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The Rise of Kingstar Media: Canada’s Premier Performance Marketing Agency
Kingstar Media has become synonymous with excellence in performance advertising across Canada. But how did they achieve such dominance in a competitive industry? This deep dive examines Kingstar’s origins and evolution over the past 20+ years.
Direct Response Television Roots
Founded in the late 1990s, Kingstar got their start in direct response television (DRTV), with a focus on crafting short-form TV commercials and long-form infomercials. DRTV is all about motivating an immediate consumer action like website visits or phone calls.
Under the leadership of CEO Mark DiGirolamo, Kingstar found early success serving clients in industries like health and wellness. Their attentiveness to data-driven optimization soon became a hallmark. By the 2000s, Kingstar cemented themselves as leaders in the Canadian DRTV space.
Expanding into Radio and Digital
As Kingstar’s reputation grew, clients sought multi-channel solutions. In the mid-2000s, Kingstar expanded into direct response radio buying across hundreds of AM/FM stations nationwide.
They also recognized the rise of digital advertising and recruited talent with experience in search, display, and emerging platforms. By 2010, Kingstar was a full-service performance agency covering television, radio, and online channels.
Double-Digit Growth and Industry Accolades
Kingstar experienced explosive growth throughout the 2010s, adding marquee global brand clients in industries from consumer goods to healthcare. Significant investments were made to recruit top talent and build out tech infrastructure.
Kingstar’s proprietary attribution and optimization tools helped cement their reputation for unrivaled client reporting. Numerous industry awards recognized Kingstar as Canada’s premier performance agency. By 2020, Kingstar employed over 100 staff serving 500+ client brands.
Contemporary Strategies and Innovation
Today, Kingstar remains on the cutting-edge. Strategic hires with expertise in areas like connected TV, programmatic, and analytics have supplemented longstanding DRTV strengths.
Kingstar operates one of the few in-house studios in Canada for producing commercials. Their media buying technology and AI-driven optimization also set benchmarks for data-focused advertising.
How does Kingstar’s in-house studio for producing commercials contribute to their success?
Having an in-house studio allows Kingstar Media to have greater control and flexibility over a key aspect of their clients’ campaigns – the creative commercial production process. Here are some of the key ways this contributes to Kingstar’s success:
- Faster turnaround times: With an in-house studio, Kingstar can quickly brainstorm, film, edit and deliver new commercials without having to outsource production. This means clients get ads in market faster.
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More cost efficiencies: Producing creatives in-house eliminates agency fees or project markups from third party studios. This saves clients money that can be reallocated to media spending.
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Tailored messaging: Kingstar understands their clients’ businesses intimately. An in-house team can craft messaging laser-focused on specific objectives versus outsourced producers.
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Continuous testing: Kingstar can rapidly A/B test new concepts, formats, scripts, talent etc. and track performance in real-time. This fuels ongoing optimizations.
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Protects IP: Sensitive client assets and intellectual property are not disclosed to external vendors, reducing risk of leaks or misuse of content.
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Strong quality control: By managing the entire production workflow internally, Kingstar can ensure deadlines are met and final products meet their rigorous standards.
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Enhanced client services: The personalized service experience extends to creative development where clients have a main point of contact from concept to completion.
Overall, the advantages of speed, cost, customization and quality afforded by Kingstar’s in-house studio greatly contribute to clients achieving maximum campaign success and return on their investment.
Commitment to Service and Industry Leadership
Though significantly scaled, Kingstar preserves the close-knit culture and personalized client service of their early days. Their inter-departmental “client champions” program ensures flawless support.
Kingstar actively shares performance best practices via case studies, webinars, and thought leadership content. This dedication to elevating industry standards helps explain Kingstar’s loyal customer base averaging 5+ year client partnerships.
In summary, Kingstar Media’s consistent focus on direct marketing fundamentals, technological innovation, and delivering unmatched client value have fueled their tremendous success story as Canada’s preeminent performance agency. Their story demonstrates how strategic growth and service-first culture reinforce one another.
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