Built on the belief that marketing is most powerful when it’s personal, Response Media has been forging authentic brand relationships since 1980. As a female-founded, independently owned agency, few can claim a legacy that spans nearly half a century. As we celebrate our 45th anniversary, we’re taking a moment to reflect on where we started, celebrate what we’ve built, and share our vision for where we’re headed.

“Since day 1 – our purpose has always been to help brands leverage data to make marketing better. Although our methods and tactics have evolved with consumer behavior and the growing capability of digital and AI, we continue to evolve and reinvent how we deliver the best data-led value and innovation to drive clients’ business growth.”
– Josh Perlstein CEO

Chapter One: Data Before It Was “Cool”

From our earliest days, we built a reputation for accountability, transparency, and performance. In the 1980s, that meant pioneering direct mail strategies with measurable outcomes. When digital took hold in the 1990s, our data-centric mindset transitioned seamlessly, powering smarter targeting, better personalization, and even more measurable outcomes for leading global brands.

Discovering Our Superpower

Over the years, we uncovered a powerful, differentiating truth: our unique superpower lies in helping brands connect with hard-to-reach audiences through relevant and profitable relationships, delivered through personalized, omnichannel journeys at scale.

Whether in CPG, Pharma, or Tech, we’ve consistently created profitable growth by designing what we call Moments of Meaning, emotionally resonant, insight-driven touchpoints that spark real, lasting relationships between brands and consumers.

This ability isn’t accidental. It’s the result of decades of honing expertise at the intersection of media, CRM, and creative, fueled by our deep capabilities in behavioral science and first-party data strategy. By understanding individual beliefs, motivations, and constraints and activating that knowledge in real-time, we transform data into connection and insight into impact.

That’s what sets us apart. It’s not just performance marketing; it’s performance with purpose.

“Our Moments of Meaning methodology creates real connection between brand and audience through personalization, relevance and value, thus driving more memorable interactions, and more positive behavior change. It’s a proven approach that consistently drives superior ROI.”
– Josh Perlstein, CEO

Data Innovation: Beyond Traditional Agency Capabilities

We go beyond traditional agency capabilities with proprietary tools like EDGE (Engagement-Driven Growth Engine), our behavioral science-powered framework, and Verde, our custom MarTech stack that captures, validates, and activates first-party data in real time.

This seamless integration powers smarter media, personalized CRM, and high-impact customer journeys: all fueled by data and designed for scale.

By marrying behavioral science with marketing technology and data expertise, we help brands not only understand their consumers but activate that understanding in ways that create measurable, lasting impact.

“We use first party, transactional, and relational data, as well as asynchronous tracking data – to build data models and automation to maximize brands’ relationships with their customers and prospects.”
– Keith Perlstein, CEO

The Big Pivot: Expanding Our Horizons

This anniversary year also marks an exciting pivot for Response Media. We’ve taken our proven expertise in CPG and expanded into new verticals where our approach yields even greater value. Our ventures into pharma and education technology have exceeded expectations, with new clients experiencing remarkable results.

This expansion is guided by a simple truth we all believe in in our information-overloaded world, marketing only succeeds when brands connect with humans at a deeper emotional level using truly relevant, personalized content. This creates our Moments of Meaning journey which stands out and resonates in ways generic marketing never could.

Looking Forward: The Next 45 Years

The future of Response Media is about building on our legacy — continuing to lead with data, powered by empathy, and rooted in purpose. To our team, clients, partners, and friends: thank you for being part of the journey.

To our clients who have trusted us with their brands, to our partners who have collaborated with us, and especially to our team members past and present who have made Response Media what it is today – thank you. Our average client tenure of 6+ years and remarkable 90%+ employee retention rate speak volumes about the relationships we’ve built, and the successes we’ve shared.

Here’s to 45 years of data-driven excellence, and many more years of creating moments that matter.

Happy 45th, Response Media. The best is yet to come.