SMG

What SMG does

Simpler Media Group (SMG) is a privately held, bootstrapped B2B media and research services company founded in 2003 and headquartered at 600 California St., 11th FL, San Francisco, California, operating as a distributed organization with approximately 39 employees. SMG operates three specialized digital publications serving distinct practitioner communities: CMSWire (customer experience leaders, launched 2003), Reworked (employee experience and digital workplace, launched 2020), and VKTR (enterprise AI, launched December 2023), collectively serving a 7M+ global readership across North America and Europe.

The company's core platform is a multi-brand digital publishing stack comprising content management, email subscription systems, webinar hosting, video delivery (CMSWire TV, Reworked TV launched April 2024), podcasts (CX Decoded, Get Reworked), and proprietary research products. It runs three vertically aligned awards programs (CMSWire IMPACT, Reworked IMPACT, VKTR IMPACT) and two recurring conference series (DX Summit, Digital Workplace Experience), publishing 100-200 articles per publication per month with a maximum 10% sponsored content ratio. AI is applied internally for news summarization and knowledge retrieval across the 20+ year editorial archive under a May 2025 human-oversight framework.

SMG monetizes through a diversified mix: digital advertising and sponsored content (Net 30), annual state-of-industry research reports priced individually through store.simplermedia.com, custom research for enterprise clients, event sponsorships (100% due on signing), transaction-fee IMPACT Awards ($995 vendor applications, $149 practitioner applications, with bulk and early-bird discounts), a free membership funnel as customer acquisition, and a referral program (gift cards, US/Canada only). Customers are predominantly B2B technology vendors and enterprise practitioners in CX, employee experience, and enterprise AI. SMG has been recognized on the Inc. 5000 (2022) and earned Great Place to Work certification (2022-23); it cites 75% growth across lines of business as of early 2022.

Name

SMG

Legal name

Simpler Media Group, Inc.

Website

https://smg-corporate.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Simpler Media Group (SMG) is a bootstrapped, founder-led B2B media and research company operating three specialized publications — CMSWire (customer experience), Reworked (employee experience), and VKTR (enterprise AI) — serving a 7M+ global community of digital business leaders through content, conferences, proprietary research reports, and the IMPACT Awards.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

B2B Digital Media and Research

NAICS

Media Representatives (54184), Broadcasting and Content Providers (516)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Content Studio & Creative Resourcing (In-house/Embedded Teams) (BPAFAIAJ)

Keywords

• B2B digital publishing
• Enterprise research reports
• Industry conferences events
• Digital media advertising
• Professional community platforms

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Advertising and Marketing Services: SMG offers digital advertising placements, sponsored content, and marketing services to vendors targeting the CX, employee experience, and AI professional communities. Advertising is sold via insertion orders with Net 30 payment terms.
2. Research Reports and Custom Research: SMG produces annual state-of-industry reports (State of Digital Customer Experience, State of Digital Workplace) drawing on survey responses from 700-1,200+ executives. Reports are sold through the online store, with free executive summaries available. Custom research services are offered to enterprise clients.
3. IMPACT Awards Program: Annual awards program recognizing excellence in CX, employee experience, and enterprise AI. Revenue generated through vendor award application fees ($995 per application) and practitioner awards at $149. Additional revenue from trophy sales and sponsorship opportunities.
4. Referral Program: SMG operates a referral program rewarding members who refer qualified business contacts. Awards include gift cards delivered within continental US/Canada. No purchase necessary to earn rewards.
5. Event Sponsorships and Conferences: SMG produces the DX Summit for customer experience professionals and Digital Workplace Experience conference series. Events feature virtual formats with keynote speakers from major enterprises. Event sponsorship payments are 100% due upon signing.
6. Membership and Subscriptions: Free membership providing access to research, learning opportunities, and networking. Members receive newsletters, webinar invitations, and community access. Business email addresses required for verification.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Simpler Media Group operates a B2B digital media and research company serving over 7 million digital business leaders through three specialized publications (CMSWire for customer experience, Reworked for employee experience/digital workplace, and VKTR for enterprise AI). The company monetizes its audience through digital advertising, sponsored content, annual research reports, industry conferences (DX Summit, Digital Workplace Experience), custom research services, and the IMPACT Awards program.

