3Q Digital

Accept No Limits.

Media Buying Agencies
2008 Founded
201-500 Employees
100+ Customers
Chicago, IL, USA Headquarters

Quick Facts

Starting Price
50000
Pricing Model
custom
Company Type
acquired

About 3Q Digital

3Q Digital (now operating as 3Q/DEPT, part of DEPT®) is a growth-focused digital marketing and media-buying agency that helps brands become market leaders through performance marketing, strategy, and analytics. Verified by TechCrunch as an Expert Growth Marketing Agency and highlighted by Forrester among leading performance marketing agencies, 3Q specializes in using data and experimentation to drive measurable ROI across paid and organic channels. techcrunch.com

Founded in 2008 by David Rodnitzky (originally as PPC Associates) in Silicon Valley, the agency grew rapidly as an independent SEM shop before rebranding to 3Q Digital in 2013 and expanding from search into display, social, video, and SEO. prweb.com Over time, 3Q built a reputation as “Silicon Valley’s agency of record,” working with disruptive, venture-backed companies and helping them scale into category leaders across ecommerce, B2B SaaS, fintech, and consumer services. techcrunch.com

3Q Digital was acquired by Harte Hanks in 2015 and then repurchased by its leadership team in 2018, returning to independent status. globenewswire.com In 2019 it accepted a significant growth investment from PSP Capital and Erie Street to accelerate expansion of its growth services, marketing technology, and geographic footprint. eriestreet.com In 2022, 3Q Digital officially joined global digital agency DEPT®, becoming 3Q/DEPT and integrating its proprietary Qontrol™ performance-monitoring and predictive analytics platform into DEPT’s Ada martech stack. businesswire.com

Today the agency is headquartered in Chicago and operates multiple offices across the United States, employing roughly 500 specialists and managing more than $3B in annual digital media spend across 180+ markets. 3qdept.com Its integrated offering spans paid search, paid social, SEO, conversion rate optimization, programmatic and CTV/OTT, data science and analytics, strategy and planning, creative, digital due diligence, and ecommerce/marketplace marketing, making it a strong choice for mid-market and enterprise brands seeking an end-to-end growth marketing partner. 3qdept.com

Key Features

Paid search (PPC) management - strategy, account structure, bidding, creative, and optimization across Google and Microsoft Ads. 3qdept.com

Paid social advertising - full-funnel campaigns across major social platforms with integrated creative strategy and rigorous testing. 3qdept.com

Search engine optimization (SEO) - technical SEO, content strategy, and ongoing optimization to improve organic visibility and revenue. 3qdept.com

Conversion rate optimization (CRO) - landing page and onsite experimentation to increase conversion rates and improve funnel efficiency. 3qdept.com

Programmatic display and video - data-driven programmatic buying, including display, video, and retargeting across open web inventory. 3qdept.com

CTV/OTT advertising - connected TV and over-the-top media buying to extend performance campaigns into streaming environments. 3qdept.com

Data science & analytics - advanced measurement frameworks, attribution, forecasting, and decision sciences to guide growth strategy. 3qdept.com

Strategy and planning - holistic growth model, media mix strategy, and roadmap development supported by comprehensive digital due diligence. 3qdept.com

Creative services - performance-focused ad creative, video, and landing page design aligned with channel strategies and testing plans. 3qdept.com

Ecommerce & marketplace marketing - growth strategies for DTC brands and retailers across ecommerce sites and marketplaces. 3qdept.com

Growth Model solutions - proprietary framework that combines end-to-end digital execution with strategic advisory for scalable growth. businesswire.com

Growth Labs - centralized innovation team that designs and runs cross-client experiments to validate best practices and new platform features. 3qdept.com

Qontrolu2122 platform - automated performance monitoring and predictive analysis integrated into DEPT's Ada martech stack for real-time insights. businesswire.com

Digital due diligence - independent audits of existing media programs and martech to benchmark performance and uncover growth opportunities. 3qdept.com

Multimarket campaign management - ability to support campaigns in 65+ languages and 180+ markets with centralized governance. businesswire.com

