Rapid Media
Rapid Media is a Brisbane-based, founder-led full-service media and communications agency serving enterprise and mid-market clients across Australia. It delivers media buying, digital advertising, creative production and proprietary analytics/attribution via its ICI platform, leveraging a WPP association and academic validation from Bond University.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2003
- HeadquartersBrisbane, Australia
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Rapid Media does
Rapid Media is a privately held, founder-led full-service media and communications agency headquartered in Brisbane, Australia, with additional offices in Gold Coast, Lennox Head, Melbourne and Sydney. The firm was originally started by Vaughan O'Connor and Katrina O'Connor in 2001 (as Functional Business Innovations) and rebranded to Rapid Media in 2009; it operates as an independent agency with a strategic association with WPP that delivers preferential media buying rates. It serves enterprise and mid-market clients across retail, FMCG, e-commerce, travel and aviation, education, and not-for-profit verticals, with named client logos including Flight Centre, Carsales, TAFE Queensland, Kubota, Goodyear Dunlop (Beaurepaires), Darrell Lea and Passage Foods.
Rapid Media firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Rapid Media
- Legal name
- Rapid Media
- Website
- https://rapidmedia.com.au
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2003
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Rapid Media is a Brisbane-based, founder-led full-service media and communications agency serving enterprise and mid-market clients across Australia. It delivers media buying, digital advertising, creative production and proprietary analytics/attribution via its ICI platform, leveraging a WPP association and academic validation from Bond University.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Rapid Media industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Advertising and Marketing Services
- NAICS
- Media Buying Agencies (54183), Media Buying Agencies (541830), Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services (5418)
- SIC
- Services-Advertising Agencies (7311), Services-Advertising (7310)
- 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)
Keywords
Where Rapid Media is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Brisbane
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices4 records
Markets served
Rapid Media business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Media Buying Services: Full-service media buying across television, radio, newspapers, magazines, out of home, cinema, direct mail and digital media. Agency generates revenue through negotiated media space purchases and strategy services.
- Digital Services: Social and digital advertising, search engine marketing, SEO, ecommerce growth, social media management, and data management services.
- Creative Services: Creative development and execution including print design, brand ideation, OOH advertising, digital advertising, content production, website design and development, and email marketing automation.
- Marketing Strategy Services: Marketing and communication strategy development and implementation, acting as extension to client's marketing team.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom quote-based services |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
Rapid Media product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Rapid Media is a full-service communications agency delivering media, digital, and creative solutions to enterprise and mid-market clients. Its core offerings span media buying across traditional and digital channels, paid search and SEO, social media management, e-commerce growth marketing, creative development, content production, website design, and email marketing automation. The agency's work is underpinned by its proprietary Informatic Communications Investment (ICI) analytics and attribution platform, which provides real-time cross-channel measurement and predictive analytics validated by Bond University.
Product overview
Rapid Media is a full-service communications agency offering a comprehensive portfolio of media, digital, and creative solutions. The company operates as a service-based agency rather than a software product company, providing integrated services across: Media Services (Media Buying, Market Research, Analytics & Attribution, Marketing & Communication Strategy); Digital Services (Social & Digital Advertising, Search Engine Marketing, Search Engine Optimisation, Ecommerce Growth, Social Media Management, Data Management); and Creative Services (Creative Development & Execution, Content Production, Website Design & Development, Email Marketing & Automation). At the core of their offering is the proprietary Informatic Communications Investment (ICI) platform, an analytics and attribution tool enabling real-time cross-channel measurement and predictive analytics. The ICI platform serves as the foundation for their data-driven approach, with services delivered through an in-house team of specialists across offices in Brisbane, Gold Coast, Lennox Head, Melbourne, and Sydney.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Media Buying
- Market Research
- Analytics and Attribution
- Marketing and Communication Strategy
- Social and Digital Advertising
- Search Engine Marketing
- Search Engine Optimisation
- Ecommerce Growth
- Social Media Management
- Data Management
- Creative Development and Execution
- Content Production
- Website Design and Development
- Email Marketing and Automation
Quantifiable outcome
- 14.18x ROAS on Flight Centre cruise campaign with 48% increase in bookings
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Rapid Media
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Rapid Media technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration20 records
Feature3 records
Rapid Media partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- WPPcoreRapid Media is an independent agency associated with WPP - one of the world's largest media and communications groups. Through this association, Rapid Media accesses the best possible rates and flexibility to service clients.
- Bond UniversitycoreFive-year partnership with the informatics team at Bond University to ensure statistical modelling of media effectiveness and attribution modelling offerings have been academically validated.
- Media Partners NetworkcoreLong-standing relationships with media partners including Scentre Group, Val-Morgan, Paramount, QMS, Seven West Media, Nine Entertainment, Prime Media Group, SCA, Win Television, SBS Media, Foxtel Media, Nova Entertainment, Australian Radio Network, News Corp, Are Media, JCDecaux, oOh!media for media buying across all channels.
