Agency of the Year Categories
Company Categories
1. Analytics Agency of the Year
This category recognises agencies that excel in turning complex data into actionable insights. Agencies should demonstrate exceptional capabilities in web analytics, data science, and predictive modelling, helping clients make smarter, real-time decisions. Judges will look for evidence of how agencies transform raw data into measurable business outcomes, improve marketing performance, and provide strategic guidance based on analytics.
2. B2B Agency of the Year
This category is open to agencies that develop innovative strategies and creative executions specifically for business-to-business marketing. Agencies should demonstrate their ability to engage professional audiences, generate meaningful leads, and drive business results through campaigns that effectively combine insight, strategy, and creativity.
3. Boutique Agency of the Year
This category celebrates small, independent agencies with 30 staff or fewer. Judges will assess agencies on their ability to deliver impactful marketing and advertising solutions, regardless of specialism. Agencies should showcase agility, creativity, and strategic thinking, highlighting how a compact team can achieve big results for their clients.
4. Brand & Design Consultancy of the Year
This category recognises agencies that craft compelling brand identities and design solutions. Agencies should demonstrate excellence in brand strategy, visual storytelling, and design execution that strengthens client positioning and enhances audience engagement. Judges will look for evidence of creativity, strategic thinking, and measurable impact.
5. Consultant of the Year
This category is open to agencies and consulting firms that provide marketing innovation and transformation services. Agencies should demonstrate a track record of helping clients rethink strategies, improve operations, or launch new marketing initiatives, with measurable outcomes that drive growth and business impact.
6. Content Marketing Agency of the Year
This category celebrates agencies that create strategic, multi-channel content for clients, including websites, social media, newsletters, white papers, and more. Judges will assess how effectively the agency develops engaging, relevant content that drives audience engagement, builds brand authority, and achieves measurable results.
7. Creative Agency of the Year
This category recognises agencies that deliver outstanding creative ideas and executions across all media platforms. Agencies should showcase originality, innovation, and the ability to translate strategic insights into compelling campaigns that resonate with audiences and drive client objectives.
8. CRM & Loyalty Marketing Agency of the Year
This category is open to agencies that develop and execute strategies for customer relationship management, loyalty programmes, and customer experience initiatives. Judges will look for agencies that drive measurable improvements in engagement, retention, and lifetime customer value, while demonstrating creativity and strategic impact.
9. Digital Agency of the Year
This category celebrates agencies that deliver integrated digital solutions and strategies. Agencies should demonstrate excellence in areas such as digital campaigns, UX/UI, social media, programmatic, and analytics, showing measurable impact on brand performance and audience engagement.
10. eCommerce Marketing Agency of the Year
This category recognises agencies that develop and execute innovative eCommerce strategies. Judges will assess agencies on their ability to drive online sales, optimise conversion rates, integrate digital tools, and enhance the customer journey, demonstrating tangible business results.
11. Event Marketing Agency of the Year
This category celebrates agencies that deliver impactful events, including conferences, exhibitions, trade shows, product launches, and virtual or hybrid experiences. Judges will assess creativity, strategic planning, audience engagement, and measurable outcomes, including brand visibility and business impact.
12. Experiential Marketing Agency of the Year
This category recognises agencies that create immersive and interactive experiences, such as brand activations, sensory events, and audience participation campaigns. Agencies should demonstrate their ability to engage audiences in meaningful ways that drive brand awareness, loyalty, and measurable results.
13. Full-Service Agency of the Year
This category is open to agencies that offer end-to-end marketing and advertising solutions. Agencies should demonstrate their ability to conceptualise, execute, and track campaigns across multiple disciplines, providing at least three in-house services. Judges will assess creativity, strategic insight, and measurable client impact.
14. Independent Agency of the Year
This category celebrates agencies that operate independently of networks or parent companies. Agencies should demonstrate excellence in delivering marketing and advertising solutions, regardless of specialism or geography, while maintaining agility, innovation, and client impact.
15. Influencer Agency of the Year
This category recognises agencies that develop, manage, and execute campaigns leveraging social media influencers. Judges will assess agencies’ ability to identify relevant talent, craft authentic narratives, drive engagement, and achieve measurable business outcomes for clients.
16. Integrated Communications Agency of the Year *NEW*
This category is open to agencies that deliver end-to-end communications solutions by successfully integrating three or more disciplines such as public relations, corporate communications, crisis management, digital, social, content, and influencer engagement. An Integrated Communications Agency should demonstrate its ability to craft and manage cohesive narratives across multiple stakeholder groups, ensuring consistency of voice and impact. Judges will be looking for agencies that combine strategic counsel with execution to strengthen reputation, build trust, and achieve measurable outcomes for their clients.
