Ranking methodology
Fieldtrip publishes comparison content across the full agency landscape: strategy, creative, media, measurement, and design. Because we also own several of the specialist agencies that can legitimately appear on these lists, this page is deliberately explicit about how a company gets on a list, how it's scored, and how we handle it when that company is one of ours.
Applies to listicles, roundups and comparison rankings on fieldtrip.agency. Fieldtrip is the parent network of inBeat, 9AM, Creative Milkshake, Bluethings and Web Tonic.
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This methodology governs listicle, roundup, and "best of" comparison formats, across any discipline we write about. It does not govern our strategic analysis or opinion pieces, which don't rank companies against each other.
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Candidates come from the agencies genuinely active in the category, drawn from market scans, client and partner conversations, and work we've observed directly, not a paid submission process.
An agency needs a checkable public track record, real client work, references, or reporting we can verify, to be considered.
We keep lists to a length a reader can actually use to make a decision, rather than stretching them to look exhaustive.
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Every candidate on a list, including our own sibling agencies where relevant, is scored on the same factors:
real, demonstrated capability in the specific service the list is about (strategy, creative, media, measurement, or design), not just a services page that mentions it.
for full-service comparisons, whether the agency's disciplines actually inform each other, or operate as disconnected teams under one roof.
case studies and outcomes we can trace to real, attributable client work across more than one engagement.
the size, industry, and budget range the agency is genuinely built to serve well.
team model, tenure, and whether the agency has the operating structure to deliver consistently, not just win a pitch.
Price is included as context for the reader, not as a scoring shortcut. We don't rank a cheaper option above a stronger one on cost alone, and we don't rank a pricier option above a stronger one because it's ours.
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when inBeat, 9AM, Creative Milkshake, Bluethings, or Web Tonic is a real fit for a list's category, it's scored on exactly the criteria above, using its actual capabilities and results.
any article where a sibling agency appears says so directly, near the mention, not buried in a footer disclaimer. Readers should never have to guess whether they're looking at an independent ranking.
a sibling agency's placement follows its score against the same factors as every other candidate. It is not placed first by default, and it is left off a list entirely when it isn't a genuine fit for that reader's need.
if a sibling agency wouldn't make the list on its own merits, it doesn't go on the list. A network relationship is not a qualification.
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Comparison content covering fast-moving categories is reviewed on a recurring schedule rather than left static after publication.
We re-open a ranking early if an agency on it closes, pivots, changes ownership, or has a public issue that affects the basis for its score, or if a new agency clearly belongs on the list.
Any change that moves a company's position, up or down, including our own network's agencies, is logged at the bottom of the article with the date, consistent with our editorial corrections policy.
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If a ranking looks off, an agency is missing, or you have information that should change a score, our editorial team can be reached through the contact page at fieldtrip.agency.