- Market Research PartnersmajorPartners with GFK, Xtra Insights, Cinetam, Audited Media Association of Australia, Roy Morgan, Standard Media Index, Nielsen, OMA MOVE, Oztam for comprehensive market research and industry insights.
- Amazon Web Services (AWS)majorAWS logo displayed as technology infrastructure partner for the ICI platform and data management capabilities.
- SegmentmajorSegment customer data platform used for data management and integration capabilities.
- GooglecoreGoogle Premier Partner with access to campaign betas, smart bidding strategies, and full Google advertising ecosystem including Google Ads, Analytics, Tag Manager.
- Meta (Facebook Business Partner)coreMeta Business Partner providing Facebook, Instagram advertising capabilities and augmented reality advertising solutions.
- ShopifymajorShopify Partner for ecommerce website development and marketing services. Full-service Shopify marketing capabilities.
- KlaviyomajorKlaviyo Master Partner for email and SMS marketing automation solutions.
- The Trade DeskmajorProgrammatic advertising platform partner for digital campaign management.
- Display & Video 360majorGoogle's display and video advertising platform for campaign management.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Rapid Media competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Initiative Australia: IPG Mediabrands' global media agency in Australia. Competes for enterprise media mandates with cross-channel planning, programmatic, and analytics capabilities analogous to Rapid Media's ICI-led offering.
- Starcom Australia: Publicis Groupe's media agency operating in Australia. Comparable in offering full media planning/buying, digital, analytics, and content capabilities to enterprise clients, with significantly greater scale.
- Dentsu Australia: Dentsu's Australian media and creative operations, including Carat and iProspect. Competes directly for media planning/buying and digital mandates with greater scale and proprietary audience data assets.
- Wavemaker Australia: WPP-owned global media agency with Australian presence. Direct competitor for media buying and planning mandates, leveraging GroupM scale, data assets, and proprietary tools that Rapid Media accesses indirectly through its WPP association.
- Havas Media Australia: Havas's media network operating across Australia. Comparable in delivering integrated media planning, buying, and analytics for enterprise clients across traditional and digital channels.
- OMD Australia: Omnicom's flagship media agency network in Australia. Competes for the same enterprise media buying accounts with deeper global resources, proprietary planning tools, and Omnicom data partnerships.
Direct peers
- Cummins&Partners: Australian independent full-service advertising agency with offices in Melbourne and other cities. Comparable as an independent offering creative, media, digital, and content services to enterprise and challenger brands across Australia.
- Thinkerbell: Australian-founded independent creative and media agency with offices in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane. Comparable in offering a blended creative/media offering to enterprise FMCG and retail clients across Australia and New Zealand.
- Atomic 212°: Australia's largest independent media agency, headquartered in Melbourne. Directly comparable as a full-service independent Australian media agency offering media buying, digital, content, and analytics services to enterprise clients, competing with Rapid Media for the same blue-chip brand budgets.
Emerging players
- The Remarkables Group: Australian independent data-driven media and analytics agency. Comparable as a smaller competitor emphasizing attribution, measurement, and data-led media optimization — overlapping directly with Rapid Media's ICI platform positioning.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Rapid Media social profiles
Digital presenceRapid Media financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Rapid Media leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Rapid Media funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Rapid 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 Rapid Media
What does Rapid Media do?
Rapid Media is a full-service communications agency delivering media, digital, and creative solutions to enterprise and mid-market clients. Its core offerings span media buying across traditional and digital channels, paid search and SEO, social media management, e-commerce growth marketing, creative development, content production, website design, and email marketing automation. The agency's work is underpinned by its proprietary Informatic Communications Investment (ICI) analytics and attribution platform, which provides real-time cross-channel measurement and predictive analytics validated by Bond University.
Is Rapid Media a public or private company?
Rapid Media is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Rapid Media founded?
Rapid Media was founded in 2003. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Rapid Media based?
Rapid Media is headquartered in Brisbane, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does Rapid Media make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Media Buying Services are the primary driver. The others are digital Services, creative Services and marketing Strategy Services.
Who are Rapid Media's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Initiative Australia, Starcom Australia, Dentsu Australia, Wavemaker Australia, Havas Media Australia and OMD Australia. Direct peers are Cummins&Partners, Thinkerbell and Atomic 212°. The Remarkables Group is listed as an emerging player.
Does Rapid Media have an API?
No public API is recorded for Rapid Media.
What industry is Rapid Media in?
Rapid Media's product category is Advertising and Marketing Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAFAAAC, Media Planning, Buying & Optimization, with a secondary code of BPAFABAB, Digital & Programmatic Media Buying (Display, Video, CTV, Audio). Its NAICS code is 54183 and its SIC code is 7311.