Every marketer you meet says they want media that drives business outcomes. But who is actually built to deliver them?
Analysts want those answers, too. This week, Rise, a Quad agency, was included as a Contender in The Forrester Wave: Media Management Services, Q4 2026.
We’re excited, but the report isn’t the whole point.
Our take on what the Wave found about Rise
This industry report evaluates and scores the most significant media management services providers in the marketplace, offering an objective lens for agency comparison.
Forrester’s report describes Rise as pushing “beyond performance optimization to marketing intelligence optimization,” and as “a good fit for North American marketers with complex, brand-to-local needs who want hands-on execution and full-funnel media.”
For Rise, inclusion in the Wave reflects what our leadership and media experts have dedicated the last handful of years to building: Media strategy, activation and measurement working as one seamless system, without the usual handoffs. We believe it also reflects our view that long-term growth comes from strategic local market improvements rather than optimizing for national performance averages.
Strategy, activation, and measurement walk into a bar
In typical agency models, one team plans the strategy, another executes the buy and a third measures performance (usually after the money is spent and the questions have gotten uncomfortable).
That’s an expensive (OK, backwards) way to learn whether the media campaign worked.
Now imagine strategy, activation and measurement on one integrated team. Decisions move faster, insights shape the campaign while it’s running, and optimization opportunities arrive while they still matter.
At Rise, that integrated approach isn’t imaginary – it’s how we work every day. Strategy, activation and measurement share one goal: Moving the client’s business forward. The team builds campaigns with measurement in mind, uses insights to guide activation and adjusts as results arrive. That means a smoother experience for marketers and a better answer when your CFO asks, “What did this investment actually do to move the business forward?”
Cari Bucci-Hulings, President of Betty and Rise, puts it this way: “Marketers are being asked to do more across more channels, with more data and less room for error, and they need a media partner who can turn complexity into clear decisions and measurable progress. Rise helps clients see where their media investments are delivering value and where new opportunities can drive growth.”
What to look for in a media partner
Even a smart media plan needs more behind it: Strong audience insight, the right creative, a clear consumer path-to-purchase and technology to connect those pieces and improve performance.
Consumers don’t experience your brand in a silo, so your media partner shouldn’t operate in one. Look for an agency that connects strategy, media, creative and measurement with the expertise to make those connections drive sustainable, long-term success.
Rise brings the expertise, technology and local knowledge brands should expect. Customers interviewed for the Forrester report like Rise’s “buying execution, local market understanding, search expertise, and data collaboration.” Together, these strengths turn a media plan into connected action and measurable progress.
Building your own agency shortlist? Ask these three questions:
- Can they connect media to business outcomes? Platform metrics and broad figures (we’re talking about you, nationwide impressions) are easy to report. Revenue impact, growth and local market results are harder but matter most.
- Do their planning and measurement strategies talk to each other? If measurement is an afterthought, your learnings come too late to act on.
- Does their expertise extend beyond the buy? The best media decisions come from understanding audiences and consumer experiences, not just the hottest ad inventory.
None of these are exotic questions, but you’d be surprised how many agency pitch teams get unusually quiet when you ask them.
Real people. Real connections. Real outcomes.
We’ll keep doing what got us here: Starting with real people instead of ad inventory, building connections that scale while minimizing waste and measuring what truly matters to your business and those who run it (ahem, Finance Department).
Thank you to everyone at Rise and Quad, and to the rockstar clients who push us to be better every day. This is a good moment. Keep watching as we earn the next one.
Forrester does not endorse any company, product, brand, or service included in its research publications and does not advise any person to select the products or services of any company or brand based on the ratings included in such publications. Information is based on the best available resources. Opinions reflect judgment at the time and are subject to change. This report is part of a broader collection of Forrester resources, including interactive models, frameworks, tools, data, and access to analyst guidance. For more information, read about Forrester’s objectivity here .