Media Two Interactive

What Media Two Interactive does

Media Two Interactive is an independent media buying agency founded in 1998 and headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina. The firm operates a six-module service stack spanning programmatic media, search engine marketing and shopping, paid social, direct digital, traditional media, and advanced analytics, supplemented by a white-label Agency Partnering offering that extends the firm's media capabilities to other agencies. Its client base covers firearms (GLOCK), insurance and financial services (Berkshire Hathaway), retail (Walmart, NFM), technology (Microsoft, 3M), outdoor recreation (GSM Outdoors, Range USA), telecommunications (Frontier), government (NCDHHS), travel and tourism (Visit Charlottesville), and education (UNC Kenan-Flagler).

Operationally, the agency insources its programmatic buying rather than reselling desk services from larger holding companies, a structure the firm claims yields 25-40% cost savings for clients. The firm distinguishes itself through its heritage as the first agency to beta test Google AdWords in 1999 and its current Google Premier Partner status, which places it in the top 3% of Google's partner ecosystem. The agency emphasizes senior-level execution, stating that its media buyers average over 10 years of experience compared to a cited industry average of 9%, and has been a member of the Forbes Agency Council.

The business model combines commission-based media buying, performance-aligned compensation, hourly and professional services, and managed services engagements, giving clients multiple commercial structures. AI and machine learning are layered across the stack through dynamic creative optimization, attribution modeling, media mix modeling, anomaly detection, and predictive analytics. The firm has operated continuously for 28 years as a privately held entity, with founder Michael Hubbard having transitioned the CEO role to Seth Hargrave, and has maintained carbon-neutral operations through a partnership with Green Places since 2021.

Name

Media Two Interactive

Legal name

Media Two Interactive

Website

https://mediatwo.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Media Two Interactive is a Raleigh, NC-based independent media buying agency founded in 1998, offering programmatic, search, social, direct digital, traditional, and analytics services to mid-market and enterprise clients across diverse verticals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Media Buying Services

NAICS

Media Buying Agencies (541830)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro primary industry

Digital & Programmatic Media Buying (Display, Video, CTV, Audio) (BPAFABAB)

Keywords

• Media buying agency
• Programmatic advertising
• Paid search marketing
• Paid social advertising
• Traditional media buying

Headquarters

HQ city

Raleigh

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Agency Commission / Performance-Aligned Compensation: Commission-based and performance-aligned fee structures that scale with media investment and results; cited by leadership as the model that produces the most durable agency relationships.
2. Hourly / Fee-Based Services: Hourly and task-based professional services for media strategy, planning, buying, analysis, and optimization across digital, search, social, and traditional channels.
3. Media Buying on Behalf of Clients: Core revenue generated by planning and purchasing ad inventory (programmatic, search, social, direct digital, traditional) on behalf of client partners, with built-in margin between client media spend and supplier costs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Media Two Interactive is a media buying agency that plans and purchases advertising across digital, search, social, programmatic, and traditional channels on behalf of mid-market and enterprise brand clients. Services span programmatic media buying, paid search and shopping, paid social, direct digital publisher buys, traditional media (TV, radio, OOH, print), and advanced campaign analytics with attribution and media mix modeling. The agency insources programmatic bidding to eliminate third-party trade desk/DSP layers, and offers white-label media buying partnership to other advertising agencies.

Product overview

Media Two Interactive is a single, integrated media buying agency offering (rather than a multi-product SaaS platform) built around six core service modules that work together as one media investment practice: Programmatic Media Buying, Search Engine Marketing & Shopping, Social Media Buying, Direct Digital Media Buying, Traditional Media Buying, and Advanced Campaign Analytics, plus an Agency Partnering offering. The modules are interdependent — Traditional Media Buying integrates with digital media planning, Advanced Campaign Analytics provides the data backbone across all channels, and Direct Digital Media Buying complements programmatic automation with publisher negotiation. Together they form a unified full-funnel media strategy, planning, buying, and optimization service rather than separately licensable products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Programmatic Media Buying Programmatic media buying across Connected TV (CTV), OTT, YouTube, digital video, digital audio, display, native, OOH, broadcast TV, and radio via direct DSP and trade desk partnerships. Buyers bid directly without outsourcing to trade desks, saving clients an average of 25–40% on hidden fees. Targets mid-market and enterprise brand marketers seeking transparent, data-driven programmatic execution.
• Search Engine Marketing & Shopping Paid search and shopping campaign management on Google Ads, Microsoft Advertising, SA360, and Google Merchant Center, including Google Ads suspension resolution. Media Two is a Google Premier Partner (top 3%) and was the first agency to beta test AdWords in 1999. Targets brand marketers seeking senior-led paid search management.
• Social Media Buying
• Direct Digital Media Buying One-to-one direct negotiation with publisher partners for larger ad formats, custom placements, and tailored KPI packages. Buyers negotiate based on client metrics and needs, securing added value beyond what programmatic systems can replicate. Targets brand marketers needing custom or premium digital placements.
• Traditional Media Buying Planning and buying of linear TV, radio, out-of-home, print, and venue sponsorships. Integrated with digital media planning and informed by attribution modeling, media mix modeling, and integrated foot traffic tracking. Targets brand marketers running full-funnel omnichannel campaigns.
• Advanced Campaign Analytics Data-first media buying approach using attribution modeling, media mix modeling, supply path optimization, and centralized conversion reporting across digital, social, search, and traditional channels to inform creative, messaging, and audience targeting. Targets brand marketers who need to tie marketing to sales outcomes.
• Agency Partnering White-label media buying partnership offering for advertising agencies that need deeper media execution capabilities without building an in-house team. Targets creative or full-service agencies seeking senior-led, transparent media buying execution.

