Gloss Media

What Gloss Media does

Gloss Media is a privately held experiential marketing agency founded in 2008 and headquartered at 445 Park Avenue in New York City. The firm plans, designs, and executes immersive brand experiences, pop-up shops, mobile marketing activations, brand ambassador programs, and experiential PR stunts for premium consumer brands across the United States, with operational coverage spanning NYC, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Miami, Boston, Austin, and Washington DC. Its named client roster includes Sephora, Ulta Beauty, Microsoft, Loewe, IBM, Essence, Biore, and Anthropologie, indicating a focus on enterprise-level accounts across beauty, technology, luxury fashion, and lifestyle verticals. Core services are organized around Pop-Up Shops, Experiential Marketing, and Experiential Retail and Design, supplemented by specialty offerings such as Mobile Glass Trucks, Mobile Marketing Tours, Social Media Vending Machines, Nail Salon Advertising, and Experiential PR Stunts.

The company operates a purely professional-services, project-based revenue model with no proprietary software platforms, no app, no API, and no disclosed AI/ML capability. Project budgets typically range from $25,000 to $300,000+ depending on location, duration, build complexity, and scope; experiential marketing campaigns most commonly fall between $50,000 and $250,000+, while pop-up shop budgets commonly fall between $50,000 and $300,000+. The sales motion is enterprise field sales, with quote requests initiated through the company website and account executives managing a 4-12 week concept-to-launch cycle. The firm is independently owned with no disclosed institutional funding, no parent company, and no disclosed subsidiaries; its leadership comprises founders Perry Kirk Parkes (Founder and President) and Nicole Schmidt (Founder), alongside production manager Lea Ghandour, with a total headcount of 11-50 employees.

Name

Gloss Media

Legal name

Gloss Media

Website

https://glossmedia.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Gloss Media is a New York-based experiential marketing agency founded in 2008 that designs and executes pop-up shops, brand activations, mobile tours, and PR stunts for premium enterprise consumer brands across the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Experiential Marketing Services

NAICS

Advertising Agencies (54181), Public Relations Agencies (54182), Indoor and Outdoor Display Advertising (541850)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro primary industry

Brand Activations & Experiential Campaign Design (MPAAAGAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Retail & Pop-up Experiences (In-store/Pop-ups) (MPAAAGAG), Activation/Experiential Creative Agencies (MPAAAAAO), Brand Activations & Pop-Ups (Retail/Street/Guerrilla) (BPAFAGAF), Mobile & Tour Marketing (Roadshows, Sampling Tours) (BPAFAGAH), Event & Experiential PR (Launches, Stunts, Press Events) (MPAAADAM)

Keywords

• Experiential marketing services
• Pop-up shop design
• Brand activation agency
• Mobile marketing tours
• Event staffing services

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Experiential Marketing Projects: Project-based fees for designing and executing immersive brand experiences, pop-up shops, mobile marketing tours, and experiential activations. Pricing varies significantly based on location, duration, build complexity, and scope, typically ranging from $25,000 to $300,000+ per project.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Gloss Media plans, designs, and executes immersive brand experiences for consumer brands, with its core offering centered on pop-up shops and experiential marketing activations. Services extend to mobile pop-ups, mobile marketing tours, experiential retail and space design, brand ambassador staffing, social media vending machines, nail salon advertising, mobile glass trucks, and experiential PR stunts, all delivered on a project basis nationwide from a New York City headquarters.

