DISQUS

JasonKeath.com: 12 Top Social Media Agencies

  • edwardboches · 2 months ago
    Good list and you are right in the different types of agencies out there. Been trying to determine what are the right capabilities to have and develop. Just put together a two part post on that, partly inspired by what we do (and want to do better) at Mullen. http://bit.ly/39tQ1R
  • jakrose · 2 months ago
    Great posts Edward. I have been speaking about this topic recently to a couple Ad Clubs and agencies. I am a firm believer that agencies are poised to own the future of social media if they choose to do so. You have laid out part of that transition and the challenges that come with it very well.
  • Michael Maurillo · 3 months ago
    So what I'm wondering is since everyone seems to be working for Ford, who's taking the official credit for the Fiesta Movement? ; )
  • jakrose · 3 months ago
    Great question Michael. I have heard, but am not certain, that the Fiesta Movement was Undercurrent's baby.
  • Lucretia (GeekMommy) Pruitt · 3 months ago
    Think you're right on that one - know that Scott Monty & Julia Roy were working on that in NYC at the launch.
  • maggiefox | Social Media Group · 2 months ago
    Hi Michael - the Fiesta Movement is indeed from the great minds at Undercurrent. SMG works with Ford Global Communications and Scott Monty since he joined Ford just over a year ago, whereas the Fiesta Movement is a project developed by Ford Marketing. Also, I believe We Are Social works with Ford Europe.
  • Peter Kim · 3 months ago
    Hi Jason, thanks for the mention. Slight edit, CC and company were acquired by Campfire last month ( http://www.theadvanceguard.com/2009/the-advance... ). I think Conversation Group belongs on the list as well. Charlene has a great resource related to this post: http://wiki.altimetergroup.com/
  • jakrose · 3 months ago
    Thanks Peter, actually just came across that. I will make the edits. Definitely not a perfect list yet, but I am learning about some new companies through the convo.

    Also dig Charlene's wiki. Would love to see it expand into a more robust resource. If anyone actually had the time.
  • Michael Germano · 3 months ago
    Hey Jason - Great List, and thank you for adding us. Everyone at the Carrot Creative offices gave each other high fives and we will give you a beer cheers at our next happy hour. I think everyone will be very excited to see some of the innovative projects that we built for BIG brands in the next few months.
  • RachelHappe · 3 months ago
    Great list - a while back, I put a similar list together - less agency focused and more advisory/consulting pure plays but as you mention, there is a lot of cross-over in the line is not clear where one segment ends and the other begins. Here's my list: http://community-roundtable.com/2009/08/the-soc...
  • jakrose · 3 months ago
    Nice list Rachel. You have definitely captured one of the categories I considered. This list will easily segment as time passes.
  • Carol Flammer · 3 months ago
    mRELEVANCE is a social media agency with offices in Atlanta and Chicago. Focused on on the new home and real estate industry, this firm has been blogging and creating effective online solutions for years. We're not new to the party, we started the party! Amongst our most popular blogs is nationally-ranked http://www.AtlantaRealEstateForum.com and http://www.TopBuilderBlogs.com
    mRELEVANCE is grounded in SEO and strong content.
  • maggiefox | Social Media Group · 3 months ago
    Hey Jason, thanks so much for including us in your list!
  • Lucretia (GeekMommy) Pruitt · 3 months ago
    Wouldn't be a Top list without you guys Maggie! SMG rocks! :)
  • maggiefox | Social Media Group · 3 months ago
    @GeekMommy - we are in *excellent* company!!
  • jonburg · 3 months ago
    I know we aren't a dedicated social agency, but I work with the Digitas Social group. Our group has scaled across the country and is quickly becoming among the first truly global social offerings with strong integration into related media.
  • jakrose · 3 months ago
    Thanks Jon, got any links I can check out for more info?
  • Chi-chi Ekweozor · 3 months ago
    Fantastic list, Jason.

    You left out:

    Real Fresh TV | http://www.realfresh.tv

    Based in Manchester, UK, we *do* social media with a strong focus on strategy, consultancy and training for the UK’s arts, creative and media sectors.

