At the End of the Decade, Startups Like Strategus Are Poised for the “Soaring ‘20s”
DENVER – September 18, 2019 – With hundreds of data-driven technology companies continuing to dominate the Inc. 5000, few industries have seen as much growth and change over the last decade as advertising, marketing and media. Ad-tech startups like Denver’s Strategus, which made the prestigious lnc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies for the second year in a row, are redefining the relationship and relevancy between brand advertising and consumers.
Though Inc. 5000 recognition is commendable in itself, it’s this company’s nearly 200% sales growth that affirms its role as an industry change maker. Strategus pioneered the first programmatic OTT advertising campaign in 2015 – ads delivered on “Over-the-Top” internet-connected televisions (CTVs) and other internet-connected devices instead of traditional cable or satellite – and continues to lead the way.
This is not a fad: Cable and satellite companies lost an average of seven subscribers a minute in 2018. This seismic shift is accelerating, leaving advertisers no choice but to follow the crowd to recoup audience lost to digital streaming. “It compares to when newspapers lost majority market share to digital media,” said Strategus President and Co-Founder David Miles. “OTT/CTV campaigns serving viewers with relevant messages that matter to them are the only way to reach people who are cutting the cord to cable and satellite.”
From the rise of mobile marketing 10 years ago to ubiquitous streaming today, “there’s a revolution taking place in how brands reach buyers,” said Strategus Co-Founder and EVP of Strategy and Innovation Joel Cox. “With the unprecedented opportunities ahead for the advertising industry, and the consumer benefits that come with personalized attention, the next decade is shaping up to become the ‘Soaring 20’s’.”
With mass-market adoption of smart phones and now CTVs, nearly everyone across every demographic is streaming all manner of content over the internet. These users, in turn, produce volumes of personal data “exhaust” that can and should be respectfully aggregated and monetized. “Much like the steel industry a century ago, the 2020s are about to set sail with consumer-centric digital data as the new ‘steel’ powering the new economy, with streaming content the ‘gold’ delivering personally relevant information to individuals,” said Cox. “This combination of technology, analytics and viewers’ changing behaviors is propelling our industry far beyond traditional ‘spray and pray’ advertising, with big events like the Super Bowl being the last vestiges of a bygone era.”
About Strategus
Strategus was founded in Denver in 2014. The company pioneered the first programmatic OTT/CTV advertising campaign the following year. The Strategus Managed Services Platform produces real-time automated campaigns that instantly deliver custom, audience-targeted messages to CTVs and other internet-connected devices. Strategus leads innovation in data-driven OTT targeting, attribution, optimization, reporting and analysis across all advertising inventories including display, paid search, paid social and email. Serving clients coast to coast, the Inc. 5000 company’s strategic team combines proprietary algorithms, AI and high-touch personal service to ensure that brands and agencies achieve maximum reach and results with the highest standards of brand safety and consumer trust.
Andy Dixon
