What SeQuel Response does

SeQuel Response, now operating as Franklin Madison Direct, is a private direct response marketing agency headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, and a subsidiary of Franklin Madison Group. Founded in 2010, the firm provides integrated direct mail and digital marketing services to enterprise and mid-market clients, primarily in financial services, insurance, home services, investments and wealth, and consumer/retail verticals. Named customers include Aflac, ADT, SBLI, Caribou, BistroMD, Dinnerly, Paradise Grills, and Thuma. The company employs 11-50 people and sells through a direct enterprise field sales motion, with quote-based professional services pricing.

The company's core technology is an omnichannel direct response platform combining three trademarked proprietary solutions — FactorTest™ (a predictive analytics and data modeling-based testing methodology), Surround™ (synchronized direct mail and digital orchestration), and OmnIDirect™ (online prospecting leveraging offline audience data) — alongside seven service modules covering campaign strategy, performance testing, data targeting, creative development, digital integration, print production, campaign execution, and analytics/reporting. Digital integration explicitly spans email, paid search, social, display, native, YouTube, CTV/OTT, and programmatic video/audio. Reported customer outcomes include a 36% revenue lift in financial services, 11,500+ secondary conversions in investments and wealth, 224,000 new insurance customers, a 120% sales rate increase in home services, and 300% ROI improvement in consumer/retail.

In 2025 the company rebranded from SeQuel Response and FM Engage to Franklin Madison Direct, consolidating two legacy direct response brands under a single identity while retaining the same team, processes, and operating focus. The firm operates exclusively in the United States, distributes through direct sales with a 'Start Your Test' campaign initiation workflow, and supports demand generation through content marketing including e-books (e.g., 2026 Direct Mail Report), industry articles, and a direct mail agency checklist. There is no disclosed revenue, no funding history, and no management team beyond co-founder and CEO Jay Carroll and VP of Business Development Matthew J. Downey.

Name

SeQuel Response

Legal name

Franklin Madison Direct

Website

https://sequeldm.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Franklin Madison Direct (formerly SeQuel Response) is a private direct response marketing agency that integrates direct mail with digital channels to serve enterprise clients in financial services, insurance, home services, and consumer/retail verticals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Direct Response Marketing Services

NAICS

Direct Mail Advertising (54186), Other Services Related to Advertising (541890)

SIC

Services-Direct Mail Advertising Services (7331), Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro primary industry

Direct Mail Marketing Services (Print, Postcard, Dimensional Mail) (BPAFAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Lead Generation & List Building Services (Prospecting, Data Sourcing) (BPAFAKAE)

Keywords

• Direct response marketing
• Omnichannel marketing services
• Direct mail campaigns
• Performance marketing agency
• Integrated marketing solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Eden Prairie

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Direct Marketing Services: Full-service direct response marketing agency providing campaign strategy, creative development, data targeting, print production, digital integration, and analytics services to consumer and insurance brands.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Franklin Madison Direct (formerly SeQuel Response) is a direct response marketing agency that plans and executes integrated direct mail and digital campaigns for consumer and insurance brands. Its offering combines proprietary testing methodologies (FactorTest™, Surround™, OmnIDirect™) with full-service capabilities including campaign strategy, data targeting, creative development, digital integration, print production, campaign execution, and analytics & reporting. Services are delivered via omnichannel execution spanning email, paid search, social, display, native, YouTube, CTV/OTT, programmatic video, and programmatic audio.

