Acadia In the News
In a recent ANA article, Acadia’s CEO and co-founder Jared Belsky is examining growing concerns around transparency in agency compensation models. The piece highlights Belsky’s push for greater accountability after returning publisher rebates to 53 clients and calling for clearer industry standards around media spending and agency fees. “This is an agency fraud problem, and candidly, a client undereducation problem,” said Belsky. “Agencies are stewards of their clients’ money. They should make a fair wage,…
In a recent Digiday feature, Alan Carroll, Head of Paid Media at Acadia, highlights the practical upside of Meta’s new AI connectors, emphasizing that workflow efficiency – not just performance gains – could be the most immediate impact for advertisers managing campaigns at scale. He notes that while AI has the potential to streamline manual processes, the real question is whether deeper integration will go beyond incremental improvements. Read the Article
Ross Walker, Director of Retail Media at Acadia, was featured in a commentary published by MediaPost on April 28, 2026. Ross outlines six strategies to make Prime Day more profitable, focusing on margin discipline, AI optimization through Amazon’s Rufus, and structured full-funnel planning. He emphasizes earlier preparation, increased competition, and shifting consumer behavior as key factors shaping this year’s approach. Read the Article
In a recent Digiday feature exploring why marketers continue to flock to the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity despite economic headwinds and global tensions, Acadia CEO Jared Belsky shared his perspective on the industry’s obsession with the event. “People want to say it’s FOMO, but I think it’s worse than that,” Belsky told Digiday. “I think it’s the fear of believing you’re irrelevant if you’re not there.” By opting for U.S.-based conferences and prioritizing…
We are thrilled to share that Acadia’s CEO, Jared Belsky, has been named to Adweek’s inaugural 2026 Agencies Vanguard. The inaugural list features the standout leaders, advocates, and growth drivers in an industry landscape that demands bold action every day. Belsky nominated Julie Spear, Partner, Head of Retail Marketplace Services at Acadia, as the next leader at the helm of Acadia’s fast-growing retail media business. You can access the full 2026 Agencies Vanguard List on…
Featured in an Ad Age article, Jared Belsky highlights how CFO pressure is pushing brands to consolidate retail and brand media under a single agency to gain a clearer, unified view of performance. He underscores that fragmented structures allow teams to rely on isolated metrics, masking true business outcomes. Belsky’s stance centers on accountability: when media is consolidated, all spend ties back to one “cash register,” removing ambiguity and revealing what is actually driving growth.…
We are thrilled to announce that Acadia has been named a finalist in four categories at the 18th Annual Shorty Awards, one of the most respected honors in social media and digital marketing. The nominations span four categories, each representing a different facet of the work we do for our clients: Brand Voice – for How Casey’s Connected With Gen-Z Through Absurdism & Content Chaos. This category recognizes brands that have developed a distinctive and…
Ross Walker, Director of Retail Media at Acadia, was featured in a commentary published by MediaPost on March 20, 2026, calling on marketers to fundamentally shift how they leverage Amazon’s advertising ecosystem. In the piece, titled “It’s Time To Do A 180 On Amazon,” Walker argues that most brands are leaving significant value on the table by fixating on Amazon’s store inventory and ROAS metrics, while overlooking the far greater opportunity within Amazon’s Demand-Side Platform…
Outdoor Brands, LLC has appointed Acadia as its Lead Media Agency following a formal review, as part of a newly integrated model designed to accelerate growth across its portfolio, including Pit Boss, Charbroil, and Oklahoma Joe’s. Acadia will lead full-funnel media strategy across key retail and digital channels, aligning investment with performance to drive measurable results throughout the 2026 grilling season. This partnership reflects a shared focus on unifying media investment, enhancing analytics, and enabling…
Acadia was featured on the Ad Age Insider podcast following our win for Media Agency of the Year on the 2026 Ad Age A-List. Ad Age highlighted our trajectory from Newcomer of the Year in 2022 to Performance Marketing Agency of the Year in 2024 to this year’s top honor, noting the throughline of how media strategy is evolving. They also credited our commitment to transparency in media buying and our advocacy for ethical industry…
In a NetInfluencer article featuring insights from 70 industry professionals, Rebecca Yi, Head of Influencer Marketing at Acadia, highlights that brands often approach creator collaborations too transactionally. She explains that stronger results come when creators are treated as long-term partners and integrated into broader brand initiatives rather than used for one-off campaigns. “The real magic happens when you treat them as true partners.” Rebecca Yi Read the Article
Acadia is proud to announce that we’ve been named 2026 AdAge A-List Media Agency of the Year. This is the 4th annual award Acadia has received since its founding. Acadia was named the 2022 AdAge Small Agency Newcomer of the Year, 2024 Performance Marketing Agency of the Year, and the 2025 Agency Executive of the Year for CEO Jared Belsky. Acadia was named Media AOY for our unique and integrated approach to what Media truly…