In an industry dogged by vanity metrics and opaque economics, Known proves that transparency and profitability can coexist.
The pitch to clients is simple: “We don’t lie,” said chairman and CEO Kern Schireson. Known charges only for the services and software in its proposals — no rebates, no hidden margins — with between 10% and 25% of its fees tied to clients’ business outcomes.
In 2025, that model proved its worth. The New York-based independent projects 40% net revenue growth, tripling its software business and more than doubling its media practice at a time when rivals are cutting back or consolidating.
It added more than two dozen assignments, including Disney, WeightWatchers, and SAP, while expanding remits with partners like ADT and Moderna. Skeptic, its proprietary AI platform, became a tangible revenue line as clients began licensing it to squeeze millions in efficiency and incremental growth from their media.
Known’s team is deliberately specialist, diverse, and unified. Leadership is 50% female, hiring is selective, and disciplines are integrated around business objectives.
The agency describes 2025 as the year it “became a problem” — hitting a scale that poses an “existential threat” to the holding companies. Mortal peril aside, ADWEEK’s 2025 Midsize Agency of the Year flourished by staying lean and turning technology and transparency into revenue.
Outcomes without ego
While most agency talk about moving beyond hours stalls at procurement, Known actually runs on a transparent, KPI-tied remuneration model. Internally, it’s summed up as “no outcome, no income,” with a bonus pool tied to client KPIs.
Schireson admits the shift has been difficult, but the agency now shows 20% to 30% performance gains and earns clients two to three times its total fee in impact and efficiency.
Media Opportunity Analysis, a diagnostic that dissects a brand’s media footprint and pinpoints wasted spend, is one of the clearest expressions of that model. Rather than promising the same plan cheaper through opaque discounts, Known identifies what isn’t working and shows where to reinvest for incremental growth.