Quantifiable outcome

• 25–40% savings on hidden media fees by insourcing programmatic buying
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers31 records

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration17 records

AI capability12 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• GoogleflagshipTechnology or IntegrationLong-standing partnership as a Google Premier Partner (top 3% of the Google Partners program). Media Two was the first agency to beta test Google AdWords (now Google Ads) in 1999. The agency's SEM team uses Google Ads, SA360, Google Merchant Center, and Google Discovery/Demand Gen campaigns on behalf of clients. Premier Partner badge displayed on the SEM & Shopping page.
• Microsoft AdvertisingcoreTechnology or IntegrationMedia Two's SEM team uses Microsoft Advertising in conjunction with Google Ads for paid search. The agency has published commentary critiquing Microsoft's lack of transparency in search advertising features.
• Meta (Facebook & Instagram)coreTechnology or IntegrationMeta platforms (Facebook, Instagram) are key paid social channels Media Two buys on for clients. Agency has published opinion pieces critiquing Meta's AI identity-replication patent.
• TikTokcoreTechnology or IntegrationTikTok listed among paid social platforms Media Two buys on to reach audiences.
• LinkedIncoreTechnology or IntegrationLinkedIn included among paid social platforms Media Two buys for B2B client campaigns.
• PinterestcoreTechnology or IntegrationPinterest cited as a paid social platform used for audience targeting in client campaigns.
• SnapchatcoreTechnology or IntegrationSnapchat referenced as an additional paid social channel Media Two buys on beyond Facebook and Instagram.
• Programmatic Trade Desks & DSPscoreTechnology or IntegrationMedia Two partners with a variety of trade desks, DSPs, and programmatic broadcast platforms to deliver cross-device programmatic campaigns for CTV, OTT, YouTube, digital video, digital audio, digital display, native, OOH, broadcast TV, and radio.
• Green Places to WorkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSustainability partnership announced in 2021 to calculate, reduce, and offset Media Two's carbon footprint. Enabled the agency to become carbon neutral in its first year and supports a three-pronged approach of measurement, reduction, and offsets with per-employee choice of offset projects.
• The Great Raleigh CleanupminorOthersCommunity partner — twice a year Media Two volunteers with The Great Raleigh Cleanup (led by Preston Ross) as part of its 'Do The Right Thing' initiative.
• Kay Yow Cancer FundminorOthersLocal and national charity Media Two contributes to as part of its community giving.
• Special Olympics of NCminorOthersLocal and national charity Media Two supports via donations and fundraising.
• St. Jude Children's HospitalminorOthersNational charity Media Two contributes to as part of its community giving.
• YMCAminorOthersCharity Media Two supports through donations and volunteerism.
• Unbound.orgminorOthersSponsorship partnership — Media Two has featured Unbound.org in its 'Do The Right Thing' giving-back blog content.
• MediaPost (Data & Programmatic Insider Summit)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia Two sponsors and speaks at MediaPost's Programmatic & Data Insider Summit, including the 2025 Lake Tahoe event where Kelli Hashimoto and Melissa Ilardi participated as panelists and shared takeaways on the blog.
• LiveRamp (RampUp Conference)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia Two attends and references LiveRamp's RampUp conference as a key industry event for data collaboration and the post-cookie landscape.
• Attribution Provider (unnamed)coreTechnology or IntegrationMedia Two audited multiple attribution platforms and selected one that could import redirect URLs from print and time logs for TV, tying back to direct navigation and search traffic for clients like GLOCK.
• Dynamic Creative Partner (unnamed)coreTechnology or IntegrationSelected via RFP to create brand-compliant ad templates and product-feed-driven dynamic creative for outdoor display campaigns (e.g., Range USA), enabling on-demand updates of sale data.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Goodway Group: Independent media agency focused on programmatic, search, social, and analytics with an attribution-led, tech-forward positioning nearly identical to Media Two's.
• PMG: Independent, founder-led media and marketing agency offering programmatic, search, social, and commerce media buying with proprietary tech. Closely comparable in operating model and client mix, though PMG operates at materially greater scale.
• Rise Interactive: A Quad company, but operates as a performance-focused independent digital media agency with strong paid search, programmatic, and analytics capabilities. Closely comparable on attribution-led media buying.
• Butler/Till: Independent, women-owned media agency offering media planning, buying, analytics, and creative across digital and traditional channels; comparable in independent positioning and mid-market/enterprise client mix.
• Amsive: PE-backed independent agency combining media, creative, SEO, and data services. Comparable as a multi-channel independent competitor pursuing similar enterprise and mid-market brands.
• Empower Media Group: Independent, women-owned media agency integrating media planning, buying, analytics, and performance marketing. Similar independent, multi-channel media-buying value proposition.
• Tinuiti: Independent, PE-backed digital marketing agency spanning paid search, social, programmatic, and Amazon. Directly comparable as a non-holding-company media specialist competing for similar mid-market and enterprise brands.

Broad incumbents

• Hearts & Science: Omnicom's data-driven media agency using advanced analytics and audience targeting for media planning and buying. Comparable in analytics-first positioning, though embedded within a holding-company network.
• iProspect: Dentsu's global digital performance agency offering search, social, programmatic, and commerce media at scale. Overlaps with Media Two's core SEM and programmatic offerings but as part of a much larger network with bundled services.
• GroupM: WPP's global media investment group encompassing Mindshare, Wavemaker, Essence, and GroupM Nexus. Represents the holding-company incumbent Media Two competes against for enterprise media planning and buying.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mediatwo
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/MediaTwoInteractive
• Facebookfacebook.com/MediaTwoInteractive
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mediatwointeractive

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 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 Media Two Interactive