoming and thriving workplace for all.
Hired Guns Creative
Company profile
Hired Guns Creative is a Nanaimo-based design agency that provides branding and packaging design services exclusively to breweries, distilleries, and wineries. Founded in 2008 by two industry veterans, they have a broad understanding of the alcohol market and recognize what's hot in packaging design. Their award-winning Creative Director, Richard Hatter, has over 21 years of experience in graphic, print, and web design, while their Business Director, Leif Miltenberger, speaks on branding and packaging design at craft brewing conferences across Canada and the United States.
Brightly Creative
Company profile
Brightly Creative is a full-service creative agency specializing in alcohol industry branding, marketing, and outreach. From logo and identity design to social media management and in-person events, their capabilities cover all aspects of the creative process. With a strong focus on impactful and memorable branding, Brightly Creative has built a reputation for delivering standout creative work for their clients. Their industry insight gained through extensive travel ensures that they stay ahead of trends and provide innovative solutions to their clients' needs.
Colangelo & Partners
Agency profile
Colangelo & Partners (USA/EU) is a boutique PR and marketing firm for wine and spirits. With offices in New York, Miami, San Francisco and Europe, they have built a reputation for effective communication strategies. Their clients range from national wine associations (Wines of Chile, Barolo en Primeur) to importers and wineries (Palm Bay International), making them versatile in B2B and consumer PR. Colangelo’s approach is highly targeted: they craft press releases, organize tastings and build media relationships that elevate brand stories.
NextGen Wine Marketing
Company profile
NextGen Wine Marketing is a full-service digital marketing agency exclusively for wineries. Their mission is to grow winery businesses through effective lead generation strategies, brand trust building, and a differentiated online presence. With their expertise in web design, ecommerce, social media, search engine optimization, email marketing, digital advertising, and marketing automation, they bring next-gen digital marketing tactics to the forefront of the wine industry. Based in Napa Valley, NextGen Wine Marketing brings passion, experience, and knowledge to every marketing effort.
Donovan
Company profile
Donovan connective marketing, located in Lancaster, PA, has been delivering impressive creative solutions and marketing innovation to top companies in the alcohol industry for over 30 years. With a low profile and high ambitions, Donovan's strategic insight and experience in brand development, trade communication, consumer advertising, public relations, media planning and buying, and digital/social media, allows them to produce outstanding results for clients such as Perdue, Yuengling, and Goya. The agency's recently launched Content Studio further enhances their capabilities and commitment to delivering exceptional marketing outcomes.
The Food Group
Company profile
The Food Group is a full-service marketing and culinary agency with 50 years of experience in the food and alcohol beverage industry. As a group of passionate foodies, they aim to make a meaningful difference by connecting brands with ever-evolving food cultures and hungry consumers. They are pioneers in the industry, immersing themselves in emerging trends and technologies. Their authentic and human approach brings people together while promoting sustainability, waste reduction, and healthy oceans. The Food Group is a premier marketing agency that remains committed to making a positive impact.
Active Ingredients
Company profile
Active Ingredients is a modern alcohol marketing agency that helps brands fulfill their promise to change the world in a meaningful way. Through brand and digital strategies, they connect brands with like-minded communities, spotlighting their purpose and passion to improve the world. Active Ingredients offers a range of services, including brand strategy, web design, content marketing, social media, email marketing, search marketing, photography and video, Amazon optimization, and data analytics. They help alcohol brands build awareness, drive sales, and grow customer relationships with effective and engaging marketing initiatives.
Aid&Abet
Company profile
Aid&Abet is a branding agency that specializes in food and alcohol beverage and natural product brands. With a passion for emerging specialty brands, Aid&Abet partners with clients to create criminally creative marketing plans, from brand strategy to packaging to web design. Their manifesto is simple: the best brands aren't born, they're made with heart, sweat, and a great story. Aid&Abet helps clients stand out on the shelf with unique and beautiful packaging, and succeed online with effective web design and e-commerce strategy.
WineGlass Marketing
Company profile
WineGlass Marketing is a full-service and award-winning marketing agency dedicated to the alcohol beverage industry. Their mission is to help clients develop effective marketing strategies and utilize technology tools for successful acquisition, retention, and sales programs. With a unique approach of sharing skill sets among multiple clients, WineGlass Marketing provides branding and strategy, communications planning, and various marketing tactics from texting to Tiktok to help clients stand out in a competitive market.
Twist & Tailor
Company profile
Twist & Tailor is a creative agency specializing in visual design and content creation services for wine and spirits brands. With a team of experienced bartenders-turned-marketers, they understand how to communicate and market their client's products effectively. Their goal is to help their clients grow their brand and increase conversion rates by providing exceptional beverage photography, brand videos, web and graphic design, and email marketing services. With a focus on quality and attention to detail, Twist & Tailor helps their clients stand out in a crowded market.
