Five international shortlists put Latvia’s paid media expertise on the world stage
The digital marketing world has taken notice of what we’ve been building here in the Baltics. 94n, our paid media agency with headquarters in Riga and a newly opened location in London, has just achieved a remarkable milestone: becoming the first agency in the Baltic region to be shortlisted for a Global Search Award. Not only has the team achieved outstanding results within less than 18 months of opening in the UK, but it has also done so with rocket-fuel-like speed.
Beyond the Global Search Awards, 94n has also earned four shortlists across two additional leading industry programs: the European Paid Media Awards and the Global Digital Excellence Awards. These nominations recognise the team’s technical innovation and execution. They mark two milestones: the UK office gaining recognition within 18 months of launch, and the Riga HQ elevating Baltic paid media to a new level on the global stage.
94n represents the new breed of European agencies that combine regional innovation with international reach. Their dual presence enables them to serve clients across established US & Western European economies, while maintaining the technical excellence and competitive advantages that stem from their remote team.
The Full Award Lineup
Let’s break down exactly what 94n has achieved:
Global Excellence Awards
Website: https://globaldigitalexcellenceawards.com/
Shortlists:
- B2C PPC Campaign of the Year – Recognising outstanding business-to-consumer pay-per-click advertising campaigns that demonstrate exceptional creativity, strategy, and results
- Paid Media Campaign of the Year – The top award for integrated paid advertising campaigns across all channels and platforms
Global Search Awards
Website: https://globalsearchawards.net/
Shortlist:
- Best Use of Search – Retail / E-commerce (PPC) – This is the big one. The category that makes 94n the first Baltic agency ever recognised at this level for search marketing excellence in the retail sector
European Paid Media Awards
Website: https://europeanpaidmediaawards.com/
Shortlists:
- Paid Media Campaign of the Year – The premier European recognition for paid advertising campaign excellence
- Retail Campaign of the Year – Specifically celebrating outstanding retail marketing campaigns across European markets
Why This Matters for the Baltics
The significance of these nominations extends far beyond the success of any one agency. For years, the Baltic states have been quietly building world-class digital expertise, but international recognition has often been elusive. These shortlists change that narrative entirely.
“These shortlists reflect our collective team’s ability to compete globally whilst solving real problems for retailers with extensive product ranges,” explains Alex Tkacovs, CEO of 94n. “The recognition validates our focus on developing marketing-leading technologies, and an approach to intelligent performance-based campaign structures.”
The Global Search Awards shortlist is particularly meaningful. This programme represents the pinnacle of search marketing recognition worldwide, with previous winners including household names from London, New York, and Silicon Valley. Seeing a Riga-based agency compete at this level sends a powerful message about Baltic innovation and expertise.
The Campaigns Behind the Recognition
What exactly caught the attention of these international judging panels? The nominated campaigns showcase 94n’s pioneering work in large-scale eCommerce advertising, particularly their development of AI-driven strategies for retailers managing thousands of products.
The agency’s approach tackles one of retail advertising’s most persistent challenges: catalogue concentration. Traditional advertising methods often result in just 5% of products capturing over 75% of advertising spend and revenue. This leaves vast portions of inventory invisible to potential customers whilst over-investing in already successful items.
94n’s campaigns demonstrate sophisticated solutions to this problem through:
Advanced Product Clustering – Using machine learning to group products by performance signals, ensuring new and underperforming items receive fair exposure alongside established bestsellers.
Stock-Aware Optimisation – Automatically pausing advertisements for out-of-stock products by region, eliminating wasted spend on unavailable inventory.
Performance-Based Budget Distribution – Moving beyond traditional category-based campaign structures to performance-driven allocation that adapts to real-time market conditions.
These innovative approaches have delivered remarkable results for international clients, with case studies showing revenue growth of up to 87% for major retailers. The nominal average growth within 90 days for most customers is 31%.
From Campaign Innovation to Platform Creation – AdPeak.ai
The success of these award-nominated campaigns led to something even more significant: the creation of AdPeak, 94n’s AI-powered advertising platform. What started as bespoke campaign strategies for individual clients evolved into a scalable technology solution.
AdPeak now serves retailers across Europe and beyond, managing advertising campaigns across Google, Meta, and Microsoft Ads. The platform automates many of the innovative techniques that earned these award nominations, making advanced catalogue-wide optimisation accessible to businesses of all sizes.
Recent AdPeak case studies demonstrate the real-world impact:
- Hiatt Hardware: 87% revenue growth over 18 months
- Tec Products: 90% revenue growth in 2024-2025 despite 39% increases in cost-per-click
- Fairway Golf: 35.5% revenue growth with 41.3% increase in conversions in the first 90 days – client managed
These results showcase how Baltic innovation is directly improving business outcomes for international clients.
The Competitive Landscape
Understanding the calibre of competition makes 94n’s achievement even more impressive. The Global Excellence Awards attract entries from agencies across six continents, whilst the European Paid Media Awards feature the continent’s most established advertising powerhouses.
The Global Search Awards, in particular, represent the cream of search marketing talent. Previous winners have included agencies from major global advertising networks, specialist search consultancies with decades of experience, and in-house teams from Fortune 500 companies.
For a relatively young agency with headquarters in Riga to compete alongside such established players demonstrates the quality of talent and innovation emerging from the Baltic region.
Regional Impact and Future Potential
These nominations arrive at a crucial moment for the Baltic digital economy. Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia have been positioning themselves as the technology hubs of Northern Europe, with significant investments in digital infrastructure and education.
94n’s international recognition provides tangible evidence that this strategy is working. The agency’s success story offers a template for other Baltic businesses looking to compete globally whilst maintaining their regional roots.
The timing is particularly significant as international businesses increasingly look beyond traditional advertising centres for innovation and value. The combination of technical expertise, competitive pricing, and fresh perspectives makes the Baltic region increasingly attractive for digital marketing partnerships.
Looking Ahead: Award Ceremonies and Beyond
The winners will be announced at respective award ceremonies throughout autumn 2025, with 94n attending all three international programmes. Regardless of final results, the shortlisting process itself has already achieved something important: putting Baltic digital marketing expertise on the global map.
But this is clearly just the beginning. With AdPeak gaining international traction and 94n’s reputation growing, we can expect to see more Baltic agencies following this path to global recognition.
The Bigger Picture
94n’s award nominations represent more than individual achievement—they signal a shift in the global digital marketing landscape. Innovation no longer requires a Silicon Valley or Madison Avenue address. It can emerge from Riga, Tallinn, or Vilnius just as effectively.
For the Baltic region, these nominations provide validation of our growing reputation as a centre for digital innovation. For the international advertising industry, they serve as a reminder that the best ideas can come from anywhere.
As the wider team prepares, led by Alex Tkacovs, Simone Pardini, and Sam Johnson, for the award ceremonies this autumn, they carry with them the hopes and pride of the entire Baltic digital community. Whatever the final results, they’ve already made history simply by being there.
The question now isn’t whether the Baltics can compete globally in digital marketing—94n has already proven that. The question is: who will be next?