Ruckus

What Ruckus does

Ruckus is a privately held, female-owned, independent full-service marketing and advertising agency headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, founded in 2006 by Susan Masucci. The agency operates with a lean team of approximately 12 seasoned professionals offering strategic communications, digital experiences, media planning and buying (earned, paid, and owned), video and photo production, social marketing, brand identity and design, and fundraising campaigns. Its core technology stack comprises conventional martech — advertising analytics, CRM, marketing automation, social media management, content management, and survey tools — used to deliver targeted content and dynamic ad creative, with no proprietary AI/ML platform disclosed.

The agency's client base is mission-driven, concentrated in healthcare, education, real estate development, human and social services nonprofits, and arts and cultural organizations. Notable long-tenured clients include Nemours Children's Health (~20 years, with the Well Beyond Medicine Podcast reaching 717,000+ downloads), Greenpointe Developers (~10 years, 26 awards for real estate work), Northeast Florida Healthy Start Coalition, Tufts Medicine, Jacksonville University, The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens, and Groundwork Jacksonville. Ruckus's go-to-market is sales-led via direct client engagement and referral relationships, with no external institutional investment disclosed.

Revenue is generated through project-based fees, hourly rates, and retainer contracts, with billing typically monthly. The firm does not publish financial information. In 2024, Ruckus relocated from a 19-year home at Lofts San Marco to Dennis + Ives in Jacksonville's Rail Yard District and won 11 industry awards, including AdWeek Best B2B Podcast and PRSA Bronze Anvil, signaling continued brand momentum. Geographic operations span Florida, Georgia, and the Northeast US, with active service to national clients.

Name

Ruckus

Legal name

ruckus

Website

https://createaruckus.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ruckus is a privately held, female-owned full-service marketing and advertising agency in Jacksonville, FL, founded in 2006. It serves mission-driven healthcare, education, real estate, nonprofit, and arts clients through brand strategy, digital, media, and content production services with a 12-person team.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Jacksonville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Services: Full-service marketing and advertising agency providing comprehensive services including brand development, digital experiences, organizational communications, media planning and buying, video/photo production, fundraising campaigns, and community relations. Revenue generated through project-based fees, hourly rates, and retainer contracts depending on scope and duration of work.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Ruckus is a full-service marketing and advertising agency that develops brand identity, manages digital experiences, plans and buys earned, paid, and owned media, produces video and photography, runs social marketing, designs fundraising campaigns, and delivers strategic communications programs for healthcare, education, real estate, nonprofit, and arts clients. Engagements are delivered through project-based fees, hourly rates, or retainer contracts, with services initiated through in-depth discovery conversations and competitor analysis.

Product overview

Ruckus is a full-service marketing and advertising agency offering a comprehensive suite of services including strategic communications, digital experiences, media planning (earned/paid/owned), video/photo production, social marketing, brand identity/design, and fundraising campaigns. The agency specializes in mission-driven work for healthcare, education, real estate development, human and social services, and arts sectors. Core services span brand development and management, organizational communications, and community relations. The agency also produces branded content products including the Well Beyond Medicine Podcast for Nemours Children's Health, social impact campaigns like Hey, Mama for Northeast Florida Healthy Start Coalition, and video content such as the Groundwork Jacksonville Emerald Trail campaign.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Strategic Communications Services Mission-driven marketing and strategic communications programs for healthcare, education, real estate, nonprofit, and arts clients, including brand development, organizational communications, and community relations designed to deliver measurable results.
• Digital Experiences Creation and management of digital platforms, websites, and digital marketing campaigns for clients across healthcare, education, real estate, nonprofit, and arts industries.
• Media Planning & Buying Earned, paid, and owned digital and traditional media planning and buying services across multiple channels for client campaigns.
• Video/Photo Production Professional video and photography production including brand footage, social media content, and multi-format video deliverables for client campaigns.
• Social Marketing Social media strategy, content creation, and campaign management for organic and paid social channels across client engagements.
• Fundraising Campaigns Integrated marketing campaigns designed to support fundraising efforts for nonprofit clients, including sponsorship activation and event-driven campaigns.
• Brand Identity & Design Full brand identity development including logo design, brand guidelines, and visual systems for clients across healthcare, education, nonprofit, and arts sectors.
• Well Beyond Medicine Podcast Healthcare branded podcast produced for Nemours Children's Health to elevate the health system's voice and expertise on systems-level issues affecting children's health, including maternal health, mental health, and pediatric care.
• Hey, Mama Campaign Integrated social marketing campaign addressing Black infant mortality in Northeast Florida, including messaging framework, community outreach, and enrollment-driving communications for the Healthy Start Coalition.
• Groundwork Jacksonville Emerald Trail Video Dynamic video campaign for Groundwork Jacksonville supporting the Emerald Trail project, an environmental restoration and public space initiative across 14 Jacksonville neighborhoods.

Quantifiable outcome

• Well Beyond Medicine Podcast reached Top 20 on Apple Podcasts, hitting #2 in medicine category
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers11 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

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Dennis + IvescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDennis + Ives is a related advertising and marketing company where Ruckus has relocated its headquarters. Ruckus manages the digital board at Dennis + Ives and offers full creative services for content shared on their digital outdoor board. The partnership appears to be a collaborative arrangement between sister agencies in Jacksonville's urban core.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Padilla: Minneapolis-based integrated communications firm with substantial healthcare practice including brand, PR, and digital. Larger incumbent offering overlapping capabilities, especially relevant for healthcare prospects Ruckus also targets.

Direct peers

• Concentric Marketing: Jacksonville-headquartered independent full-service agency covering brand, digital, media, and PR for healthcare, financial services, and B2B clients. Direct regional peer in mission-driven client work.
• Burdette Ketchum: Jacksonville, FL-based integrated marketing agency serving regional and national brands with similar full-service scope. Direct Northeast Florida peer competing for similar client rosters.
• Eric Mower and Associates: Independently owned, mid-sized full-service agency with strong B2B, healthcare, and consumer practices. Comparable independent ownership structure and cross-disciplinary service model.
• The Tombras Group: Knoxville, TN-based independent full-service agency providing brand, digital, media, and analytics services. Similar independently owned, mid-sized agency profile competing in adjacent geographies.
• Lewis Communications: Birmingham, AL-based independent agency of similar scale, with deep healthcare and consumer marketing expertise. Comparable independent-firm positioning with strong vertical specialization similar to Ruckus.
• Wingard: Jacksonville, FL-based full-service creative agency of comparable size and scope, serving similar regional healthcare, nonprofit, and real estate clients. Direct local competitor for Northeast Florida marketing engagements.
• Scorpion: Mid-sized agency combining marketing technology, digital, and creative services for healthcare, legal, and home services verticals. Comparable boutique-to-mid-market positioning with strong healthcare vertical exposure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ruckus-advertising-public-relations
• Instagraminstagram.com/ruckus.agency

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Ruckus