Branding & Buzzing
Company profile
Branding & Buzzing is one of the leading alcohol marketing agency that understands the business inside out. With over a decade of experience in telling captivating stories, the agency has built an impressive portfolio of top alcohol beverage brands. They offer an array of services, from sponsored content to social media advertising, all designed to make your brand stand out in a crowded market. The agency's founders, Sean Beckingham and Marian Staresinic, bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to every project they undertake, making sure that their clients always come out on top.
Why Expertise in Alcohol Marketing Matters
In alcohol, experience isn’t optional — it’s everything. The regulatory landscape is dense. Distribution is fragmented. And consumer preferences shift with cultural winds, not just digital trends. Agencies that succeed here don’t just know marketing — they understand the difference between launching a gin in Alberta versus scaling a tequila brand across Ontario and Quebec.
Top alcohol marketing agencies bring more than creative flair. They know how to:
Top alcohol marketing agencies bring more than creative flair. They know how to:
- Navigate tied-house laws and Health Canada’s ad restrictions.
- Work with provincial boards, retailers, and distributors to secure prime placements.
- Create culturally resonant campaigns that don’t just go viral — they move cases.
- Generic digital firms might win awards. Alcohol specialists win shelf space, menu features, and consumer loyalty in one of the world’s most competitive CPG sectors. That’s the difference — and that’s why this list only includes agencies with proven spirits, wine, and beer credentials.
Track Record with Real Results
Anyone can claim creativity. But in this industry, the scoreboard is real-world outcomes — not pitch decks.
The best alcohol marketing agencies can show exactly how they helped:
This is more than impressions and click-throughs. It’s driving velocity in retail, retention in DTC, and trial-to-repeat in on-premise. Look for case studies that include:
The best alcohol marketing agencies can show exactly how they helped:
- Boost DTC revenue by 80% after a complete brand overhaul.
- Sell out a limited-run whisky in 72 hours via influencer micro-seeding.
- Launch a new RTD with 20% below-average CAC across paid and organic.
This is more than impressions and click-throughs. It’s driving velocity in retail, retention in DTC, and trial-to-repeat in on-premise. Look for case studies that include:
- Before-and-after metrics (e.g. growth in LCBO or SAQ listings, Shopify conversions).
- Clear campaign objectives, strategy, and measurable impact.
- Real clients — not just anonymous “leading global spirit company” claims.
- Reputation in this space is earned by results, not rhetoric. The agencies on our list have been vetted through both executive feedback and documented performance — the kind you can trust when your margins, market share, and brand future are on the line.
Creative That Moves Product, Not Just Wins Awards
Awards look great in pitch decks. But in the alcohol industry, the real winners are the brands that fly off shelves, dominate back bars, and stay on lips — figuratively and literally.
Top-tier alcohol marketing agencies know the difference between vanity campaigns and velocity campaigns. They build creative that does both: captures attention and converts attention into trial, purchase, and advocacy.
These agencies aren’t just making pretty ads — they’re:
Yes, many have Red Dot, Cannes Lions, and Awwwards honors. But their real case studies include:
Top-tier alcohol marketing agencies know the difference between vanity campaigns and velocity campaigns. They build creative that does both: captures attention and converts attention into trial, purchase, and advocacy.
These agencies aren’t just making pretty ads — they’re:
- Tapping into cultural currents that drive relevance (not clichés like “heritage” or “handcrafted”).
- Designing packaging and campaigns that cut through clutter at retail and in-feed.
- Building brand platforms that can flex from POS to influencer activations to brand-owned experiences.
Yes, many have Red Dot, Cannes Lions, and Awwwards honors. But their real case studies include:
- Getting a mezcal featured in Michelin-starred cocktail menus — without a distributor.
- Turning a new-to-market vodka into a national conversation via satirical OOH and viral drops.
- Rebranding a stale beer line that led to a 40% sales uplift within 90 days.
- Creativity is essential — but in this category, it has to sell or it’s just decoration.
Regulatory Mastery and Compliance-First Strategy
Alcohol is one of the most regulated industries on the planet — and marketing missteps can mean fines, delistings, or worse: a brand blacklisted by key retailers and boards.
That’s why the agencies on this list don’t just “understand” the rules — they build compliance into the creative process. From Canada’s federal Competition Act and provincial marketing codes to global restrictions on alcohol advertising, these teams know how to push boundaries without crossing legal lines.
You’ll see this expertise in how they:
That’s why the agencies on this list don’t just “understand” the rules — they build compliance into the creative process. From Canada’s federal Competition Act and provincial marketing codes to global restrictions on alcohol advertising, these teams know how to push boundaries without crossing legal lines.
You’ll see this expertise in how they:
- Build paid social and programmatic funnels that comply with age-gating and geo-restrictions.
- Craft influencer partnerships that avoid the common pitfalls (e.g. targeting underage viewers, health claims, or glamorizing consumption).
