2025 Best of Business: Creative Services
Advertising and Marketing
Gold | Broadhead
To become one of the largest independent marketing agencies in the country, Broadhead has embraced change, diversified capabilities, and kept its focus and expertise on limited client sectors. The employee-owned Minneapolis firm has 135 staffers in three states, growing 120 percent over the past three years. Broadhead credits its ability to blend strategic thinking, analytics, data science, and AI. Broadhead’s new AI tool, Butter, with its predictive analytics, helps Broadhead anticipate change and respond with fresh ideas for its categories, including wellness, transportation, and food and beverage. In 2025, Broadhead launched Fame Sport to extend its capabilities into sports marketing and branding.
Silver | Humdinger
Bronze | Hot Dish Advertising
Public Relations
Gold | Lola Red
It was audacious for Alexis Walsko to start Lola Red at the age of 22, but her vision to operate a bold, digital-first public relations agency has stayed in focus for 25 years. The Minneapolis business offers a full menu of services, from media relations and crisis management to social media, helping clients make a splash with new products, events, or brand activations. Lola Red concentrates on select industries to provide deeper expertise, including food and beverage, fashion and beauty, and sports marketing. Its core pillars of strategy, relationship building, curiosity, and persistence help Lola Red tell clients’ stories and meet their goals.
Silver | Fast Horse
Silver | Padilla (tie)