    We helped develop and deliver the social media strategy for Arts Council England’s digital development programme for the arts and cultural sector, www.getambition.com.
  • jakrose · 3 months ago
    Thanks for the ping on Real Fresh TV Chi-chi. I will check it out.
  • mokshjuneja · 3 months ago
    Collective Bias website is not opening!!
  • jakrose · 3 months ago
    working for me fine. its just a holder page though, so you are not missing much for now. they are pretty brand new. doing some cool things at BlogWorld if you will be there.

    check out their twitter http://twitter.com/collectivebias or @GeekMommy for news
  • mokshjuneja · 3 months ago
    thank you for providing the twitter link.. following you, now!!
  • Lucretia (GeekMommy) Pruitt · 3 months ago
    We will totally have a fully functional site just as soon as we can slow down long enough to let our creative team loose on it! Right now? We're busy focusing on our clients! :)

    But trust me - when we get to us? It's going to be epic!
  • Jim Tobin Ignite Social Media · 3 months ago
    Thanks for the shout-out Jason. Honored to be included. ~Jim
  • Nikhil Nulkar · 3 months ago
    Great list and thanks for putting it together. Maybe you want to consider adding 20:20 Social (http://2020social.com/) to it. I have recently learned about it and probably fits the list and could be useful to know for all the people interested in this space! Thanks!
  • tomob · 3 months ago
    Hi Jason:

    We live in the research world - Online Anthropology - but have done more than 200 SM research and analysis projects for the world's biggest brands and agencies over the last 6 years. Self-funded, profitable and continuing to grow even in this recession.

    MotiveQuest LLC http://motivequest.com

    Tom O'Brien
  • taylormarek · 3 months ago
    I found a couple that can be added.

    http://derekmedia.net/
    &
    http://vaynermedia.com/

    Enjoy! :D Awesome post btw...
  • Clay Schossow · 3 months ago
    Jason,

    Good list. It's so hard to define what a social media company is, though. For example, we (http://newmediacampaigns.com) call ourselves a web design and development company, but we certainly also help clients in the realm of social media. We just don't make it the focus of our revenue. I think A LOT of agencies, and nearly all of the good ones, fall into somewhat of a grey area.

    Two agencies that we enjoy that do a lot with social media are PR 20/20 (http://pr2020.com) and Garfield Group Interactive (http://www.ggiagency.com/)
  • Paull Young · 3 months ago
    Hi Jason,

    I'd also like to add my agency, Converseon, to the list for consideration.

    Formed in 2001 and working with a number of Fortune 500 brands steering their social media strategy, our company breaks down into three groups:

    - Technology: Our proprietary Conversation Mining technology allows us to monitor the online conversation for clients.
    - Engagement: Our engagement group performs the standard 'social media agency' functions
    - Organizing: Our consulting group takes big brands through a defined process to help them make the culture change for social media

    In addition, just last week we were named the inaugural SAMMY Award winners for 'Best Social Media Agency': http://www.marketwatch.com/story/converseon-win...

    For more info check out the following resources (or Google us :)):

    - Our blog: http://blog.converseon.com
    - Our Twitter: http://twitter.com/converseon
    - Our Flickr: http://flickr.com/photos/converseon (our Halloween pics are my personal favorite)
    - Our entry in Charlene Li's wiki that Peter Kim mentions above: http://wiki.altimetergroup.com/page/Converseon

    Thanks!
  • Emily Luiz · 3 months ago
    Zocalo Group is a great word of mouth agency that combines WOM with social media marketing tactics to create online and offline conversation zocalogroup.com. (sister agency to Ketchum)
  • L_Bassett · 3 months ago
    A little about our agency to add to the list:

    Zócalo Group is a full-service Word of Mouth Marketing agency, seamlessly integrating proven and leading edge disciplines, building programs in Word of Mouth, Social Media, Public Relations, Experiential Marketing, Social Media Optimization and Influencer Marketing. Recently declared “New Media Agency of the Year” by The Holmes Report, Zócalo Group has emerged as an industry pioneer and a solution to the changing dynamics of the marketing, advertising and PR worlds, and the increasing need to engage with and activate an expanding group of influencers – both online and offline.

