FORT LEE, NJ  — What If Media Group, an award-winning performance marketing company, has once again been recognized by the Financial Times as one of The Americas’ Fastest-Growing Companies for 2025.

The annual list, compiled by the Financial Times (FT) in partnership with research firm Statista, highlights the 300 companies across North and South America that have achieved the highest compound annual revenue growth over the past three years. This year’s ranking underscores What If Media Group’s continued expansion, innovative strategies, and resilience in a competitive market.

“Being recognized by the Financial Times for another year is an incredible honor,” said Josh Gillon, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of What If Media Group. “Our growth is the direct result of our team’s relentless innovation, our proprietary technology, and the strong partnerships we’ve built with our clients. We are committed to pushing the boundaries of performance marketing and delivering results that set a new industry standard.”

 

The Financial Times ranking reflects not only the speed of growth but also operational excellence and market adaptability. Technology and data-driven solutions once again dominated the list, a category in which What If Media Group continues to lead.

“Our proprietary AI-powered marketing platform, ARIA, combined with extensive first-party media assets, enables brands to reach and acquire high-value customers across multiple channels with unmatched precision,” added Seth Gottlieb, President and Co-Founder of What If Media Group. “This recognition validates our strategy, technology, and dedication to measurable client success.”

About What If Media Group

Founded in 2012, What If Media Group is a leading performance-marketing company that empowers the world’s top brands to acquire valuable new customers at scale. Leveraging data-driven engagement strategies, proprietary media channels, and advanced targeting technology, What If Media Group delivers cost-effective, high-performing campaigns for clients across industries. Each day, millions of consumer interactions fuel insights that drive continuous optimization and industry-leading ROI.

To view the full Financial Times Americas’ Fastest-Growing Companies 2025 list, visit FT.com.

Aug 13, 2024

What If Media Group, a New Jersey-based performance marketing company, has once again been recognized for its exceptional growth among American companies.

For the eighth consecutive year, What If Media Group has earned a spot on Inc. Magazine’s prestigious Inc. 5000 list, which highlights the fastest-growing privately owned companies in the United States. Achieving this accolade once is a significant honor, but being named among the companies “building the future” for eight consecutive years is a testament to What If Media Group’s enduring success and resilience.

Additionally, What If Media Group has been honored by Financial Times, appearing on their 2024 list of the Americas’ Fastest Growing Companies This ranking features the 500 companies with the strongest revenue growth across the Americas, and out of over 30,000 businesses evaluated, What If Media Group has placed among the top 1.6%.

“Receiving these honors reflects our team’s unwavering dedication to driving growth,” said Josh Gillon, CEO of What If Media Group. “Our commitment to meeting the evolving needs of our clients has cemented us as a leader in our industry.”

What If Media Group enables leading brands to acquire new, highly-targeted customers at scale through first-party, data-driven engagement and re-engagement strategies. Every day, millions of consumer interactions within What If’s proprietary marketing ecosystem are converted into measurable results for advertisers.

To learn more, please contact:

Danny Regenstein, Chief Marketing Officer, danny@whatifmediagroup.com

For more about our latest achievements, visit: https://whatifmediagroup.com/company/#about-us.

What if smarter data could deliver dramatically lower ad costs? At What If Media Group, it just did—with a 33% drop in spend, thanks to graph technology and machine learning in partnership with Neo4j.

In the performance marketing world, efficiency and relevance go hand in hand. We’ve long known that real value comes not just from collecting data, but from interpreting it in ways that help us connect more precisely with real people in real time. By partnering with Neo4j, we’ve unlocked a new layer of insight into user behavior and intent.

From Data to Discovery: Why Neo4j?

When we set out to reduce inefficiencies in our media spending, we needed a way to move beyond traditional relational databases. Our customer journeys were complex, multi-touch, and deeply interconnected—something rows and columns couldn’t fully capture.

