True Media
True Media is an independent, full-service media agency with six offices across the US and Canada, serving enterprise and mid-market brands in retail, financial services, tourism, healthcare, CPG, and other verticals through strategy, full-funnel activation, and outcome-based measurement.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2005
- HeadquartersColumbia, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What True Media does
True Media is an independent, full-service media agency founded in 2005 and headquartered in Columbia, Missouri, with six offices across the United States and Canada (Columbia, Kansas City, St. Louis, Minneapolis, Toronto, and Calgary). The firm operates as part of the True Independent Holdings family, which sits within the broader Meet The People network backed by Innovatus Capital Partners. True Media delivers end-to-end media services across four pillars: media strategy and planning, full-funnel media activation, media operations, and data/analytics/technology — covering channels spanning video, audio, print, OOH, broadcast, digital, social, search, influencer, and sponsorship.
The agency's technology stack rests on two proprietary tools — NexPlan for AI-driven campaign planning and Vera Analytics for outcome-focused measurement tied to sales and leads — alongside collaboratively built client dashboards, a proprietary pacing dashboard, first-party data integrations, and programmatic advertising execution. True Media sells these capabilities primarily on a quote-based, retainer/agency-fee model to enterprise and mid-market brands in retail, travel and tourism, financial services, healthcare, CPG, beverage, real estate, and non-profit categories; named clients include Pet Valu, Central Bank, Explore Minnesota Tourism, Mall of America, Lenovo, Abbott, BODYARMOR, RE/MAX, Burger King Mexico, Bobcat, and StorageMart. Go-to-market is exclusively direct, supported by dedicated account management teams in each office rather than reseller or partner channels.
Revenue is generated through professional services fees and media commissions tied to media planning, activation, and measurement engagements. The company has reported 20% revenue growth between 2020 and 2021 alongside a 13% headcount increase, with the firm employing between 101 and 250 people total across its North American footprint. True Media positions itself as one of North America's largest independent media agencies, differentiating through independence from holding-company conflicts, transparency in reporting, full-funnel integration that bridges brand-building and performance media, and outcome-based measurement rather than impression-based metrics.
True Media firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- True Media
- Legal name
- True Media, LLC
- Website
- https://truemediaservices.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2005
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- True Media is an independent, full-service media agency with six offices across the US and Canada, serving enterprise and mid-market brands in retail, financial services, tourism, healthcare, CPG, and other verticals through strategy, full-funnel activation, and outcome-based measurement.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
True Media industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Media Agency Services
- NAICS
- Media Buying Agencies (54183), Media Buying Agencies (541830), Media Representatives (541840)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Affiliate & Partner Media Buying (BPAFABAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- PR, Reputation Management & Earned Media Platforms (BPAMALAO)
Keywords
Where True Media is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Columbia
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices6 records
Markets served
True Media business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Media Agency Services: Professional agency fees for media strategy, planning, and activation services across digital, traditional, and performance media channels. Revenue is generated through service fees and media commissions from media placements.
- Media Planning & Strategy: Data-driven audience insights and strategic planning services including audience segmentation, marketplace analysis, and integrated channel planning
- Media Activation & Buying: Full-funnel media activation across video, audio, print, OOH, broadcast, digital, performance media, search, social, and influencer channels with negotiation and optimization services
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
True Media product offering
Product offeringCore offering
True Media is an independent media agency that provides media strategy and planning, full-funnel media activation across digital and traditional channels, media operations, and data/analytics services for brand advertisers. The agency plans, buys, and measures advertising campaigns across video, audio, print, OOH, broadcast, digital, search, social, influencer, and experiential channels for enterprise and mid-market clients in North America.
Product overview
True Media is an independent media agency offering a unified suite of services rather than discrete software products. The core offering consists of four interconnected service areas: Media Strategy & Planning (audience insights and strategic planning), Full-Funnel Media Activation (cross-channel campaign execution across video, audio, print, OOH, digital, social, and experiential), Media Operations (project management and ad operations), and Data, Analytics & Technology (reporting dashboards, analytics, and first-party data integrations). These services work together to provide clients with end-to-end media planning, buying, activation, measurement, optimization, and reporting capabilities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Media Strategy & Planning Data-driven audience insights and strategic media planning service covering audience segmentation, marketplace trend analysis, integrated channel planning, and measurement strategy. Built for brand marketers seeking to identify and reach target audiences across North America.
- Full-Funnel Media Activation End-to-end media buying and activation across video, audio, print, OOH, broadcast, digital, performance media, search, social, influencer, sponsorships, and experiential channels. Includes negotiation and optimization services for enterprise clients.
