About
Thirty years. Every shake-up survived.
Ad Spin Media was founded in New York City in 1996. Since then we've come through Y2K, the dot-com bust, the Great Recession, the 2020 shutdowns and now the AI shift. Each one taught us how to keep a business growing when the ground moves.
- 1996
Founded in New York City
Dealer advertising that filled showrooms across the metro area, launched just as the web went mainstream.
- Late 1990s
Branded content
We moved from buying ad space to creating the stories around it.
- Late 1990s
Direct response and audience data
The right offer in the right hands, with every response counted. Still the core of what we do.
- 1999–2000 · Survived
Survived Y2K
While businesses braced for the world to stop, we were building websites and getting clients online.
- 2000–2002 · Survived
Survived the dot-com bust
Internet companies collapsed. We stuck with what works: measurable results. Google launched AdWords in 2000, and we were early.
- 2000s
Design, interactive and search
Adobe-powered design, interactive media and pay-per-click, all in-house.
- 2008–2009 · Survived
Survived the Great Recession
Budgets froze. We moved clients into channels they could measure, so they kept advertising while competitors went dark.
- 2010s
Search, listings and nonprofits
Google Partner for Ads and Ad Grants, and roughly 2,500 domains managed.
- 2020 · Survived
Survived the shutdowns
Overnight, every business had to be online. We moved clients to local search, social, online ordering and contactless mail.
- Today
Leading the AI shift
Search is turning into answers. We get clients recommended by AI assistants, with AI agents doing the busywork.
How we help you survive the next one.
Every downturn rewards the same habits. We build them into your marketing from day one.
- Measure everything, so you know what to keep when budgets get cut.
- Never depend on one channel. Search, social, mail and email back each other up.
- Own your customer list. Platforms change, and your list stays yours.
- Move early. We were early to the web, to search, and now to AI answers.
- Keep advertising when others go quiet. That's when share is won.
We've done this for start-ups finding their first customers and Fortune 500 teams at enormous scale.
We still read Communication Arts cover to cover, the way we did in 1996. Good ideas still matter most.
Beyond advertising
Part of a bigger picture.
Ad Spin Media is the founder's home base. Sister companies handle technology and real estate, so clients who need more than marketing get it from people they already trust.
- Ad Spin Tech: managed it, cybersecurity and ai advisory
- Ad Spin Network: our network of web properties and publishing
- Beyond the Deed: real estate ventures and property holdings
Find out where you're losing customers.
Free growth audit: your search, AI and local visibility, ad spend and mail, with a plain-English plan. No obligation.