What Makes a Top Ad Agency? It’s Not What You Think
What does that even mean?
Is it the one with the most clients? The agency that manages the largest budgets? Does it imply
The most creative talent? Or could it possibly be a ranking result achieved artificially through
Illegitimate reviews on a specific platform?
At Lot 22 Media, we want to be known as a “top agency”—but do you know what we want that
ranking to be based on? Trustworthiness.
We don’t aspire to be the largest in the world, nor are we trying to have more clients than any
other agency. We want to help clients who trust us. Trust is how we retain clients, and it’s the
main reason a client might refer us to someone else in the future
So, how do we build that trust?
First, it starts with approachability and congeniality. Nobody wants to work with a jerk. We
don’t either. Check.
Second, we have to know what we’re talking about. We must be the authority—educated,
trained, and prepared for the ever-evolving marketing landscape. Platforms and algorithms are in constant flux, and while money and experience qualify us to advise, we must never rest in our
quest to stay ahead. It’s our job to spot growing opportunities and distinguish winning strategies
from the ones that waste time and budget.
Third, we must be talented.
Define: talent. According to Webster’s Dictionary, it’s “a special, often athletic, creative, or
artistic aptitude.”
We must produce great work and hire people with real skill. We know the difference between
ugly and beautiful—but more importantly, we know the difference between ads that convert and
those that don’t.
This is where client trust is truly built: results.
At the end of the day, nothing matters more. But there’s one more—a fourth pillar of trustworthiness—and that is:
Proof.
Being transparent and providing analytical proof on a regular basis solidifies trust. This covenant
must never be broken or artificially manipulated. The client must understand and feel confident
in the certifiable data we’re excited about—and it must always come from legitimate, third-party confirmations.
For example, I could tell you about the low “CPM” we achieve for our clients through Facebook
Ads and keep bragging about it—but does the client know what CPM means?
It stands for Cost Per Thousand Impressions, a common benchmark in media buying to
compare campaign effectiveness.
Right now, our clients are enjoying an average CPM of $7.50 this month on Facebook ads.
How does that compare to a cable TV ad buy? Those typically run over $100 CPM.
That kind of context helps clients make smarter decisions about where to place future marketing
dollars. (Meta continues to outperform other platforms for our clients, offering the lowest CPM
across the board.) Without this kind of clarity, the client is left wondering whether their
investment is actually paying off.
Here’s what I believe is the biggest challenge in our industry:
The average client simply does not know all that is possible. They are trusting us to guide them.
If they did, they wouldn’t need a marketing agency. It’s up to us to present valid options clearly
and honestly, and to guide them toward a logical solution based on their goals and their
consumers’ behavior.
So, regardless of any list or ranking of ad agencies you come across, there's no guarantee those agencies will be like Lot 22 Media:
Affordable. Friendly. Knowledgeable. Transparent. Talented.
When you find an agency like that, where you enjoy working with the team and love the results, congratulations. You’ve found your Top Ad Agency.
