Empower MEDIA MARKETING

What Empower MEDIA MARKETING does

Empower Media Marketing, operating commercially as Empower Ocean Media Group following the 2025 merger of Empower Media (founded 1985) and Ocean Media (founded ~1995), is a privately held, independent U.S. media investment firm headquartered in Palm Beach with offices in New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. The firm operates ~400 professionals and manages $1.5B+ in combined media billings on behalf of enterprise clients spanning QSR, retail, CPG, financial services, gaming/hospitality, technology, and growth brands, with named logos including Bank of America, Samsung, Wayfair, BetMGM, Priceline, PetSmart, Mint Mobile, and Sprouts Farmers Market. Its service platform is organized into four capability modules: Data Science & Measurement (real-time performance analytics), Strategy & Insights (planning and consumer intelligence), Media Planning & Buying (execution across CTV/OTT, television, audio/podcasts, digital, social, and mobile), and Creative & Entertainment (brand integration in cultural properties via partnerships with entities such as Interscope Records).

The firm positions itself as a technology-enabled media investment company that treats media spend as capital deployment rather than a cost center, with accountability tied to incremental revenue and enterprise value rather than end-of-campaign impression metrics. Revenue mechanics derive from managed-services fees and commissions on client media billings under a quote-based enterprise engagement model, with go-to-market executed through direct enterprise field sales and dedicated account teams rather than self-serve or channel distribution. The company is co-led by CEO & Co-Chairwoman Ashlee Clarke and Executive Chairman Chris Clarke, with no disclosed institutional ownership, venture, or private equity backing.

The firm also maintains an active organic social and content presence (LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, X, Facebook), pursues industry recognition (Digiday, MediaPost OMMA, DRUM OOH awards in 2025), and publishes case studies and thought leadership as B2B demand-generation channels. Historic inorganic activity includes the November 2016 acquisition of Proclamation and the 2025 merger that produced the current Empower Ocean entity.

Name

Empower MEDIA MARKETING

Legal name

Empower Ocean Media Group

Website

https://empowermm.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2025

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Empower Media Marketing (Empower Ocean Media Group) is an independent, technology-enabled U.S. media investment firm managing $1.5B+ in billings across QSR, retail, CPG, services, and growth-brand enterprise clients through media planning, buying, data analytics, and entertainment-driven creative capabilities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Media Planning and Buying Services

NAICS

Media Buying Agencies (54183), Advertising Agencies (54181)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro primary industry

Media Planning, Buying & Optimization (BPAFAAAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Broadcast Media Buying (TV & Radio) (BPAFABAA), Audio/Podcast/Streaming Media Buying (MPAAABAF), Influencer Media Buying & Paid Amplification (BPAFABAK)

Keywords

• Media planning buying
• Digital advertising
• Media investment
• Brand marketing services
• Omnichannel media

Headquarters

HQ city

Cincinnati

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations

Revenue model

1. Media Planning & Buying Services: Full-service media agency providing planning and buying services across CTV/OTT, television, audio/podcasts, digital, social, and mobile platforms. Revenue derived from media billings and management fees tied to client spend.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Empower Media Marketing (now operating as Empower Ocean Media Group following the 2025 merger of Empower Media and Ocean Media) is an independent full-service media agency that plans and buys advertising across CTV/OTT, television, audio/podcasts, digital, social, and mobile platforms. The firm treats media spend as capital deployment and bundles data science and measurement, strategy and insights, media planning and buying, and creative and entertainment capabilities to deliver accountability to incremental revenue and enterprise value for enterprise brand clients.

Product overview

Empower Ocean Media Group is a technology-enabled media investment firm formed by the merger of Empower Media (41 years) and Ocean Media (30 years), offering a unified platform for media investment management. The company operates through four interconnected capability modules: Data Science & Measurement (analytics and performance tracking), Strategy & Insights (planning and consumer intelligence), Media Planning & Buying (execution across CTV/OTT, Television, Audio/Podcasts, Digital, Social, and Mobile platforms), and Creative & Entertainment (content development and cultural integration). The integrated portfolio enables the firm to treat media spend as capital deployment and deliver accountability to incremental revenue and enterprise value creation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 15.5M impressions, 16M TikTok views, and 7,130 new contacts from TE Connectivity Alita: Battle Angel partnership

Named customers27 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and notable.

• Interscope RecordscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026JD Sports partnership with Interscope Records for Coachella weekend event. Collaboration featured JD Sports gifting suite, placing brand directly in front of influential artists, creators, and cultural tastemakers during one of the year's most talked-about entertainment moments.
• TE ConnectivitynotableStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Alita: Battle Angel partnership for technical brand embedding in cultural entertainment. Drove 15.5M impressions, 16M TikTok views, and 7,130 new contacts while positioning the brand as innovative and forward-thinking.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Assembly: Stagwell-owned media and commerce agency offering multi-channel planning, buying, and data-led measurement — closely aligned to Empower Ocean's enterprise, outcome-accountable positioning.
• Horizon Media: Largest U.S.-based independent media agency with similar enterprise client focus, multi-channel planning/buying capabilities, and comparable headcount scale — Empower Ocean's closest direct competitor among independents.
• Goodway Group: Independent media agency with proprietary data and analytics tooling; competes in the same independent, technology-enabled segment as Empower Ocean for enterprise clients.
• Wpromote: Large U.S. independent digital media agency with cross-channel planning, buying, and Polaris analytics platform — directly comparable on outcome accountability and enterprise client mix.
• Mediahub (MullenLowe Group / IPG): Independent-minded media agency within IPG focused on data, planning and buying across digital and traditional channels; competes for similar enterprise clients with comparable cross-channel capability.
• Tinuiti: Independent performance marketing and media agency covering paid search, social, programmatic, and CTV; comparable in mid-market-to-enterprise client focus and outcome-based pricing.

Broad incumbents

• Omnicom Media Group: Holding-company media arm housing OMD, PHD, Hearts & Science, and Annalect; broad incumbent offering that frequently competes with Empower Ocean for enterprise-level media mandates.
• Publicis Media: Publicis Groupe's media network (Starcom, Zenith, Spark Foundry, Digitas) offering cross-channel planning and buying at global scale; a frequent holding-company incumbent in Empower Ocean's enterprise competitive set.
• GroupM (WPP): World's largest media investment group spanning Mindshare, Wavemaker, EssenceMediacom, and GroupM Nexus; competes head-to-head on enterprise RFPs and possesses materially larger billings, data, and global footprint.
• Dentsu Media: Global media agency network including Dentsu X, Carat, and iProspect; competes in CPG/retail/QSR categories where Empower Ocean has strong penetration and brings greater international reach.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/empowermm
• Facebookfacebook.com/empowerplaces
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/empoweragency
• Instagraminstagram.com/empowerocean.mediagroup
• TikToktiktok.com/@empoweragency

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Empower MEDIA MARKETING