Gold
The Considered
The Considered might well have won Gold this year simply for the numbers underpinning its business success, including 98% employee retention, winning 100% of new business pitches and increasing revenue 87% to $10.2 million. Founded in 2021 with the promise to “break the rules that others follow,” it more than delivered in 2024.
But what impressed the judges even more was The Considered’s industry leadership in both AI and workplace culture. While GenAI and remote-first represent the seismic changes to all agencies, this small shop is using them to build a remarkably modern agency.
GenAI helped the agency transform sketches into fully realized brand platforms, building more than 75 GPTs to elevate workflows. This includes innovative elements of market research, such as simulated audiences and in-depth research tools. There is an outspoken commitment to using innovation as a means to deepen humanity, not bypass it.
Even as competitors are pushing employees to return to the office, the company continues to flex its remote-first positioning, touting a limitless talent pool, reduced environmental impact and less time wasted on commuting. Recognizing this work model is still in its infancy, the agency continues to explore ways to optimize remote work, such as twice-yearly retreats, monthly meetings with an external mentor, weekly meetings with an AI coach, group mindfulness sessions and biannual bonuses.
To build on its agency-of-record ambitions, it established two areas of practice — design thinking and behavior change. Last year, it offered 10 eight-week design thinking sprints, with 83% of clients loving the product. For behavior change, it developed Healthcontrol, a proprietary three-step process designed to increase desired behaviors.
Judges were “blown away” by the accomplishments of The Considered’s 55 employees, pushing the boundaries of creativity, insight and meaningful connection: “This agency showcases strong industry leadership, an outstanding workplace culture, ethical adoption of AI and consistently exceptional creative work.”
Silver
EvolveMKD
“Be kind. Don’t suck.” This four-word motto pushed EvolveMKD to exceptional levels this year. With 75% of its business falling under traditional PR, its research and analytics team conducted a proprietary study measuring standard marketing funnel metrics, revealing that consumers no longer “consume” in a descending funnel but instead in a dynamic wave, where interests, needs and decisions shift daily. “Kindness” took on special meaning, with the agency donating time and money to organizations such as Safe Horizon, The Ali Forney Center, the Superhero Project and the Bowery Mission.