Neo4j’s graph database allowed our team to map and explore user relationships, behaviors, and preferences in a more natural, dynamic way. By understanding not just what users were doing but how different actions and attributes connected across time, we were able to train machine learning models that anticipated behavior more accurately and significantly reduced acquisition costs.

Smarter Targeting Through Intent Modeling

Leveraging Neo4j’s graph-native analytics, we trained our ML systems to identify subtle intent signals across our massive dataset. The result: campaigns more tightly aligned with real user needs and less reliant on broad targeting assumptions.

“We’re moving beyond the era of mass marketing to one of individual understanding.”

“The challenge isn’t just knowing what someone clicked—it’s understanding why they clicked it and what they might need next.”
—John Pershing, CTO, What If Media Group

That understanding has led directly to measurable results: a 33% decrease in our ad spend and a noticeable increase in user engagement across key campaigns.

Looking Ahead: Scaling Graph-Powered Intelligence

This is just the beginning. With Neo4j’s technology embedded into our data infrastructure, our team is now exploring new opportunities to automate decision-making, optimize offers in real-time, and personalize user experiences at scale.

Innovation at What If Media Group isn’t just about what’s next—it’s about what works. Our partnership with Neo4j shows how thoughtful technology integration drives smarter engagement and more efficient outcomes.

To read more, click here.

We pride ourselves on pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in AdTech at What If Media Group. Whether it’s accelerating product development, improving campaign performance, or enhancing the user experience, our infrastructure decisions are rooted in a single goal: to deliver better outcomes for our partners and customers.

To support that mission, we recently overhauled how we interact with real-time data, rethinking the way our teams access and explore Kafka across our platform.

From CLI to GUI to SQL: Reimagining Kafka for Innovation

Apache Kafka has long been the backbone of our event-driven architecture. However, like many engineering teams, we initially relied on command-line interfaces (CLI) to work with Kafka clusters. This limited discoverability and slowed down innovation. Engineers had to rely on tribal knowledge or piece together data insights manually—hardly ideal in a high-speed environment.

To unlock the full potential of real-time data, we deployed Lenses.io, a platform that bridges the gap between infrastructure and human interaction. With Lenses, our teams moved from a command-line-based workflow to intuitive graphical interfaces and, most importantly, to SQL-based Kafka queries.

This transformation allowed our engineers to explore streaming data in ways that simply weren’t possible before.

Part of a Larger Strategy

Our adoption of Lenses wasn’t an isolated decision—it fits into a broader strategy to equip our engineering teams with tools that let them move faster and smarter. From adopting AI-powered development tools to streamlining observability stacks, we’re investing in platforms that align with a high-performance, real-time-first mindset.

“Lenses aligns perfectly with our strategy of empowering engineers with high productivity tools that accelerate development,” added Anguiano. “Just like our adoption of AI-powered engineering tools, Lenses helps our teams work smarter, not harder, across our Kafka ecosystem.”

CTO John Pershing echoed the sentiment:

“This is exactly the kind of solution that helps us scale without slowing down. It’s about making real-time data truly accessible and actionable.”

Looking Ahead

As we continue to expand our capabilities and explore new ways to harness real-time data, this tooling transformation is a crucial foundation. It’s already changing how we build applications, surface insights, and serve our clients—and we’re just getting started.

At What If Media Group, innovation isn’t a buzzword—it’s baked into our infrastructure.

In the dynamic realm of lead generation, LeadsCon stands as a beacon of innovation and networking. Each spring, more than 2,800 lead-gen professionals converge in Las Vegas for the premier annual event, and the team at What If Media Group is always proud to be part of it.

For What If Media Group, LeadsCon offers a golden opportunity to both forge and strengthen business connections. LeadsCon Las Vegas, one of the world’s largest gatherings of the industry’s most influential players, serves as a hub where the quality and quantity of networking opportunities are practically unparalleled. As such, the convention floor has proven itself to be the birthplace of many national marketing campaigns. The 2025 event, slated to take place April 7-9 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, will be no different.

