Kansas City’s VML makes Ad Age’s A-List of top 10 firms

VML, a Kansas City advertising agency known for being in the digital marketing vanguard, has made Advertising Age’s A-List, ranking No. 9 in the country.

VML’s global CEO, Jon Cook, said although the company had adapted to changing technology and ways to deliver a messsage to “transcend eras of marketing,” its continued success went back to keeping focused on solid fundamentals.

“It’s in our DNA to get to the human truth — to provide insight, to understand a brand’s target audience and create persuasive communication for that audience,” he said.

In putting VML on its prestigious top 10 list, Ad Age, the industry’s leading trade publication, called 2015 “a breakout year” for VML.

▪ The company’s U.S. head count rose 16 percent with the addition of more than 130 people last year and has doubled since 2012. VML now has 2,400 employees in 26 offices including more than 500 at its Kansas City headquarters.

▪ Its Chicago office quickly grew to more than 80 employees supporting VML’s work with Kimberly-Clark, Kellogg and PepsiCo.

▪ Motorola, Kellogg’s Kashi, the International Olympic Committee and Keurig in 2015 chose VML as their lead agency of record.

▪ FedEx and the U.S. Navy hired VML to work on their website redesigns. Sprint and JPMorgan Chase chose VML as their lead digital agency.

▪ It was the agency’s best year for revenue growth, adding more than $30 million worldwide. Global revenue topped $275 million, $180 million of which came in the U.S.

▪ Work outside its business as a lead digital agency made up 40 percent of revenue. Its expanding relationship with Wendy’s, which it started digital work with four years ago, was an example of its broadening scope. Ad Age noted that VML now “is involved in everything from TV to mobile to social media” with Wendy’s.

This story was originally published January 25, 2016 at 9:23 AM with the headline "Kansas City’s VML makes Ad Age’s A-List of top 10 firms."