- Translate legal requirements into visually compelling assets — no legalese overlays or disclaimers slapped on at the last minute.
Integrated Channel Strategy (DTC, Retail, On-Premise)
Great alcohol marketing doesn’t live in silos — it lives wherever consumers discover, sample, and buy. The best agencies don’t just build awareness; they build channel cohesion.
That means:
That means:
- DTC strategies with zero-party data collection, email flows that convert, and Shopify stores that don’t just look good — they move cases.
- Retail campaigns that drive velocity, whether that’s a neck tag with a QR code, a co-op ad with a major chain, or localized geotargeted campaigns to support a new shelf listing.
- On-premise activations that make bartenders care — not with branded coasters, but with memorable tools, rituals, and content that turn them into true advocates.
- Top agencies build connective tissue between these touchpoints — aligning digital with real-world triggers, linking eComm with physical sampling, and ensuring every channel contributes to a unified growth engine. In alcohol, fragmentation kills; integration scales.
Cultural Fit: Brand Voice, Category, and Consumers
Alcohol is emotional. It’s identity-driven. It lives in rituals, in subcultures, in late-night choices and morning-after group chats. That’s why cultural fit isn’t optional — it’s a baseline.
The top agencies on this list know:
The top agencies on this list know:
- How to speak Gen Z without cringe, and boomers without boredom.
- How to work across categories — from aspirational champagne and Japanese whisky to canned tequila sodas, NA cocktails, and RTDs sold at 7-Eleven.
- How to build brand worlds that flex across formats and markets, while still feeling personal, relevant, and true.
- They’re fluent in the nuance of tone: when to go bold, when to go premium, when to lean into play, and when to shut up and let the packaging speak. They don’t just execute; they embody brand energy. If your brand has a distinct voice (or needs one), these are the teams that can carry it — without dilution.
What Real ROI Looks Like in the Alcohol Industry
Marketing ROI in this category isn’t just about CPCs and CTRs. It’s about velocity, depletion, pull-through, and brand heat. These agencies get that.
The ones who made this list can show:
They speak both languages — the CMO’s language of brand equity and the CFO’s language of revenue efficiency. When they say “this campaign worked,” they’ll back it up with hard numbers, retail scanner data, distributor feedback, and digital attribution.
Forget vanity metrics. If it doesn’t drive trial, repurchase, or reorder — it’s not ROI. These agencies get it, prove it, and scale it.
The ones who made this list can show:
- Lift in monthly sales velocity by store, SKU, and region.
- Reduction in cost-per-trial, not just cost-per-click.
- Growth in organic branded search volume post-campaign — a proxy for real-world buzz.
- Improved retention rates in DTC or subscription models.
- Measurable increase in menu placements or calls for product at key on-premise accounts.
They speak both languages — the CMO’s language of brand equity and the CFO’s language of revenue efficiency. When they say “this campaign worked,” they’ll back it up with hard numbers, retail scanner data, distributor feedback, and digital attribution.
Forget vanity metrics. If it doesn’t drive trial, repurchase, or reorder — it’s not ROI. These agencies get it, prove it, and scale it.
The remaining 25% come from 14 independently verified indicators, including:
- Creative Awards & Recognitions. Wins or nominations from international awards such as Cannes Lions, Webby Awards, Red Dot, D&AD, and Awwwards.
- Published Case Studies. Availability of publicly documented case studies with measurable outcomes (traffic uplift, sales growth, CAC reduction, etc.).
- Client Roster Quality. Presence of enterprise-level or globally recognized clients, especially those operating in Canada.
- Media Coverage. Press mentions in respected outlets like Adweek, The Globe & Mail, Bloomberg, Forbes, Strategy Magazine, or The Message.
- Agency Longevity. Operating for 5+ years under the same brand or leadership team, indicating sustained relevance and trust.
- Employee Retention & Team Size. Team stability with low turnover or clear evidence of senior, in-house expertise.
- Google / Meta / Shopify Partner Status. Recognition as official partners by major platforms, where partnership requires client performance thresholds.
- UX & Design Excellence. Inclusion in curated galleries like Awwwards, CSS Design Awards, Behance Featured Projects, etc.
- Contract Size & Project Scale. Evidence (when available) of high-value engagements (e.g. $100K+ projects, long-term retainers).
- Platform Leadership. Participation in beta tests or feature collaborations with platforms (Google, Meta, TikTok, Shopify).
- Speaking Engagements & Panels. Founders or executives featured at industry conferences, university programs, or thought leadership panels.
- IP / Product Development. Creation of internal tools, apps, SaaS platforms, or proprietary frameworks adopted by clients or peers.
- Client Retention Rate. Disclosed multi-year client relationships or verifiable retention metrics.
- Public Financial or Growth Metrics. Data on revenue growth, team expansion, or market share, from databases like Crunchbase or company press.