“The show gets us quality face-time with so many clients,” said Andrew Klayman, What If’s Chief of Sales and 14-year LeadsCon veteran. “We get to break through any existing issues and collaborate on fresh opportunities.”

But the relationship is symbiotic. LeadsCon relies on companies like What If to maintain its status as a premier event. Our cutting-edge strategies and industry leadership contribute to the dynamic atmosphere that makes LeadsCon an unmissable event each year.

“Our sponsors are more than just partners; they are integral collaborators in shaping the future of lead generation,” said Heather O’Connell, Managing Director at LeadsCon. “Together, we foster a dynamic ecosystem of innovation, education, and networking that drives the industry forward.”

With anticipation building for the upcoming LeadsCon Connect, taking place September 24-25 in Chicago’s Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, What If Media Group looks forward to another exciting chapter of networking, learning, and growth. Together with LeadsCon, What If continues to shape the future of lead generation and performance marketing, one groundbreaking strategy at a time.

What If Media Group empowers leading brands to acquire new, highly-targeted customers at scale through first-party, data-driven engagement and re-engagement strategies. Every day, millions of consumer interactions within What If’s proprietary marketing ecosystem are transformed into measurable results for advertisers, driving success and innovation in the industry.

To learn more, please contact:

Danny Regenstein, Chief Marketing Officer, danny@whatifmediagroup.com

For more about our latest achievements, visit: https://whatifmediagroup.com/company/#about-us.

FORT LEE, NJ – What If Media Group, a New Jersey-based performance marketing company, has once again been recognized for its exceptional growth among American companies.

For the eighth consecutive year, What If Media Group has earned a spot on Inc. Magazine’s prestigious Inc. 5000 list, which highlights the fastest-growing privately owned companies in the United States. Achieving this accolade once is a significant honor, but being named among the companies “building the future” for eight consecutive years is a testament to What If Media Group’s enduring success and resilience.

Additionally, What If Media Group has been honored by Financial Times, appearing on their 2024 list of the Americas’ Fastest Growing Companies This ranking features the 500 companies with the strongest revenue growth across the Americas, and out of over 30,000 businesses evaluated, What If Media Group has placed among the top 1.6%.

“Receiving these honors reflects our team’s unwavering dedication to driving growth,” said Josh Gillon, CEO of What If Media Group. “Our commitment to meeting the evolving needs of our clients has cemented us as a leader in our industry.”

What If Media Group enables leading brands to acquire new, highly-targeted customers at scale through first-party, data-driven engagement and re-engagement strategies. Every day, millions of consumer interactions within What If’s proprietary marketing ecosystem are converted into measurable results for advertisers.

To learn more, please contact:

Danny Regenstein, Chief Marketing Officer, danny@whatifmediagroup.com

For more about our latest achievements, visit: https://whatifmediagroup.com/company/#about-us.

Aug 21, 2023

What If Media Group has done it again. For the seventh consecutive year, the award-winning performance marketing company has earned a spot on the Inc. 5000, the most prestigious list of the fastest-growing private companies in America. It’s a feat to make the list at all — to be named seven times in a row indicates longevity in sustained growth rivaled by few companies anywhere.

For the 7th Time, What If Media Group Appears on the Inc. 5000 

With Three-Year Revenue Growth of 118%

Inc. magazine’s list is a who’s who of thriving independent businesses. Microsoft, Facebook, Patagonia, Yelp, Zillow, LinkedIn — in years past, these household names all found their first taste of national recognition as honorees on the Inc. 5000. This year, the class of 2023 includes only those companies most able to drive rapid revenue growth while simultaneously navigating inflation, the rising costs of capital, and seemingly intractable hiring challenges.

“Advertisers are looking for alternatives to the big social media companies to expand their customer bases,” said Josh Gillon, CEO of What If Media Group, “especially if they appreciate transparency and true, results-based, ROI on their media expenditures. Our growth demonstrates that.”