Product overview

Gloss Media is an experiential marketing agency offering a comprehensive suite of services centered around live brand experiences. The core offering includes Pop-Up Shops and Experiential Marketing activations, supplemented by Mobile Pop-Ups and Mobile Marketing Tours (featuring Mobile Glass Trucks) for transportable brand experiences. Supporting services include Brand Ambassador Staffing and Street Teams for on-ground execution, Social Media Vending Machines for engagement-based promotions, Nail Salon Advertising for targeted demographic reach, and Experiential PR Stunts for high-impact campaigns. The company also provides Experiential Retail + Design services for space transformation. All services are available nationwide with headquarters in New York City.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pop-Up Shops Temporary retail or brand experience spaces designed to promote products, test markets, or create buzz in physical locations. Gloss Media handles concept development, location sourcing, design, fabrication, installation, staffing, and operations. Targeted at premium consumer brands seeking high-impact in-person experiences.
• Experiential Marketing Strategic live brand experiences that engage audiences through immersive activations, including pop-ups, interactive installations, PR stunts, and experiential events designed to foster deeper consumer connections for consumer brands.
• Experiential Retail + Design Comprehensive retail space design and transformation services that convert unconventional spaces into immersive retail environments, including interior and exterior design, themed activations, and experiential environments for consumer brands.
• Mobile Pop-Ups Innovative transient retail spaces that travel to various locations including cities, events, and festivals, incorporating interactive elements such as augmented reality and virtual reality to create memorable shopping experiences for brands.
• Mobile Marketing Tours Mobile brand experiences using vehicles to tour across cities or the country, creating social media content and generating consumer awareness, with options to sell products directly from the vehicle for brands.
• Mobile Glass Trucks Custom-designed glass trucks serving as mobile pop-up venues for brand experiences, providing immersive environments with visibility from all angles for tours and events.
• Brand Ambassador Staffing and Street Teams Professional staffing services connecting brands with trained brand ambassadors for experiential events, mobile pop-ups, and direct-to-consumer activations, plus on-ground street teams deployed to execute brand activations, distribute samples, and engage directly with consumers at events and high-traffic areas. Services include recruitment, training, scheduling, and performance management.
• Social Media Vending Machines Interactive vending machines that dispense branded merchandise or samples in exchange for social media engagement such as hashtags, tags, and shares. Features custom software integration, instant reward dispensing, gamification, and data collection capabilities for brands seeking engagement-driven activations.
• Nail Salon Advertising Targeted advertising within nail salons reaching a 95% female demographic in captive environments, including counter displays, manicure and pedicure mats, branded capes, and branded emery boards for hyper-targeted campaigns.
• Experiential PR Stunts Larger-than-life campaigns designed to captivate audiences through elaborate installations, interactive experiences, and memorable brand moments that generate media coverage and social buzz for consumer brands.

Quantifiable outcome

• Experiential marketing campaigns typically range from $50,000 to $250,000+
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• MKG: MKG is a New York–based experiential marketing agency focused on brand activations, pop-ups, and live experiences for premium consumer brands. Closely comparable to Gloss Media in city, client base, and service mix including pop-up design and immersive brand experiences.
• Sparks: Sparks is a global experiential marketing agency specializing in brand experiences, pop-up retail, and live events for enterprise clients. Operates in the same pop-up and experiential activation category as Gloss Media with similar premium-brand client profile.
• Mosaic: Mosaic is a North American experiential marketing agency delivering in-person brand experiences, pop-up shops, and field marketing for major consumer brands. Directly comparable to Gloss Media in pop-up execution and multi-market deployment.
• AMPLIFY: AMPLIFY is an entertainment, culture, and experiential marketing agency creating immersive brand experiences and activations. Overlaps with Gloss Media on pop-ups, brand experiences, and integrated experiential campaigns for premium consumer brands.

Broad incumbents

• Jack Morton Worldwide: Jack Morton Worldwide is a global brand experience agency under IPG that designs and delivers experiential marketing, brand activations, and immersive events. A larger incumbent offering overlapping pop-up and experiential services that compete with Gloss Media on enterprise RFPs.
• George P. Johnson Experience Marketing: George P. Johnson is one of the longest-standing experiential marketing agencies, producing brand experiences, pop-ups, and live events globally for enterprise clients. A scaled incumbent in the same category that competes for the same premium-brand budgets.
• GMR Marketing: GMR Marketing is a global sports and experiential marketing agency within Omnicom that delivers brand activations, pop-ups, and live experiences. Comparable as a broader incumbent competing for enterprise experiential dollars.
• The Marketing Arm: The Marketing Arm is an Omnicom-owned agency specializing in brand experiences, pop-ups, and shopper/experiential activation. A scaled incumbent with adjacent service overlap to Gloss Media's experiential and retail activation work.

Emerging players

• Appear Here: Appear Here is a marketplace and platform for short-term retail and pop-up spaces. Adjacent rather than direct — competes for the same end-brands but offers a platform-led approach to pop-up space rather than full-service activation delivery.
• Pop Up Grocer: Pop Up Grocer operates curated pop-up grocery retail experiences and brand activations. An emerging player in the pop-up retail space targeting CPG and beauty brands, partially overlapping with Gloss Media's pop-up shop service line.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/2654055
• Xx.com/glossmediatv
• Facebookfacebook.com/glossmedia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Gloss Media