How Strategic Media Turns Data into Results

Alex Foster joined SMI 12 years ago, when call center data dominated the reporting landscape. Back then, with only directly attributable leads from call centers to contend with, his job as an analyst was a lot simpler. Now, he leads the Data & Analytics team, streamlining the company’s data visualization techniques while implementing progressive reporting projects. 

“We still have the direct attribution side of things, but that’s only one piece of the pie,” says Foster. “Listener behavior has evolved alongside the increasingly digital landscape and as an agency, we’ve adapted our framework to capture the more indirect user journey. By incorporating additional layers of attribution, we’re able to measure the broader impact of our clients’ advertising and deliver a more holistic view of performance.”

SMI’s Data Team has an important mission: Build, maintain, and optimize data pipelines to promote a data driven culture, provide scalable solutions, and present real-time actionable insights.

A lot has changed since Foster began. More platforms, more clients, the launch of SMI’s proprietary operating system, Stanley, and the integration of artificial intelligence. The team has since expanded with the addition of Media Analyst Tim Bishop, and Reporting and Insight Analyst Christian Henry. This group of data experts approaches audio attribution with a wide range of cutting-edge data strategies. At the heart of their work is a straightforward philosophy: gather and distill the data, then utilize their expertise in data structuring and visual analytics to tell the story. 

Day-To-Day Data

Tracking a campaign isn’t as straightforward as clicks and impressions. Direct attribution, like vanity URLs, makes the job easier, but that’s one small part of the larger picture. Many listeners bypass an audio ad’s call-to-action instructions entirely, opting to Google a brand or go directly to a website rather than texting the number in the ad, for example. SMI uses survey data and pixel tracking to cast a wider net and ensure these indirect engagements aren’t missed. 

“The biggest challenge we face as an Analytics team is how to build our pipelines in a way that creates synergy between the various data sources and allows for efficient turnaround,” says Foster. “As our attribution models grow in complexity, so does our emphasis on quality control.” 

A big portion of the Data Team’s job is to design a scalable framework that translates raw data into a digestible format, while executing rigorous checks and balances along the way. This is accomplished with a thoughtful blend of automation and collective human oversight, enabling the team to deliver accurate results in a timely manner.

Multiple data sources are funneled through customized pipelines, mapped back to specific campaigns, and optimized continuously.

Patience + Performance

Clients want results—and fast. But in data, patience matters. The SMI team knows that data needs time to mature before it can tell the full story.

“We’re often coaching clients on what metrics to focus on first,” says Henry, “Campaigns may begin with top-of-funnel KPIs, but true performance often emerges later. That requires volume, time, and thoughtful calibration.”

It’s about trust—trusting the process, trusting the data, and ensuring clients understand that top-of-funnel metrics (even ones created with bottom-of-funnel intent) need space to grow.

The Automation Edge

The Data Team’s relationship with AI looks quite different compared to other SMI teams. 

“AI helps us blend data sources that used to be nearly impossible to align,” says Bishop. “From writing efficient SQL queries to visualizing insights in Tableau, automation helps SMI move quickly and accurately—without sacrificing quality.”

Tools like Tableau and Monday.com are integral to the company’s workflow, driving more innovative dashboards, better project tracking, and fewer human hours on manual tasks. There’s a lot of nuance involved, too. 

The team is thoughtful about AI’s limitations and ethical implications. As Henry put it: “We operate in black-and-white, binary terms, so automation fits naturally. But we don’t take it for granted.”

From Then to Now

In the past, SMI was collecting call center data and tracking 1-800 numbers. Today, it’s blending listenership data from Nielsen, attribution from Podscribe, and air checks into unified dashboards. 

“Attribution modeling has obviously changed over the 25 years SMI has been in business, but even more dramatically in the last 12 years since I’ve been here,” says Foster. “We didn’t have all these different attribution sources. It’s evolved so much.” 

Henry joined the team shortly after the launch of Stanley, SMI’s in-house management system. The implementation of this massive undertaking sparked an understanding in the difference in how SMI operates. 

“Stanley gave us the opportunity to move forward from where we were before,” says Henry. “It creates a better environment for better data keeping and gives our team the tools to improve what we do on a day-to-day basis.”

Despite the tech upgrades, the goal remains: help clients spend smarter, reach more listeners, and make every data point count.

Strategic Media isn’t just keeping up—they’re leading with data, driven by purpose, and powered by people who know how to turn metrics into momentum.