MDR Advertising

What MDR Advertising does

MDR Advertising is a Texas-based, full-service advertising and digital marketing agency founded in 1974 in Corpus Christi by Fred Dotts and Mo Morehead (the 'M' and 'D' in MDR; 'R' refers to current Principal & CCO Stephen Rybak, who acquired ownership in 2010). The firm operates with approximately 23 employees across three Texas offices (Corpus Christi headquarters, Houston, and San Antonio) and delivers integrated services spanning strategy, media planning and buying, creative, web development, and in-house production via its wholly-owned subsidiary 11th Floor Studios, LLC, which provides video, animation, drone videography (FAA-licensed pilot), and audio production.

The agency's service portfolio is organized around four pillars: Strategy (brand, campaign, marketing strategy plus research and insights), Media (full-funnel planning, purchasing, and tracking across traditional, digital, social, streaming, and OOH channels with real-time dashboard reporting), Creative (campaign creative, brand identity, video, motion production, and design), and Web (WordPress/Webflow builds, eCommerce integrations, ADA/WCAG compliance, SEO). Its core technology stack combines third-party platforms (Google Analytics, Facebook Blueprint, Google Tag Manager, Google My Business) with proprietary media planning and analytics dashboards and an FAA-licensed drone capability through 11th Floor Studios.

MDR generates revenue through three billing models: 6-month minimum retainers (monthly billing for unspecified services at a pre-negotiated rate), project-based billing using a blended hourly rate structure, and hourly consulting. Pricing is not publicly disclosed, but the structured contact form reveals project budget tiers ranging from $10,000 to $1M+. Customer segments span Healthcare, Tourism & Hospitality, Retail & Consumer Products, Energy & Industrial, Higher Education, Financial Services, and Government & Transportation, with anchor logos including CITGO, H-E-B, Shiner Beers, Driscoll Health System, Port of Corpus Christi (25+ years), Rally Credit Union, Visit Portland, and Texas State Aquarium. The agency reports an average client partnership tenure of 12 years and has accumulated hundreds of regional, national, and international advertising awards.

Name

MDR Advertising

Legal name

MDR Advertising

Website

https://mdradvertising.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

MDR Advertising is a Texas-based full-service advertising and digital marketing agency founded in 1974, serving healthcare, tourism, retail, energy, financial services, and government clients across Corpus Christi, Houston, and San Antonio with integrated strategy, media, creative, and web services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Corpus Christi

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Retainer Billing: Minimum 6-month term retainers allowing clients to pay for unspecified agency services at a bulk pre-sale rate, reserving time and enabling strategic advice and creative consult on emerging projects. Establishes monthly budgeting across contract period.
2. Project Billing: Hourly rate multiplied by number of hours estimated per project scope. Uses a blended hourly rate for all job functions due to collaborative overlapping in the agency environment.
3. Hourly Consulting: Hourly rate based on calculating overhead, staff expertise, monitoring past jobs for efficiency, and evaluating market competitiveness.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

MDR Advertising is a Texas-based, full-service advertising and digital marketing agency that connects research, analytics, strategy, creative, and performance marketing into full-funnel systems driving measurable growth. Core offerings span four integrated service lines (Strategy, Media, Creative, and Web Development) plus an in-house production subsidiary (11th Floor Studios) for video, animation, and sound. The agency primarily serves mid-market and enterprise organizations across healthcare, tourism, retail, energy, financial services, education, and government verticals on retainer and project engagements.