Product overview

Franklin Madison Direct (formerly SeQuel Response) is a direct response marketing agency providing a unified platform combining direct mail and digital marketing services. The core offerings include three named solutions: FactorTest™ (proprietary testing methodology using predictive analytics), Surround™ (integrated direct mail and digital synchronization), and OmnIDirect™ (online prospecting leveraging offline data). These are supported by seven service modules: Campaign Strategy, Performance Testing, Data Targeting, Creative Development, Digital Integration, Print Production, Campaign Execution, and Analytics & Reporting. The integrated approach connects traditional direct mail with digital channels including email, paid search, social media, display advertising, programmatic video/audio, CTV/OTT, and YouTube.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FactorTest™: Proprietary testing methodology that uses advanced data modeling, predictive analytics, and real-world audience insights to maximize performance and reduce costs.
• Surround™
• OmnIDirect™

Products and services

• FactorTest™ Proprietary testing methodology that uses advanced data modeling, predictive analytics, and real-world audience insights to quickly and cost-effectively identify winning campaign strategies, going beyond traditional A/B testing.
• Surround™ Synchronized direct mail and digital strategy that connects offline and online channels to boost response rates and cut ad waste through coordinated campaign execution.
• OmnIDirect™ Online prospecting enhancement solution that tests offline data capabilities and leverages audience insights to connect brands with their ideal prospects online.
• Campaign Strategy Data-centric approach to developing marketing strategies focused on performance and reaching ideal audiences for impactful results.
• Performance Testing Advanced testing methodologies to optimize marketing strategies quickly and cost-effectively deliver results.
• Data Targeting Precision targeting capabilities that connect brands with their best audiences for maximum impact and conversions.
• Creative Development Strategic creative services that captivate high-value prospects and foster connection with compelling messaging that generates response.
• Digital Integration Integration of direct mail with digital channels including email marketing, paid search, social media advertising, display ads, native advertising, YouTube, CTV/OTT, programmatic video, and programmatic audio.
• Print Production Quality print collateral production and mailing solutions that reinforce brand messages through cost-effective printing and mailing.
• Campaign Execution End-to-end campaign execution services ensuring precision, speed, and expertise at every step of the marketing process.

Quantifiable outcome

• 36% increase in revenue for Financial Services clients
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers18 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature3 records

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Direct Agents: Direct Agents is a data-driven, omnichannel direct response marketing agency specializing in customer acquisition across digital and traditional channels — directly comparable in positioning, target verticals, and service mix to Franklin Madison Direct.
• Harte Hanks: Harte Hanks is an established direct marketing and customer experience agency offering end-to-end direct mail, digital, and analytics services — competing head-to-head for the same enterprise financial services and insurance clients as Franklin Madison Direct.
• Ansira: Ansira is a marketing agency with deep expertise in direct mail, data, and digital integration for enterprise brands — overlapping with Franklin Madison Direct in vertical focus, omnichannel execution, and B2B service model.
• Rauxa: Rauxa is an integrated marketing agency known for direct mail and CRM-driven customer engagement for enterprise clients — comparable in omnichannel direct response approach and enterprise client base.
• PMG: PMG is a performance-focused digital and integrated media agency that increasingly competes with traditional direct response shops for omnichannel marketing budgets — relevant as digital peer pressure on Franklin Madison Direct's offering.
• Targetbase: Targetbase is a data-driven direct marketing agency specializing in customer acquisition and relationship marketing — comparable in direct response methodology, vertical focus, and enterprise client profile.

Broad incumbents

• Merkle: Merkle is a large data-driven marketing services firm (a dentsu company) with deep capabilities across direct mail, digital, analytics, and CRM — a broader incumbent that competes for the same enterprise RFPs but with much wider geographic and service scope.
• Epsilon: Epsilon (Publicis) is a global marketing services firm with leading direct mail, data, and digital capabilities — a much larger incumbent competing for the same insurance and financial services enterprise clients with deeper technology and scale.

Emerging players

• AdRoll: AdRoll is a digital-first marketing platform focused on retargeting and customer acquisition across programmatic and email — an emerging competitor addressing the digital half of the omnichannel opportunity Franklin Madison Direct serves.

Regional players

• Quad/Graphics: Quad/Graphics is a large North American print and integrated marketing services provider that competes with Franklin Madison Direct on print production and direct mail fulfillment, though from a manufacturing-led rather than agency-led model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sequelresponse
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sequel-response

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 SeQuel Response