- Media Operations Project management and ad operations service ensuring smooth execution from onboarding through campaign wrap-up, including pacing dashboards and customized reporting deliverables.
- Data, Analytics & Technology Collaboratively built reporting dashboards, analytics and modeling, first-party data integrations, and data analysis and consulting services to provide clear, transparent campaign reporting and outcome measurement.
Quantifiable outcome
- 300% YOY sales increase for BODYARMOR with tripled market share
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use True Media
Customer profileNamed customers14 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
True Media technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
True Media partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- SilverpushminorMarketing partnership featuring Vaughn Ericson, SVP Activation Strategy at True Media, in a partner spotlight interview discussing the agency's independent media services and advertising market trends including CTV/streaming, short-form video, and AI-driven programmatic.
- Pet ValucoreOngoing client partnership for pet adoption awareness campaigns. Collaboration includes the award-winning 'Take Me Home Tonight' OOH campaign in Toronto TTC subway system, which led to 91+ pet adoptions and doubled domestic animal category adoptions.
- Pattison OutdoorcoreMedia partnership for OOH advertising execution. Pattison Outdoor collaborated on the 'Take Me Home Tonight' campaign for Pet Valu, providing strategic outdoor media placement in the Toronto subway system.
- True Independent HoldingscoreParent company holding True Media and other independent agencies including True Media Canada, Swell Media, Coegi, Coegi Canada, and RADaR. True Media is part of the True Independent Holdings family of companies, which is one of North America's leading independent media advertising groups.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
True Media competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Assembly: Dentsu-owned modern media agency blending media, data, and commerce capabilities. Competes with True Media for digitally native and e-commerce-driven enterprise clients.
- PHD Worldwide: Global media agency network within Omnicom Media Group offering strategic planning and activation at scale. Comparable service offering but with the geographic reach and tooling depth of a global holding company.
- Kinesso: IPG Mediabrands' media and performance marketing group offering data-driven planning, activation, and analytics. Holds comparable capabilities to True Media but with IPG's broader portfolio and global scale.
- Wavemaker: WPP-owned global media agency built on the merger of MEC and Maxus, focusing on growth-oriented media planning and buying. Represents the global holding-company alternative in pitches against True Media.
- Hearts & Science: Omnicom-owned media agency network serving enterprise advertisers with data-driven planning and activation. Represents the holding-company incumbent alternative that True Media pitches against for independent-minded clients.
Direct peers
- Mediassociates: Independent media agency offering media strategy, planning, activation, and analytics with a multi-office U.S. footprint. Closely mirrors True Media's independent, data-led, full-funnel positioning.
- Horizon Media: The largest U.S.-based independent media agency, with a comparable full-service media planning, buying, and analytics offering across verticals. Both firms compete for the same enterprise and mid-market clients seeking an alternative to holding-company networks.
- Goodway Group: Independent media and digital agency offering planning, activation, analytics, and proprietary technology tooling. Overlaps with True Media on data-driven independent agency positioning and mid-market/enterprise client base.
- Crossmedia: Independent, women-owned media agency providing media planning, buying, and analytics to enterprise clients. Comparable independent positioning, full-funnel capabilities, and enterprise client mix.
- Tinuiti: Independent full-funnel marketing agency with strong performance media, programmatic, and analytics capabilities, recently acquired by The Stagwell Group. Competes with True Media for digitally sophisticated enterprise advertisers.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
True Media social profiles
Digital presenceTrue Media financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
True Media leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
True Media funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
True Media M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about True Media
What does True Media do?
True Media is an independent media agency that provides media strategy and planning, full-funnel media activation across digital and traditional channels, media operations, and data/analytics services for brand advertisers. The agency plans, buys, and measures advertising campaigns across video, audio, print, OOH, broadcast, digital, search, social, influencer, and experiential channels for enterprise and mid-market clients in North America.
Is True Media a public or private company?
True Media is a private company. It is classified as private equity controlled and is currently operating.
When was True Media founded?
True Media was founded in 2005. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is True Media based?
True Media is headquartered in Columbia, United States, in the North America region.
How does True Media make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Media Agency Services are the primary driver. The others are media Planning & Strategy and media Activation & Buying.
Who are True Media's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Assembly, PHD Worldwide, Kinesso, Wavemaker and Hearts & Science. Direct peers are Mediassociates, Horizon Media, Goodway Group, Crossmedia and Tinuiti.
Does True Media have an API?
No public API is recorded for True Media.
What industry is True Media in?
True Media's product category is Media Agency Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAFABAJ, Affiliate & Partner Media Buying, with a secondary code of BPAMALAO, PR, Reputation Management & Earned Media Platforms. Its NAICS code is 54183.