Product overview

MDR Advertising is a Texas-based, full-service advertising and digital marketing agency founded in 1974. The agency operates as a unified service offering combining Strategy, Media Planning & Buying, Creative Services, and Web Development. MDR also maintains an in-house production company called 11th Floor Studios, LLC for video and animation work. Their service portfolio includes business consulting, consumer intelligence, brand and campaign strategy, media buying with real-time analytics, creative development across digital and print channels, web development with SEO, video production, and animation. The agency serves diverse industries including healthcare, tourism, retail, finance, energy, and education across Texas markets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Strategy Services Strategic consulting including brand strategy, campaign strategy, marketing strategy, and research & insights to guide client growth, positioning, and consumer intelligence. For organizations with complex customer journeys seeking an integrated roadmap from discovery to performance.
• Media Planning & Buying Services Full-funnel media services including planning, purchasing, and tracking across traditional, digital, social, streaming, and OOH platforms, with real-time dashboard reporting, conversion tracking (pixels, UTMs, tags), and KPI monitoring. For clients managing significant paid media investments who need data-driven cross-channel allocation.
• Creative Services Campaign creative, brand identity and design, video and motion production, and design services spanning digital, print, and out-of-home channels. For clients needing integrated brand systems and creative development across touchpoints.
• Web Development Services Website development including custom WordPress and Webflow builds, responsive design, eCommerce integration, API development, CRM connections, security hardening, ADA/WCAG compliance, SEO optimization, and analytics setup. For clients needing custom, inclusive, and performance-tracked web properties.
• Digital Marketing Services Comprehensive digital marketing including social media management, search placement, PPC advertising, email marketing, and content marketing. For clients seeking end-to-end performance marketing execution.
• 11th Floor Studios, LLC MDR Advertising's in-house production company specializing in video production, 3D animation, motion graphics, drone videography with FAA-licensed pilot, and sound design for campaign content creation. Provides integrated production capacity to MDR clients and the broader market.

Quantifiable outcome

• 430% increase in total membership growth for Rally Credit Union
• +10 more outcomes

Named customers20 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• 11th Floor Studios, LLCcoreOthersMDR's in-house production company handling video production, animation, drone videography with FAA-licensed pilot, and audio production services. Provides fully equipped production capabilities for all client campaigns.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• TracyLocke: Dallas, Texas-based shopper and brand marketing agency, now part of Omnicom. Comparable to MDR on Texas base, full-service brand and campaign work, and enterprise client mix.
• GSD&M: Austin, Texas-based full-service advertising agency known for long-standing brand work with major enterprise clients (e.g., AT&T, Southwest Airlines). Closely comparable to MDR given the Texas base, full-service model, and enterprise focus, though meaningfully larger and now Omnicom-affiliated.
• Moroch Partners: Dallas, Texas-based full-service agency with a heritage of integrated campaigns for brands like McDonald's, M&M's, and Comcast. Comparable to MDR on full-service model, Texas footprint, and mid-market/enterprise client mix.
• The Tombras Group: Knoxville, Tennessee-based independent full-service agency serving enterprise clients (e.g., Bush Brothers, Discovery, Cracker Barrel). Comparable to MDR as an independent, founder-influenced, mid-size agency competing with holding company networks.
• T3: Austin, Texas-based digital innovation and brand agency serving enterprise clients (e.g., Starbucks, Target, Whole Foods). Comparable to MDR on Texas base, digital-first capabilities, and enterprise client mix.
• Preacher: Austin, Texas-based creative and brand agency with enterprise clients (e.g., Slack, Adidas, KFC, Yeti). Comparable to MDR on Texas base, integrated creative/brand work, and enterprise portfolio.
• The Martin Agency: Richmond, Virginia-based independent full-service agency serving enterprise clients (e.g., GEICO, CarMax, UPS). Comparable to MDR as an independent, award-winning, mid-large full-service agency outside coastal hubs.
• RPA: Santa Monica, California-based independent advertising agency serving enterprise clients (e.g., Honda, American Honda, Farmers Insurance). Comparable to MDR as an independent, award-winning full-service agency with a similar brand-building heritage.
• The Lavidge Company: Scottsdale, Arizona-based independent full-service advertising and PR agency serving regional and enterprise clients. Comparable to MDR as a similarly sized independent regional full-service agency competing outside major metro markets.

Broad incumbents

• Omnicom Group: Global advertising holding company owning agencies (e.g., GSD&M, TracyLocke, BBDO, DDB) that overlap with MDR's full-service model. Comparable as the structural competitor that enterprise clients may migrate to as they scale, but materially larger and not a niche specialist.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/mdradvertising
• Facebookfacebook.com/MDRadvertising
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/morehead-dotts-rybak
• Instagraminstagram.com/mdr_advertising

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 MDR Advertising