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There never seems to be a dull moment at The Media Crew headquarters in Largo. Something is always going on among the 16 employees within the 2,500-square-foot space, plus another small office in Orlando.
Since being featured on the cover of the Gulf Coast Business Review's July 29 issue, the 11-year-old company has launched a new website, OfferInspector.com, that allows online advertising affiliates to compare payouts on clicks. So far, the site has generated between 25,000 and 30,000 offers.
“We always have new things coming out,” says Rustam Irani, the company's chief operating officer. “That's what makes it exciting.”
The Media Crew has generated some excitement of its own in recent years, moving up this year to No. 369 on the Inc. 500 list, as well as 46th place in the advertising/marketing category. The company posted $4.5 million revenue in 2009, up 810% from $494,000 in 2006, and Irani expects to exceed that amount by the end of 2010.
Nick Foley, general manager and “head geek” of The Media Crew, started in 1999 with three people in a small office across the street from the Gulf of Mexico. The University of Maryland graduate, who grew up visiting relatives near Clearwater Beach, found a way to combine work and surfing.
Although he doesn't have as much time to get out on a board anymore, Foley and Irani are working to keep the company's growth sustainable and manageable.
“We want to take smart steps, but baby steps,” Foley says. “We don't want to grow too fast and we make strategic moves each time we hire someone.”
The Media Crew makes money by collecting fees whenever someone places an order through an online ad. The performance-based marketing model means the company doesn't get paid unless a desired action occurs, such as a purchase or registration.
It provides companies with enabling technology to connect with consumers through online media, e-mail and other services. It also supports a group of online affiliate marketing networks, with other segments including RevenueStreet, a performance-based ad network; Wagon Mailer, an e-mail marketing portal; and Effectus, a form of proprietary marketing software.
“Companies are becoming a lot more knowledgeable about online advertising and what constitutes a good return on investment,” Irani says. “They know their product, they understand their margin and if they generate a lead or sale, they're happy.”
Irani points to a November report by the Interactive Advertising Bureau showing that online ad spending is on track to reach at least $24 billion by the end of the year, double what it was just five years ago and quadrupling from 2002.
This bodes well for The Media Crew, which he says is building an international presence after a recent presentation at the London Ad-Tech conference in September.
“Overall, we're still moving in a positive direction,” he says.
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