Traction Wins Silver for Midsize Agency of the Year at the 2026 ANA B2 Awards
By Adam Kleinberg
I don't take things like this for granted.
Traction has been named Silver Midsize Agency of the Year at the 2026 ANA B2 Awards, the industry's most recognized honor for B2B marketing excellence, now in its 50th year (ironically, it's our 25th year).
What did Traction win at the 2026 ANA B2 Awards?
Traction was named Silver Midsize Agency of the Year at the 2026 ANA B2 Awards, announced on June 4, 2026 at the ANA Masters of B2B Marketing Conference in Chicago. Park & Battery took Gold and Stein took Bronze in the same category. The 2026 program marked the 50th anniversary of the B2 Awards, the ANA's recognition of excellence in business-to-business marketing.
That's a big deal to me. Not for the trophy, but for what it says about the work.
How does a midsize agency compete at this level?
We compete against agencies with more people, bigger budgets, and fancier offices. What we have is a different model, a liquid workforce, a deep bench of specialized talent, and a methodology that keeps strategy connected to real human behavior, not just market assumptions. It's how a midsize shop punches above its weight.
This award reflects the campaigns we've built alongside clients who trusted us to do something worth entering. That trust is never something I take lightly.
It also lands alongside Campaign's Agency of the Year recognition in the Best Talent Management Team category. Being recognized for different aspects of how we're handling our business feels like we're doing some things right over here!
What other awards has Traction won recently?
Traction's recognition over the past three years spans agency-level honors, campaign work, and individual leadership:
- 2026 ANA B2 Awards: Silver, Midsize Agency of the Year.
- 2026 Campaign US 40 Over 40: Adam Kleinberg, CEO.
- 2025 ANA B2 Awards: Silver, Integrated Marketing Program, Large Enterprise, for GE Healthcare "Know Now."
- 2025 ANA B2 Awards: Bronze, Corporate Identity Program, for Recorded Future "Know what matters. Act first."
- 2025 ANA B2 Awards: Bronze, A.I./Emerging Technologies, for the Recorded Future generative AI brand video.
- 2025 Campaign US Agency of the Year: shortlisted.
- 2024 Campaign US Agency of the Year: Gold, Best Talent Management Team.
About Traction
Traction is an independent B2B and brand marketing agency founded in 2001 and led by CEO Adam Kleinberg. It is classified as a midsize agency by the ANA, meaning 50 to 100 full-time staff, and works with clients including GE Healthcare and Recorded Future. The agency operates on a liquid workforce model, pairing a core team with a deep bench of specialized talent.
Thank you to our team, our partners, and every client who believed the work was worth doing right.
FAQ
Did Traction win an ANA B2 Award in 2026? Yes. Traction was named Silver Midsize Agency of the Year at the 2026 ANA B2 Awards, announced June 4, 2026 in Chicago. Park & Battery took Gold and Stein took Bronze in the same category.
What are the ANA B2 Awards? The B2 Awards are the Association of National Advertisers' recognition program for business-to-business marketing, covering categories such as A.I. and emerging technologies, demand generation, and content marketing. The 2026 program was the 50th annual edition and was judged by 290 agency and client-side leaders, with a top jury of 12 C-suite marketers.
What counts as a midsize agency at the ANA B2 Awards? The ANA splits Agency of the Year into three bands by headcount: small agencies at 50 or fewer full-time staff, midsize agencies at 50 to 100, and large agencies above 100. Traction competes in the midsize band.
Which Traction campaigns have won B2 Awards? At the 2025 B2 Awards, Traction won Silver in Integrated Marketing Program, Large Enterprise for GE Healthcare "Know Now," Bronze in Corporate Identity Program for Recorded Future "Know what matters. Act first.," and Bronze in A.I./Emerging Technologies for the Recorded Future generative AI brand video.
How does an independent agency win against larger holding company shops? Traction's answer is a liquid workforce model: a core team supported by a deep bench of specialized talent, combined with a methodology that ties strategy to observed human behavior rather than market assumptions. That structure lets a midsize shop field senior expertise against agencies with far more headcount.
Adam Kleinberg has been CEO and a founding partner of Traction since 2001. He has written over 100 articles in publications like AdAge, Adweek, Fast Company, Forbes, Mashable and Digiday and spoken at dozens of industry conferences. He's led Traction to win Agency of the Year awards from AdAge, ANA B2 Awards, CampaignUS, and in 2026, he was recognized as one of the Campaign 40 Over 40 game-changers in marketing and advertising. He is also the author of the "Tai Chi for Business" Substack.
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