    The Chicago-based agency is built on the game-changing insight that the recommendation -- from a friend, family member, colleague or expert – is the single most powerful determinant of the purchase decision. Zócalo Group helps brands go beyond short-term “buzz” to capitalize upon the opportunity and ROI potential of interacting directly with consumers and industry experts. Rather than employing one-off tactics, Zócalo Group’s holistic, transparent, sustainable and measurable approach enables clients to engage consumers and influencers across all social media, traditional media, and offline channels, putting the power of the recommendation to work, to drive conversations, brand recommendations, and ultimately, sales. Bolstered by a set of proprietary measurement tools, Zócalo Group attributes much of its success-to-date to its ability to track and grow the size, share and tone of a brand's conversation over time. The insights uncovered through these tools have proven critical to educating clients that the most engagements won’t necessarily drive sales. The right engagements will.

    Zócalo Group is a unit of Omnicom Group, Inc. (NYSE: OMC) and Ketchum Public Relations.

    @BassettL
  • Lucretia (GeekMommy) Pruitt · 3 months ago
    You know, I have a feeling this list is going to expand a bit quickly!

    But the team at CollectiveBias is really happy to be included amongst some amazing agencies. Thanks Jason!

    I have to say, one of the best parts of this field is how much room there is and how incredible it is to see a list like this and know how many of these folks work together on a regular basis to make our field better and more exciting!

    It's a great list Jason - and we're proud to be included.
  • John Andrews · 3 months ago
    Jason,

    We really appreciate the shout out! One small edit..."connected crowds". One day we'll put up a web site, or not.
  • jakrose · 3 months ago
    Edit made. Thanks for stopping by John.
  • leehicken · 3 months ago
    Hi Jason,

    Good post. Its nice to see there is starting to be some serious recognition for the agencies concentrating on Social Media.

    To fill you in about our agency. We are Hebe Media, we are based in the UK and we specialise almost exclusively in Social Media Optimisation. We are a young agency, which includes two recent graduates from the European Institute of Design so subsequently I would say our expertise is very much working with brands in the fashion, music and entertainment industries.

    To help with measuring social media success (which is a big challenge) we have developed a points system for our clients which basically rewards interaction and people investing time in a brand rather then just looking at hits on a blog or website (these are factored in but not the be all and end all to us)

    Anyway feel free to have a look around our site and find out a little bit more about us, any questions feel free to ask.

    Take Care,

    Lee

    www.hebemedia.com
  • Jimmy · 3 months ago
    Great piece. I think you can strike Crayon off the list though. Apparently they are doing so badly that they still owe money to the people that balied out of the company in 2007.
  • Tamar · 3 months ago
    Hi-

    I want to also throw in Machine Shop Marketing. We are a grassroots marketing company that specializes in social networking campaigns, online and offline street teams and viral promotions. We are best known for our work managing Linkin Park's online community and fan club, promo for multi-platinum artists, stunt marketing for major movie studios like Sony/Columbia Tri-Star and much more. Check us out at www.machineshopmarketing.com
  • codygoins · 2 months ago
    Great post, but I’ve got another quick suggestion for your list. The folks over at Deep Focus (http://www.deep-focus.net/) are doing some awesome stuff with creative and engaging social media campaigns. While the user response and reaction to the variety of SM apps they’ve developed is more than enough of a reason to warrant a mention on this list (seriously, did you not “MadMen Yourself?”) the working partnership we’ve had with them has definitely reinforced our belief that the crew over at Deep Focus is the real deal.

    Thanks,
    Cody Goins
    http://www.springcreekgroup.com
  • Ian Schafer · 2 months ago
    Thanks Cody, I obviously agree. And Spring Creek is the best community management/measurement firm we've ever worked with. So I say, add us both ;)
  • jasoncormier · 2 months ago
    Room 214 (http://room214.com) is a Boulder, Colorado social media agency founded in 2004. The initial focus was on search marketing and blog installs. Today, the agency focuses on word of mouth marketing tactics, online community management, research and monitoring, influencer identification and outreach, and social apps development. The agency's "Capture the Conversation blog" can be found at http://ctcblog.com

