What MediaComp does

MediaComp is an independent media buying and planning company headquartered at 118 Vintage Park Boulevard, Suite W213, Houston, Texas, founded in 1973 by advertising executive Sylvan L. Brown. The firm serves ad agencies seeking a dedicated buying partner as well as direct brand advertisers, planning and placing campaigns across Radio, TV, Cable, Print, Out-of-Home, Digital/Online, Satellite Radio, and Streaming Radio on national, regional, and local levels. The company positions itself as an extension of client marketing teams, emphasizing long-standing relationships, ethics, and accountability, with multi-year contracts and quote-based, negotiated pricing typically below published rate card.

The firm's core technology is a proprietary media management system originally developed by Brown starting in 1973 and initially built at Rice University due to the data and compute requirements of the era. The system integrates Nielsen TV and Nielsen Audio ratings with client consumer data to support multi-demographic media planning that incorporates psychographics, socioeconomic status, lifestyle, and product consumption patterns, moving beyond broad age-and-sex demographics. Product offerings comprise the core Media Planning and Buying Platform, Strategic Marketing Analysis Tools for zip-code and block-group customer mapping, Multi-Demographic Media Analysis, Media Auditing services that verify post-campaign delivery, and Digital Advertising services spanning mobile, video, paid search, paid social, rich media, retargeting, and geo-fencing.

The business model is professional services revenue earned through media planning and buying fees plus strategic consulting on market research, competitive analysis, customer profiling, and campaign auditing. Distribution is direct via phone (713-621-1071), email, and website quote requests, supplemented by referrals through agency partnerships and thought-leadership content on the 'Media Maven's Blog' and broadcast calendar resources. Case-study clients include Mattress Firm, Castle Dental, Landry's, Texas Oncology, and St. Elizabeth's Hospital, with reported outcomes ranging from same-store-sales lifts of 3%–35% to a 25% savings on broadcast media and an 8%–34% brand-awareness increase. The firm operates without disclosed institutional investors, funding rounds, or M&A activity, and appears to be founder-owned and privately held.

Name

MediaComp

Legal name

MediaComp

Website

https://mediacomp.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

MediaComp is an independent Houston-based media buying and planning agency founded in 1973 that uses a proprietary software platform integrating Nielsen ratings with consumer data to plan targeted ad campaigns across TV, radio, digital, print, and out-of-home for ad agencies and direct brand advertisers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Advertising / Media Buying & Planning Services

NAICS

Media Buying Agencies (54183), Media Buying Agencies (541830)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro primary industry

Media Planning, Buying & Optimization (BPAFAAAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Digital & Programmatic Media Buying (Display, Video, CTV, Audio) (BPAFABAB), Media & Audience Measurement Analytics (BPAHALAO), Paid Social Media Buying (BPAFABAD)

Keywords

• Media buying services
• Media planning services
• Advertising agency services
• Multi-demographic targeting
• Audience media analysis

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Media Planning and Buying Services: Traditional agency fee-based model for media planning and buying services across Radio, TV, Cable, Print, Outdoor, Digital, Satellite Radio, and Streaming Radio. Services provided on national, regional, and local basis.
2. Strategic Consulting: Additional services including market research, competitive analysis, customer profiling, and campaign auditing. Company provides post-analysis to ensure negotiated rating points are achieved.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

MediaComp is an independent media buying and planning company that uses a proprietary media management system integrating Nielsen TV and Nielsen Audio ratings with client consumer data to plan and place advertising across Radio, TV, Cable, Print, Out-of-Home, Digital/Online, Satellite Radio, and Streaming Radio on national, regional, and local levels. The firm serves ad agencies and direct brand advertisers, employing multi-demographic, socioeconomic, lifestyle, and product consumption analysis to deliver more targeted audiences per media dollar. The offering is complemented by strategic marketing analysis, media auditing, and digital advertising services including paid search, paid social, video, retargeting, and geo-fencing.

