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Best Overall Interactive Agency
By snaring top-tier clients and sticking to a solid business plan, Digitas stands above the rest.
AT A GLANCE
>Founded: 1980 as Eastern Exclusives; 1995 as Digitas
> Principals: David Kenny, chairman and CEO; Michael Ward, president and COO
> Headquarters: Boston
> Clients: Gillette, Xerox, Ann Taylor, GM
> Employees: 1,900
HOW WE DID IT: Beginning last October, the editors and writers of Adweek's IQ convened each week to discuss our picks for the hottest interactive agencies of the year 2000. After some debate, we unanimously agreed to continue calling this issue-our sixth annual one-the best "interactive agencies" rather than best "Internet professional services firms" or best "interactive solutions providers." While some companies dislike being identified as an "agency," we felt that the term agency most clearly articulated what these companies do, without the dot-com jargon. An agency, after all, is by definition an organization that facilitates work. We also picked interactive over Internet because interactive advertising and marketing comprises more than just Web-based efforts.
As the IQ staff considered a short list of contenders, our original tack of first judging creativity gave way to scrutinizing a company's business and financial acumen. We also took into account factors such as industry buzz, company growth and overall work for 2000. For the first time, shops were judged within categories, in an effort to compare work on an apples-to-apples basis. We have excluded from this list back-end technology companies, pure e-consultancies and Web site integrators. While these companies play vital roles in interactive advertising and marketing, we deemed them too far afield from our editorial mandate of covering the Net economy from the agency's perspective.
When it came to doing business on the Web. last year was a tumultuous one. Presented here are our picks for the companies that we believe will weather the storm and make it past the hype.-The Editors of IQ n odd duck" is how one analyst pegs Digitas, when pitting the interactive agency against its rivals. At first blush, the off-the-cuff remark could be easily misconstrued. But, executives at the Boston-based Internet and direct marketing services firm revel in the reputation of being different.
"We've always been kind of a different beast," vice chairman...