This Thursday, January 13, 2022 took place the 42nd GRAND PRIX OF THE AGENCY OF THE YEAR. During this live broadcast event, YKONE was awarded the “INFLUENCE MARKETING AGENCY OF THE YEAR” prize by the president, Henri-Christian Schroeder.
HOW YKONE BECAME THE AGENCY OF THE YEAR ?
Being awarded Influencer agency of the year means a lot to us.
If we’re being more specific it means 4 things.
The first thing does not have to do with winning the award but the simple fact that this category exists. When YKONE was founded 13 years ago, the concept of «influencer marketing » was non-existent. Instagram did not exist yet. No one made a living from the content they created online. What there was then was merely an intuition. An intuition that the creativity of individuals would keep on finding ways to express itself on the Web 2.0.
“When YKONE was founded 13 years ago, the concept of «influencer marketing » was non-existent”
A conviction that turned into an unshakable belief and many opportunities. As we have grown as a communication agency alongside this industry, we hold this belief very close to our sleeve. This award is a beautiful reminder of the legitimacy our industry now has and how far we have come culturally, as well as how bright the horizon is.
Tatiana Vasilieva, Mirjam Flatau & Meredith Mickelson in Abu Dhabi by YKONE
This award means a lot because we are not a stunt agency. We don’t do big creative coups. We work daily, quietly, alongside our clients to bring meaningful, impactful, creative campaigns to life and meet their objectives.
We are not industry players and as fun as the frill of creativity festivals entries and award shows seems, it was never a priority for us. We are grateful for this celebration of our agency as a whole rather than one stand out campaign, and we are humbled that our culture, creativity and dedication are recognized by our peers.
Twins Hadban & Olafarahat for Gucci beauty by Ykone
Which leads us to the third reason why this means so much. Talent. Awards apparently attract talent which is great. But in this instance, we want to dedicate this award to the talents that made it possible. YKONE is nothing if not a multicultural community of people who shape our company, redefining collectively the influence and communication space with an ever-evolving skill set and an open mind to the possibilities digital communication offers.
Lana, Karim Naar & Hanna Lhoumeau for People of Ykone
Lastly, this means a lot because this accolade comes after a deep reinvention of YKONE. A little over a year ago, in the early stages of the pandemic, we stopped in our tracks to think of what YKONE could become, to « reboot » our processes, our products and creative services, our strategy and vision for the future.
This recognition is meaningful as it rewards flexibility and encourages change.
Because everything changes everyday, but one thing is forever: awards mean a lot to those who receive them.
