BBDO tops global Effie Index for fourth time

Omnicom's BBDO has topped the Effie Index as the most effective ad agency network in the world, with Unilever and Vodafone named most effective marketer and brand respectively.

It is the fourth time in the seven-year history of the Index that BBDO has topped this ranking – more than any other network.

BBDO was followed by Ogilvy & Mather in second place and McCann Worldgroup in third for the global rankings. Ogilvy topped the index last year.

The 2017 Index was based on results in more than 40 national, regional and global Effie Awards competitions, compiled from 3,601 finalists and winning entries between 1 January 2016 and 31 December 2016.

Sancho BBDO in Colombia was ranked the world's most effective individual agency – also for a record fourth time – followed by MullenLowe Lintas (India) and FP7/FXB (Dubai).

Out of the advertisers, Unilever was named the world's most effective marketer, followed by Nestlé and Procter & Gamble. Last year's top marketer, Coca-Cola, was fourth in the 2017 index.

Cola-Cola also lost top spot out of the most effective brands in this year's index, falling to second behind Vodafone. McDonald's was third, as it was last year.

Neal Davies, president and chief executive of Effie Worldwide, said: "Effie continues to reward ideas that work across the globe. The top-ranked companies demonstrate a strategic commitment to marketing effectiveness."

Top five most effective marketers:

1. Unilever
2. Nestlé
3. Procter & Gamble
4. The Coca-Cola Company
5. PepsiCo

Top five most effective brands:

1. Vodafone
2. Coca-Cola
3. McDonald’s
4. Pepsi
5. Ikea

Top five most effective agency holding groups:

1. WPP
2. Omnicom
3. Interpublic
4. Publicis Groupe
5. Dentsu

Top five most effective agency networks:

1. BBDO (Omnicom)
2. Ogilvy & Mather (WPP)
3. McCann Worldgroup (Interpublic)
4. Y&R (WPP)
5. J Walter Thompson (WPP)

Top five most effective individual agencies:

1. Sancho BBDO (Omnicom, Colombia)
2. MullenLowe Lintas (Interpublic, India)
3. FP7/DXB (McCann, Dubai)
4. Ogilvy & Mather (WPP, Mumbai)
5. Colenso BBDO (Omnicom, New Zealand)

Top five most effective independent agencies:

1. ACG Advertising Agency (Romania)
2. Alametifarika (Turkey)
3. Blab (Turkey)
4. Guzel Sanatlar (Turkey)
5. Mother (Argentina)