Run by the Content Marketing Association, the ICMAs attract entries from agencies and brands in over 30 countries and are judged by more than 170 content marketing experts. The Agency of the Year Grand Prix aims to recognise all-round excellence, including financial performance, client retention, new-business success, team development and creative and effectiveness outcomes, says the agency.

For 2Stories, the win aims to marks a significant milestone in the agency's growth — and a global benchmark moment, adds the agency.

"2Stories was founded on a simple belief: when you put people first — your team, your audiences, your clients — the work becomes irresistible," says Anelde Greeff, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of 2Stories. "Happy people make great work. Great work creates happy clients. And happy clients stay."

Five years on from a two-person start, the 41-person distributed agency now works with many South African institutions, as well as global organisations tackling urgent social challenges. Growth has aimed to be steady, strategic and value-driven, with client retention, new business and creative excellence reinforcing one another, says the agency.

Alongside the Agency of the Year title, 2Stories also received two category wins from eight nominations, aiming to reflect the depth and consistency of its work, particularly in financial services and internal communications:

  • Best Inter-Company Engagement: Silver — My Blue Book (Standard Bank Group).
  • Best Financial Content: Bronze — The Messy Middle (Genfin).

"Much of our work happens in complex content ecosystems where governance, scale and clarity are non-negotiable. Those constraints don't limit creativity, they sharpen it. This recognition belongs to our multidisciplinary team, our trusted clients and collaborators that values carefully crafted content," says Joanne Hope, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of 2Stories.

Founded in Cape Town in 2020, 2Stories aim to continue to grow its local and international footprint. Its success at the ICMAs also aims to reflect both its momentum and its ambition to build global credibility from South Africa, concludes the agency.

For more information, visit www.2stories.co.za. You can also follow 2Stories on Instagram.

*Image courtest of www.2stories.co.za