What If Media Group makes it possible for the world’s leading brands to acquire valuable new customers at scale by leveraging the company’s first-party, data-driven engagement and re-engagement strategies. Every day, millions of consumers’ ad interactions across What If’s proprietary marketing ecosystem are translated into real results for advertisers.

“We’re proud to be honored for the seventh time,” said Seth Gottlieb, CVO of What If Media Group, “and we’re really excited for what’s to come. ARIA, our proprietary, AI-based marketing technology is expanding quickly, and we’re going to continue leveraging it with our massive, zero-party media enterprise.”

To learn more, please contact:
whatifmediagroup.com/pr

A recent poll of over 20,000 voters in seven swing states conducted by The American Survey (powered by What If Media Group) shows Kamala Harris closing the gap on Donald Trump in the battle for the presidency and that, once again, the race will be decided by swing voters in swing states. But just how close is it?

In two key battlegrounds, it’s too close to call. Harris leads Trump in Georgia by just half a percent, and in North Carolina, the candidates are neck and neck at 42.7%. Harris has edged out a 3.4% lead in Pennsylvania and distanced herself from Trump in Michigan (+7.7%) and Wisconsin (+9.5%) — at the same time, Trump has taken comfortable control of Arizona (+12.6%) and a lead in Nevada (+5.7%).

But, significantly, a decisive number of voters are still up for grabs. Over 14% of voters in each of these states said they planned to vote for someone other than Harris or Trump. In the last presidential election, third-party votes accounted for less than 2% of the total popular vote. If 2024 is anything like 2020, the presidency will be decided by the candidates’ ability to sway these voters.

In a similar poll conducted in January, support for Joe Biden had lulled below 26% — trailing both Trump and a third alternative — in every state surveyed. Six months later, with Biden out of the race, Trump’s massive lead has dissipated.

All data reported by The American Survey represents at least 116,000 responses from our 500,000 daily users polled randomly across the United States, giving us a 99% confidence level with a margin of error of +/-1%. To learn more about this survey or how our surveys can help you, contact: https://whatifmediagroup.com/pr/

On the eve of What If Media Group’s recent company retreat to Scottsdale, 11 of our employees traveled to Tucson to volunteer at the Ronald McDonald House of Southern Arizona, an organization that offers housing, transportation, and support to families whose children require constant access to medical care. Our team spent a few hours preparing and serving meals to families and greeted them as they came to dinner. 

“It was clear from the moment we stepped into the Ronald McDonald House just how impactful a place it is for the families that stay there,” said Mackenzie Rich, Account Manager. “It was such a special experience, and on top of that, we had a blast.”

In 2022, What If Media Group donated an all-expenses-paid weekend trip to Tanque Verde Dude Ranch in Tucson for over 25 Ronald McDonald House families. Our team was given the chance to meet some of those same families in person, and found they still remember the outing fondly.

“I knew we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to partner with them again,” said Mindy Thompson, our SVP of Human Resources. “Ronald McDonald House is showing up in an incredible way for families who are at their most vulnerable. I found myself getting emotional several times over the course of the day: about the beautiful home they’ve created, about the community I witnessed, about the way our What If Media Group team enthusiastically showed up and worked so hard and so well together. I will never forget it.” 

In addition to volunteering, What If made another generous donation to the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southern Arizona. We are so proud to make an impactful difference in our communities by contributing to organizations and causes like this. In 2023, we donated over $75,000 to a number of charities, most of which were picked by our employees. 

Learn more about What If’s commitment to philanthropy and volunteerism here: https://whatifmediagroup.com/what-if-cares/

For better or worse, the AI age is upon us. While grand technological revolutions in healthcare and reports of the coming apocalypse may be well-suited for headlines, AI’s impact on everyday Americans’ routine tasks — i.e., how they file their taxes — will more likely come to define it. However, that may not be for a while.

