Methodology

Eligibility and Tracking Period

Only agencies or companies that have won at least one award in local or international festivals included in the official TopFICE tracking index are eligible to participate. The comprehensive list of evaluated award shows can be reviewed on the official platform. The evaluation cycle strictly accounts for accolades and metals won between October 15 and October 14 of the following year.

Award Allocation and Winner Formats

Depending on data collection analytics and the volume of winners within each category, distinctions may be granted through direct placement or standard nomination protocols:

• Direct Winners: Assigned to companies with an outstanding performance that demonstrates an insurmountable mathematical point gap over the runner-up, or to companies with a completely unique core operation that stands as the sole winner within their specialization category.
• Nominated Winners: Primarily applicable to the Agency of the Year and Independent Agency of the Year categories. In large or highly competitive national markets, nominations may also extend to other specialized categories. This group will consist of the 4 or 5 highest-scoring agencies. One title per agency. Agency of the Year is open to all agencies in each country, including independent agencies. Each agency may receive only one title per country and period, and Agency of the Year takes precedence over all other titles. If an independent agency obtains the highest score in its country, it will be named Agency of the Year, and Independent Agency of the Year will be awarded to the next highest-scoring independent agency.

Registration, Verification, and Awarding Fees

Nominated agencies will be officially contacted and invited to complete their validation process. The winner will be determined as the highest-scoring agency that successfully completes its registration. Along with the official invitation, TopFICE provides the detailed breakdown of tabulated awards. During registration, agencies have the exclusive right to supplement or correct this data by presenting verifiable proof of additional eligible accolades, which may increase their final score and leaderboard position. Unregistered titles. In most award shows, agencies pay entry fees in advance for each piece they submit, whether or not they win. TopFICE does not charge entry fees. Instead, it applies a “pay only if you win” policy: the Awarding Rights Fee is the only cost of taking part, and it is paid only by the agency that wins the title. Taking part is voluntary. This principle applies to all categories, including Direct Winners. If the highest-scoring agency in a category does not wish to take part, or is unable to complete its registration and pay the Awarding Rights Fee within the established deadline, the title will be offered to the next highest-scoring agency in the same category and country, under the same conditions and with a new deadline. If no eligible agency completes its registration, the category will be declared vacant for that period. An agency that does not register a title will not be assigned a different title in its place. Not registering does not affect an agency’s TopFICE Score or its position in the Global Ranking.

To secure inclusion and unlock the official titles, mandatory registration is required. Agencies designated as Direct Winners must complete their registration and settle the corresponding Awarding Rights Fees (Winners Fee). Conversely, nominated agencies incur no financial obligation during the initial nomination phase; the Awarding Rights Fee is only mandatory for the single agency that ultimately emerges as the category winner.

Deliverables and Global Ranking Integration

TopFICE provides all verified winning agencies with an official Winner’s Toolkit, containing digital seals, certificates, and editorial templates for press releases. Additionally, a physical commemorative plaque will be shipped directly to the company’s registered address. TopFICE also handles global syndication, dispatching official media releases to specialized industry press outlets.

All points accumulated by winning agencies accumulate towards the TopFICE Global Grand Ranking, an international master index of all evaluated companies. This master ranking features advanced data segmentation filters by Country and Company Type (additionally filtered by State within the United States market).

Dispute Resolution, Point Ties, and Category Adjustments

In the event of an exact statistical tie in points within a category, the involved agencies may jointly agree to share the co-title of Agency of the Year (or the corresponding category). If a mutual agreement cannot be reached, the category will officially be declared vacant for that period.

Agencies may also formally request or mutually agree upon a modification to a category’s nomenclature or assignment, provided they submit verifiable, auditable proof demonstrating that the agency operates an additional, active business core beyond the specific sector for which it was originally nominated.

Compliance and Right of Exclusion

TopFICE reserves the absolute right to restrict, block, or entirely remove any agency from its ranking and indexes if the company fails to complete the mandatory registration process or defaults on the payment of the corresponding Awarding Rights Fee (Winners Fee) within the designated deadlines.