Zilker Media
Zilker Media is a privately held, Austin-based boutique PR and brand strategy agency founded in 2017 that delivers earned media, brand strategy, design, quiz marketing, and AI discoverability services to thought leaders, authors, executives, and mission-driven companies across the United States.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersAustin, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Zilker Media does
Zilker Media is a privately held, boutique end-to-end public relations and brand strategy agency founded in 2017 and headquartered in Austin, Texas. The firm serves executives, entrepreneurs, authors, and mission-driven companies seeking to build trusted brands and personal platforms, with a stated focus on accelerating trust and discoverability in AI-driven search environments alongside traditional earned media. Its service portfolio spans Public Relations (including a distinct AI Discoverable PR offering), Brand Strategy, Branding & Design, Quiz Marketing, and Speaking & Workshops, supported by content assets such as The Strategic Business Influencer podcast and two published books, The Authority Advantage and The Strategic Business Influencer.
Underlying technology centers on a proprietary AI Discoverability Ecosystem framework that includes AI Discoverability Audits analyzing client presence across Google search, social platforms, and large language models (ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity), and an AI-Optimized Content Ecosystem that develops posting frameworks designed to be indexed and cited by generative search engines. The firm also operates a Quiz Marketing platform whose assessments have been taken by more than 560,000 people in three years, and leverages a media network that has delivered over 200 client placements in 2023 and 2.5 million+ cumulative podcast listeners over two years.
Revenue mechanics are built on a mix of recurring PR and brand strategy retainers, project-based branding and design work, fee-based keynote speaking and workshops, and ancillary income from book sales and licensing through partnerships with ForbesBooks and Matt Holt Books. The go-to-market model is sales-led and referral-driven, supported by thought leadership content, an inbound website funnel with dedicated inquiry addresses, and founder speaking engagements at venues including Harvard Medical School, TEDx, Entrepreneurs Organization, Women Presidents Organization, and JPMorgan Chase. The firm operates as a partially remote boutique with a leadership team of approximately 13 members including Co-Founder & Chairman Rusty Shelton, Co-Founder & CEO Paige Velasquez Budde, Partner Clint Greenleaf, Chief Financial Officer Patti Conrad, Chief Publicity Officer Shelby Janner, and Chief Strategy Officer Nichole Williamson.
Zilker Media firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Zilker Media
- Legal name
- Zilker Media
- Website
- https://zilkermedia.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Zilker Media is a privately held, Austin-based boutique PR and brand strategy agency founded in 2017 that delivers earned media, brand strategy, design, quiz marketing, and AI discoverability services to thought leaders, authors, executives, and mission-driven companies across the United States.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Zilker Media industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Public Relations and Brand Strategy Services
- NAICS
- Advertising Agencies (541810), Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services (5418)
- SIC
- Services-Advertising Agencies (7311), Services-Advertising (7310)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Reputation Management & Online PR (BPAFADAN)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Content Strategy & Planning (BPAFAIAG)
Keywords
Where Zilker Media is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Austin
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Zilker Media business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- PR and Media Relations Services: Strategic public relations services including media coverage, press remarketing, podcast appearances, and earned media that builds trust and accelerates discoverability in AI search environments. Revenue generated through ongoing retainer relationships with clients.
- Brand Strategy and Management: End-to-end brand building services including brand audits, strategy consulting, lead magnet design, email marketing, content management, and social media strategy. Provided as ongoing consulting engagements.
- Branding and Design Services: Corporate and personal branding services including brand identity, logo design, brand refresh, pitch decks, corporate collateral, and ongoing graphic design support.
- Speaking and Workshops: Keynote speaking engagements and strategy workshops led by founders Paige Velasquez Budde and Rusty Shelton for conferences and corporate events.
- Book Publishing and Licensing: Revenue from published books 'The Authority Advantage' and 'The Strategic Business Influencer', plus speaking/workshop fees.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels9 records
Zilker Media product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Zilker Media is an end-to-end PR and brand strategy agency that helps executives, entrepreneurs, and mission-driven companies build trusted brands through earned media, strategic brand positioning, and AI-discoverable content. The firm delivers integrated services spanning public relations, brand strategy, branding and design, quiz marketing, and speaking/workshop engagements. Its AI Discoverability Ecosystem framework, launched in April 2026, optimizes client visibility in AI-driven search environments such as ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity.
Product overview
Zilker Media is a boutique end-to-end PR and brand strategy agency offering a integrated portfolio of services. The core offering consists of Public Relations (including AI Discoverable PR), Brand Strategy, Branding & Design, Quiz Marketing, and Speaking & Workshops. These services work together as an integrated system: PR builds credibility through earned media, Brand Strategy provides the strategic framework, and Branding & Design delivers visual identity. Supporting resources include The Strategic Business Influencer and The Authority Advantage books, The LinkedIn Playbook, and the Brand Power Score Quiz as lead magnets. The Strategic Business Influencer podcast serves as a content platform. In April 2026, the firm launched its AI Discoverability Ecosystem framework to help clients become discoverable in AI-driven search environments.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Public Relations Award-winning PR service providing media relations with traditional media combined with influencer and micromedia campaigns to establish clients as trusted leaders through high-quality digital coverage.