Product overview

MediaComp offers a proprietary media buying and planning platform that integrates Nielsen TV and Nielsen Audio ratings data with consumer data to deliver targeted media campaigns. The core offering is the MediaComp Media Planning and Buying Platform, supplemented by Strategic Marketing Analysis Tools for customer segmentation and multi-demographic analysis capabilities that reportedly deliver 20% more targeted consumers per dollar. Additional services include Media Auditing for campaign verification and Digital Advertising services covering various online tactics. The company operates across multiple media channels including TV, Radio, Cable, Print, Out-of-Home, Digital/Online, Satellite Radio, and Streaming Radio, serving clients nationally, regionally, and locally. MediaComp was founded in 1973 by Sylvan L. Brown, who developed the original system at Rice University.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MediaComp Media Planning and Buying Services Proprietary media buying and planning service utilizing Nielsen TV and Nielsen Audio ratings combined with client consumer data to plan and place advertising across Radio, TV, Cable, Print, Out-of-Home (OOH), Digital/Online, Satellite Radio, and Streaming Radio on national, regional, and local levels for ad agencies and direct brand advertisers.
• Media Auditing Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 20% more targeted consumers per media dollar
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• HCB Health (Creative Agency for Texas Oncology)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2007Part of a 4-agency team (creative, PR, digital, and MediaComp as media buying partner) that won 2011 Crystal Award from American Marketing Association for Texas Oncology campaign.
• Houston Advertising FederationminorOthersLocal industry organization membership. MediaComp is an active member in the advertising community in Houston.
• AMA HoustonminorOthersAmerican Marketing Association Houston chapter membership for industry networking and professional development.
• Houston Media ClassicminorOthersIndustry event and networking organization for Houston media professionals.
• Media Alliance of HoustonminorOthersLocal media industry alliance supporting collaboration among Houston media companies.
• Agency Management Institute (AMI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAccredited membership requiring 40 hours of continuous education annually. AMI provides platform to build strong alliances with other agencies, creating a network of professionals that can be leveraged. Recognized by business authorities such as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and The Washington Post. Elite group of less than 100 privately owned firms.
• Nielsen (TV and Audio ratings)coreTechnology or IntegrationMediaComp utilizes Nielsen TV and Nielsen Audio ratings data in its proprietary software platform for audience measurement and media planning.
• Cable TV NetworkscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with cable networks including HGTV, FX, VH1, USA, TNT, TBS, Nickelodeon, MTV, ESPN, Discovery, CNN, and others for media placement services.
• Broadcast Television NetworkscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with broadcast networks including ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, The CW, PBS, Univision, Telemundo for national and local television advertising.
• Outdoor Advertising CompaniescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with outdoor advertising companies including Lamar, Clear Channel Outdoor, Cooper, and Outfront Media for billboard and out-of-home placements.
• Radio NetworkscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with radio networks including Cumulus, iHeartMEDIA, Radio One, and CBS Radio for radio advertising placement.
• Digital Advertising PlatformscoreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership with digital advertising platforms including Google, Bing, Yahoo, Conversant, Industry Brains, Exponential, and Rhythm One for online advertising campaigns.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• RPA: Santa Monica-based independent advertising agency offering media planning and buying alongside creative services. Comparable to MediaComp as an independent, mid-sized agency with a West Coast/regional footprint serving enterprise clients.
• Empower MediaMarketing: Cincinnati-based independent media agency providing media planning, buying, and analytics across paid channels. Comparable to MediaComp as an independent, mid-sized agency focused on measurable media performance for advertiser clients.
• The Richards Group: Dallas-based independent advertising agency with media planning and buying capabilities alongside creative. Comparable to MediaComp as a Texas-based, founder-led independent agency with regional concentration and long-standing client relationships.
• MediaHub: Independent media buying agency focused on cross-channel media planning and buying for brand advertisers. Directly comparable to MediaComp as a media buying specialist serving brands and agencies across traditional and digital channels.
• Cramer-Krasselt: Independent, mid-sized advertising agency offering media planning and buying, creative, and digital services. Comparable to MediaComp as an independent agency competing against holding-company networks for mid-market and enterprise clients.

Broad incumbents

• Zenith: Global media agency network within Publicis Groupe providing media planning, buying, and analytics. Comparable to MediaComp in core service offering but operates globally with holding-company scale and resources.
• Hearts & Science: Data-driven media agency within Omnicom focused on audience-based buying and advanced analytics. Comparable to MediaComp's data-driven targeting approach but at significantly larger scale with holding-company resources.
• Mindshare: Global media agency network within WPP providing media planning, buying, and analytics. Comparable to MediaComp in service offering but operates at massive global scale with holding-company technology and talent resources.
• PHD Media: Global media agency within Omnicom Media Group offering media planning, buying, and analytics across all channels. Comparable to MediaComp in core service offering (media planning and buying) but operates at vastly larger scale as a holding-company incumbent.
• OMD (Omnicom Media Group): Largest media agency network within Omnicom, providing media planning and buying across all channels globally. Comparable to MediaComp in core offering but represents the scaled, holding-company incumbent that competes for the same client budgets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 MediaComp