The 4A’s strives to support your business and operational requirements, and to identify opportunities to reinforce the dynamics of a strong agency/marketer relationship. One way we deliver this is through the creation, design, and development of benchmarking studies to provide invaluable insight and data.
A complete list of our recent surveys is provided below as well as what’s in development this year. The list provides links to learn more of each completed study as well as the opportunity to request copies of each report and access to the digital dashboard where available. Please note that access to 4A’s survey data may be limited to specific individuals/roles in the agency.
Thank you for your continued support and participation in sharing data to ensure the surveys are substantive, informative, and, most importantly, timely.
Name: | Practice Area: | Month of Release: | Completion Status: |
Analysis of Agency Costs | Finance | In Development | In the Field |
Media Compensation Survey | Finance | In Development | In Development |
Employee Compensation Survey | HR | In Development | In Development |
Employee Benefits Overview | HR | In Development | In Development |
2025 Planned and 2024 Actual Salary Increases | Finance | In Development | In Development |
Name: | Practice Area: | Month of Release: | Completion Status: |
New Business Activities & Resources | New Business | Feb 2023 | Completed |
Diversity Survey | Human Resources | June 2023 | Completed |
Billing Rate Benchmark Survey (a.k.a LBR) | Finance | October 2023 | Completed |
2023 Employee Compensation (a.k.a Salary Survey) | Agency Management | November 2023 | Completed |
2024 Planned & 2023 Actual Salary Increases | Agency Management | December 2023 | Completed |
Name: | Practice Area: | Month of Release: | Completion Status: |
2023 Planned & 2022 Actual Salary Increases | Finance | Dec 2022 | Completed |
2022 Employee Compensation (a.k.a. Salary Survey) | Agency Management | Nov 2022 | Completed |
2022 Employee Benefits Overview |
Human Resources | July 2022 | Completed |
Name: | Practice Area: | Month of Release (2021): | Completion Status: |
Training within 4A’s Member Agencies* | Human Resources | April 2021 | Completed |
Labor Billing Rates | Finance | August 2021 | Completed |
Health Plans within 4A’s Member Agencies* | Human Resources | October 2021 | Completed |
Return to Office | Agency Management | November 2021 | Completed |
Employee Compensation (Salary) | Human Resources | November 2021 | Completed |
Planned Salary Increases for 2022 and Actual Increase 2021* | Finance | December 2021 | Completed |
Diversity in Agencies* | Human Resources | December 2021 | Completed |
*For those surveys with no links provided, please contact Helen Miranda for further information.
Name: | Practice Area: | Month of Release (2020): | Completion Status: |
Employee Benefits Overview | Human Resources | March | Completed |
Analysis of Agency Costs | Finance | June | Completed |
Employee Compensation (Salary) | Human Resources | November | Completed |
Management Benchmarks | Finance | December | Completed |
Diversity Survey | Human Resources | September | Completed |
Return to Office | Agency Mgt. | September | Completed |
Agency Growth | Agency Mgt. | September | Completed |
Organizational Design | Agency Mgt. | October | Completed |
MIEs are quick-turnaround surveys/polls that are typically initiated at the request of 4A’s members on topics of interest. Each MIE consists of a limited number of questions and are designed to provide a response to members within a 2-week period.
The inaugural 4A’s Advertising Industry Diversity Survey explores diversity representation across the advertising industry in the United States. As employees, clients, and the public increasingly demand that the organizations they work for or do business with model values of equity and inclusion, organizations need to invest in robust and sustainable programs to drive meaningful change. […]
The 4As Management Benchmarks & Financial Barometers Survey was developed to provide agency management with key financial benchmarks relevant to advertising agencies. The survey questionnaire includes 17 questions in 5 key sections: Labor Hours and Staff Utilization Gross Income per Employee Balance Sheet Ratios Agency Compensation Methodologies: Project-Based Client Assignments and AOR / Retainer-Based Client […]
The 2020 survey revealed some very interesting trends in regards to overall benefits where the more personal and softer benefits are on the rise and the traditional health and medical benefits have remained at their traditionally high levels. Some interesting highlights in the family-friendly benefits category show Domestic Partnership benefits increasing to an all-time high […]
The 4A’s 2020 Employee Benefits Overview Survey Report provides a comprehensive overview of the kinds of employee benefits offered in 4A’s agencies. The survey covered 124 benefits in 7 categories including family-friendly benefits, housing, health care, training/education/personal services, financial and income security, business travel, and recognition. The results of this survey will aid agency managers […]
Includes Diversity Data for all Agency Sizes & Geographies The 2020 Diversity Survey final report, showing diversity data for 2018 and 2019, has just been published. The report includes data from agencies of all sizes and reflects responses from 165-member agency offices representing over 40,000 employees at all levels and across all job functions. The […]
Includes Salary Data for all Agency Sizes & Geographies via our New and Exciting Digital Dashboard Platform The 2020 Employee Compensation final report, showing salaries as of July, 2020, has just been published. The study includes salaries from agencies of all sizes and reflects responses from 363 member agency offices with over 30,000 salaries, 235 […]
In September of 2020 the 4A’s fielded an Agency Growth survey in which 113 member agencies across 11 US regions responded. The focus of the Agency Growth Survey was to determine the top growth drivers for each respective agency to ensure their overall future success. Besides identifying the growth drivers, the survey identified the specific […]