San Diego–based digital marketing agency takes top honor at the Sandie Awards, with additional recognition across four categories, including a Silver in SEO/SEM and Khalil Kanbar being a finalist for Trailblazer of the Year.
SAN DIEGO, June 8, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Kanbar Digital, a San Diego–based digital marketing agency, was named 2026 Agency of the Year by the American Marketing Association of San Diego at the Sandie Awards on May 21 at the Town & Country Resort in Mission Valley.
The Agency of the Year distinction is one of three top honors at the Sandies, the region's premier marketing awards program, and recognizes the San Diego agency that has had the greatest impact on the marketing community through innovation, strategy, leadership, and contribution to the local industry.
Kanbar Digital was also recognized as a finalist in three additional categories:
- Trailblazer of the Year: Khalil Kanbar, Founder and CEO
- Digital Marketing Campaign: Magceutics
- SEO/SEM:Silver, "Bagmasters: Full-Funnel Paid Media Transformation," and finalist for the USA Vein Clinics location page optimization campaign
The Sandie Awards are judged by a national panel of marketing professionals drawn from outside San Diego, Orange, and Los Angeles counties to ensure impartiality. Judges' remarks on the Agency of the Year submission noted that Kanbar Digital is "building something special in San Diego," and praised the agency for its "balance between performance, growth, and community impact" and its "clear focus on performance, transparency, accountability, and long-term client value."
"Receiving Agency of the Year from AMA San Diego is an honor we don't take lightly," says Khalil Kanbar, Founder and CEO of Kanbar Digital. "It's a reflection of the trust our clients place in us and a reminder of why we stay committed to thoughtful, forward-looking work. Recognition like this deepens that commitment."
Agency Growth and Recognition
Over the past three years, Kanbar Digital has grown annual revenue from $1 million to $2.5 million while tripling its full-time team to 15 employees, driven by long-term client retention rather than acquisition-and-churn. The agency now supports more than 30 active clients, the majority based in Southern California, and managed over $20 million in ad spend in 2025.
Kanbar Digital's work has been recognized nationally, including features in both Fortune and Forbes for its leadership in AI-driven marketing services. The agency's Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) offering is a productized service designed to help brands maintain visibility in AI-driven search experiences and has been adopted by more than 40% of the agency's SEO clients. As organic search traffic has declined across many industries by as much as 40% due to user migration toward AI tools, Kanbar Digital's approach has helped its SEO clients largely protect revenue that would otherwise have been impacted.
Visit Kanbar.Digital to learn more.
About Kanbar Digital
Founded in San Diego, Kanbar Digital is a full-service digital marketing agency specializing in SEO, paid media, Amazon, email, social, and AI visibility optimization. The agency partners with brands across direct-to-consumer, healthcare, eCommerce, and B2B sectors, with a focus on transparent measurement, long-term client retention, and accountable performance.
Media Contact
Khalil Kanbar, Kanbar Digital, LLC, 1 9163467535, [email protected], https://kanbar.digital
SOURCE Kanbar Digital, LLC
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