    Thanks for your consideration for the list.
  • ipub · 2 months ago
    what about razorfish ?
  • Todd Defren · 2 months ago
    Hi Jason - I know we went back-n-forth a bit via Twitter when this list first came out but I wanted to belatedly thank you for including us in these rankings. We are amongst some pretty impressive folks so we are truly grateful for the recognition.
  • billkcopy · 2 months ago
    Kel & Partners. Boston. Ever hear of Zappos? Yup, K&P client. Staples? Yup. Created Top 50 FB app for 'em. Kel Kelly, CEO, freakin', ass kickin' social media nut.
  • Dave Kerpen · 2 months ago
    Jason, thanks so much for including @theKbuzz on this list. We are honored - it is amazing company to be in - and the comments definitely highlight some more great ones.
  • Dustin Johnson · 2 months ago
    Jason - From all of us here at the anthill, thank you so much for including Ant's Eye View on this list. While we don't consider ourselves an agency in the traditional sense, to the point of your post, we do see our clients looking for practical, tangible advice on how to integrate customer engagement into all elements of their business, from product development all the way to customer support - and we are happy to oblige. If that is what a social media agency is, then we are all in!
  • Jonathan Glicks · 1 month ago
    Ownmymedia.com - Leading Social media agency. Have represented a lot of clients under the radar

    ownmymedia - social media agency
  • tom2009 · 1 month ago
    Great list - Question: does the Dachis Group have any clients? (Do they have any campaigns I can follow?) or is the reason they're on the list because they have so much potential/ thought leadership?
  • Steve Cantrell · 1 month ago
    i would consider eric schwartzman and his team at ipressroom in los angeles.
  • Dimple Thakkar · 1 month ago
  • Luke, Reach Students · 1 month ago
  • Teenum Chudha · 1 month ago
    3b Digital, Based in London, UK, has developed and managed the online presence for global brands. Their team provide strategy, implementation and customised monitoring solutions.
  • c_perkett · 1 month ago
    Jason - thanks for the interesting list. I'd also be interested in your review of the actual campaigns from these companies, and the criteria of why you dub them a “top agency,” rather than a list of their own marketing text. With so many companies claiming "social media expertise," I think a deeper dive would be super helpful. What are their in-house capabilities (vs outsourcing)? What social media campaigns - with results - have they executed? What were the results? For who?

    I agree these are all great agencies, for various reasons - but not all are created equal. I would love to learn more specifics from these types of lists about the why and the what - not just the who.

    And yes, of course I'd love for PerkettPR to be considered for future lists. I’d be remiss not to selfishly mention that we’re also one of those agencies executing great social media, digital production and PR - with proven results. We've been around since 1998 and social marketing has been part of our offering for the last five years or so. Here are a few recent assessments of some of our social media work, integrated with PR and digital production, from others:

    Our work for clients Reality Digital <http://bit.ly/MQK4Y> and Litle & Co <http://bit.ly/p8VRP> was featured in a series of articles in Computerworld about social media ROI: http://bit.ly/42WlMU

    This fellow took it upon himself to deeply review our own social media presence (and how that relates to success for clients): http://www.pamil-visions.net/perkettpr-digital-...

    This blogger liked one of our earlier consumer video campaigns : http://donteattheshrimp.com/2008/09/02/nice-wor...

    A recent video that we produced, highlighting some of our media results for one client: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7KSwXlWa4g

    Can showcasing the work of the firms you admire as top agencies be an ongoing series? That would be super helpful to companies trying to choose the right agency to help them navigate the new world of marketing and media.

    Kindly,
    Christine Perkett
    PerkettPR
    http://www.twitter.com/missusP
    http://www.twitter.com/PerkettPR
    http:///www.facebook.com/PerkettPR
    http://www.perkettprsuasion.com
  • jakrose · 1 month ago
    Great points Christine. Delving deeper would be great. If only I had the
    time. That is an emmense under taking that I just cannot find the time for
    right now.

    This list was simply meant to show people the agencies I have noticed making
    a splash. People worth watching so to speak. And there are definitely some
    folks missing from the list. Planning on adding a few and updating soon.

    Sincere thanks for your very valid points and suggestions.
  • LaraKretler · 1 month ago
    Hi Jason,
    Here's one more for your consideration. Fahlgren Mortine is a social media-driven PR agency out of Columbus, Ohio. I lead the social media practice group at Fahlgren and we're doing a ton of work helping consumer/retail, B2B and nonprofit clients navigate the social web and make use of the right social tools to meet their business goals. You can read more about our social media approach on our blog at http://www.fahlgrenmortine.com/category/social-...

