We vetted these Kansas City agencies so you don’t have to

The Kansas City metro is home to some serious marketing and advertising heavyweights, and there are always new contenders  entering the market. As a brand, how do you choose the agency that’s right for you? 

It’s no surprise that agencies that range in size also range in their specialties and capabilities. Some agencies like more variety in their clients while others love to nail down a vertical. 

This isn’t some thinly-veiled jab while casually placing ourselves on a pedestal. Truth is, we admire the shops around town. We even have friends who work at a lot of these places. 

What you have here is an unbiased look at the Kansas City agency landscape. Go ahead, take a peek. 

The Ones Everybody Knows

These are the agencies that have worked with household names such as Wendy’s, Ford and AMC. Who are these agencies for? From where we’re standing, these guys have the bandwidth and budget to take on some seriously big clients and projects. 

VMLY&R | We Create Connected Brands. 

• LinkedIn 
• Parent company: WPP
• 11,000+ Employees 
• Jon Cook, Global CEO
• Industry
  • Automotive
  • Banking
  • Education
  • Fashion & Apparel
  • Government
  • Insurance
  • Nonprofit
  • Pro-bono
  • Retail & eCommerce
  • Sustainability
  • Technology & Telecom
  • Travel & Tourism
  • Health
• Services
  • Brand Strategy + Activation
  • Creative Strategy
  • Design
  • Digital Strategy
  • Marketing Strategy
  • Media Strategy + Implementation
  • Search Engine Marketing
  • Social Media

Barkley | We build modern brands for modern consumers.

• LinkedIn
• Privately owned
• 500+ Employees
• Jeff King, CEO
• Industry
  • Finance
  • Retail
  • Consumer Packaged Goods
  • Restaurant
  • Travel
  • Healthcare
  • Non-profit organizations
• Services
  • Transformation & Strategy
  • Design & Experience
  • Communications & Activation

The Ones with a Niche  

You guessed it – these are the shops dedicated to specific markets. If you’re in the business of senior living, healthcare, or the many aspects of the travel industry, these agencies are no strangers to this terrain.   

Attane | GlynnDevins is now Attane — powering sales & marketing teams in senior living and healthcare.

• LinkedIn
• Privately owned
• 200+
• Chris Egan, President & CEO
• Industry
  • Senior Living 
  • Healthcare
• Services
  • Websites
  • Digital Marketing
  • Direct Mail
  • Marketing Automation

MMGY Global | We are the world’s leading travel, tourism and hospitality marketing company. Every day we inspire people to go places.

• LinkedIn
• Privately owned by Peninsula Capital Partners
• 200+ employees
• Clayton Reid, CEO
• Industry
  • Travel
  • Tourism
  • Hospitality
• Services
  • Digital Marketing
  • Marketing Automation
  • Branding
  • Content Creation
  • Strategy

Intouch Solutions | An independent, full-service agency built for the new realities of modern marketing. We’re the agency of more.

• LinkedIn 
• Privately owned
• 800+ Employees
• Faruk Capan, CEO & Founder
• Industry
  • Pharmaceutical
  • Healthcare 
• Services
  • Brand Marketing Services
  • Enterprise Marketing Services

The Ones Out to Shake Sh*t Up

Welcome to our neck of the woods. We may be biased here, but when you’re working with one of these agencies, you’re looking at some top-tier thinkers. These are the strategic folks who aren’t afraid to roll up their sleeves and meet you exactly where you are in your business journey. 

Native Digital | We’re a digitally native marketing firm built to acquire customers where they live: online.

• LinkedIn
• Privately owned
• 30+
• Justin Watkins, CEO & Founder
• Industry
  • Fintech & Financial Services
  • Agtech
  • Edtech
  • Healthtech
  • Retail
  • Hospitality
• Services
  • Market Intel & Performance Analysis
  • Value Prop & Positioning
  • Branch Architecture
  • Team Workshops
  • Integrated Planning
  • Search: Seo & Sem
  • Paid Digital Media
  • Social Media
  • Ux & Crm Conversion
  • Influential Media

DMH (Diamond Merckens Hogan) | Come see what it feels like to be fearless.

• LinkedIn 
• Privately owned
• 30+ Employees
• Partners: Paul Diamond, Brian Merckens, Sean Hogan and Doug Newman
• Industry
  • Non-profit Organizations 
  • Animal Health
  • Retail
  • Healthcare
  • Consumer Packaged Goods
• Services
  • Brand Strategy + Activation
  • Creative Strategy
  • Design
  • Digital Strategy
  • Marketing Strategy
  • Media Strategy + Implementation
  • Public Relations
  • Search Engine Marketing
  • Social Media

MBB Agency | This is where cool meets smart. This is MBB – where we make it matter.

• LinkedIn 
• Privately owned
• 70+ employees
• Jim Brown, COO & Partner
• Industry
  • Consumer Packaged Goods
  • Health
  • B2B Marketing
• Services
  • Strategy
  • Creative
  • Engagement
  • Digital Solutions
  • Content Creation

DEG, a Merkle Company | DEG is a digital experience agency providing data-driven marketing and commerce solutions.

• LinkedIn 
• Parent company
• 300+ Employees
• Neal Sharma, CEO
• Industry
  • Retailers
  • Non-profit Organizations
  • Insurance Providers
  • Consumer Packaged Goods
• Services
  • Email
  • eCommerce
  • Social Media
  • Portals & Collaboration
  • Campaign Management
  • Direct to Consumer
  • Media & Search
  • Loyalty Programs
  • Content Creation
  • Salesforce CX
  • Analytics & Insight
  • Web Content Management

At the end of the day, no two businesses are exactly the same, and selecting the agency that works for you is no easy feat. 

What we do know is that you’ll want to find yourselves an agency that meets your needs, broadens your vision, and makes you feel like reaching the next steps is possible. If your vision is somewhat of a well-calculated lightning strike, you’ll need an agency that is outcome driven and embraces unconventional thinking. 

When your company finds itself on the cusp of insane growth, you know where to find us.