In 2004, Tinuiti started as Elite SEM, a search engine marketing firm, but over the years it had to adjust to all the new trends—social media, e-commerce and connected TV. In 2019, It rebranded as Tinuiti, which the company says combines the words acuity, ingenuity and continuity. Like his company, CEO Zach Morrison says, “I need to continue to reinvent myself.”
Special Report: 40 Under 40
Tinuiti's Zach Morrison is taking on major holding companies through reinvention
The CEO is one of Ad Age's 2021 40 Under 40 honorees
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Zach Morrison
This year, Tinuiti, which is now an independent performance marketing agency, has been grabbing headlines and new clients including the National Football League. It also has marketing partnerships with platforms like Amazon, Walmart and TikTok. “We started to achieve one of our goals, which was to go from people asking, ‘Who is Tinuiti?’ to hearing Tinuiti everywhere,” says Morrison, who turns 37 years old today.
Tinuiti is on course to generate $200 million in revenue in 2021 on $3 billion in media managed, which Morrison says represents sixfold growth since 2017. Morrison wants Tinuiti to do for digital marketing what the classic media holding companies have been doing for traditional advertising for decades.
Morrison says that it’s all coming together. Competitors including S4, Dentsu and WPP "didn’t know who we were a few years ago,” Morrison says. “They all know who we are now.”
See all of Ad Age's 40 Under 40 honorees.
If you could have dinner with one person, alive or dead, who would it be and why?
I never met my father-in-law. I'd love to learn just more about him, my wife, his businesses—and from what I’ve heard he was a lot of fun.
What are the top two social media sites you use on a regular basis?
Twitter and Instagram, but TikTok is rising; so many good, young comedians I have started to follow.
What’s currently on your bedside reading list?
“What Got You There Won’t Get You There,” by Marshall Goldsmith, and next up is Ari Meisel's “Art of Less Doing.”
What was the last show you binge-watched?
I don't really watch TV unless you count my kids' favorite, “Bluey,” on Disney+. For me, I have every episode downloaded of “The West Wing” and I watch it all the time.
At what age do you hope to retire?
It's not something I've really thought about. If retire means not working at all, then like 60. However, I always imagine myself involved in business whether it's running Tinuiti or helping young entrepreneurs get their companies off the ground. If I have to pick an age it would be 50.
