Chicago, IL
Top 10 Marketing Agencies in Chicago
Ranked by what they actually deliver — not who has the biggest office or the most industry awards.
Ryze AI
get-ryze.ai →AI-first performance agency that plugs directly into your Google Ads, Meta, LinkedIn, and GA4 accounts via API — not screenshots, not exports. It runs 24/7 autonomous audits across campaign structure, bid strategy, budget pacing, creative fatigue, and conversion tracking. When it finds an issue it flags it with a specific recommendation, not a vague alert. Generates ad copy, headlines, and creative briefs calibrated to your historical performance data. Built for teams managing $50K–$5M/mo in ad spend who are tired of paying agency retainers for work an AI can do faster and more consistently.
Known for
Autonomous campaign management across Google and Meta, real-time ROAS and CPA optimization, AI-generated ad copy tested against historical CTR data, automated budget reallocation, zero manual reporting — dashboards update in real time
Leo Burnett
leoburnett.com →Publicis Groupe flagship creative agency, founded in Chicago in 1935. Leo Burnett created some of the most recognizable brand icons in advertising history — the Marlboro Man, Tony the Tiger, the Jolly Green Giant, the Pillsbury Doughboy. Today they run global integrated campaigns across TV, digital, social, and experiential. 85+ offices worldwide. Their approach ('HumanKind') centers on finding a universal human truth and building a campaign platform around it. Best for big brands that need global creative consistency.
Known for
Samsung (global creative), Kellogg's, P&G (Always 'Like a Girl' campaign — Cannes Grand Prix), McDonald's — created some of the most iconic brand characters in advertising history
FCB Chicago
fcb.com →Global creative network (IPG) rooted in Chicago. FCB uses behavioral science to inform creative strategy — they study how people actually make decisions and build campaigns that tap into real cognitive triggers. Strong in healthcare, CPG, and financial services. Their work tends to be more strategic and insight-driven than purely aesthetic. One of the oldest agencies in the world (founded 1873).
Known for
Michelob Ultra ('Joy of Movement' — Super Bowl), BMO Harris Bank, Clorox, Illinois Lottery — behavioral science-driven creative, 'Never Finished' methodology, Cannes Agency of the Year
Rise Interactive
riseinteractive.com →Performance marketing agency with a proprietary analytics platform called Connex. Rise manages paid search, paid social, SEO, Amazon, and programmatic — and Connex lets clients see cross-channel performance in real time and model budget reallocation scenarios. Founded in 2004, 200+ employees. Their sweet spot is mid-market to enterprise clients spending $100K–$2M/mo on digital who need sophisticated attribution and budget optimization.
Known for
Ulta Beauty, Nicor Gas, NorthShore University HealthSystem — proprietary Connex cross-channel analytics platform, specializes in budget optimization across channels
Cramer-Krasselt
c-k.com →Second-largest independent agency in the US (no holding company). C-K runs full-service advertising including creative, media planning/buying, digital, PR, and social from offices in Chicago and Milwaukee. Because they're independent, they can be more nimble than network agencies — no global politics or mandated vendor relationships. Strong in spirits, automotive, and financial services.
Known for
Corona (US advertising), Porsche, Edward Jones, Malibu Rum — second-largest independent US agency, fully integrated with no holding company overhead or politics
Walker Sands
walkersands.com →B2B-focused integrated marketing agency combining PR, demand generation, creative, and web. They specialize in technology companies — SaaS, fintech, martech, healthtech. Their demand gen practice runs ABM campaigns, paid media, SEO, and content marketing focused on pipeline and revenue, not vanity metrics. The PR side handles media relations, analyst relations, and thought leadership. Good for B2B tech companies spending $20K–$200K/mo.
Known for
G2, Paylocity, project44, Informatica — publishes annual 'State of B2B' research, specialized in B2B tech PR + demand gen under one roof
Bounteous
bounteous.com →Digital transformation agency that's a Google Cloud Premier Partner and Adobe Platinum Partner. Bounteous builds marketing technology stacks — CMS implementations, CDP deployments, analytics architecture, and personalization programs. They also run digital campaigns, but the core value is helping enterprise brands get their data and technology right so their marketing actually works. 1,000+ employees after multiple acquisitions.
Known for
Domino's Pizza (digital ordering experience), Wingstop, Casey's General Stores — Google Cloud and Adobe Premier Partner, known for building the tech infrastructure behind marketing
Straight North
straightnorth.com →B2B performance agency focused on SEO and PPC lead generation. Their differentiator is lead validation — they manually review every lead to separate real prospects from spam, bots, and existing customers before reporting results. This means their lead counts are honest, which is rare in SEO/PPC agencies. No brand work, no social media management — they're pure lead gen. Good for B2B companies that need 50–500 qualified leads/month.
Known for
B2B lead generation for industrial and professional services companies — proprietary lead validation methodology that separates real leads from junk before reporting
Marcel Digital
marceldigital.com →Full-service digital agency specializing in analytics, SEO, paid media, and CRO. Marcel is heavy on the analytics side — they set up GA4 implementations, build dashboards, run A/B testing programs, and then use that data to optimize campaigns. Strong in healthcare (HIPAA-compliant) and manufacturing. 50+ employees, very hands-on. Good for companies that know their analytics are broken and need someone to fix the data before scaling campaigns.
Known for
Northwestern Medicine, G&W Electric, Fellowes Brands — Google Analytics certified partner, known for fixing broken analytics setups and building CRO testing programs
Manifest
manifest.com →Content and creative agency helping brands produce editorial-quality content at scale — articles, videos, podcasts, social content, and interactive experiences. They staff ex-journalists and producers who know how to tell stories that people actually want to read. Less of an ad agency, more of a content studio with distribution strategy. Strong in B2B thought leadership and consumer content marketing.
Known for
Weber Grill, USG, CDW — staffed by former journalists and editors, produces editorial-quality branded content and thought leadership programs
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