Proof Advertising
Proof Advertising is an independent, full-service Austin-based creative and media agency that helps enterprise brands, tourism boards, and nonprofits through a 'Brand Liberation' methodology, proprietary strategy tools, and media planning/buying services.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersAustin, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Proof Advertising does
Proof Advertising is an independent, full-service advertising agency headquartered in Austin, Texas, operating since 2009 (previously Kolar Advertising) under a 'Brand Liberation' positioning. The firm serves enterprise brands, government tourism boards, and select nonprofits through creative and campaign development, media planning and buying across broadcast TV, connected TV, paid social, digital, print, out-of-home, and DOOH, and a six-tool proprietary methodology suite (Chatter for social listening, TrendLook for trend auditing, Vox for competitive media analysis, React for SMS-based concept testing, Engage for go-to-market strategy, and Prism for multi-level analytics). Nearly $1 billion in media has been placed since launch, and named clients include Travel Texas, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Subway, Four Roses Bourbon, FiiZ Drinks, Sprinkles, Mouser Electronics, TTI, Travelocity, UFCU, Champion Energy, GoodCharlie, and the American Heart Association.
Proof Advertising firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Proof Advertising
- Legal name
- Proof Advertising
- Website
- https://proof-advertising.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Proof Advertising is an independent, full-service Austin-based creative and media agency that helps enterprise brands, tourism boards, and nonprofits through a 'Brand Liberation' methodology, proprietary strategy tools, and media planning/buying services.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Proof Advertising industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Advertising Services
- NAICS
- Advertising Agencies (54181)
- SIC
- Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Brand & Advertising Research (Brand Health, Copy Testing, Campaign Effectiveness) (MPAAALAG)
Keywords
Where Proof Advertising is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Austin
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Proof Advertising business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Creative Agency Services: Full-service creative agency providing brand strategy, campaign development, creative production, and media planning/buying services to enterprise clients on retainer and project basis
- Media Placement: Nearly $1 billion in media placed since founding, spanning broadcast TV to paid social and everything in between. Custom media planning and buying services.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom enterprise engagements |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels8 records
Proof Advertising product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Proof Advertising is an independent, full-service advertising agency delivering brand strategy, creative campaign development, and media planning/buying for enterprise clients. The agency operates a proprietary Brand Liberation methodology supported by six internal tools (Chatter™, TrendLook™, Vox™, React™, Engage™, Prism™) covering social listening, trend analysis, competitive media assessment, real-time concept testing, go-to-market planning, and analytics. Since founding, the agency has placed nearly $1 billion in media across broadcast TV, connected TV, paid social, digital, print, out-of-home, and DOOH.
Product overview
Proof Advertising is a full-service independent advertising agency operating as a 'Brand Liberation Agency'. Its offering consists of brand strategy and creative services (campaign development, content creation, digital experiences), media planning and buying (broadcast TV, connected TV, paid social, digital, print, out-of-home, DOOH), and a suite of proprietary Brand Liberation tools including Chatter™ (social listening), TrendLook™ (trend auditing), Vox™ (competitive media analysis), React™ (real-time SMS-based concept testing), Engage™ (go-to-market strategy), and Prism™ (multi-level analytics dashboard with curated APIs). The agency specializes in tourism/destination marketing, consumer brands, B2B technology, and association/nonprofit sectors. Since launch, nearly $1 billion in media has been placed. The agency has an average tenure of 10 years and is based in Austin, TX.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Media Planning and Buying Services Custom media strategy and placement across broadcast TV, connected TV, paid social, digital, print, out-of-home, and DOOH channels for enterprise and government clients. The agency has placed nearly $1 billion in media since launch.
- Creative and Campaign Development Services Full-service creative development including campaign strategy, content creation, digital experiences, influencer campaigns, AR experiences, and interactive work for clients across tourism, consumer brands, B2B technology, financial services, and nonprofit sectors.
- Brand Liberation Strategy and Consulting Proprietary Brand Liberation strategic framework and consulting offering, working with brands 'on the brink' of scaling or transformation to free them from old ideas, short-term thinking, and chasing clicks, enabling them to take the next leap.
Quantifiable outcome
- CES 2024 achieved 138,000 show-goers (new attendance record) with 277 billion media reach and 15% increase in exhibit space
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Proof Advertising
Customer profileNamed customers19 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Proof Advertising technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability7 records
Feature6 records
Proof Advertising partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.