Pros & Cons

👍 Pros

  • Deep expertise in performance marketing across paid search, paid social, SEO, and programmatic channels, backed by industry recognition and platform partnerships.
  • Highly data-driven culture with strong analytics, experimentation, and proprietary tools like Qontrol and Growth Labs to inform strategy and optimization.
  • Strong relationships with major platforms such as Google (Premier Partner status) and Microsoft, providing early access to betas and elevated support. businesswire.com
  • Ability to manage large, complex, multimarket media programs and significant annual ad spend for fast-growing and enterprise brands. businesswire.com
  • Strategic advisory and digital due diligence offerings that extend beyond media execution to guide broader growth and investment decisions. businesswire.com

👎 Cons

  • Premium positioning and a stated minimum project size around $50,000 can put the agency out of reach for smaller or early-stage companies. unrfp.com
  • Best suited to organizations with in-house marketing stakeholders and data infrastructure; engagements can be complex for teams without internal readiness.
  • As part of a larger global group (DEPT), smaller clients may feel less prioritized compared to large enterprise accounts and global brands. businesswire.com

User Reviews

G2
unknown
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Capterra
unknown
☆☆☆☆☆
TrustRadius
unknown
☆☆☆☆☆

Integrations

Google Ads / Search Ads 360 Microsoft Advertising Facebook Ads Instagram Ads LinkedIn Ads TikTok Ads Reddit Ads YouTube Ads Kenshoo / Skai Oracle Marketing & Analytics Google Marketing Platform Hotjar Google Workspace Amazon CloudFront InVision Matillion Adobe Experience Cloud Optimizely Salesforce Shopify

Best For

Company Size

smb mid-market enterprise

Industries

Ecommerce & Retail Technology & SaaS Financial Services & Fintech Media & Entertainment Consumer Brands

Use Cases

Performance media buying across search, social, programmatic, and CTV/OTT channels SEO and content-led growth to increase organic visibility and revenue Conversion rate optimization and experimentation to improve onsite performance Launching and scaling ecommerce or subscription businesses Digital due diligence and strategic advisory for investors and corporate development

FAQ

What is 3Q Digital?

+

3Q Digital, now operating as 3Q/DEPT, is a growth-focused digital marketing and media-buying agency that helps brands become market leaders through paid search, paid social, SEO, programmatic, CRO, analytics, and strategic advisory services. Founded in 2008 and now headquartered in Chicago, it manages multi-channel campaigns and large media budgets for disruptive and enterprise brands across ecommerce, technology, fintech, and consumer verticals. 3qdept.com

How much does 3Q Digital cost?

+

3Q Digital does not publish standardized pricing. Engagements are custom-scoped based on channels, markets, and media budgets, with directory listings indicating a typical minimum project size of around $50,000. Pricing is usually structured as a retainer or ongoing program rather than per-seat software licensing, so prospective clients should contact the agency directly to discuss scope, fees, and commercial terms. unrfp.com

What are the main features of 3Q Digital?

+

Core capabilities include paid search, paid social, SEO, conversion rate optimization, programmatic and CTV/OTT advertising, data science and analytics, strategy and planning, creative services, digital due diligence, and ecommerce/marketplace marketing. 3Q Digital also offers proprietary Growth Model solutions, a centralized Growth Labs experimentation team, and the Qontrol performance-monitoring and predictive analytics platform, now integrated into DEPT's Ada martech stack. 3qdept.com

Who are 3Q Digital's main competitors?

+

On G2 and in the broader market for marketing strategy and performance media agencies, common alternatives to 3Q Digital (3Q/DEPT) include firms such as SmartSites, KlientBoost, WebFX, SmartBug Media, DashClicks, and other performance-focused digital agencies that provide multi-channel media buying, SEO, and analytics services. g2.com

Is 3Q Digital good for small businesses?

+

3Q Digital is optimized for mid-market and enterprise organizations, as well as high-growth venture-backed companies with substantial digital budgets. Its minimum project size and custom-scoped retainers typically make it a better fit for brands investing heavily in digital media and analytics. Very small or local businesses with modest ad spend may find more cost-effective options with smaller agencies or self-serve ad platforms, while still benefiting from 3Q's thought leadership content and insights. unrfp.com

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