    Cheers,
    @LaraK
  • Greg Wind · 1 month ago
    The social media agency discussion has been reminding me of the big agencies that built websites in the 90’s. Clients eventually (but once they started, quickly) developed the talents they needed, supplemented by products that automated a lot of it, and companies that appeared to have their best days ahead crumbed or had to transition to a smaller scale with a different focus (like creative design).

    Too much of this conversation has the same smell of opportunism and “you just don’t get it, so pay me to do it” attitude without accountability or connection to business benefit. I've seen smart people, including some of the people you mention, ask the right questions, but I haven't heard the answers. Some social media agencies are very good at what they do and provide real benefits to clients, but too many look just like March First in SM clothing – spreading fear of missing the boat, chasing each other off the pier of being the MOST SM-savvy when they need to be the most business/marketing savvy. We all need to keep in mind that increasingly self-sufficient clients and powerful new tools have the potential to erase much of the need this community is serving. What else do you do that provides value?
  • jakrose · 1 month ago
    There are definitely people asking more questions than they are answering
    Greg. I see what you see. But it is trending in the right direction. I think
    the moment of every shark out there jumping on the money train is
    unavoidable. In the end, the industry is evolving in a positive direction.
    Quality wins out.
  • davekerpen · 2 weeks ago
    Greg - I for one agree with you- but I do believe most of the agencies on Jason's list believe in accountability and connection to business benefit. I always tell new business prospects the most important thing they should look at when selecting an agency is business results for both the agency and their clients similar in size or nature to the prospect's business. I see lots of agencies preaching certain things - and then when I look at their own Facebook Fan Page, Twitter accounts or blog, I'm very disappointed. But as Jason said, quality does win out, and the cream will rise to the top. Cheers!
  • jakrose · 2 weeks ago
    Thanks for that add on Dave. I could not have put it better.
  • AaronEllsworth · 1 month ago
    Great list, Jason. Thanks! It would be great to see other lists broken down by category. For instance, my company primarily helps community managers that cater to women audiences. If you run across any categorized lists, please share. Thanks again!
  • jennomeara · 1 month ago
    Jason -

    This is an interesting list. I would absolutely agree about SHIFT Communications.

    I'm surprised that PerkettPR is not on this list. The entire agency lives and breaths social media. They are really a team of thought leaders.

    I also second who ever recommended Kel & Partners for inclusion on the list.
  • Rob Donatelli · 1 month ago
    netSpray is a Social Ad Marketing (SAM) provider. netSpray is helping individuals and businesses transform the merchandising of their products and services through online ads across social media, e-commerce and classified ad marketplaces. netSpray’s ad widgets are created once and distributed across the social media network, whether it be on your blog, forum, email, social network or classified ad marketplaces. These ad widgets are centrally managed through netSpray’s Ad Management Panel (AMP) allowing sellers to dynamically update ads across the network at a moment’s notice. The result is innovative inventory control management and faster time to revenue.

    netSpray’s tools let you meet with your customers where they are and where they spend time, giving you more opportunities to connect with your customers. netSpray also helps you connect with even more customers through their team of Affiliate Marketers who help to get the word out about your offer all across the web. Affiliates are another way that netSpray helps to increase the awareness of your offering by being your virtual sales force.
  • brentongieser · 1 week ago
    Great list Jason...it's been very helpful for me. I have to ask you, do you have a list of the top social media development houses...who focus on web 2.0 technology and app integration with platforms like FB and Twitter? Im thinking of like Buddy Media, Context Optional...etc.
  • jakrose · 1 week ago
    Well you already mentioned two that I would have pointed you toward. It
    comes down to scale. Depending on your project, a single developer could be
    the way to go and could save you money.

    It would be a good list to put together though. Let me see what I can put
    together. Stay tuned.
  • Dave · 1 week ago
    Hmm a great social media and digital production co from Down under...Ipermedia - they do social campaigns including viral video, rich media apps and SEO
    www.ipermedia.com.au
  • jakrose · 1 week ago
    Thanks for the addition Dave. I hope to organize all these into a nice table
    soon.
  • bigfatjr · 1 week ago
    Jason, you left us off the list! www.thebigfatmouth.com We have been around for years as guerilla marketers and online media experts Hot Social Agency

    Thanks