17. Integrated Marketing Agency of the Year
This category celebrates agencies that successfully integrate three or more marketing channels into cohesive campaigns. Agencies should demonstrate the ability to conceptualise, manage, and execute integrated campaigns that deliver consistent messaging, amplify impact, and achieve client objectives across multiple platforms.
18. Lead Generation Agency of the Year
This category recognises agencies that generate qualified leads and drive tangible business outcomes. Judges will assess the effectiveness, efficiency, and innovation of lead generation strategies, including targeting, conversion optimisation, and cost-effectiveness.
19. MarTech Agency of the Year
This category celebrates agencies that provide best-in-class marketing technology solutions. Agencies should demonstrate expertise in selecting, deploying, and optimising MarTech stacks, integrating technology with strategy to drive measurable client results and enhanced marketing performance.
20. Media Agency of the Year
This category recognises agencies that excel in media planning, buying, and strategy. Judges will assess the agency’s ability to maximise reach, optimise budgets, and deliver impactful campaigns that align with client objectives and demonstrate measurable ROI.
21. Mobile Marketing Agency of the Year
This category is open to agencies delivering mobile-first marketing solutions. Judges will look for creative, innovative strategies across mobile platforms that enhance user experience, engagement, and measurable client results.
22. New Kid on the Block
This category celebrates agencies that have recently entered the Malaysian market (less than two years in operation). Agencies should demonstrate strong strategic thinking, creativity, and impact despite their short history, with measurable outcomes for clients. A Local Hero award will also be presented in this category.
23. Performance Marketing Agency of the Year
This category recognises agencies that deliver results-driven marketing campaigns. Agencies should demonstrate excellence in performance-based strategies, optimisation, and measurable ROI across client campaigns.
24. Programmatic Agency of the Year
This category celebrates agencies that deliver programmatic media solutions across omnichannel platforms. Judges will assess strategic planning, execution, and campaign performance, including innovation in audience targeting and cost efficiency.
25. Public Relations Agency of the Year
This category recognises agencies that deliver strategic communications solutions, including corporate communications, public affairs, crisis management, B2B PR, or investor relations. Judges will assess creativity, strategic impact, and measurable client outcomes.
26. Search Agency of the Year
This category recognises agencies specialising in SEO and SEM solutions. Agencies should demonstrate expertise in driving measurable search performance, optimising campaigns, and delivering tangible business outcomes through innovative search strategies.
27. Social Media Marketing Agency of the Year
This category celebrates agencies that deliver impactful social media strategies. Judges will look for creative content, strategic campaign planning, audience engagement, and measurable results across social platforms.
28. Specialist Agency of the Year
This category recognises agencies or divisions that specialise in a specific business vertical, such as healthcare, education, or shopper marketing. Judges will assess the agency’s depth of expertise, innovation, and measurable results for clients within their chosen vertical.
29. Sustainability Communications Agency of the Year *NEW*
This category is open to agencies that specialise in sustainability, CSR, and ESG communications. A Sustainability Communications Agency should demonstrate how it has helped clients craft authentic narratives around environmental, social, and governance commitments, and successfully engaged stakeholders through clear, transparent, and impactful strategies. Judges will be looking for agencies that go beyond surface-level messaging to deliver communications that enhance reputation, build trust, and drive meaningful conversations and actions on issues that matter to society.
30. Video / Production Company of the Year
This category celebrates agencies and production houses that deliver high-quality video content and production services. Judges will assess creativity, technical excellence, storytelling, and measurable impact of video content on client objectives.
Talent & Culture Categories
31. Agency Leader of the Year
This category recognises outstanding stewardship and excellence from an agency chief executive officer / managing director who has demonstrated exceptional and effective leadership and guidance while making a significant impact to their agency’s overall output.
Entrants can nominate themselves or be nominated by others; this category is limited to CEO/MD level positions, and should show evidence of business impact in the following areas within the eligibility period:
- Single most important achievement
- Operational excellence at the agency
- Leadership and motivation at the agency
- Strategy and implementation
- People development and performance under their watch
- Commercial results against objectives
- Client retention under their watch
- Contributions to the industry at large
Testimonials for this category are encouraged.
