That exercise, says global chief media officer Kasha Cacy, also makes remuneration conversations “much less stressful” because clients have seen the upside of a different way of working.
Known treats media and creative as a connected system, a dynamic clients say they feel in both the rigor and the quality of ideas. “Known is a partner that consistently innovates and pushes boundaries. They turn data into action, optimizing every step of the way,” said Rita Ferro, president of Disney Advertising.
ADT head of brand strategy Michael Reeder credits Known with making a 150-year-old security company feel relevant through innovative storytelling and a unified model that it “does better than anybody I’ve ever worked with.” He added that the agency is led by “the most hands-on senior people I’ve ever worked with.”
Known, but skeptical
Known’s name represents what it brings to the table: the ability to make the world of marketing feel knowable through data and results. Its Skeptic platform is deliberately the opposite — the always-on contrarian that questions what’s “known” and forces a better answer before dollars go into market. It now underpins everything from audience design and budget allocation to messaging and measurement.
Over the past year, Skeptic became a business in its own right. Clients can license the platform directly or use it for integrated engagements, using the same tool as its agency teams to stress-test scenarios, spot waste, and redirect spend.
That software spine is part of how Known stays lean. As Schireson puts it, the goal is to have “more robots” doing repeatable work so humans can focus on harder problems. Known credits Skeptic with driving double-digit efficiency and growth improvements across billions in media.
What matters to clients is that it doesn’t feel like a stunt. “I love the way they’ve approached AI — as a support tool that is being incorporated into the work,” said ADT’s Reeder.
Stats
Key wins: New assignments from Disney, NWSL, WeightWatchers, Publix, U.S. Olympic Committee, JPMorgan Chase, SAP, and Penguin Random House, plus two new nine-figure media clients
Losses: Claims no material client losses in 2024
Revenue: 40% projected net revenue growth in 2025, with the software business tripling and the media practice more than doubling year-over-year. Between 10% and 25% of fees are tied to business outcomes.
Strategic moves: Rolled out self-serve version of its proprietary AI platform, Skeptic, credited with more than $500 million in incremental ROI. Known expects licensing to make up 20% of revenue next year.
DEI: Leadership team is 50% female; 40% of new hires were diverse in 2025, and retention is at 90%.
The Work
ADT | “Safe-ish”
