Ask just about any agency what its greatest asset is, and the answer, invariably, will be its people. That was never truer than in 2020, when clients faced critical questions about how best to reach consumers, or even fundamentally reinvent their business, while reacting to the pandemic. These marketers leaned on agency partners for support, and media agencies played a particularly important role. In the early days of the pandemic, that meant a rush to pursue or cancel planned media buys. In the months that followed, these agencies steered clients through the crisis with timely information on how consumers were reacting across different regions and verticals and helped reimagine ecommerce capabilities and consumer relationships. Agencies introduced new tools and practices in 2020 that will be vital going forward. In the process, talent rose to the occasion, working tirelessly to deliver results for clients even as agencies faced crises of their own. Some stars shined particularly bright, and Adweek is proud to recognize these talented individuals as our 2021 Media All-Stars. —Erik Oster
This story first appeared in the April 12, 2021, issue of Adweek magazine. Click here to subscribe.
