Agency of the Year
Welcome to Agency of the Year
For over 25 years, we have helped Nordic agencies truly understand their client relationships – not through gut feeling, but by asking the clients themselves. The result is Excellence in Client Relations, one of the Nordic region's largest industry and client studies, and the foundation for the Agency of the Year award. This award is a recognition given to the agencies whose clients confirm they deliver top-tier performance in business law, communications, architecture, and accounting/auditing.
What makes the study unique is the data and the benchmarking. You don't just find out how your clients perceive you – you also learn how you compare to the rest of the industry. You see which agencies succeed in retaining their clients year after year, and what they do differently.
About Excellence in Client Relations
Excellence in Client Relations is the Nordic region's most established client and industry study for consulting firms. The results from this study form the basis for the Agency of the Year awards.
We ask buyers of legal, communications, architectural, and financial services about their actual experiences with their agencies. The study covers experience, loyalty, and areas for improvement. No jury panels, no industry opinions. Just structured feedback directly from the clients themselves, making the study one of the industry's most reliable tools for understanding what creates strong, long-term client relationships.
Our goal is to make Agency of the Year the industry's definitive benchmark for client relationships – built on the largest and most transparent client data set available in the Nordic region.
How does Agency of the Year work?
The process is designed to be both thorough and efficient:
Registration – Agencies register for the study within their respective sectors (business law, communications, architecture, or accounting/auditing).
Data collection – Over approximately six weeks, we collect responses through a combination of surveys and client interviews that capture both breadth and depth.
Analysis – The responses are compiled and analyzed based on CSI, NPS, and a variety of qualitative questions regarding the client relationship.
Results – Within a month of the study's conclusion, participating agencies receive their report – a concrete foundation for ongoing development work based on the clients' own responses and industry benchmarks.
Award – The agencies with the strongest results and a sufficiently large client base are named Agency of the Year in their respective categories. In addition, participating agencies that reach the study's established benchmarks receive their own quality emblems, which can be used in marketing.
The Agency of the Year award is back
Agency of the Year is one of the industry's most established accolades. It serves as proof that clients truly believe an agency delivers top-tier performance.
In the autumn of 2025, Avara Insights acquired the rights to Agency of the Year. We did so because we believe in the core concept and wanted to ensure its future – with an even clearer focus on transparency, independence, and quality.
During the transition year, we made a conscious decision to pause the Agency of the Year award itself. Before presenting an award, we wanted to ensure that the methodology, selection criteria, and data quality met the standard required for Agency of the Year to be a recognition the industry can fully trust – not just a gala. Now, the award is back. With the same fundamental principle as always: it is the clients, not a jury, who decide who becomes Agency of the Year.
About Avara Insights
Agency of the Year is powered by Avara Insights – the Nordic region's leading customer insight and analysis firm for the agency industry.
We have long specialized in customer follow-ups and quality measurement for consultancies and agencies. We know what it takes for a survey to be more than just a numbers game: the right questions, the right methodology, and an analysis that is truly actionable. This same expertise forms the foundation of Agency of the Year – we don't measure for the sake of measuring, but to provide agencies with a concrete basis for development.
In addition to Agency of the Year, we continuously help agencies track their client relationships through customer surveys using CSI and NPS, as well as in-depth interviews that explain the figures behind the satisfaction scores. For agencies that want real-time insights rather than an annual check-up, we also offer the Goodfeed platform. Whether you want to participate in this year's study, understand your clients better, or simply follow industry trends, we are here to help you move forward.
FAQ
Here you will find answers to our most frequently asked questions. If you can't find what you're looking for, you are always welcome to contact us for further assistance.
This is our annual industry study mapping how agencies and consultancies manage client relationships — and which methods drive the best results. The study is based on both quantitative data and qualitative insights from clients in the industry.
To provide a clear and independent view of the industry's health, customer expectations, and the factors that drive long-term relationships and growth.
A customer survey measures the experience of your own clients. Excellence in Client Relations shows how you compare to the rest of the industry — and which factors set the most successful players apart. The study also covers more perspectives than just customer satisfaction, such as the client's view on future collaboration, agency selection, and more.
We are currently conducting the study within four consulting sectors: Business Law, Media & Communication, Architecture, and Accounting/Auditing.
Through a combination of surveys and customer interviews. This method ensures both breadth and depth.
Each study lasts for approximately six weeks. Once the collection phase is complete, all data is compiled and analyzed, and the final report is sent out within one month of the study's conclusion.
Yes. Many organizations use the study as a strategic foundation to develop their working methods, strengthen customer relationships, and prioritize the right initiatives.
You can register your interest for the next edition directly on our website. Once the selection process opens, we will contact you with information about the process, the criteria involved, and how you can get the most out of the study.
Agency of the Year is an industry initiative that brings together the Excellence in Client Relations study and the Agency of the Year award under one roof. The initiative aims to highlight the agencies that lead in client relations – based on actual client insights rather than industry opinion or jury decisions.
Excellence in Client Relations is the study – the annual measurement tool that collects structured feedback from buyers of agency services. Agency of the Year is the award and the initiative as a whole. The study identifies, the award recognizes. They are two parts of the same whole.
Still have questions?
Please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or concerns.
Ready to take the next step in your customer work?
We're here to answer questions and help you move forward.
Book a short call or send us an email, and we'll take it from there. Together, we'll find the approach that gives you the most value — whether it's about pulse surveys, customer research, or industry insights.
Registration for Agency of the Year
Fill out the form below to register your agency for this year's client and industry study. Please note that registration is non-binding.