- Matador NetworkcoreTourism marketing partnership for The Walton Adventure: Texas Edition series. Matador Network CEO Ross Borden provided a quote highlighting the series' appeal. Series available for streaming on Matador Network and Roku.
- RokucoreStreaming platform partnership for The Walton Adventure: Texas Edition four-part travel series premiering on Roku, featuring Mike and Carly Walton and their four children exploring Texas.
- Travel TexasflagshipTourism marketing initiative partnership producing The Walton Adventure: Texas Edition series to promote Texas as a premier family travel destination.
- Worldwide PartnerscoreProof is powered by Worldwide Partners, the world's most collaborative agency network, comprising more than 90 independent agencies located in over 50 countries and experience in over 90 industry verticals.
Scale indicators24 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Proof Advertising competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- 72andSunny: Mid-size independent creative agency known for brand-building campaigns and a similar mix of consumer and cultural work. Comparable in size and independent positioning, though larger and more international.
- Barkley: Kansas City-based independent creative agency of similar size with a comparable full-service offering and a roster spanning consumer brands, financial services, and tourism. Independent agency peer with a similar employer-brand-driven culture strategy.
- GSD&M: Austin, TX-based independent creative agency of similar size with a comparable Texas-rooted client roster (including long-tenured tourism and consumer brand work). Direct competitor for the same regional enterprise accounts and talent pool.
- Mother: Globally-networked independent creative agency of comparable size with a similar positioning around cultural insight and brand strategy. Direct peer for global enterprise brand accounts with an independent, founder-driven culture.
- McGarrah Jessee: Austin, TX-based independent creative agency with overlapping client verticals (consumer brands, tourism, financial services) and a similar mid-size structure. Direct peer for both clients and talent in the Texas market.
- The Richards Group: Historically Dallas-based independent creative agency of comparable scale with a similar full-service offering (creative, media, strategy) and overlapping client verticals including consumer brands, tourism, and QSR. Direct competitor in the Texas/regional enterprise market.
- Mekanism: Mid-size independent creative agency with comparable media planning/buying and brand strategy capabilities, focused on challenger and growth-stage brands. Comparable in size and positioning within the independent agency landscape.
Broad incumbents
- Droga5: Acquired by Accenture Song, but historically an independent creative agency of larger scale. Comparable in brand-building and integrated campaign approach, but operates at a larger scale with broader resources.
- Wieden+Kennedy: Portland-based independent creative agency of larger scale with a global footprint and a similar full-service creative and media offering. Larger and more established, but operates in the same independent-agency category for brand-building work.
- Energy BBDO: Chicago-based creative agency within the BBDO network, comparable in mid-size agency positioning. Overlap in creative and media capabilities but operates with the backing of a global holding company (Omnicom).
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Proof Advertising social profiles
Digital presenceProof Advertising financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Proof Advertising leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Proof Advertising funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Proof Advertising 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 Proof Advertising
What does Proof Advertising do?
Proof Advertising is an independent, full-service advertising agency delivering brand strategy, creative campaign development, and media planning/buying for enterprise clients. The agency operates a proprietary Brand Liberation methodology supported by six internal tools (Chatter™, TrendLook™, Vox™, React™, Engage™, Prism™) covering social listening, trend analysis, competitive media assessment, real-time concept testing, go-to-market planning, and analytics. Since founding, the agency has placed nearly $1 billion in media across broadcast TV, connected TV, paid social, digital, print, out-of-home, and DOOH.
Is Proof Advertising a public or private company?
Proof Advertising is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Proof Advertising founded?
Proof Advertising was founded in 2009. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Proof Advertising based?
Proof Advertising is headquartered in Austin, United States, in the North America region.
How does Proof Advertising make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Creative Agency Services are the primary driver. The others are media Placement.
Who are Proof Advertising's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are 72andSunny, Barkley, GSD&M, Mother, McGarrah Jessee, The Richards Group and Mekanism. Broad incumbents are Droga5, Wieden+Kennedy and Energy BBDO.
Does Proof Advertising have an API?
No public API is recorded for Proof Advertising.
What industry is Proof Advertising in?
Proof Advertising's product category is Advertising Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAAALAG, Brand & Advertising Research (Brand Health, Copy Testing, Campaign Effectiveness). Its NAICS code is 54181 and its SIC code is 7311.