3Q Digital (now 3Q/DEPT) is a data-driven growth marketing and media-buying agency that helps ambitious brands scale through paid media, SEO, CRO, and analytics.
Independently researched by the SalesHive team. Ratings are from public review platforms; this page is not sponsored by or affiliated with 3Q Digital. Research last updated December 2025.
What is 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.
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. 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.
3Q Digital was acquired by Harte Hanks in 2015 and then repurchased by its leadership team in 2018, returning to independent status. 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. 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.
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. 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.
3Q Digital key features
Teams typically use it for 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, and more.
- Paid search (PPC) management - strategy. account structure, bidding, creative, and optimization across Google and Microsoft Ads.
- Paid social advertising - full-funnel campaigns across major social platforms with integrated creative strategy and rigorous testing.
- Search engine optimization (SEO) - technical SEO. content strategy, and ongoing optimization to improve organic visibility and revenue.
- Conversion rate optimization (CRO) - landing page and onsite experimentation to increase conversion rates and improve funnel efficiency.
- Programmatic display and video - data-driven programmatic buying. including display, video, and retargeting across open web inventory.
- CTV/OTT advertising - connected TV and over-the-top media buying to extend performance campaigns into streaming environments.
- Data science & analytics - advanced measurement frameworks. attribution, forecasting, and decision sciences to guide growth strategy.
- Strategy and planning - holistic growth model. media mix strategy, and roadmap development supported by comprehensive digital due diligence.
- Creative services - performance-focused ad creative. video, and landing page design aligned with channel strategies and testing plans.
- Ecommerce & marketplace marketing - growth strategies for DTC brands and retailers across ecommerce sites and marketplaces.
- Growth Model solutions - proprietary framework that combines end-to-end digital execution with strategic advisory for scalable growth.
- Growth Labs - centralized innovation team that designs and runs cross-client experiments to validate best practices and new platform features.
- Qontrol™ platform - automated performance monitoring and predictive analysis integrated into DEPT's Ada martech stack for real-time insights.
- Digital due diligence - independent audits of existing media programs and martech to benchmark performance and uncover growth opportunities.
- Multimarket campaign management - ability to support campaigns in 65+ languages and 180+ markets with centralized governance.
What reviewers love, and what to watch
A balanced view of 3Q Digital, drawn from public reviews and product research.
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.
- Ability to manage large, complex, multimarket media programs and significant annual ad spend for fast-growing and enterprise brands.
- Strategic advisory and digital due diligence offerings that extend beyond media execution to guide broader growth and investment decisions.
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.
- 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.
3Q Digital pricing
Published pricing at the time of research. Always confirm current rates with the vendor.
- Tailored strategy and planning aligned to business goals across paid and organic channels
- Dedicated cross-functional account team for media, analytics, and creative
Not applicable; 3Q Digital operates as a services agency with custom-scoped engagements rather than a metered software plan.
Who 3Q Digital is for
A strong fit for
A digital-first B2C or B2B brand with significant online revenue and six- to seven-figure annual media budgets that wants a strategic partner to run integrated performance marketing, analytics, and experimentation.
Probably not for
Very small local businesses with limited ad budgets or teams looking for self-serve software rather than a managed agency relationship.
How 3Q Digital compares
Within the media-buying and growth marketing agency landscape, 3Q Digital (3Q/DEPT) sits toward the high end of the market in terms of sophistication, scope, and typical client size. Its strongest competitors tend to be other performance-focused agencies that combine paid media, SEO, CRO, and analytics, but relatively few pair those capabilities with proprietary analytics platforms and the global delivery footprint provided by DEPT.
Compared with agencies like SmartSites, KlientBoost, WebFX, or SmartBug Media, 3Q Digital is generally better suited to brands with larger budgets, complex multi-market needs, and a desire for intensive testing and analytics support. Buyers looking for more standardized packages, lower minimums, or smaller retainers may find better fit with some of these alternatives, while organizations seeking a strategic growth partner capable of handling large-scale, multi-channel programs will often see 3Q/DEPT as a compelling option.
Frequently asked about 3Q Digital
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