- AI Discoverable PR PR services optimized for AI discoverability that train generative search algorithms to recognize client expertise and position them as industry leaders in AI-driven search environments.
- Brand Strategy Strategic marketing services that build and elevate brands for thought leaders, executives, and companies through mission-aligned messaging, brand audits, strategy consulting, and long-term visibility growth.
- Branding & Design Professional branding services including brand identity and guidelines, brand refresh, corporate design and collateral, logo design, pitch decks, and ongoing graphic design support.
- Quiz Marketing Interactive quiz and assessment development for lead generation that drives email list growth and provides value to visitors, with over 560,000 assessments taken in the last three years.
- Speaking & Workshops Marketing keynotes and strategy workshops led by Zilker Media leadership on thought leadership, media skills, and brand building, including online brand audits for individuals and corporations.
- AI Discoverability Ecosystem A framework designed to enhance brand visibility and credibility in AI-driven search environments, integrating multiple media channels and strategies to improve organizations' AI relevance and authority for discoverability in large language models.
Quantifiable outcome
- $3.7 million in new deposits generated for Keystone Bank within three quarters through targeted advertising campaign
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Zilker Media
Customer profileNamed customers23 records
Segments10 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Zilker Media technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability4 records
Feature5 records
Zilker Media partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators13 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Zilker Media competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Crenshaw Communications: B2B tech and consumer PR agency with content marketing and brand strategy offerings, comparable in size, vertical mix, and integrated service model.
- PAN Communications: Mid-size B2B tech and healthcare PR agency with content marketing and brand strategy capabilities; competes for similar enterprise thought-leadership engagements.
- JConnelly: Boutique integrated communications agency combining PR, content, digital, and creative services for B2B tech and professional services clients; closely aligned with Zilker's integrated model.
- Walker Sands: Integrated B2B marketing agency combining PR, brand strategy, content, and design services for mid-market and enterprise clients; closely mirrors Zilker's integrated service portfolio.
- Bospar PR: Tech-focused boutique PR agency offering media relations, thought leadership, and content marketing — comparable positioning to Zilker's tech and B2B client base.
- SHIFT Communications: B2B tech PR and communications agency with content, social, and brand services; competes in similar mid-market enterprise segment as Zilker Media.
- Inkhouse: Boutique B2B tech and consumer PR agency with integrated brand strategy services, comparable in size, service mix, and target buyer profile to Zilker Media.
- ARPR (now part of Gauge): Tech-focused PR and integrated marketing agency offering media relations, content, and brand strategy with comparable boutique positioning to Zilker.
Broad incumbents
- Edelman: Largest global PR firm offering full-service communications including PR, brand strategy, and digital; competes for the same enterprise thought-leadership and author engagements but at vastly larger scale.
- Weber Shandwick: Global public relations and integrated marketing agency; competes for enterprise PR and brand strategy mandates with broader geographic and capability reach than Zilker.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Zilker Media social profiles
Digital presenceZilker Media financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Zilker Media leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
Zilker Media funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Zilker Media M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Zilker Media
What does Zilker Media do?
Zilker Media is an end-to-end PR and brand strategy agency that helps executives, entrepreneurs, and mission-driven companies build trusted brands through earned media, strategic brand positioning, and AI-discoverable content. The firm delivers integrated services spanning public relations, brand strategy, branding and design, quiz marketing, and speaking/workshop engagements. Its AI Discoverability Ecosystem framework, launched in April 2026, optimizes client visibility in AI-driven search environments such as ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity.
Is Zilker Media a public or private company?
Zilker Media is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Zilker Media founded?
Zilker Media was founded in 2017. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Zilker Media based?
Zilker Media is headquartered in Austin, United States, in the North America region.
How does Zilker Media make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. PR and Media Relations Services are the primary driver. The others are brand Strategy and Management, branding and Design Services, speaking and Workshops and book Publishing and Licensing.
Who are Zilker Media's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Crenshaw Communications, PAN Communications, JConnelly, Walker Sands, Bospar PR, SHIFT Communications, Inkhouse and ARPR (now part of Gauge). Broad incumbents are Edelman and Weber Shandwick.
Does Zilker Media have an API?
No public API is recorded for Zilker Media.
What industry is Zilker Media in?
Zilker Media's product category is Public Relations and Brand Strategy Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAFADAN, Reputation Management & Online PR, with a secondary code of BPAFAIAG, Content Strategy & Planning. Its NAICS code is 541810 and its SIC code is 7311.