Product overview

SMG operates a multi-brand digital publishing platform serving a 7 million+ strong community of global digital business leaders. The portfolio includes three flagship publications: CMSWire (customer experience), Reworked (employee experience/digital workplace), and VKTR (enterprise AI). SMG produces annual research reports including State of Digital Customer Experience and State of Digital Workplace, hosts conferences (Digital Experience Summit, Digital Workplace Experience), manages the IMPACT Awards program, and offers video platforms (CMSWire TV, Reworked TV) and podcasts (Get Reworked, CX Decoded). The company also provides custom research and marketing services to enterprise clients.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CMSWire: Leading community of customer experience professionals and digital experience leaders.
• Reworked
• VKTR

Products and services

• CMSWire SMG's flagship publication and leading community for customer experience professionals, providing news, analysis, and resources on digital customer experience, digital experience, and customer service topics.
• Reworked Publication dedicated to the r/evolution of work and digital workplace transformation, serving employee experience, enterprise learning, talent management, and collaboration professionals.
• VKTR Digital publication focused on the business enterprise of AI, covering AI disruption, enterprise AI market, AI platforms, AI ethics, law and risk, and core AI technologies.
• State of the Digital Customer Experience Report Annual research report providing insights from customer experience executives on technology investments, AI's role in customer experience, and digital CX landscape trends. Now in its 10th year.
• State of the Digital Workplace Report Annual research report providing insights on digital workplace challenges, opportunities, and technology priorities. The 2024 edition includes special analysis on generative AI's impact on the digital workplace.
• IMPACT Awards Program Annual awards program recognizing excellence in digital customer experience (CMSWire IMPACT), employee experience (Reworked IMPACT), and enterprise AI (VKTR IMPACT). Honors practitioners and vendors across categories.
• Digital Experience Summit (DX Summit) Annual conference series drawing together top enterprise digital customer experience professionals for insights into successful teams, practices, and technology stacks.
• Digital Workplace Experience Conference (DWX) Conference series focused on employee experience and digital workplace topics, featuring industry leaders and original research presentations.
• CMSWire TV Video platform showcasing conversations with industry experts on digital CX, contact centers, and marketing leadership topics. Episodes released weekly to community members.
• Reworked TV Video platform featuring interviews with executives behind leading digital workplace communication platforms, including series 'Three Dots'. Episodes released monthly.
• Get Reworked Podcast Award-winning podcast exploring the future of work with industry experts, hosted by Siobhan Fagan, Editor-in-Chief of Reworked.
• CX Decoded Podcast Podcast focused on customer experience topics, hosted by Dom Nicastro, Editor-in-Chief of CMSWire.
• Custom Research Services Custom research services offered to enterprise clients, leveraging SMG's research expertise and audience reach to deliver tailored industry insights and data sets.
• Marketing and Advertising Services Digital advertising placements, sponsored content, and marketing services sold to vendors targeting the CX, employee experience, and AI professional communities. Offered via insertion orders with Net 30 payment terms.

Quantifiable outcome

• 81% of businesses consider digital customer experience extremely or very important (2024 DCX Report)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature2 records

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• 1105 Media: 1105 Media operates a portfolio of B2B tech trade publications covering enterprise IT, government, and healthcare. Comparable mid-sized multi-brand B2B publisher.
• Foundry (IDG Communications): Foundry operates CIO.com, CSO, and other B2B tech media brands targeting enterprise IT and digital leaders — the same persona SMG's CMSWire serves. Direct competitor for enterprise tech mindshare and advertising dollars.
• Questex: Questex runs B2B media brands and events across technology and healthcare verticals with a similar content + events + research revenue stack. Comparable mid-sized B2B media operator.
• Industry Dive: Industry Dive operates a portfolio of vertical B2B trade publications using a similar content + advertising + events model. Closely comparable operating model to SMG's multi-brand publishing strategy.
• Informa Tech (TechTarget): Informa Tech operates TechTarget, Enterprise Strategy Group, and Dark Reading — peer B2B tech media brands covering CX, IT operations, and cybersecurity. Direct competitor in B2B tech advertising, research, and events.
• HR Executive / Workforce Magazine (LRP Media): HR Executive and Workforce magazine serve HR and workforce leaders with research, events, and awards — the same persona and editorial scope as SMG's Reworked publication.

Broad incumbents

• Forrester Research: Forrester is a leading CX, EX, and technology research firm whose analyst reports and CX Summit directly compete with SMG's research products and conferences in the same buyer community.
• Ziff Davis: Ziff Davis operates a portfolio of B2B and prosumer tech media brands (Mashable, PCMag, Spiceworks). Broader digital media incumbent with comparable content monetization mechanics.
• Gartner: Gartner dominates IT research and advisory; its research and conference business overlaps with SMG's annual reports and DX Summit. Larger incumbent with broader portfolio.

Emerging players

• The Batch (deeplearning.ai): The Batch is a leading AI-focused newsletter and media property that overlaps with SMG's VKTR publication; emerging niche competitor in the enterprise AI content category.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses2 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kiqplan-wellbeing

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 SMG