Clean Up Time for the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s Book of Lists

The 2017-2018 Atlanta Business Chronicle Book of Lists is out and on the town.  For over 30 years, the book has been heralded as the bible of Atlanta Industry rankings. The amount of pool and ping-pong tables that have been purchased to qualify for Atlanta’s Best Places to Work has simply been astounding.  As this Book of Lists has become a stalwart of Atlanta Business, the Advertising and Marketing Industry has continued to evolve. Yet, the ranking of Atlanta’s 50 Largest Advertising & Marketing Firms has become a muddled mess.  The firms listed in the 2018 book run the gambit. Many firms specialize in narrow niches on the marketing spectrum. These include: event marketing, web builders, SEO, digital marketing, search, direct marketing, media buying, consultancies, promotional marketing, branding firms and ethnic marketing.  The list can be confusing for anyone reading the publication, especially someone looking for an agency to hire.  The confusion comes from the many changes that have taken place over the past 10 years.  Companies searching for an ad agency should look for more of a generalist.  A solid marketing strategy can only be formed by taking a holistic approach to a challenge.  Strategy should consider all mediums.  Specialists can be part of the solution but often their limited view of the playing field can lead to missteps.  The best quote I’ve heard referring to this issue is, “If you are a hammer, then everything looks like a nail...that’s just what you do.”   It’s time to break up the agencies and marketing firms part of the Book of Lists and identify specialists within their category apart from strategic agencies.