According to The American Survey (powered by What If Media Group), 4% of Americans plan to file their taxes this April using AI tax-preparation software. Specifically, these are tools that defer the heavy lifting of the tax filing process to AI — as opposed to companies like H&R Block and TurboTax, which have implemented AI chatbots to assist with the filing process (with middling success at best) but do not allow AI to do any actual calculations.

If you tense up at the thought of an algorithm doing your taxes, you’re not alone. 73% of Americans say they wouldn’t trust AI with the task, even given recent advances in the tech’s capabilities. Whether out of fear, habit, or prudence, 17% of respondents refuse to use anything other than a real accountant, trusting only a human to help them navigate the profoundly human penetralia of federal and state tax law.

Of those opting for regular ol’ online tax prep as a middle ground, nearly a third are using TurboTax. However, a number of Americans, perhaps fed up with what the Federal Trade Commission deemed “deceptive advertising,” have found alternatives. 11% of online tax-prep users plan to file this year using FreeTaxUSA, a smaller-name company that presents itself as more transparently priced.

Come Tax Day (April 15th), the Internal Revenue Service will have around 130 million tax returns to process, filed using every method under the sun. The apocalypse will have to wait.

Want to speak directly to the American people? We can make it happen. Click HERE to get started today.

Data reported by The American Survey is based on at least 23,900 responses from our 500,000 daily users polled randomly across the United States, giving us a 99% confidence level with a margin of error of +/-1%. To learn more about this survey or how our surveys can help you, contact: https://whatifmediagroup.com/pr/

What If Media Group donated $3,000 to Second Harvest Food Bank, providing 12,000 meals for those in need. We also made donations to two other Orlando-area organizations: Street Cat Project of Polk County and Cannonball Kids Cancer.

“We were greatly impressed with Second Harvest’s operations, organization and impact on its community,” said Mindy Thompson, SVP of Human Resources, “and, as always, we were grateful for the opportunity to give back as a team.”

Learn more about Second Harvest Food Bank here.

Learn more about What If Media Group’s commitment to philanthropy and volunteerism here.

At What If Media Group, maintaining high-quality web traffic is crucial for our clients’ satisfaction and therefore, our success. As our digital footprint has expanded, so has the complexity and volume of our third-party traffic. The integrity of this traffic has necessarily become a priority, as high volumes of poor-quality traffic can severely impact campaign effectiveness and client trust.

Our primary goal in implementing Anura on our sites was to keep the percentage of our “bad” traffic below a 5% threshold while simultaneously increasing overall sessions from third-party sources. We needed to:

• Identify and mitigate low-quality traffic sources efficiently.
• Maintain and improve session quality without sacrificing volume.
• Increase third-party revenue-per-registration while ensuring traffic integrity.

Anura’s ad fraud solution has met these challenges readily. The granular insight Anura provides allows us to make informed decisions quickly when a source starts to deviate from our quality standards. This efficiency has allowed us to scale our third-party buys with confidence.

“Anura was a game-changer for us,” said Andrew Klayman, Chief Sales Officer at What If Media Group. “The clarity it’s given us to assess and act on traffic quality metrics has been priceless. It makes our team more confident, it makes our company more efficient, and it keeps our clients happy.”

Anura has had a measurable impact on business. Since implementation, we’ve been able to increase our third-party sessions eight-fold, from 1 million to 8 million sessions. Even while scaling up sessions, we have consistently kept “bad” traffic under the 5% threshold.

Additionally, our third-party revenue-per-registration has seen a notable increase — an improvement directly attributable to the higher quality of traffic.

Anura has become indispensable to What If Media Group’s marketing infrastructure. By providing detailed, real-time evaluations of traffic quality, Anura has enabled us to scale our operations while meeting and even surpassing our own high standards for quality — in short, it’s the performance marketing dream scenario.

What If Media Group is an award-winning performance marketing company that empowers the world’s leading brands to acquire valuable new customers at scale. Leveraging cutting-edge technology and data-driven strategies, we provide cost-effective and high-performing marketing solutions tailored to the unique needs of our clients.