32. Agency Team of the Year
This category recognises outstanding work from an agency team which has made a significant impact to their clients’ overall marketing campaigns, executions, and results. Entrants can use one particular campaign as a case study of evidence to form their entry or can use aspects from various projects, but all work must have taken place within the eligibility period and they must show evidence of:
- Outstanding achievements in campaigns and project management
- Creativity and innovation
- Strategic thinking
- Excellent execution
- Successful results against objectives / KPIs
- Any other exceptional achievements or work that especially merits this award.
Testimonials for this category are encouraged.
33. Best Agency-Client Partnership
This award recognises the outstanding collaboration and cooperation between an agency and its client that has led to exceptional results and success. Agencies should select one client and demonstrate the mutual trust, communication, and dedication that have been key factors in achieving a mutually beneficial partnership. The winner of this award will have demonstrated a strong alignment of goals, a seamless execution of initiatives, and a deep understanding of the client’s business and industry. They should showcase examples of the following areas within the eligibility period:
- Clear and open communication that ensures both parties are on the same page.
- How you developed trust and mutual respect to deliver quality work and make informed decisions.
- How did you ensure an alignment of goals and values to ensure you were committed to the same objectives?
- Collaboration and teamwork: How did you work together to achieve common goals and make decisions that benefited both parties?
- Adaptability and flexibility: How did you adjust to changing circumstances and prove you were open to new ideas and approaches?
- Long-term commitment: How are both parties should be committed to working together over the long term to achieve shared goals.
34. Best Agency Culture
This award recognises the outstanding efforts of an agency in fostering a positive and inclusive work environment for its people. Judges will be looking at how the entrants implemented effective practices and initiatives to promote employee satisfaction, engagement, and well-being, resulting in a culture that is supportive, collaborative, and promotes employee development. Please include examples of the following:
- Clear and consistent communication: Show how the agency developed open lines of communication, transparent policies and procedures, and/or regular check-ins with employees to help create a culture of trust, accountability and mutual understanding.
- Employee empowerment: Show how the agency encouraged employee ownership of their work by giving them autonomy, resources and support they needed to succeed.
- Recognition and appreciation: Show how the agency displayed appreciation for their staff’s hard work and achievements in order to foster a positive and motivating culture.
- Professional development: Show how the agency invested in the professional development and growth of employees to help create a culture of learning and continuous improvement.
- Inclusion and diversity: Show how the agency created a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion to help to foster a sense of belonging, respect, and understanding among employees.
- Work-life balance: Show how the agency encouraged and supported employees to maintain a healthy work-life balance to help to create a culture of well-being and satisfaction.
- Strong leadership: Show how the agency’s senior leadership team led by example, were transparent, and communicated effectively to help create a culture that aligned with the company’s goals and values.
35. Rising Star
This category recognises outstanding work from an agency talent under the age of 30. To qualify, the entrant must have been 29 at any point during the eligibility period. They should demonstrate how they made a significant impact to their clients’ overall marketing campaigns, executions, and results. Entrants can use one particular campaign as a case study of evidence to form their entry or can use aspects from various projects, but all work must have taken place within the eligibility period and they must show evidence of:
- Outstanding achievements in campaigns and project management
- Creativity, innovation and the ability to pivot quickly and effectively
- Strategic, out-of-the-box thinking
- Excellent execution
- Successful results against objectives / KPIs
- Any other exceptional achievements or work that especially merits this award.
Testimonials for this category are encouraged.
NOT FOR ENTRY
36. Overall Agency of the Year (Not Open For Entry)
This category will recognise the most successful performing agencies across all categories. The top 5 performing agencies will be shortlisted, and the winner will be revealed in the big finale at the AOTY gala dinner celebration.
Points System:
- Gold: 4 points
- Silver: 2 points
- Bronze: 1 point
Tie-Breakers:
- Most Gold: If total points are tied, the agency with the highest number of Gold awards wins.
- Most Silver: If Gold awards are also tied, the agency with the highest number of Silver awards wins.
- Highest Average Score: If a tie still persists, the brand with the highest average score percentage (as assigned by the judges across all their winning entries) will win.
37. Overall Local Hero of the Year (Not Open For Entry)
This category will recognise the most successful performing Local Hero agency across all categories. Only independent agencies that were founded in Malaysia are eligible for consideration. Multiple offices in other countries is permitted as long as the agency was founded in Malaysia, with no ownership by parent agencies or holding companies.
Points System:
- Local Hero: 1 point
Tie-Breakers:
- Most Gold: If total points are tied, the agency with the highest number of Gold awards wins.
- Most Silver: If Gold awards are also tied, the agency with the highest number of Silver awards wins.
- Highest Average Score: If a tie still persists, the agency with the highest average score percentage (as assigned by the judges across all their winning entries) will win.