boa

What boa does

boa Inc. is a Vancouver-based strategic media buying agency founded in 2007 that designs, launches, and executes data-driven paid media campaigns for brands ranging from small enterprises to Fortune 500 companies. The agency delivers services across four core channels — Paid Social (Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter/X, Snapchat, TikTok), Paid Search (Google-certified SEM), Programmatic (in-house trading desk for Display, Native, Video, Mobile), and Video (Instream, Outstream, CTV, YouTube, Contextual) — and is particularly known for serving sustainability- and purpose-driven brands, including partnerships with the Shelton Group consultancy and 1% For The Planet membership.

The agency's underlying technology is built on best-in-class third-party AdTech and platform partnerships rather than proprietary infrastructure. boa holds Meta Blueprint and Google Partner certifications, and its 17-person team applies a statistics-based optimization approach to maximize ROAS. Beyond campaign execution, boa produces the 'In With the New' podcast (60+ episodes hosted by founder/CEO Avril Tomlin-Hood), which features sustainable brand leaders and functions as a thought leadership and content marketing asset.

Commercially, boa operates on a professional services / agency retainer model with quote-based, project-specific pricing rather than standardized rate cards. Revenue is generated through agency fees, media buying commissions, and/or performance-based retainers. Customer acquisition is sales-led and direct, primarily through website inquiries, email outreach, and industry networking. The agency serves clients across diverse verticals including food and beverage (Nature's Path Foods, Jarlsberg, NuGo), energy efficiency (American Efficient, Lightspark Engage), agriculture (Advancing Eco Agriculture), grocery delivery (SPUD), pet products (Earth Animal), tourism (BC Ale Trail), and market research (Angus Reid Forum), with active campaign delivery across both Canada and the United States.

Name

boa

Legal name

boa Inc.

Website

https://weareboa.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

boa is a Vancouver-based strategic media buying agency founded in 2007 that delivers data-driven Paid Social, Paid Search, Programmatic, and Video campaigns for brands ranging from small enterprises to Fortune 500s, with a particular focus on sustainability-aligned clients across North America.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Media Buying Services

NAICS

Media Buying Agencies (54183)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311), Services-Advertising (7310)

akta.pro primary industry

Full-Service Media Planning & Buying (MPAAABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Paid Social Media Buying (MPAAABAD), Search Engine Marketing (SEM) Media Buying (MPAAABAC)

Keywords

• Media buying services
• Paid social advertising
• Paid search management
• Programmatic advertising
• Digital media planning

Headquarters

HQ city

Vancouver, British Columbia

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Media Buying Services: Strategic media buying agency that designs, launches, and executes complete media buying solutions for clients across Paid Social, Paid Search, Programmatic, and Video channels. Revenue likely comes from agency fees, media buying commissions, and/or performance-based retainers.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

boa designs, launches, and executes complete strategic media buying solutions for brands across Paid Social, Paid Search, Programmatic, and Video channels. The agency serves as a managed-services partner, applying statistics-based optimization through Google Certified SEM specialists, an in-house programmatic trading desk, and Meta Blueprint certified Paid Social experts to deliver full-funnel ROI for results-driven and sustainability-focused brands.

Product overview

boa is a strategic media buying agency offering a comprehensive suite of digital marketing services. The core offerings include Paid Social (management across Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter/X, Snapchat, TikTok), Paid Search (Google Certified SEM specialists), Programmatic (in-house trading desk with Display, Native, Video, Mobile ads), and Video campaigns. Additionally, boa produces the 'In With the New' podcast featuring interviews with sustainable brand leaders. The agency focuses on data-driven full funnel media buying for exceptional brands, leveraging relationships, teams, and technology to deliver concrete ROI results.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• In With the New: A podcast about sustainable brands and the leaders behind them, hosted by boa founder and CEO Avril Tomlin-Hood.

Products and services

• Paid Social Expert management and optimization of data-driven advertising campaigns across major social platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter/X, Snapchat, and TikTok, delivered as a managed service for brand clients.
• Paid Search Google Certified SEM specialists applying a statistics-based approach to Search campaigns designed to maximize Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) and minimize inefficiencies for brand clients.
• Programmatic Strategic use of best-in-class AdTech to serve Display, Native, Video, and Mobile ads for clients through boa's in-house trading desk.
• Video Execution of video campaigns across effective and efficient channels including Instream, Outstream, Native, CTV, YouTube, and Contextual placements, tailored to each client's unique strategic plan.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30% in-store sales lift for Canned Good Coalition
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Meta BlueprintcoreTechnology or IntegrationAgency team holds Meta Blueprint certifications for advertising on Facebook and Instagram platforms. This partnership enables boa to access Meta's advertising ecosystem and maintain certified expertise.
• Google PartnercoreTechnology or IntegrationOfficial Google Partner status for advertising services, indicating certified expertise in Google Ads and related platforms.
• 1% For The PlanetminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMembership organization where boa commits 1% of sales to environmental causes, aligning with the agency's focus on sustainable brands.
• WBE Canada (Canadian Women Brand)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCertification recognizing boa as a women-owned business in Canada, providing visibility and access to women-owned business networks.
• Shelton GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSustainability consultancy that boa collaborates with on client campaigns. Shelton Group provides market research and creative assets for campaigns such as American Efficient and Canned Good Coalition.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Tilt Metrics: Specialist paid media buying agency focused on Google Ads, paid social, and programmatic with a similar boutique positioning and full-funnel media execution model.
• Goodway Group: Boutique digital media buying agency of comparable size that executes paid media across search, social, programmatic, and video for mid-market and enterprise clients — directly comparable service mix and customer profile to boa.
• AdVenture Media Group: Media buying specialist agency offering paid search, paid social, and programmatic execution across the same platforms boa operates on — closely comparable in service scope and target market.
• Disruptive Advertising: Digital advertising agency running paid media across Meta, Google, and programmatic channels for growth-stage and mid-market brands — comparable in operating model and channel mix.
• Rise Interactive: Full-funnel media agency with paid search, paid social, programmatic, and analytics offerings; competes for similar brand-direct engagements and overlaps significantly in service categories.
• Power Digital Marketing: Growth-focused digital marketing agency with strong paid media capabilities across paid social, paid search, and programmatic — competing for similar mid-market and enterprise clients.
• Tinuiti: Independent performance marketing agency with deep paid social, paid search, and programmatic capabilities — a larger-scale direct competitor in the same media-buying category.

Broad incumbents

• GroupM: World's largest media investment group (WPP) offering media planning and buying across all channels at scale — the dominant incumbent boa competes against in enterprise RFPs.
• iProspect: Dentsu's performance-focused digital media agency offering paid search, paid social, SEO, and programmatic — a larger incumbent operating in the same paid-media category.
• Publicis Media: Global media arm of Publicis Groupe, providing full-service media planning and buying with enterprise-scale capabilities — the broad incumbent boa benchmarks against.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/weareboa
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/weareboa
• Instagraminstagram.com/we_are_boa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 boa