What Mediasmith does

Mediasmith is an independent, employee-owned media planning and buying agency headquartered in Oakland, California, founded in 1989. The firm provides integrated media services spanning strategy, multi-channel activation, account management, and analytics/reporting, executing across paid search, paid social, audio, video, programmatic, connected TV, out-of-home, and podcast channels. Its client base is concentrated in four industry verticals — Ecommerce, Retail, SaaS, and Financial Services — with named enterprise and mid-market customers including PetSmart, Salesforce, AAA Insurance/CSAA, Twilio, BMC Software, Airtable, Intercom, Tipalti, and Silicon Valley Bank.

The agency's underlying technology stack is built on third-party tools rather than proprietary platforms: it uses Nielsen planning tools (NMI, @Plan, Commspoint), ComScore, and MRI for audience insights, and operates a programmatic buying capability across video, display, audio, and connected TV. Its only internally developed process asset is a proprietary client briefing/immersion workflow that frames bespoke team formation for each client goal. Over $200MM in annual client media spend is managed through the firm, providing the procurement leverage typically associated with larger holding-company agencies while preserving boutique operating economics.

Commercially, Mediasmith operates on a professional services revenue model with custom, quote-based pricing per engagement and no public or partner-facing API. The go-to-market motion is direct, relationship-based enterprise sales with no reseller or partner channel, supported by a content-led marketing approach emphasizing case studies and industry expertise. The firm is privately held with no external investors, parent company, or public listing, and a distributed workforce across 16 states with above-industry retention and a majority-female, majority-people-of-color composition. The Client Bill of Rights, published in 2016, codifies a transparency-based market positioning that the company uses as a point of differentiation against holding-company competitors.

Name

Mediasmith

Legal name

Mediasmith, Inc.

Website

https://mediasmith.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Mediasmith is an independent, employee-owned media planning and buying agency founded in 1989, serving enterprise and mid-market clients across Ecommerce, Retail, SaaS, and Financial Services with integrated media strategy, activation, and analytics.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Media Planning and Buying Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro primary industry

Full-Service Media Planning & Buying (MPAAABAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Media Planning, Buying & Optimization (BPAFAAAC)

Keywords

• Media planning services
• Media buying agency
• Programmatic advertising
• Paid media management
• Advertising analytics

Headquarters

HQ city

Oakland

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. Media Planning and Buying Services: Mediasmith provides media planning, media buying, and analytics services for advertisers. Revenue is generated through professional service fees for strategic planning, campaign execution, and analytics/reporting across paid media channels.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Mediasmith is an independent media planning and buying agency that provides media strategy, multi-channel activation (Paid Search, Paid Social, Audio, Video, Programmatic, OOH, Connected TV), account management, and analytics/reporting services. The agency stands up bespoke teams and customized media solutions for each client, executing campaigns and managing over $200MM in annual media spend on behalf of enterprise and mid-market advertisers across Ecommerce, Retail, SaaS, and Financial Services verticals.

Product overview

Mediasmith is an independent media agency (incorporated 1989) offering a unified suite of media services organized around four core capabilities: Media Strategy, Activation, Account Management, and Analytics & Reporting. The agency operates across four key industry verticals (Ecommerce, Retail, SaaS, Financial Services), deploying bespoke teams and customized media solutions for each client. With over $200MM in annual media spend, the agency combines the strategic oversight of a boutique shop with the buying power of a global agency, executing across Paid Search, Paid Social, Audio, Video, Programmatic, Out-of-Home, and Connected TV channels. The company is not a software platform but rather a service-based agency model.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Media Strategy Strategic planning services that identify and capitalize on consumer touchpoints to develop holistic media solutions, including customer/market insights, investment mix options, syndicated research, journey architecture, competitive landscape analysis, and measurement planning. For enterprise and mid-market advertisers.
• Activation Multi-channel media execution across Paid Search, Paid Social, Audio, Video, and Programmatic channels, combining boutique shop strategic oversight with global agency buying power. For advertisers seeking to activate campaigns across digital and traditional paid channels.
• Account Management Client orchestration services where Account Directors manage all aspects including media planning and buying, data analytics oversight, media operations, and buying specializations while serving as fierce client advocates. For advertiser clients engaged with the agency.
• Analytics & Reporting Data-driven effectiveness and efficiency services that identify optimization opportunities, link disparate data sources, drive accurate attribution, and produce insightful visualizations for clients. For advertisers needing measurement, attribution, and performance reporting.
• Ecommerce Industry Solutions Specialized media services combining data-driven insights with optimization to increase sales, lower cost-per-action, and define iterative growth strategies for ecommerce brands. For online-first advertisers in retail media and direct-to-consumer categories.
• Retail Industry Solutions Brick-and-mortar retail media services focused on driving store traffic and sales through understanding seasonality, shopping patterns, location, and promotion factors. For retailers including pet specialty, grocery, and convenience segments.
• SaaS Industry Solutions B2B technology company media services focused on generating qualified leads, ABM strategies, and brand advertising to drive awareness, consideration, intent, and action among target audiences. For B2B SaaS platforms from Series B startups to public companies.
• Financial Services Industry Solutions Regulated industry media services for banking, insurance, and investment products, leveraging first-party insights around risk, retention, and customer value to deliver tiered target audience approaches. For financial institutions, insurance carriers, and fintechs.

Quantifiable outcome

• 41% decrease in cost-per-click
• +9 more outcomes

Named customers20 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Assembly: Modern media agency within Stagwell focused on digital media planning, buying, and commerce media. Comparable media-first service model targeting similar enterprise and challenger brand clients.
• Wpromote: Independent digital media agency providing paid search, paid social, programmatic, and SEO services. Comparable as a non-holdco agency competing for the same enterprise and mid-market digital mandates Mediasmith targets.
• Horizon Media: Large US-based independent media agency offering media planning, buying, and analytics. Most directly comparable to Mediasmith in independence, scale of managed spend, and full-service media model.
• RPA (Perry & Partners): Independent advertising and media agency headquartered in Los Angeles with a comparable mid-large footprint, offering media planning/buying alongside creative — similar in independence and enterprise client mix.
• Good Apple: Boutique independent media agency specializing in digital media planning and buying. Comparable in boutique-shop positioning and bespoke client model, though smaller in scale than Mediasmith.
• Tinuiti: Independent performance marketing agency covering paid media, ecommerce, and Amazon advertising. Similar independence positioning and overlap with Mediasmith's ecommerce and SaaS verticals.

Broad incumbents

• Hearts & Science: Omnicom media agency focused on data-driven media planning and buying. Comparable in core media services but part of a global holding company network with broader portfolio capabilities.
• PHD Media: Global media planning and buying network under Omnicom. Comparable in full-service media offerings but operates as part of a global holdco, contrasting Mediasmith's independent positioning.
• Digitas North America: Publicis-owned media, creative, and connections agency covering paid media planning and buying. Overlaps with Mediasmith's media activation capabilities at a much larger, holdco-backed scale.
• Stagwell Global: Publicly traded marketing and communications holding company with multiple media and digital agencies under its umbrella. Relevant as a capital-backed aggregator competing for independent-agency mandates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MediasmithInc
• Facebookfacebook.com/Mediasmith
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mediasmith

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Mediasmith