Who We Are, What We Stand For & Why You Should Give a Crap

By Scott Shamberg

If you have been following marketing services at all, you know the media agency landscape is due for a recalibration. The status quo—where holding companies prioritize scale over strategy and boutique agencies lack the resources to deliver measurable impact—doesn’t work. The challenge is so many agencies want to be something else.  Large independents say they are the anti-holding company, but they are just envious, and they mirror the structure. Boutiques want to play with bigger, more capable agencies but don’t have the talent or the tools so they just say they can play.

When I joined PlusMedia, I did so because I wanted to build and lead a fiercely independent agency that knew exactly who they wanted to be. It’s not really a complicated formula: unmatched capabilities, simplified management of data and technology, human expertise with EQ, and a commitment to transparency and business impact. It may not be unique, but stick to it and you would have something.

The Journey to Mile Marker

My career has had two tracks. First, entrepreneurial ventures in ad tech and fintech, both as a founding member and in advisory roles in private equity. Second, leadership positions at global agencies like Omnicom and Publicis. Bringing all that experience together helped reveal something to me, a gap in the marketing services industry—a need for an agency that operates with more of an entrepreneurial culture, moving fast, speaking frankly and concentrating on outcomes.

I started at PlusMedia with a strong foundation, around which a legit solution that truly looked at every media channel available. By finding and merging with CagePoint, we expanded those capabilities to provide both online and offline channels, including forgotten channels like direct mail and insert media. This creates an end-to-end agency uniquely equipped to understand and navigate today’s consumer journey. Thus, Mile Marker was born—a blend of entrepreneurial innovation and big-agency expertise, with independence at its core.

What We Stand For

Mile Marker’s mission is clear: to deliver real business outcomes—not just media KPIs—through a human-centered, tech-enabled approach.

  • Capabilities: No other end to end, independent agency has a more complete set of research & capabilities, including potentially forgotten channels.
  • Data: We put together the best technology and layer in a unique set up to aggregate customer, business & performance data to power our decision making.
  • Insights/Technology: Our OS organizes forensic research, scalable media and precision analytics to deliver business outcomes with a focus on optimizing the next dollar.
  • Human EQ Our people move with precision, speed, and radical transparency because ambitious, under pressure marketers, ignored by holding companies and failed by boutique agencies, require it.

Finally, our values at the core of our approach, shaping the strategies we build and the relationships we cultivate.

People. It’s the humans that drive the machines.

Product.  Our set is customized and flexible.

Profit. When our clients are successful, so are we.

The Mile Marker Difference

I like to think about the traditional agency model as a food court: you place an order, it goes into the kitchen, and eventually, your meal comes out, but you have no real insight into how it was made. The process is efficient but impersonal, and while it gets the job done, it’s far from bespoke. This is the challenge with large-scale models—they’re built for volume and standardization, not for the unique needs or nuances of individual clients. It’s an approach that prioritizes scale over transparency, often leaving clients disconnected from the process.

I see us more like a chef’s table—transparent, collaborative, and tailored—where clients not only know what’s going into their media strategies but also have a direct line of sight into the value and impact each element delivers. Our clients face complex consumer journeys, limited internal teams, and immense pressure to grow. They don’t need one-size-fits-all solutions; they need tailored strategies that combine speed, intelligence, and measurable outcomes.

As you spend time on our site or with us directly, I think you will see that our approach to standardization with customization, while not a new concept, is in fact what sets us apart.  Yes, we have unique thinking and approaches to holding media accountable, different ways to deliver success.  But our secret sauce isn’t all that secret – we put great tools in the hands of great people.

Looking Ahead

As the media landscape continues to evolve, so do we. Our focus will always remain on delivering value through tailored solutions and a relentless commitment to helping our clients navigate complexity with clarity and confidence.  Part of that is leading with thoughts and opinions.  The thought leadership section of our website is for that – for all of our Milers to share thinking on topics they are passionate about and challenges they and their clients are having. We are committed to this communal space and encourage you to come back often to see how we continue to think about, and navigate, the complex.

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